It's A Finish!

It's a finish!

18 Patch

42 x 60

I started making these blocks as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) project back in 2021. The six inch blocks are made of 18 - 1.5 x 2.5 inch rectangles. They were not strip pieced. 

I finished the top in 2023.

I quilted it with vertical and horizontal lines. I added a scrappy binding. 

The back - polka dots on pink. 

And sew on...

RSC ScrapHappy Saturday

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REMEMBER, TREASURE, GROW, READ (my words of the year)

Treasure - I get a free Iowa Lottery ticket every month. This month I won $1. I could have bought another ticket for a progressive pot for $1 but I decided not to. I was happy enough to have won $1. 

Read - Finished a book! Water From My Heart by Charles Martin. Wealthy loner seeks redemption after disastrous choices, encountering a woman and child whose lives he impacted in Central America. Popular highlight: "Indifference is the curse of this age. We need to hear that. Indifference is evil, and it could not be further from the heart of God." Based on some real events. I've read a lot of Martin's books and have loved them all. 

Scrap Processing: 1.5 Inch Scraps

Soul Searching 

with 1.5 inch scraps

12 x 14 inch finished blocks

I mentioned previously that I recently received a LARGE box of small scraps and I blogged about processing the 2.5 inch width pieces I found in that box and on my cutting matt.  Today I will tell you what I did with some of the 1.5 inch width pieces in that box and in my 1.5 inch scrap bin I've been trying to empty out for a couple of years. My bin doesn't have many long pieces in it and most of those are browns.    This week I only worked on the blues, greens and purples. 

Soul Searching with 1.5 inch scraps is a new start. I started making Soul Searching blocks with 2.5 inch rose print scraps and Wanda (Exuberant Color blog) commented that she had made several Soul Searching quilts and even made one with 1.5 inch strips. Oh, I liked that idea! So I set to work and made a few blocks before I forgot I liked that idea.   

Switch Plates

3 x 5 finished

I've been making Switch Plate blocks as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) project for awhile. I make these when I have 1.5 or 3.5 inch scraps enough for four 1.5 x 3.5 inch pieces.  All have neutral centers. 

18 Patch

(I call them Small Change)

6 inch finished

I've also been making these blocks for awhile as an RSC project. They are made of dark and lights of the same color and 1.5 x 2.5 inch pieces. I cut pieces from 2.5 or 1.5 inch scraps. 

I started a couple more new RSC projects that use 1.5 x 2.5 inch pieces.

1. I've seen these called Potato Chip blocks. They finish at 6 inches.  

2. Windmill blocks that finish at 4 inches. 

Thirteen

13 inch blocks

Block instructions at Klein Meisje Quilts.

I've also been slowly making Thirteen (Lego inspired) blocks as I accumulate pieces. So after I made all of the above blocks any leftover 1.5 x 2.5 rectangles went into my Thirteen project box. 

Then I cut postage stamps (1.5 inch squares) for my latest Postage Stamp quilt. 

This one is inspired by a vintage quilt and will consist of several columns like the partial one above on the right.   Sometimes as a leader/ender I sew together stamps into rows to be added to my strip (on the left). My rows consist of 9 postage stamps. Then I add a solid on both ends. Then I add a muslin 1.5 inch HST (cut with Easy Angle ruler) to both ends. 

Then anything less than a 1.5 inch square but more than .5 inch gets sewn into strips for future Chinese Coin quilt. 

The plan is to empty my bin of 1.5 inch pieces as well as the recently acquired scrap pieces by year end. Then next year I will cut 1.5 inch strips off of any scrap chunks I have in the RSC color of the month to make blocks. 

And sew on...

 

When I Have Brown Scraps I Make "Brownies"

 

I started making some Jacob's Ladder blocks as well as Double Four Patch blocks. 

Now that I'm finished with my Jack's Chain quilt I'm left with a small box of 5.5 inch short strips of scraps in creams to light browns. I figured if I further cut those scraps into 3.5 and 2 inch pieces I could use them in a couple of different blocks. That's how I decided upon the Jacob's Ladder and the Double Four Patch blocks. 

I also have a giant bag of bags of brown scraps in all shapes and sizes. So these scraps will also be used in the Jacob's Ladder and Double Four Patch. 

I have also been trying to empty my 1.5 inch scrap bin and what is mostly left in there are brown. I've used the 1.5 inch scraps in other colors throughout the years in Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects but  lot of times I do not include brown. So...I'm already making 18 patches in all colors of the rainbow for a quilt and now I think I probably have enough brown scraps in there to make a small quilt with just brown and creams 1.5 x 2.5 pieces. I call these blocks Small Change.   

I also need to clean up this little pile of brown irregular shaped pieces that a lady gave to me last March after she made a LOT of masks. 

The last few months I've kind of declared a theme for myself in order to move UFOs forward and to use scraps and yardage. September was only for quilting; October  I used strings; November I used Nine Patches that had accumulated in the Parts Department; December I used rose print yardage and finished a few UFOs of roses.  So I think in January I will Make Brownies (brown blocks) - and use the above mentioned brown scraps plus I've dug up a few brown UFOs I will try to move forward. I may even have a brown UFO I can quilt.   I love earth tones. I love brownies. 

Planning for Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2022

You have probably heard of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC). If not head on over to Angela's SoScrappy blog to read all about it. I've had fun for years making blocks from actual scraps in the color of the month. I'm hoping Angela will host again in 2022 because I've made plans for my scraps in all colors of the rainbow. If she doesn't host and declare a monthly color I guess I will pick one myself. 

So, anyway, let me tell you of my plans for RSC 2022. 

Most of my scraps are stored by color and are less than a FQ or 6 inch width piece. These blocks will be made from scraps in those scrap bags and not from yardage. If I don't have scraps large enough to make any RSC blocks I don't make them. My scraps are getting smaller and smaller so most of my RSC blocks are too. A lot of these blocks are rolling over to 2022 from this year because sometimes it takes awhile to accumulate enough blocks for a quilt when I only use scraps. 

Above is a new 12 inch block I will make in the RSC color of the month plus it's color complement. Above blocks is how they would look if blue was the color of the month.  The block is called The Dandy at Quilter's Cache.  I've made two quilts in the past with this block - one in thirties reproduction fabrics and one in all green scraps.    This block takes 4.5 and 2.5 inch pieces. 

5 inch scraps in jewel tones get made into Chips. Free pattern by Alison Glass

Sometimes that same 5 inch scrap can be cut into a couple of 2.5 inch pieces for some smaller Chips off the Old Block. 

If there are scraps 5 x 9.5 I will make Horizon Blocks. 

This year I've been making several blocks from 3.5 x 2 inch scraps. I completed block sets for Dove in the Window and Antique Tiles made from 3.5 x 2.5 inch scraps but a few will roll over into 2022. 

  Buckeye Beauties.

 The color of the month is combined with old shirts or dark red or black multicolor scraps. 

I currently have 84 blocks and have a target goal of 120.

X + blocks. Also made from 3.5 and 2 inch scraps this year and will continue to be made in 2022. 

Uneven Nine Patch or Puss in the Corner.  I've also been making these this year from 3.5 and 2 inch scraps. If I don't reach my target by year end these will roll over into 2022. 

I have 85 blocks and would like 130. I noticed there aren't a lot of blue blocks in the mix so will try to make blue blocks by year end and see how many are left to make and go from there. 

Next year I will start making QST Four Patches. I am inspired by a vintage quilt that alternates QST Four Patches and Four Patches.  I will use the Companion Angle ruler to cut the QST parts from 2 inch pieces. 

I don't need to make the Four Patches because I made a lot of them last year when I cleaned out my 3.5 inch width scrap bin. Plus I've been making them for the Parts Department whenever I have left over 3.5 inch scraps. At last count I have 62 Four Patches that finish at 6 inches. 

Bow Ties made from 2 inch scraps. I found a little baggie of these that I think was from a long ago swap. Might as well make more. 

Indian Hatchets.  I made a few of these this year but did not really make many of them or make them every month. I want to concentrate on making a lot of these this year. They are inspired by a vintage quilt.  They are made of 2.5 inch and 2 inch scraps and finish at 4 inches. I want to use a lot of bright colors. 

Rails. I made these when I tried to clean out my 1.5 inch scrap bin. They finish at 5 inches. For a 40 x 6o donation quilt I need 96. I have 51 so will make them until I reach my goal. 

Small Change.  Made from 1.5 x 2.5 inch pieces alternating lights and darks of one color. They finish at 6 inches. I have 23 blocks but will aim for 120 or 130 of them. 

So that's the plan for RSC 2022. If after I make the above blocks I have scraps from making scrappy blocks then I will use those in...

LEFTOVERS

These are blocks I make or pieces I cut any time I have scraps left over from making other blocks. I have been letting them accumulate in the Parts Department or project boxes. So if I have scraps left over after making the RSC blocks I may make some of the following rather than put the remaining scraps back in the scrap bag. 

Bear Paws made from 4.5 and 2.5 scraps. 

If there are four pieces of a 2.5 or 3.5 inch width scrap I cut four 2.5 x 3.5 inch pieces for the 8 Patch project box. 

4.5 inch width scraps may be made into 4 Patch HSTs. 

1.5 or 2.5 inch width scraps may be cut 1.5 x 2.5 for Lynn's Lego blocks. They go into a project box.

If there are dark 2 inch width scraps that are 12.5 inches in length I put them in the Trip Around the World ( TATW ) project box. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday