Another Top To Add To The Pile

Dresdens

about 91 x 91

is a top now and 

hopefully it will grow up to be a quilt 

someday. 

It's been a VERY rough (very seriously rough and very seriously depressing) week so in my very few spare moments I have turned to sewing to keep me somewhat calm and sane.  I don't blog to whine so won't bore you with the details of last week's events.  Tomorrow starts a new week. 

I made these blocks in 2015 as one of my Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) projects.  If I remember correctly each month I made 4 blocks - a block in the color of the month, color of the month plus it's complement, color of the month plus white and black, color of the month plus black and white.  Each block was appliqued to a gray background, had a polka dot center surrounded by gray rick-rack. 

Now I just have to whip up a backing and decide how to quilt it. I was thinking of hand quilting but now I'm undecided.  Time will tell. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge

Kaleidoscopes, Butterflies and Kaleidoscopes of Butterflies

ROY G BIV Kaleidoscope

80 x 80

Last year I made 8 inch kaleidoscope blocks from scraps as one of my projects for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. All 100 of the blocks came from the 2.5 inch scrap box. I used solids for the corners of the blocks.

I arranged and rearranged the blocks on the floor and couldn't come up with a good arrangement. I finally settled on arranging them clockwise starting at bottom left in rainbow color order.  I left the brown and black blocks on the outside edges. 

I quilted it on my DSM, Little Bro, with some spirals. I used a variegated gray, pastel blue, pastel pink thread on top and a dark gray thread in the bobbin.  It's what I had on hand. 

Since I used solids for the kaleidoscope corners I decided to use it for the binding also in all colors of the rainbow.  And I originally was going to use muslin for the backing but went with a more colorful option instead. 

Since this quilt was from the scrap box I'm linking up to

 Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework

This finish was also my goal #4 

for the Q2 Finish-A-Long

And, as for butterflies...

Butterfly Garden is still in my hoop. 

I have the hand quilting on three of the lengthwise sashings completed. You can't see it very well but I know the quilting is there and it's giving the quilt a nice overall texture. 

I'm quilting leaves and flowers. I'm using these stencils and marking with mechanical pencil. I'm using Lizbeth size 20 (100% Egyptian cotton) threads in a variety of colors. 

This is my slow stitching I'm slowly stitching a little bit each evening. 

Linking up with other stitchers this dreary Sunday for Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts. 

Now, did you know that a group of butterflies is called a kaleidoscope? 

I found that out last year.  

To celebrate butterflies (real or in fabric) and kaleidoscopes Ann of Fret Not Yourself and I host a monthly linky party.

I thought it was too early in the year to see butterflies around here but I saw a Silver-Spotted Skipper while I was out weeding the strawberry patch.   I knew it was a skipper but wasn't sure of the exact name. I identified it from pics in the gallery at the BAMONA (Butterflies and Moths of North America) site.    I hope to get the grandkids to help me take pics and catalog the butterflies we see this summer. 

An InLinkz Link-up

A Rainbow of Kaleidoscopes - It's a Top

A Rainbow of Kaleidoscopes

80 x 80

I made 100 of  these 8 inch blocks out of 2.5 inch scraps last year as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge project. 

I love making quilt blocks but sewing them together into a top is not one of my favorite things to do especially when you can't figure out how they should be sewn together. But the dirty deed is done. (Earworm warning - dirty deeds, done dirt cheap).   Now I just have to figure out what to use for a backing and how to quilt it.  Since it's a bed quilt the backing doesn't have to be anything fancy since I rarely look at the backside of a quilt when I'm in bed snoring. And  I'll probably FMQ some circles after I learn the ABCs of FMQ on my new DSM.  Stay tuned. 

Linking up to:

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework.

Moving it Forward Monday at Em's Scrapbag

Scraptastic Tuesday

I Topped It!

Lozenges (aka Suppositories)

76 x90

It's a top made from 2 x 4.5 lozenges - 760 of them. 

It's too long for the clothesline and it is very wet outside so...

...here it is turned on it's side. 

I think I have a piece of wide muslin for the back and I think I will machine quilt it on my plain Jane DSM with some straight lines. 

I started working on these late in 2014 and all through 2015 as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge project. 

I have jokingly been referring to these as suppositories because they are kind of a pain in the patooty to make....well, they are not all that difficult to make but they are sooo boring with those little 1.5 inch corners that need to be sewn and trimmed - four of them on each of those 760 units.   Good thing I only made a few of the color of the month each month or I never would have seen these through to a top. I'm not a leader/ender sort of gal so don't make any quilts using that method. 

Holidays are rather stressful for  me. I'm not really a people person even if the people are my family and friends...I prefer to spend time by myself.  These suppositories were just the right mindless kick-in-the-booty type of cure that could see me through the holidays, the people, the stress.  You can't top that! (Er, I guess I did...top it).  

Green 2.5

I was looking through my Rainbow Scrap Challenge box of projects and found my bag of Crackers.  Well, way back when dark/bright green was the color of the month I thought I made all my green crackers. NO, I cut scraps for green crackers but I didn't actually make them. And no fairy came along and surprised me with finished Crackers either.  So...

... I ended up making 55 six inch green crackers.  (Yes, I can count...I just didn't feel like showing all of them to you because I was too lazy to stick them to the batting on my propped up cutting mat).  And then I also noticed red cut pieces in the same bag so I finished up some red crackers too. 

Now I think I can start assembling them into a quilt.  I decided to join four blocks of the same color together like so. Now...to sash or not to sash...that is the question. 

On another note I think I want to make a Pyramid quilt with my scraps in 2016. I followed a tutorial on the Molly Flanders blog.   I'm not sure how many of these units I will need...maybe a couple thousand???

And those waste triangles from those Crackers??? I sewed them on to the corners of some blue 2.5 inch scraps and made some little four inch butterfly blocks.  Have I mentioned I love butterflies???? 

Got Scraps???

Join us each ScrapHappy Saturday and show us how you use them up. 

And Now There Are Forty-four

I finished the last four versions of green Dresdens.  

I've been making Dresdens each month from scraps during this year's Rainbow Scrap Challenge. 

I didn't make any green Dresdens in the last dark/bright green month so I've made 8 this month to catch up. 

Each month I made four following these rules:

1. 13 inch gray background (4.5 inch scraps for wedges)

2. polka dot centers surrounded by gray rickrack

3.  one in the color of the month

4. one in the color of the month plus color complement

5. one in color of the month plus b/w

6. one in the color of the month plus w/b.

And now there are forty-four Dresden blocks. I think I'll make five more and lay them out 7 x 7 for a large quilt. 

Got scraps?

Use them up and show us how each ScrapHappy Saturday. 

Green 4.5

I didn't make any green Dresden blocks back in May when green was the RSC color of the month. So this month I have to make 8 green Dresdens. 

Here's my green with b/w and green with w/b. 

Next week I hope to have the green plus complement and only green blocks finished. 

I've been using up 4.5 inch scraps on these. 

And speaking of 4.5 inch scraps...I decided to make a few green flying geese.   I used my EZ angle rulers to cut these.  I think I'll make these next year. Not sure what I'll do with them. It will come to me later. 

Got Scraps? 

Join us each ScrapHappy Saturday and show us what you've done with them. 

56 Shades of Envy: Final Chapter

It's Finished! 

56 Shades of Envy

84 x 96

I started making these 12 Dandy Quilt blocks way back in 2014 when green was the color of the month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  I then made more this year in May when green was the color of the month for the 2015 Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  I found I had a lot of small green scrap chunks so stars were born.  I figured 56 Shades of Envy was a better name for the quilt than Spewing Green Chunks. 

I arranged them from the lightest up in the upper left corner...

...to the darkest in the lower right corner. 

There were lots of shades in between. 

Most of the blocks look like this. 

But in a few blocks I didn't have quite enough of the green chunk so the star is all made in the background fabric. 

I quilted it on my DSM with straight and diagonal lines. I used variegated green thread on top and light green thread on the bottom.  I had to do some quilting in the ditch and I really don't see well enough to stay in the ditch but I try.  

The back is a wide dark green solid.   The binding is made of more green scraps. 

I listed this as my #5 -Q4 2015 Finish Along Goal  with  Adrianne of On the Windy Side. 

Take another UFO off the list!

Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

Dresdens - the Brown Addition

I'm winding up the brown RSC color of the month with some brown Dresdens.  

These use 4.5 inch scraps and are appliqued to 13 inch backgrounds. 

Each month I usually make 4 but this month the color complement for brown is unclear to me since it is not on most color wheels.  Some searches say something like cyan. Rather than worry about it I only made 3 Dresdens. 

My rules for Dresdens this year:

1. gray background fabrics

2. polka dot centers

3. gray rick rack around centers

4. one block entirely in the color of the month

5. one block in the color of the month plus black/white fabric

6. one block in the color of the month plus white/black fabric

7. one block in color of the month plus the color complement

Got Scraps?

Use them. Share your progress each ScrapHappy Saturday.

Brownies

Brown is the color of the month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I used my 1.5 inch scraps to make up four 9 inch butterfly blocks (aka Beggar Blocks). 

I then made two more blocks in white and cream because that is all I needed to bring my total blocks to 56. 

I've been making these blocks since last year.  I was inspired by a vintage butterfly quilt  I had seen at a blog called Nostalgia Cafe.  

This week I also got as far as cutting pieces for 29 brown 3 inch Spool blocks but haven't had a chance to get them assembled yet.  There's always next week...or the week after...or the week after that...or...

Got scraps?

Join us each ScrapHappy Saturday. 

56 Shades of Envy: A Flimsy

56 Shades of Envy

It's a Top! 

84 x 96

Last year when the color of the month was green for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge I discovered a lot of small pieces (or chunks) of green scraps.  So I made one of my favorite blocks (Dandy Quilt) with the green scraps and neutral scraps and ended up with this.  I tried to arrange them across the quilt from lightest to darkest. 

Now, I just have to figure out if I want to machine quilt on my DSM or hand quilt.  Oh, and I need to figure out what to use for a backing too. 

Now...I might have to make another using blue scrap chunks. 

Linking up to

  Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework. 

AND 

Scraptastic Tuesday

Got scraps? Both sites are full of links full of scrappy ideas. What can be better than that? 

This was my goal #5  (see post)

For 2015 Finish Along 

Brown 2.5 (continued)

Brown is the color of the month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. This week I finished up using my 2.5 inch scraps by making 52  2.5 x 5 inch (2 x 4.5 finished) lozenges which, due to the flippant nature of the blocks, I lovingly refer to as suppositories.  That brings my total to 650 and I'm aiming for 720 for a twin sized quilt so not far to go! 

And I made six 6 inch Twinklers which brings my total to 107. I guess I need to figure out what size quilt I'm making and how many more I need. 

Now on to the 1.5 inch brown scraps...

Got scraps? 

Use them up and join us each ScrapHappy Saturday to show us what you've accomplished! 

What Can Brown Do For You?

Every month when Angela declares the new color of the month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge  I go to my 2.5 scrap box and pull all of the pieces of that color.  It's kind of fun to see what all is in there in the monthly color.  This month the color is brown.   

...and I pulled out these pieces of brown. 

Pieces about 22-24 inches long get matched up and made into eight inch kaleidoscope blocks...

... and more kaleidoscope blocks and one 8 inch Depression block...

...and a few 4Ps and then some.

And I have some lozenges (suppositories) cut and have some squares left for a few Twinklers you might see next week. 

Got Scraps? 

Use them up and join us each ScrapHappy Saturday. 

Orange - The Dresden Edition

Orange is the color of the month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. 

Each month I make 4 Dresden blocks on gray backgrounds. They also have a polka dot center and gray rickrack around the center. The other self-imposed rules:

1. One block of color of the month

2. One block in color of month plus its complement

3. One block in color of the month plus black/white

4. One block in color of the month plus white/black. 

Got scraps?

Use them up and link up each ScrapHappy Saturday. 

Color will be changing soon!