What's In The Hoop?

What's in the hoop?

Plus Postage

I finished the top in July 2021.

I'm big stitch hand quilting this one. It's fun to see what can show up in a little one inch square. 

The Plus Postage pattern can be found in the April 2016 edition of American Patchwork and Quilting and is designed by Susan Ache. I was inspired but  I didn't follow the instructions. (I looked at the pictures). Susan Ache's version uses strip piecing and only two fabrics per block. I used quite a variety of 1.5 inch squares (postage stamps cut from scraps) and sewed those together one square at a time. 

I'm stitching on the diagonals through the colored blocks in the color of the block.  The plus signs get some big stitching in red 1/4 inch (eyeballed) inside the plus. 

And sew on...

Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts

Oh Scrap! at Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework

 

Plus Postage Is Now A Top

 

Plus Postage

It's a top!

60 x 80

I started making these ten inch blocks a couple of years ago as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) project to use up some postage stamp sized squares (1.5 inch squares). 

Sometimes fun things show up in a little 1 inch (finished) square.  I spy cake, scissors, musical notes, a bone...

...whales, tomatoes, paw print...

...peppermint candy, and a tiny dancer. I usually give these types of quilts to patients in hospice, nursing homes, or hospital.  It gives the patient and/or visitors something to look at when there is a lull in the conversation.  

And then maybe a conversation gets started and memories triggered by one of those itty bitty squares...remember the year Aunt Marie surprised you and made those horrible tasting peppermint flavored mints she wanted you to put with some mixed nuts in little dishes on the cake table? It was fun to watch the reactions of those who tasted the mints...remember...

Isn't that why some fabrics are called conversation prints? 

The Plus Postage pattern can be found in the April 2016 edition of American Patchwork and Quilting and is designed by Susan Ache. I was inspired but  I didn't follow the instructions. (I looked at the pictures). Susan Ache's version uses strip piecing and only two fabrics per block. I used quite a variety of 1.5 inch squares (postage stamps cut from scraps) and sewed those together one square at a time. 

Finished or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More

And Then There Were Forty-Eight

I just finished the last five Plus Postage blocks. Now I have forty-eight ten inch (finished) blocks. 

Now this complete block set is ready for the "Some Assembly Required" box of complete block sets that need to be assembled into tops. 

The Plus Postage pattern can be found in the April 2016 edition of American Patchwork and Quilting and is designed by Susan Ache. I didn't follow the instructions. (I looked at the pictures). Susan Ache's version uses strip piecing and only two fabrics per block. I used quite a variety of 1.5 inch squares (postage stamps cut from scraps) and sewed those together one square at a time. 

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework

 

Odds And Ends But Mostly Odds

This is a new project...4 inch (finished) Indian Hatchet blocks.  I had researched this block last year and came across a vintage Indian Hatchet quilt I loved so decided to use my scraps and make some blocks. The centers will be the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color of the month and the corners will be secondary colors if the RSC color is primary and vice versa. So the colors for both pink and yellow ended up to be greens, oranges and purples.  If interested there are cutting instructions for five different sizes of blocks at Generations Quilt patterns.  

I made a few Wonky Shoofly blocks with waste triangles, a Plus Postage block and a PSP20-21 (Postage Stamp Pandemic 2020-2021).  The Plus Postage project is an old one and I only need a few more blocks. I cut the postage stamps in a variety of colors last year when I cleaned out my 1.5 inch scrap bin so will make Plus Postage blocks in the prepped colors when the RSC color comes up. I already have quite a few PSP blocks in yellow solids but came across a solid yellow scrap enough for a block so went ahead and made one. I think I'm aiming for 121 blocks for a big quilt. This old farmhouse gets really cold so I keep three quilts on the bed in winter. 

Three six inch Buckeye Beauty blocks. I'm using shirts and dark multicolors and a few dark metallics to supplement the RSC color of the month when I make these blocks. I started making these late last year and already had a few blocks made with yellow but made a few more this month to add to the pile. 

Then I made some Big Chips and some Little Chips for two different quilts. 

And with the trimmings from the Indian Hatchets and the Big Chips I made some Hourglass blocks that need some trimming. Those little Hourglasses finish at about 1 inch. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

 

Plus Postage

The next couple of months I'm going to try to finish up several sets of blocks I've been making as Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects. 

I've been trying to clean out most of my scrap bags, bins and boxes. I started making these Plus Postage blocks in an effort to use up the scraps in the 1.5 inch scrap bin. And now I'm scraping the bottom of the bin (thank goodness). 

These 10 inch finished blocks were inspired by a pattern in American Patchwork and Quilting April 2016 designed by Susan Ache. I say "inspired" because the pattern used strip piecing and only used two fabrics in each block. As you can see I'm using a scrappy mix instead. 

I've decided to make my quilt 6 blocks by 8 blocks (60 x 80 inches finished quilt) so I need a total of 48 blocks. I now have 38 blocks. 

So I continued to scrape the bottom of the 1.5 inch scrap barrel and cut parts for 10 more blocks. I didn't count the neutrals but I think I'll need to cut a few more of those squares.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

 

Yellow 1.5 Inch Scrap Edition

Double Irish Chains that finish at 9 inches. 

I've been using dark browns for the center chains, light brown/tan/cream for the backgrounds and the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) color of the month for the chains. 

Plus Postage blocks that finish at 10 inches. 

This is inspired by a Susan Ache pattern I cut from an old magazine. I say "inspired" because the pattern called for strip piecing just two fabrics per block and I am not strip piecing and am using many different 1.5 inch square scraps per block. 

Postage Stamp Pandemic 2020 (PSP20) blocks that finish at 8 inches. 

 Wishing Rings that finish at 3.5 inches. I've been making these from scraps for a couple of years and my goal is 312 each of light corners and dark corners. I think I'm close to 250 of each. Hopefully before year end I'll make my goal. The quilt will alternate light and dark cornered blocks. That old calico in the third row second from the left used to be my kitchen curtains for awhile in the 80s. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weenies in Red

Red is the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) color of the month. This week I worked with 1.5 inch scraps and made some PSP20 (Postage Stamp Pandemic 2020) blocks...

...and four Double Irish Chain blocks...

...and 4 Plus Postage blocks...

...and 16 Wishing Rings with light corners. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) ScrapHappy Saturday

 

Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weenies

 

Purple is the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) color of the month. 

This week I made most of my blocks with 1.5 inch scraps. 

My scraps are getting smaller and smaller and I don't mind. 

I just started these 9 inch (finished) Double Irish Chain blocks a few months ago. I wanted to use the 1.5 inch width scraps left over from making my Clarissa hourglass blocks; a lot of which were creams, tans, taupes, browns. So the backgrounds will all be light browns and the center chain will be dark browns. The other chains will be in the RSC color of the month. 

I started these Plus Postage blocks last year. They are 10 inch finished blocks. They are inspired by a Susan Ache pattern I cut out of an old magazine. 

I started these 8 inch (finished) Postage Stamp Pandemic 2020 (PSP20) blocks a couple of months ago. 

I think I've been making these 3.5 inch (finished) Wishing Ring blocks for a couple of years now. The center is a 2 inch square but the rest of the pieces are 1.5 inch width. I will alternate light and dark corners in the finished quilt. 

Double X and Alternate Snowball Block. 

Inspired by a vintage quilt. 

These blocks finish at four inches. I think I've been making these for a couple of years too.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday 

The Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Blues

My scraps are getting smaller and smaller; itsy-er and bitsy-er;  teenier and weenier! 

This week I worked with 1.5 inch scraps mostly in blue since that is the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) color of the month. 

Last month I started some Double Irish Chain blocks (9 inch finished). Backgrounds will be light browns and center chain will be dark browns. The rest of the chains will be in the color of the month. I'm thinking 100 of these blocks will make a nice big bed quilt so what better way to achieve that goal than make a few each month from scraps. 

I started these Plus Postage blocks (10 inch finished) in December 2019.  Blocks are inspired by an American Patchwork and Quilting 2016 pattern designed by Susan Ache.  I'm thinking about 81 of these will make a nice big quilt. 

I don't have many solids but I did find enough pieces of different blues to make some PSP20 (Postage Stamp Pandemic 2020) blocks (8 inch finished).  Blocks aren't ironed yet. I'll wait until assembly to iron them so I can nest seams. 

I caught PSP20 last month so I've been catching up on blocks with solids in the RSC colors already called if I have the solids. I could only find one lonesome green piece to use but enough orange for three.  I'm not sure what size this quilt will be...maybe twin sized. That might be 80 blocks. 

I've been making Wishing Rings (3.5 inch finished) for a couple of years now. I cut the 1.5 inch sides from 1.5 inch scraps. I think last time we had a blue month I made blocks with blue centers and corners which are cut from 3.5 inch width scraps.  This month I made the blue blocks with light corners. 

I've almost cleared out my 1.5 inch scrap bin which was one of my goals. So from now on most of my 1.5 inch strips will be cut from scrap chunks. 

And finally, the Double X and Snowballs use 1.5 inch scraps. These blocks finish at 4 inches and I've been making these for a couple of years. They are inspired by a vintage quilt. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

In The Pink

Pink Plus Postage blocks.

Pink is the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color for June.  (No, it's not June quite yet but it feels like it should be).   These blocks are made from 1.5 inch scraps except for the red plus sign and finish at 10 inches.  The blocks are inspired by a pattern and quilt designed by Susan Ache that appeared in American Patchwork and Quilting in April 2016. The pattern instructions call for strip piecing but I sew the squares together individually so I can make use of my 1.5 inch scraps. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

From Green Scraps

Wedding Rings that finish at 7.5 inches and a couple of 16 patches that finish at 6 inches. 

 Dark green is the May Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) color of the month for May. I used most of my green scraps in January when the color of the month was light and bright green but I have accumulated a few green scraps since that time so I sewed them all up into blocks for my current RSC projects.    

 Plus Postage blocks that finish at 10 inches made from 1.5 inch scraps. 

 Wishing Rings that finish at 3 inches. 

Double X Mosaic and Snowballs. Blocks finish at 4 inches. 

I think the rest of this month of green I will try to finish a bunch of RSC tops I have in the pile.  I also need to add a scrappy green border to an old UFO. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

More Blue Scraps

 From 2.5 inch scraps...ten Dakota Farmer Stars. (Sheesh, that's a lot of HSTs)

From 1.5 inch scraps...four Plus Postage blocks. (Sheesh, that's a lot of little 1.5 inch squares)

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

Plus Postage

This week I worked with my blue-green 1.5 inch scraps and only had enough for one Plus Postage block. 

This pattern is from American Patchwork and Quilting April 2016 called Plus Postage. It is designed by Susan Ache.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

Speaking of the Red Cross...I recently finished reading The Beantown Girls. I'm a fan of WWII historical fiction but I had never heard of the Red Cross Clubmobiles and the Doughnut Dollies until I read this book. 

The Green Green Scraps of Home

 Light and bright green is the RSC (Rainbow Scrap Challenge) color of the month. 

I made three Plus Postage blocks from my 1.5 inch green scraps. I made that brown one last year when I was testing out the block.  These blocks finish at 10 inches. 

 I found the pattern in an old magazine. The pattern called for using strip sets but I'm not doing that. I'm just using 1.5 inch squares from my scrap bin. 

 I made two Rocky Glen blocks from 1.5 inch scraps. The one far left was my test block from last year. These finish at 7.5 inches and I was going to make them in secondary and primary colors keeping the longer center strips in the RSC color of the month.  They are not all that difficult to make but now I'm thinking I don't like these all that much and they will go into the orphan block box. 

The instructions for Rocky Glen came from the Ladies' Art Company Block Tool.  At some later date I may try some in a larger size but for now I'm not going to make any more of these blocks.  Well, maybe first I'll try one made of all green scraps to see if I like them in a single color. 

 These Wishing Rings that finish at 3.5 inches were started last year. I'm making a large quilt so I figure I need about 300 each of light and dark corner blocks. I have about 125 of each toward that goal.   The center is two inches and the sides and corners are 1.5 inches.   I cut the side pieces from 1.5 inch scraps and I cut the center and corners from 3.5 inch scraps. (From the 3.5 inch scrap I make a 2 inch cut and two 1.5 inch cuts.  I cut the two 1.5 inch into four 1.5 inch squares and I cut the 2 inch cut into a 2 inch square and a 1.5 inch square).

While I was in the 3.5 inch scraps I made a few Broken Dishes blocks which is another project carried over from years past. I was going to combine them with some 16 patch blocks but changed my mind and will just make a quilt of Broken Dishes.  When I end up with scraps less than a 3.5 inch square I've been sewing them into strips for use at some later date for a Chinese Coins quilt. Well, most of these pieces were actually 3.5 inch squares but someone accidentally rolled the Rotary Cutter over them

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday