Secret Santa Sew Along - It's a Flimsy!

It's a flimsy!

Secret Santa

43 x 56

A mystery quilt and sew along from Temecula Quilt Co. 

 Do you recognize the block as Burgoyne Surrounded? 

I really don't like to do sew alongs or mysteries any more but this one struck my fancy -- little pieces and I could use some of my Christmas fabrics and have a little fun. You know I want to empty all those holiday fabric bins! 

I wish I had some smaller print light Christmas fabrics but I didn't so used what I had. Most of my Christmas light prints are used up now. I used a variety of snowflake fabrics when I got to the sashings.  I have a couple of large prints I can piece together for the back. 

It's kind of small but when finished might look nice on the back of a chair, on a table or on my lap. Or I'll give it to my daughter who loves all holidays and holiday decorating. 

It's a Finish! Burgoyne Surrounded

 Burgoyne Surrounded

93 x 93

Quilted on my DSM

 The free pattern for this can be found at Quilted Twins

I started this as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge project in 2017. I wanted to use up some miscellaneous scrap chunks of fabric so made blocks each month that primarily used the color of the month.  For instance this block used up some blue chunks. 

This block used up some pink scraps.  

You can kind of see how I very simply quilted it on my DSM - first I quilted diagonally along the chains Then I quilted horizontally and vertically along the sides of the sashing and through the middle of each block. 

 Then since batting (pellon nature's touch 80/20) instructions require quilting no farther than four inches apart I added more vertical and horizontal lines through each block. 

I did minimal quilting - it's difficult to wrestle a quilt this big through a DSM with a small harp. 

I used wide bleached muslin for the backing and neutral scraps for the binding. 

And I can mark another UFO off the list!

This was my goal #10 

for 

Q1 Finish-Along

and 

18 in 2018

A New Flimsy: Burgoyne Surrounded

 From the depths of the scrap chunks crate arises: 

Burgoyne Surrounded

93 x 93

It's a top! 

Free pattern at Quilted Twins

Since it's square here it is from another side since the last row dragged on the ground in the last photo.   Since it's square I guess it can be used in any direction. 

And on to the quilting pile it goes. 

Enough of the BS

With these four Burgoyne Surrounded blocks I now have enough to start assembling a top.  I used the free pattern at Quilted Twins which calls for 25 blocks and sashing.  I used scraps from my scrap chunk crate (scraps less than a FQ) to make the blocks so ended up with some wild combinations of fabrics in some blocks.    The sashing calls for 3 inch nine patches and I have plenty of those already made in my "Parts Department" so will pick through there to find some to use.  I think I will have to cut into some yardage for the neutral sashings but other than that...a LOT of scraps and some uglies have been used and the chunky crate is a little lighter.   

And as a side note...block look familiar?  This is Candy Necklace from Edyta Sitar's book Scrappy Fireworks Quilts.    I think I see a use for some strings in there and I may have already started this. 

Moving it Forward Monday at Em's Scrapbag

Using Scrap "Chunks": Burgoyne Surrounded

Burgoyne Surrounded

Free pattern at Quilted Twins

I've been making a few of these each month from my scrap "chunks" which I define as anything less than a fat quarter.   I have a whole milk crate of chunks.   I limit myself mostly to those chunks to make these blocks. Sometimes I don't have a low volume or neutral to use so I cut those from yardage but for the most part I stay with any fabrics I find in the scrap chunks.  After I make these blocks I have scraps left over cut from the chunks which I usually use right away in other blocks. 

I probably would not have made these blocks if I had to choose fabrics from the stash. Sometimes the fabric choices are too overwhelming so I never get the choices made.  I also find it rather challenging to try to fit my limited choices together in a block not necessarily everyone likes but that I like.  After all is said and done I end up with kind of the "make do" type of quilt my grandmother made from her scraps.  Her quilts were the end of the chain for fabric bits and pieces - mostly from worn clothing. 

I start these blocks with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color of the month.  This month I dug through to find chunks of yellow.  There weren't many.  Then I dug through to see if I had other chunks that I could use with that yellow in a block. Each block takes two bold and two not so bold fabrics. 

So the only pieces not cut from scrap chunks?  The white floral background in the top left and the tan/white floral background in the top right. 

ScrapHappy Saturday

Green Scraps: Chunks and 1.5 Edition

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

I started digging through my scrap chunks - big pieces less than a fat quarter. 

I do that because when I cut into the chunk it leaves me with other smaller scraps that I use in blocks later in the month.     So, with chunks I made five 15 inch Burgoyne Surrounded blocks. 

My photo wall is just an old cutting mat covered with a piece of batting so not many blocks fit on there to take a pic.  Here's the fifth one fresh from ironing - looks like it's still a little wet from Mary Ellen's Best Press.  I think I missed ironing in those areas.  My iron shuts off automatically right in the middle of ironing after I've been using it for a short while, darn it.  

I use Best Press on my blocks when they are finished because I toss them around, throw them in boxes, lay other things on them until I have enough for a quilt. This keeps them from getting too wrinkly after all the abuse I inflict on them. 

I made these 3.5 inch units from my 1.5 inch scraps - some of them leftover from those chunks I used in the Burgoyne Surrounded blocks.  There's more green units than this - that's all I felt like putting up on the board. 

If there was a piece left over for a 2.5 inch unit I cut scraps for these little units too.  Any green 1.5 inch scraps get cut into 1.5 inch squares and I put them in a pencil box for postage stamp quilts. 

These units are pretty versatile. I'm not yet sure how I will use them - Chinese Coins?, little four inch windmill type blocks?, rail fence?, or on point they look like rick rack. 

Got green scraps?

Join us this month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. 

ScrapHappy Saturday

Speaking of green....looks like I will be working outside today. It has been cold and rainy for weeks which is good for quilting but not good for gardening.   So far I'm harvesting asparagus and a few green onions. I'm thinking those ingredients would make a good frittata for dinner tonight. 

Multicolored Miscellany

This month our Rainbow Scrap Challenge is to use multicolored scraps. 

I made 5 large Burgoyne Surrounded blocks and used multicolored fabrics for the centers.  

I've been using leftover bits and pieces (chunks) to make these. Most of the center, multicolored bits are leftovers from various quilt backs. 

When I make these blocks I make scraps from scraps (mainly 1.5 and 2.5 scraps) so I try to make these first so I can use the 1.5 and 2.5 scraps in other RSC projects I have in the works. 

Then I made 9 Floribunda blocks using multicolored floral fabric. 

Most of these florals were not scraps but they leave me with 3.5 and 2 inch scraps I'm using in other RSC projects you will see later this month (I hope). 

I am making the Floribunda (aka Jacob's Ladder) blocks because this has been a UFO for a long time and I need quite a few more blocks to make a large bed quilt so decided I'd make a few blocks each month  as an RSC project and then use the resulting scraps all in the same month instead of letting them linger. 

From multicolored 1.5 inch scraps (from Burgoyne Surrounded above and then some) I made some little 3 inch rail blocks...

...and a few of these little 2 inch units. I'm not certain how these will end up at year end but I'll figure something out. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge Scrap Happy Saturday

Red Scraps - Potpourri Edition

Red is the color of the month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. But that's about to change soon. 

I used 4.5 inch scraps to make some Flying Geese bodies.  For the other part (wings?) I have been using secondary colors if the color of the month is a primary color and vice versa. 

Last week when I was working with 3.5 inch scraps I made the bottom sets of butterfly wing HSTs and now this week when I was working with 4.5 inch scraps for the Flying Geese I made the top sets of wings and paired the two up in some red butterflies.   I've also (obviously) been using up bits and pieces of white on white (WOW) scraps. 

And, oh those waste triangles! I had lots of red ones in the box. I  have been saving blue on blue (BOB) or blue solid scraps for the "sky" background for these little butterflies - a kaleidoscope of butterflies! 

I have hundreds of these little four inch blocks now so maybe I need to decide just how many is enough.  ( I wonder if I can count that high). 

I also used waste triangles in these Wonky Stars (with 2 inch scrap backgrounds and red center). 

Then I used more waste triangles (I have gads of them - that's what you call a box of waste triangles, right? - a gad) on some Wonky Hearts.  The hearts were 2 x 4.5 red scraps and I used white waste triangles for the background. I have lots of white waste triangles so was experimenting a little with those hearts. I'm thinking I might use them as Wonky Log Cabin centers. 

Then I used a couple of scrap chunks to make my improv circle.  I have been using red and brown as my constants in these along with the RSC color so only made one. 

Then I made 3 large Burgoyne Surrounded blocks with bits and pieces of different red/pinkish scraps.  (I made the one in the upper right previously so just used it to fill in for the photo.)  Now that I see them together I'm thinking I'll skip the sashing and just make more blocks.  I really don't like making sashing/adding sashing strips so why torture myself?  But, then again, when I look at the inspiration quilt  I'm thinking maybe making/adding sashing isn't really that painful. 

ScrapHappy RSC Saturday

Aqua, Teal, Turquoise: Bits and Pieces Edition

Burgoyne Surrounded 

From scrappy bits and pieces of aqua (plus)

These are large blocks and after adding sashing 25 of them will make a 93 x 93 quilt. 

Pattern I'm using is from Quilted Twins. 

I made one block last month from scrappy bits and pieces of purple to see if I liked it.  I did so decided if I need 25 blocks for a quilt I would make two blocks per month.  So here's my second purple block. 

I used aqua waste triangles and 2 inch scraps to make some little wonky stars that will finish at 4.5 inches. 

Waste triangles also went into some 4 inch butterflies.   I've been using waste triangles and blue tone on tone scraps to make these.   

Got scraps?

ScrapHappy Saturday Rainbow Scrap Challenge party!

Purple Chunks, Strings and 4.5 Edition

15 inch Burgoyne Surrounded

From purple scrap chunks (and a little turquoise) 

Free pattern (plus many others) at Quilted Twins

Improv Circles 

Also from purple chunks (plus a constant of red/brown that will be used in all monthly blocks)

I blogged a little more about these blocks a few days ago. 

2 10 inch String Blocks

1 - 4.5 inch wide strip

A lot of the time I use a muslin foundation with my strings, a constant center string and sew on the diagonal ala Heartstrings but I didn't want to use a foundation for my strings this time.  Instead I decided to cut the long strings into 10.5 inch pieces. I decided on a 10 inch block because these will be used in donation quilts and most of the time the child sized quilts are 40 x 60.   That means I only need 24 blocks (2 a month) and I'll have a donation quilt (and a lot less strings).   I'm still using a "constant" in each string block which is the black polka dot fabric.  I cut the rest of the strings into 4.5 inch pieces and sewed a strip.  No plan for this strip right now other than using up string scraps. 

Flying Geese

From the 4.5 inch scraps I made a few Flying Geese.  These are continuing on from last year.  If the RSC color of the month is a secondary color I use primary colors for the sides and vice versa.  I guess I should count these up but I'm not even sure of a layout or quilt size at this point. 

8 inch Broken Dishes

I didn't make these HSTs.  I already have a small box of miscellaneous 4.5 HSTs leftover from other projects and swaps.  I decided to clear these out so if I found matching sets for some Broken Dishes blocks I made those otherwise I ...

...just sewed them together into a couple of 12 inch HST blocks. 

And that's about it now for the purple scraps! 

Got scraps? 

Join us each ScrapHappy Saturday - the Rainbow Scrap Challenge Linky