Smoothing Iron or Minnie's Stars or Road to Florida -- It's a Finish!

It's a finish!

83 x 90

The top was finished back in October 2019. 

 This quilt was inspired by a vintage quilt made by Minnie Lee Deakins and is a Quiltfolk pattern called Minnie's Stars.  (At one point Quiltfolk had a monthly pattern subscription for a surprise vintage pattern but that only lasted a few months. I think they now sell the patterns online?)

 Anonymous previously left me a blog comment that mentioned the block is known as Road to Florida and also lately named Smoothing Iron.  I can see how it could be called Smoothing Iron, a name I really like, but not sure about the road to Florida as a block name. There seems to be a lot of vintage blocks that start with "road to..."  

I started the quilt because I had quite a few small chunks of blue TOTs (tone on tone fabrics) I wanted to  use up. I decided on blues for the triangles and warm colors for the triangle centers. I was going to just make the quilt in reds, blues and yellows but soon found I had to add some oranges and pinks for the center triangles.  I didn't have enough of my blue chunks to finish the blocks either and soon after I blogged that I would need to purchase fabric to continue a quilty friend sent me a surprise package of blue TOTs.  That had me calling the quilt "Out of the Blue". 

I quilted it on my DSM (Brother PQ1500SL) with blue thread. 

I used a few different blue TOTs for the binding. 

The back.

Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework

 

It's a Flimsy! Out of the Blue

 It's a flimsy! It's a quilt top! 

Out of the Blue

83 x 90

 It is a Quiltfolk pattern inspired by a vintage quilt.  The traditional block name is Smoothing Iron or Road to Florida. 

I used blue tone on tones (TOTs) for the triangles and warm TOTs for the stars. When I mentioned in a blog post that I wasn't sure I had enough blue TOTs to complete the quilt top a box of blue scraps arrived out of the blue from a kind and generous quilty friend. What a wonderful surprise that was!  

Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More

Finished or Not Finished Friday at Alycia's Quilts

Some Things Old; Some Things New

 I've finished up enough blocks for a couple of quilts that are old projects. 

All of these Triangle blocks are finished now for what I call Out of the Blue that I started on January 1.   I promised myself I would not let this new start roll over into the new year of 2020 without at least reaching flimsy stage. So I've been slowly working on a few blocks each week. This is the ironed stack. 

 And this is the stack that needs ironing. There's 128 blocks total (if I remember correctly) that will make a quilt 83 x 90. I've been using blue tone on tones (TOTS) for the sides of the triangles and warm TOTS for the triangle points that form a star.  I blogged that I wasn't sure I would have enough blue TOTS for the triangles and then lo and behold I received a box in the mail from a kind and generous quilty friend that contained some. 

 Out of the Blue was inspired by a vintage quilt made by Minnie Lee Deakins and is a Quiltfolk pattern called Minnie's Stars.  Anonymous previously left me a blog comment that mentioned the block is known as Road to Florida and also lately named Smoothing Iron.  I can see how it could be called Smoothing Iron, a name I really like, but not sure about the road to Florida. 

 And now I also have enough Carolina Chain blocks made so I can begin assembly. I started these blocks last year to use up 2 inch scraps left from making Fractured Rainbows (aka Totally Demented). When I started making Fractured Rainbows I did not have a 2 inch scrap bin so I cut scrap chunks and bits into 2 inch pieces.  After that I had a 2 inch scrap bin so Carolina Chains was started.  I used blue TOT scraps left over from making those Out of the Blue blocks for the side setting triangles. 

 I figured I have finished blocks for two old projects so I deserve to start two new projects.  I have a lot of odds and ends of low volume fabrics plus I still have a lot of low volume 2 inch scraps so thought I would make some low volume Bright Hopes blocks that finish at 4.5 inches.   I was inspired by the Bright Hopes Quilt at Red Pepper Quilts. 

 These blocks are addictive, mindless and have a calming effect and who doesn't need that once in awhile? This will make a nice summer quilt I think. 

And turning up the low volume to loud...

I recently followed a link to a Strips and Squares quilt at Cluck Cluck Sew and decided to give it a try to use my 2.5 and 4.5 inch scraps instead of fat quarters as listed in the tutorial. I'm thankful for the inspiration and idea and tutorial but I'm not really following the tutorial for assembly either. I'm using up scraps.  The quilt combines Rail Fence blocks, Sixteen Patches, Happy Blocks and eight inch squares. 

But instead of eight inch squares I'm using 4.5 inch scraps to make some four patches to add to the mix. 

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework

Out of the Blue

 I've been making these blocks using blues for the triangle sides and warm colors for the points that form a star.  Last time I posted about these blocks I wasn't sure if I had enough blues to make 128 blocks.  Well, out of the blue I received a box in the mail from a quilty friend with blue fabric bits and pieces. 

Thank you, quilty friend! 

That was enough for 39 blocks. I now have a total of 67 blocks toward my goal of 128. 

I'll get by with a little help from my friend. 

You made my day and you've helped make my quilt!

And I've been looking for a name for this quilt.  The pattern calls it Minnie's Stars since it was inspired by a quilt made by a lady named Minnie.  I'm calling my quilt "Out of the Blue". 

Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More

Another Six Pointed Star

Minnie Stars

 Yesterday I lamented that I think I'm sixty degree angle challenged. I hope to get better with practice.   I've also been making these stars that require sixty degree angle cuts so I'm getting lots of practice figuring out how to flip the ruler and line it up properly before cutting.  

I'm making all the triangle blocks first and will make the final arrangement of blocks that form the stars when all the blocks are made. 

 I've been using solids and tone on tones from stash - blues for the triangle sides and warm colors for the triangle points.  This is going to be a big quilt and I'm not sure I have enough blues but I'll use up what I have before I go on a blues buying binge. 

I think these latest blocks bring me to a total of 28 out of my goal of 128. 

 This is another one inspired by a vintage quilt...

...called Minnie Stars. 

Promises

I promised myself I would not let this year's "New Starts" go into a box and sit idle for years. I promised myself to at least work on the quilt a little each month if not a little each week. 

Minnie's Stars started January 3, 2019. 

I kept my promise this month. 

It would really help if I would always cut the angles correctly on a stack of those blue pieces. 

-24 F here right now at 7:00 a.m.  

It's definitely quilt wearing weather. 

Oh Dear!

Oh Dear! We re only three days into a new year and I fear I've already started something new.  The January 2019 Quiltfolk pattern subscription is for a quilt called Minnie's Stars.  I love it and thought I would try a couple of blocks. Sheesh...they take longer to cut than to sew together.  I will definitely make this one. The trapezoids will be in blues and the triangles and the diamonds that form the stars will be in warm colors - red, orange, yellow, pink. 

Now I only need 126 more blocks for a quilt 83 x 90.  I hope I can find enough blues and warms in my stash.