Enough Is Enough!

My OMG (One Monthly Goal) for September was to complete forty Thirty Patch blocks. 

Well, I accomplished that goal (enough is enough) but didn't get any bonus points or a smiley face for getting them made into a top.  Maybe that will happen next month. 

One Monthly Goal at Elm Street Quilts

I have also completed the crochet trim around 130 double sided squares. Woohoo...enough is enough!  These were made from 4.5 inch rose themed scraps. I used up numerous spools of pink #10 crochet cotton I have had in my stash for years. Most were picked up at the thrift store.  I purchased three more spools of a light pink to use to slip stitch these blocks together and to crochet a border all around. 

I recently made sixteen more 16 patch blocks from 2 inch scraps. That was all I needed to reach my goal of 130 blocks. (Once again, enough is enough!) I've been making these for a couple of years from actual scraps as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge project. Since I am trying to empty all my scrap bins and have been concentrating lately on the 2 inch scrap bin I figured I would finish up blocks for this project. 

Now one of these days I will randomly sew them together into a 10 x 13 layout for a quilt that measures 60 x 78. 

Indian Hatchet blocks

I've been using up 5 inch 30s reproduction scraps left over from making a not yet quilted Churn Dash quilt.  I made the corners with 2.5 inch scraps. 

Now I have my target goal of 252 blocks to be set 14 x 18.  (Guess what! Enough is enough!) I have not trimmed those flippy corners yet but when I do they will not go to waste but be used in another quilt. 

I saw Maggie (Making a Lather) making little 6 inch finished baskets from waste triangles that she saw Suzie making so I thought I would give them a try as a possibility for those trimmed flippy corners. 

They were okay but it seems most of my waste triangles come from trimming up 2.5 inch parts so it appeared that the base of the basket was a little too small. 

So I tried a couple more baskets using a bigger scrap for the base and 2.5 x 4.5 inch pieces for part of the block instead of sewing together two 2.5 inch pieces.  I liked these baskets a little better but it seemed like there was a lot of white space. 

Next I tried making the baskets with 2 inch background pieces instead of 2.5 inch pieces. I liked those a lot better so I made a couple of little nine patches to see how they would look as an alternate block. Well, that seemed like too much white again so...

 ...I made a couple of Hollow Nine Patch blocks to see how they look as an alternate block. I think I've started another quilt. 

Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More

Finished or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

Cut!

I really want to be outside working but it's been a little too warm outside the last couple of days and will continue for a few more. I've been clearing an area overrun with brambles and weeds because I want to prepare that area for planting wildflowers. 

So since it's even hot inside without air conditioning I've been standing in front of a fan at my cutting table and I've been cutting, cutting, cutting. 

One of the things I've been working on is a throw I've been calling Rose Petals. It started out as a project to use some 4.5 inch rose themed scraps as well as a variety of different pink #10 crochet cottons. I've been cutting a few squares at a time to work on and after those are finished with crochet trim I cut more. I wasn't sure how many squares I would actually get out of the scraps that were already cut at 4.5 inches.  When I last counted finished squares I had 87 "blocks".  So I cut more squares enough for 120 "blocks" total. I figured that would give a nice throw 10 x 12. Finished blocks are about five inches with the trim and I planned to add a crocheted border all around.  When I finished cutting all of those squares for 120 "blocks" I still had a lot of 4.5 inch scraps left. So, I cut enough for a layout 11 x 13 which equals 142 "blocks".   I now have everything cut and two squares sewn right sides together with a space left for turning right side out. 

Next step is to turn them right side out and sew the turning hole shut. Then I blanket stitch around the edges 16 stitches to a side and three in each corner. Then I crochet shell stitch trim all the way around. 

Now the problem is that I don't think I'll have enough crochet cotton.  I have to decide if I want to buy more or maybe use some white I have on hand. But I'm not even sure there's enough of that. 

I work on this project a little each evening. I think we will be at a family reunion camp out the week of September 7 so this will be a nice take along project.  

That little stack there is what is left of the 4.5 inch rose themed scraps. I was going to cut what was left into squares and add to my squares box but decided instead to throw them in with all of the rest of the rose themed scraps. I was thinking I'll make some simple nine patches. 

I've slowly been making Indian Hatchet blocks from 5 inch scraps left over from my 30s Churn Dash quilt top I finished in May. My goal is 252 blocks. I cut a few squares from the 5 inch scraps and corners to go with each block from 2.5 inch scraps. I keep a little basket of the parts near the sewing machine and use them as "enders" (I don't usually do "leaders") if I need one. I now have 210 blocks. 

I cut enough parts to reach my goal of 252 blocks. I fold diagonally and iron the 2.5 inch flippy corner squares and use the ironed line as my sewing line.  I have not trimmed any corners yet. That's a job for the evening when I watch TV with hubby. 

When I have enough blocks I'll assemble like a top inspired by Ann's (Fret Not Yourself). 

It has been my goal this year to empty my 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3.5 and 4.5 inch width scrap bins. So far I have emptied the 3.5 bin and almost have emptied the 4.5 and 1.5 bins.   I cut 2.5 x 3.5 inch pieces and squares from what was left in the 3.5 inch bin. After I make all my blocks that use 2.5 inch scraps in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color of the month I have also been cutting those scraps into the 2.5 x 3.5 pieces. I was inspired by a scrap quilt at Blue Elephant Stitches but I'll make mine a little bigger so figured I need 800 -2.5 x 3.5 pieces. Look! I'm over half way to my goal.   I do spend about 20 minutes each day going through odd sized unsorted scraps and if I can get a 2.5 x 3.5 pieces out of the scrap then that's what I cut. 

A new Jack and Jill quilt that uses 2.5 inch squares inspired by Lynn (Klein Meisje Quilts) is now in the works. So far I've counted out 100 squares (in the baggie) and I had a few strips of squares already on hand too. Since 1008 squares are needed I have a little cutting to do. 

Oh, look at what is on my cutting mat - 2.5 inch width scraps left over from Indian Hatchet blocks, 2.5 inch scraps from the Animal Crackers H blocks I started yesterday and 2.5 inch scraps left from the Ice Cream quilt (no clever name yet) started yesterday.  They will NOT go into the 2.5 inch scrap bin that I'm trying to empty. And now you know why. 

 

Stopping To Stitch and Smell The Roses

This has been my summer project. I started making these "Rose Petals" last year to use up rose themed scraps and #10 crochet cotton. I've been using 4.5 inch scraps and have not run out of those yet. If I do I have a few smaller chunks I can use. I think I have 73 Rose Petals now and am working toward a total of 120. I will sew them together 10 x 12 and then crochet a border for a nice throw. 

I've used up three partial spools of a variety of pink crochet cottons. And as you can see I'm running low now of the spools I originally pulled out of my stash. I need to go through the two boxes again and see if there's anything I missed. Then I suppose I will move on and use white or cream.  When I was working in town I used to stop by the thrift stores every so often and pick up crochet cotton as well as other threads that is why I have a lot of partial spools. I used a lot of it when I crochet a shoe box of Barbie Doll clothes when the granddaughters were younger. And one year I made a lot of embroidered pillowcases with crocheted trim for Christmas gifts. I also used to crochet motifs for crazy quilting. Maybe I should tie a quilt with some of it. 

And every once in awhile I stop to smell the roses that the deer, rabbits, beetles and aphids leave for me.

Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework

Rose Petals

Back on June 14 I posted about an old UFO I pulled out to work on - crochet around 4 inch rose themed scraps later to be joined together into something.   I started on these back in September 2019 to use up both scraps and crochet thread.  When I picked up this project again last month I had 16 blocks. 

Now I have 42. 

They are reversible.  I start with two 4.5 inch square scraps right sides together and sew 1/4 inch seam all around leaving a little opening for turning right side out. I turn right side out and blind stitch the opening closed. Then I blanket stitch around the outside edges and finally crochet shell stitches around.   I do have more rose themed scraps but as you can see I have already used up two balls of pink crochet thread and both of those were different shades of pink. 

I do have more partial balls (spools?? things???) of thread but it is pink and white variegated. I'll use that next. You know...make do and all that.  Using up what I have was why I started down this road. I was originally going to make a throw but someone else  in blog comments suggested a tablecloth. Now I think I'm going to make a table runner to top the buffet. I just need to figure out how many squares that will take. 

I do love roses. But you may or may not know that I have been battling deer this year who seem have the munchies more than they have in previous years. The deer around here and the rabbits love to eat rose bushes to the ground. And if any roses bushes escape their jaws then they feast on the rosebuds.  

I do have several rose bushes so once in awhile I find a sweet smelling rose. 

Now these Seven Sister roses are being devastated by beetles (not shown here). Since I'm pretty much an organic gardener I pick the disgusting beetles off and throw them into a bucket of soapy water. 

It wasn't me that nipped off the end of the stem there. 

Last fall my husband bought me four Burgundy Iceberg floribunda roses after I showed him a picture of it and said I dreamed of owning one of those. The bushes are supposed to get 5 feet tall and blooms are supposed to be 3-4.5 inches and dark burgundy and smell like honey. 

All four of those bushes as well as most others have been eaten almost to the ground several times but I'm determined not to give up on growing roses. (Yes, I'm stubborn).  I've been trying several things to keep critters at bay. I've planted racambole garlic bulbils around my roses. That's a top setting garlic  and those are the heads you see in white. I have a stake with one of my old gardening gloves on it ( as well as my sweaty scent) in front of this one. That bag you see tied to the cage has some Irish Spring soap in it. I don't like the smell of it and deer are not supposed to like it either. I also put shavings of it on the garden paths.  Then you can't see it here but there's a zucchini plant growing up some of the cages since deer evidently don't like them.   Well, something must be working now. 

I do love roses!

I love scraps too so I'm hooking up with Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework. 

And I love hand work so I'm going to go visit all the Slow Sunday Stitchers at Kathy's Quilts. 

What's On My Plate?

Since I finished hand quilting the quilt that was in my hoop and since it is getting warmer (well, it was getting warmer it is actually unseasonably cool today) I will enjoy some smaller hand work projects for the next few months.  I've picked up where I left off on my crocheted squares I started last September. Eventually they will be joined together like Granny Squares into a throw. 

The squares are made from rose themed 4.5 inch scraps. I have several partial spools of pink  #10 crochet cotton that I'm using for the crochet and blanket stitch.  When I run out of rose themed scraps then I guess I will have enough squares at that point. When I run out of pink crochet cotton I guess I'll move on to another color.  In the meantime I guess I can start blocking the 16 squares I have finished. 

Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework

Rose Petals

 These aren't really quilt blocks but a combination of rose themed scraps left over from two different quilts and leftover crochet cotton. 

 The squares are 4.5 inches. Two of them are sewn right sides together and turned.  That will make for a reversible blanket. Next I blanket stitch around the sides.  Then I crochet around the edges.  I took 14 of these prepped squares on vacation with me last week. 

I completed the crochet around the edges of 12 of them. 

Time to prep more squares. I'm not sure how far the pink crochet cotton will go. If I run out I may have to switch to another color. I have lots and lots of odds and ends of crochet cotton so I definitely won't run out. 

Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework