Some Assembly Required

Antique Tiles

9 inch finished.

This has been one of my Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) projects this year. 

My goal was 63 blocks for a 7 x 9 layout. 

I just finished the last six blocks and now I've met my goal! 

Now this complete block set will go into the "Some Assembly Required" (SAR) box to be assembled at some later date. 

Double Irish Chain

9 inch finished blocks

This has been one of my Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) projects this year. 

My goal was 63 blocks for a 7 x 9 layout. 

I just finished the last eight blocks and now I've met my goal! 

My original intent was to add scrappy sashing  and dark brown stones to continue the chain but I now think that looks too dark and clunky.

How about colored stones with a brown center to continue the chains? Hmmm, that's better but I'm still not liking it all that much. 

How about extending the sashing and have just one stone? Well, I kind of like it but now the colored chains are broken up between blocks. Maybe I will just not add sashing. I don't really like sashing blocks anyway. I guess I have time to think about it because guess where this complete block set is going. 

You guessed it! The SAR box! 

And speaking of complete block sets...someone sent me 48 eight inch blocks. They are evidently a Missouri Star pattern called River Log Cabin. I'm showing four of them above. That's how I will assemble them someday. They will make a nice donation quilt 48 x 64. 

But for now those blocks are going into the SAR box to be assembled at some later date. 

I also received lots of 12 inch (finished) blocks. Some appear to be designed by Lori Holt (Farm Girl Vintage?)  Not sure who would go to the trouble to make all those blocks and then pass them on to someone who passed them on but they will make a nice donation quilt. I picked out 15 blocks and will set them in 3 columns of 5 with some sashing between columns. 

But for now I've bundled together those 15 blocks and put them in the SAR box. 

I also pulled out twelve 12 inch blocks that looked kind of Star-ish or had several points. I'm thinking I will add a one inch border around the blocks to make them 14 inches and then will set them 3 x 4 for a donation quilt 42 x 56. I may add a little border at top and bottom so I end up at least at 60 inches in length. 

But for now those blocks are bundled together and in the SAR box. 

The rest of the 12 inch blocks I put into the orphan block box (orphanage). 

The SAR box was pretty full to begin with. It's an old Dell desktop computer box I brought home from work years ago. It's nice and heavy and has "handles" on the sides.

Now the box is really full!

So I might as well make it my November One Monthly Goal (OMG) to assemble at least one top from the SAR box. 

I took inventory and the SAR box now contains:

Dove in the Window

Grandmother's Flower Garden 

Sixteen Patch

Single Wedding Ring

Sunny Lanes

Peacock Feathers

Animal Crackers II

Antique Tiles

Double Irish Chain

River Log Cabin

Farm Girl Vintage blocks

"Stars" (12 inch)

 

A Few Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) Projects

I didn't get my Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) orange blocks made last month so I'm working on them this month. This month's RSC color is lime or light green but I used all colors of green scraps back when the RSC color was dark green so don't need to make any green blocks. 

This year I've been mostly working with scrap chunks. I've been cutting off some 3.5 inch width pieces and some 2 inch pieces to make blocks that use both of those size scraps. 

Antique Tiles

9 inch finished blocks

I currently have 56 blocks and my target is 63. I'm going to try to get 7 more blocks made within the next few weeks and think I will use brown scraps to make them. 

These are also made of 3.5 and 2 inch pieces. 

Uneven Nine Patch

Six inch finished blocks.

I currently have 76 blocks and my target is 130. This will continue as an RSC project next year. 

This is another block with 3.5 and 2 inch pieces. I've been making them with scraps in the RSC color of the month and old shirts or dark scraps. 

Buckeye Beauty

Six inch finished blocks.

I have 84 out of a target of 130 so this block will continue into next year. And I have a few shirts I still need to cut up to add to the mix. 

This is yet another block that is made with 3.5 and 2 inch pieces. 

X+

7.5 inch finished blocks.

I have 46 out of a target of 99 so this is another block that will continue into next year.  I'm thinking that I will make the rest of the blocks in the RSC color of the month plus it's color complement. 

These little 3 inch finished Bow Ties are a new RSC project made with 2 inch scraps. 

In August I worked with my orphan blocks and found a little baggie with 40 little Bow Ties. I adopted those orphans and now they are happy to be a new RSC project. 

Double Irish Chain

These are made with 1.5 inch scraps in the RSC color of the month plus a light brown or cream background and a dark brown chain. 

9 inch finished. 

I have 52 out of a target of 63 blocks. I hope to make 11 more blocks by year end. There will be a scrappy cream/lt brown  sashing with cornerstones. 

I played around a little bit with an alternate block. I like the look of a quilt at Quilter's Cache called Soldier's Walk but I don't think I like that idea for this quilt. Instead I'm thinking I have a lot of small patriotic print scraps that would be put to good use in Soldier's Walk.  So I guess those two alternate blocks I made are now orphans. 

RSC ScrapHappy Saturday

 

3.5 Plus 2

The August Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) color is blue-green. This year I've been working with scrap chunks in the color of the month. I cut off a 3.5 inch and 2 inch width strip of the scrap chunk and then make several different blocks that use both 3.5 and 2 inch pieces. 

First I usually make Dove in the Window blocks. 

Then I make some Buckeye Beauty blocks. I've been combining the RSC color of the month with shirts or dark multicolor scraps or dark red scraps. 

Then I make Antique Tile blocks.

Then I make X+ blocks.  For these I also look in my squares bin to see if there are any 3.5 inch squares in the color of the month to use. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

 

From Purple Scraps

Dove in the Window blocks finish at 7.5 inches. 

Purple is the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) color of the month for June.  I don't have many purple scraps that are more than crumbs but I think I can manage a few blocks of each of my RSC projects this month.   

I also put together a yellow one I had cut out in the yellow month but forgot to sew together. 

Buckeye Beauties finish at 6 inches. I've been combining the RSC color of the month with old shirts, plaids, multicolors on black or reds to make these blocks. 

Antique Tiles finish at 9 inches. 

Then I had scraps left over from making the small Bear Paw quilt in purple and blues  I blogged about yesterday so I used those scraps to make single Bear Paws for the Parts Department.  That is what I have started making if I have leftover 4.5 and 2.5 inch scraps from another project.  In the olden days I used to throw those leftovers into scrap bins sorted by scrap width. But I emptied most of those bins so now try to use leftover scraps as  I go to make Parts. 

2.5 inch leftover scraps also get combined with neutral scraps and are made into Nine Patches for the Parts Department. 

RSC ScrapHappy Saturday

 

Red 3.5 Plus 2

Dove in the Window

This month the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) color is red. And this year I am working with scrap chunks. If there is a chunk large enough I cut a 3.5 inch width piece and a matching 2 inch width piece. Then I make several different blocks that use both 3.5 inch and 2 inch pieces.

I started these Dove in the Window blocks late last year so hope, scraps permitting, that I have enough blocks by year end for a big quilt top. 

These Dove in the Window blocks finish at 7.5 inches. 

The next thing I do if I have enough left of the 3.5 and 2 inch piece I cut is make Buckeye Beauty blocks. I've been making these with the RSC color of the month plus plaids, shirts or dark multicolors. These finish at 6 inches and I'm aiming for a quilt about 60 x 78 so I guess that means I need 130 blocks. 

Antique Tiles

Then if I still have enough left of the 3.5 inch piece I cut the center 3.5 square and four side pieces 2x3.5. Sometimes there is enough of the 3.5 inch piece left to cut all that or sometimes part of the 2x3.5 side pieces come from the 2 inch leftovers.  For the remaining two contrasting sets of pieces I look to my 2 inch scrap bin which has not yet been emptied or I cut other 2 inch scraps from my scrap chunks. These Antique Tile blocks finish at 9 inches. 

Then I make some X+ blocks that finish at 7 inches. They are the three blocks at the top of the picture. I also look through my bin of 3.5 inch squares to see if I have any to add to the mix. The remaining 2 inch pieces come from the scrap chunks. Then if any 3.5 inch pieces are left I make Four Patches for the Parts Department. I've also been using light neutral scraps to make the Four Patches. Anything less than a 3.5 inch square gets sewn into a strip and added to the Chinese Coins box which is getting pretty full after all these years.  Sometimes I also make Four Patches if there are any 2 inch width pieces left over but this time I added them to my 2 inch width scrap bin which has not been emptied like almost all the others were last year. 

Oh, and I did cut a few 3.5 x 2.5 inch rectangle to add to my bag of them I'm collecting to make a quilt or two. I think for two quilts I need 1600 rectangles and I have about 1300 now. 

And I haven't trimmed them yet but I made little Hourglass (or QSTs) out of the trimmings from the X+ blocks. I've previously posted what I have in mind for those QSTs. Someday...

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

 

Sewing Blues

Buckeye Beauty

This year for my Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) projects I have been working with my scrap "chunks" to make my blocks. This month's color is supposed to be light and bright blue but a lot of my RSC blocks use light, dark, and bright so I just made some of my blocks in this blue month and will make the rest of my blocks in the next blue month. 

At the beginning of the month I cut off a 3.5 inch and 2 inch pieces from several of my blue scrap chunks and made Dove in the Window blocks.  With the leftovers from those pieces I made most of this week's blocks. 

I've been making 6 inch (finished) Buckeye Beauty blocks using scraps in the RSC color of the month plus shirts and black multicolor scraps and sometimes red/black scraps. 

I had a lot of bits and pieces of blue shirts to use this month. Usually I don't have many shirts in the RSC color but I hit the jackpot with blue. 

Then moving on I made some 9 inch (finished) Antique Tile blocks. These still used some of those Dove in the Window leftovers. 

And then finally I made some X+ blocks still trying to use up those Dove in the Window leftovers. 

No matter what I work on if I have 3.5 inch leftovers at the end of the project I make Four Patches if I have two squares.  Those go into the Parts Department. And anything less than a square gets sewn into a strip for a future Chinese Coins quilt. 

The same goes for any left over 2 inch pieces - Four Patches and Coins.

That just leaves me to make Propellers, Double Irish Chain, Big and Little Chips and a table runner for the next blue month. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

 

3.5 Plus 2

X and + blocks

I've been using scrap chunks this year to make most of my Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) blocks. This week these blocks all use a combination of 3.5 and 2 inch pieces. 

Buckeye Beauty Blocks

I've been combining the RSC color of the month with odds and ends of shirts and multicolored black pieces. 

Propellers 

I've been combining the RSC color of the month with some odds and ends of gray for the background, red scraps for the ends of the + and black scraps for the centers. 

Antique Tiles

It's a fun challenge to try to combine three different greens from the scrap chunks to make these blocks. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday