Four New Tops

 I procrastinate when it comes to sewing together rows or columns of quilt blocks so I usually have piles of quilts that just need to have that final step completed before I have a top. I just find that part of the process boring.  I decided I needed to make up for some lost sewing time and the best way to do that was to get those piles of rows and columns sewn into some tops so I could actually see some progress and feel productive. 

 Sixteen Patch Star

60 x 84

This will be a donation or gift quilt when finished. 

 This was a Rainbow Scrap Challenge project to use 3.5 inch scraps. 

 This put a big dent in my 3.5 inch scraps so I don't think I'll have a Rainbow Scrap Challenge project next year that will use that size of scrap.   And that's a good thing! 

 The next one was inspired by Fragments of Cloth at Sentimental Stitches. 

 I used scraps and some pre-cuts I had won quite some time ago to make this top. 

 Kansas Troubles

60 x 84

I was inspired by this c. 1890 quilt. 

 

 I used red, white and blue scraps and a few shirts to make the blocks. 

My December OMG (One Monthly Goal) was to get this to flimsy stage. 

OMG (One Monthly Goal) at Elm Street Quilts

 Beauteous

It's a free pattern by Pat Bravo

Although the pattern says it finishes at 72 x 72 that is quite impossible when the blocks finish at 10 inches. 

 Making this quilt was quite the exercise for me.  To being with I rarely pull all fabrics for a quilt before I begin. To make this quilt it was necessary to find enough of each fabric A-S from my stash that was similar to the A-S fabric collection in the pattern because I did not have confidence I could just wing it as I went.   Keeping track of fabrics was a big task for me and I'm not all that sure I like the fabrics I ended up using. 

 Then there are three different blocks A, B, C and then within those three categories there are five different combinations of fabrics to use in the blocks and then some duplicates of blocks are to be made.   Although the blocks were not difficult to make I did not really enjoy keeping track of everything. 

I'm not sure it was worth keeping track of blocks and fabrics. I'm thinking it would be more fun to just make scrappy blocks and forget all the record keeping of fabric combos in the different blocks. Might have to give that a try. 

Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More

Finished or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts. 

OMG (One Monthly Goal)

For a variety of reasons I've not been able to spend much time at the sewing machine. And I don't even have a quilt in the hoop for hand quilting.   Hope that changes soon and I'm back sewing and hand quilting. Just thought I'd make a quick post to declare my December OMG (One Monthly Goal).  The goal is to get a top (or flimsy, if you prefer) assembled consisting of 35 Kansas Troubles blocks.  

OMG at Elm Street Quilts

This, That, And The Other Thing

 

 I rarely work on one quilt at a time or work on a quilt start to finish all in one year. I rarely pick all fabrics for a quilt before I start it. And I rarely cut all pieces for a quilt before I start it. 

So, this is a summary of what is going on in the sewing room right now. 

I've been working on Kansas Troubles 12 inch blocks. I started this quilt this year and it was inspired by a vintage quilt. I have been trying to make a few blocks each day and now have 20 of the 35 blocks I've decided I would like for a 5 x 7 layout that will measure 60 x 84 when finished. 

I've been making it with red, white and blue fabric and scraps as well as some men's shirts. 

 I used the Ladies' Art Company Block Tool for the block pattern. 

 I sort most of my scraps by size. The HSTs in the Kansas Troubles are two inches unfinished and I found this Sail Away pattern that calls for 440 - 2 inch unfinished HSTS  for pinwheels and "waves" so I'm going to start making those with scraps from Kansas Troubles before I throw the scraps in my 2 inch scrap bin. 

 Reminder to self...pattern is found in Sugar Sack Quilt book. 

 I also work on Beauteous (free pattern by Pat Bravo) a little each day...

...and have all 13 A blocks made. I said at the beginning of this post that I rarely choose all fabrics for a quilt before I begin. Well, this is an exception. I couldn't really choose fabrics as I make blocks for this quilt because they all kind of need to blend together in the finished quilt and the pattern calls for duplicates of blocks so I needed to figure out if I had enough of each fabric that I pulled from stash. If I didn't I chose another until I had all the fabrics A-S picked out. I hope my choices work out. 

I am not currently working on any hand quilting in the evening because I am out of batting so instead I have been cutting pieces for these blocks with scissors and paper template each evening and then I sew them up the next day. 

The curves and paper template and cutting with scissors of Beauteous reminded me that during a power outage this summer I cut pieces for a bunch of Wagon Wheel blocks for a quilt I started back in 2013. 

So yesterday I decided to sew together a few of those blocks. I'll sew a couple each day until that pile is gone then assess where I am with that UFO and work on it until it is a flimsy (or top, if you prefer).  I've been using 30s reproduction fabrics and solids to make these blocks. 

 Then I finally got around to piecing a test block for an Endless Chain quilt. A few months ago Sandy who blogs at Sew High sent me a link to an Endless Chain quilt and asked me if I would sew along with her and make one.  Well, yes, I replied.  But then I had so many different ideas for fabrics and colors that I could not decide what I wanted to do.  I also investigated other Endless Chain patterns like the one at Quilter's Cache and one in a book I own.  In the end I decided on the one in the link Sandy originally sent and decided to make templates (paper and scissor cutting again) and give the blocks a try.   I decided I would use a variety of gray pieces I have for garden paths (the chain) and florals for the rest.  I used scraps for these test blocks and decided I will move forward and actually declare this a new project. 

In the end I will probably set the blocks on point and use floral fabric for side setting triangles. Sandy let me know she has her background fabric now and she is ready to begin on hers. Not sure what pattern or color scheme she is using yet.  Anyone else care to join us? 

 I really enjoy piecing but I really don't enjoy sewing blocks together.  So I am usually working on getting one project to flimsy (or top, if you prefer) stage.  I have all the Sixteen Patch Stars webbed together and have been trying to now sew the rows together - at least one row a day. 

 I've been trying to work on orphan block quilts too and just finished this flimsy (or top, if you prefer) that measures 40 x 56.  The Broken Wheel blocks are left over from a quilt I finished in 2016.  The border fabric was left over from a quilt backing. The six inch four patches came in a package from a quilty friend. 

I pulled a bunch of blue and white orphan blocks for the next orphan block quilt. 

So that's a little of this and that. And the other thing? I have to report for jury duty tomorrow at 8 a.m. sharp.  Last time I was on a jury for a civil case (homeowner vs home builder) I learned more than I ever wanted to know about Tyvek.  Boring!! 

Oh Scrap at Quilting is More Fun than Housework

How It Happens

 

 When I'm sewing I don't listen to music or audio books or TV. I listen to the voices in my head if they are there otherwise I like the sounds of nature outside or silence. 

The other day when I was making Bear Foot blocks with those Autumn Scraps I happened to think about being Bare Foot at the Beach. Bear Foot...Bare Foot...see how that works?  And before I forgot about the idea I rushed off to my  beach fabrics and pulled some fabric that looked like sand and sea and made a few blocks. Oh, yeah...and IT happened...a new start...Bare Foot at the Beach. 

I've mentioned it before that I sometimes browse the Ladies' Art Company Block Tool to figure out what to do with scraps.  Just as an FYI the Bear's Foot and Bear's Paw are listed as two different blocks in the Tool but I've seen both blocks referenced as Bear's Paw. 

Also the other day while I was sorting through Autumn fabric and scraps I came across an Autumn themed charm pack and jelly roll that I won at different times a long time ago as well as a small bundle of quarter yards of Thimbleberries fabric someone recently gifted me.  I set those aside to be used in some project after I finished up with my Autumn Stuff scrap bin. 

Then it just so happened that someone with the online Stashbuster group posted a link to a Fragments of Cloth pattern at Sentimental Stitches.   Oh, yeah...it happened...it was meant to be...a way to use those precuts I set aside.   I was inspired by the picture of the quilt but have to admit I did not buy the pattern because I could figure out how to make my own version without the pattern. If I couldn't figure it out then I would have made the purchase because I do love the quilt. 

 In addition to the precuts I pulled out some old swapped four patches from the Parts Department. And look!...one of them matched the fabric in the jelly roll. Someone named Linda made the four patch. It wasn't made by me. Weird, huh? But, oh yes, this quilt was meant to be. 

I also pulled some civil war reproduction scraps to use and picked out the ones that looked like Autumn. 

 In between other projects I've been cutting and sewing...sewing and cutting...

...and I have most of the parts ready for top assembly. 

 When I went into the sewing room this morning I asked that voice in my head what I should work on because I have so many choices. What to do? What to do?  It's Veteran's Day...

...why not work on those Kansas Troubles blocks in red, white and blue. 

And so it happened. 

Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

Now That I Have Several New Starts Out of My System...

 Tested out a 12 inch Kansas Troubles block that was inspired by...

...a vintage quilt. 

Yes, I'll make more blocks in red, white and blue. 

 Row 1 of free Tula Pink pattern called Tabby Mountain. 

No Tula Pink fabrics here but I do have a few Kaffe Fassett fabrics I intend to use.  I think it takes longer to cut the pieces than it does to make the quilt. I figured out what solids I am going to use and in what order but will randomly sew the "mountains" in each row as I go.  Cut some, sew some, cut some, sew some...

 I've been wondering what to do with some grape and wine themed fabrics. 

I found a block called Grape Basket in my Ladies' Art Company Block Tool. 

I tried a 15 inch block using grape themed fabric as the background and brown and red as the basket.  Then I made a few more blocks...

 Since they are large blocks I won't need to make that many. I decided all baskets will be brown and either red, purple or green (like grapes) and the backgrounds will be grape themed fabrics. 

Ok. Now that I have several new starts out of my system I'm going to have a quilting marathon. I want to finish a few quilts from yesterday's list.