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

Two Sets of Finished Pillowcases

These pillowcases were stamped for embroidery and hemstitched ready for a crochet edging.  My daughter found them in her mother-in-law's things when she passed away and asked me if I wanted them.  Sure!  (I received several unfinished sets and did finish one set a while ago for my daughter and son-in-law).   Can you tell I like variegated threads? 

This set I purchased at a thrift store ages ago.  Since I'm working on finishing up a few rose themed quilts I figured I might as well finish up some rose themed pillowcases to match. 

I probably should have used a smaller crochet hook to go with my #30 thread (11 instead of 8) but I can hardly see to crochet with an 11 hook. I think the edgings turned out just fine. 

I picked up the #30 thread I used for the crochet and the crochet edging books at the thrift store long ago too.  I'm finally getting around (now that I'm retired) to doing something with all those thrift store finds.   I have several more sets to embroider that will probably go into the grandkids' hope chests. 

And on a final note...one of my garden roses. Ahhhh...the scent!

Looking through rose colored glasses today and

Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts

Lady Sings the Blues

Lady of the Lake (Sings the Blues)

10 inch blocks

I used 2.5 inch scraps on the side HSTs and went to the scrap chunk crate for the middles. 

They are kind of overlapping in the photo so look a little wonky but aren't.

(Not much room on the batting covered cutting mat I prop up and cover with blocks for photos). 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

July's color is blue

Sing it!

Peacock Fans

I've finished the fan applique on the last eight of twenty blocks for my Peacock Fan quilt.  

I haven't worked on these since September 29 last year while sitting in the waiting room at the hospital during my husband's fourteen hour surgery.  Now this quilt will always remind me of that day. 

Now I'm ready to move forward with next steps. 

Pattern is called Antique Fans and is from the book The Best of Fons and Porter. 

Hmmmmm...what to do with the leftover scraps?  Ideas are forming as we speak. 

Making Waves

I have two completely different Ocean Waves quilts in the works (aka UFOs). 

I've made a few more blocks of each to add to my collections of blocks. 

This Ocean Waves quilt was inspired by one I first saw at Q is for Quilter.   I found a pattern for it at Quilter's Cache but resized it to fit my 30s reproduction scraps which were mostly 2.5 inches.  It takes a lot of HSTs to make a BIG quilt. I use an Easy Angle ruler to cut my HSTs.  I've found this to be the best method for me to make HSTs. 

I started making these when I was looking for something to do with a small box of waste triangles. I've named these blocks Confetti Waves. These blocks are the same dimensions as the Ocean Waves blocks above (16 inches finished) but I used waste triangles on the corners of 2.5 inch red squares as my HST substitute. 

I think Ocean Waves will be queen sized and Confetti Waves will be twin sized (someday). 

Just trying to use up scraps any which way I can. 

Sew, Stitch, Snap, Share

Third Quarter Finish-A-Long Goals

 Time to declare goals again for Finish-A-Long Third Quarter. I don't always meet my goals but I do advance the quilts listed as goals further along.  I always think it's a good idea to have goals. 

1. Roman Stripe - needs quilting. Thinking hand quilting with perle #8 right now.  I have a couple of spools of yellow thread but haven't found a backing yet. 

 2. Coin Toss - need to find a backing and get it quilted. I'm thinking machine quilting in rainbow colors at this point. I want to get this finished for the farmer's wife widow who lives with her son down the road. She is ailing. 

3. Selvage Yard - need to find a backing and get it quilted. I'm thinking fmq on my dsm.

4. Rosebud.  Need to find backing then get it quilted. I'm thinking of quilting on my DSM. 

5. STARZ. Blocks from a really, really, really, really old swap. Needs sashing and top made then quilted. 

6. Snowball's Chance. I've got it pinned to the backing. It needs some machine and hand quilting. 

7-12 Donation Quilts matched up with their backings. They need quilting and binding. 

13. A really, really, really, really old mystery quilt. I THINK it is pinned to the backing and I just need to get it quilted. 

14. Old MacDonald Mystery Sampler. Need to find backing then I'm going to hand quilt. 

15. Butterflies. Need to find backing. I'm tending toward hand quilting this one. 

16 - 17. Finish 2 I Spy ABC quilts.  I've already finished two of four. Lots of family babies due this year!

18. 30's Chunky Churn Dash from swap. I think I'll combine with a calico spools swap. Need to make top and finish. 

19. Floral Chunky Churn Dash Swap. Combining with butterfly (scrap) snowballs. Need to make top after I make more snowballs. And then need to finish. 

20. Fall Chunk Churn Dash from swap. Combining with framed four patches and flying geese. Need to make lots more flying geese and then find backing and finish. 

21. MoROSE Garden. Need to find backing and get quilted. Not sure how I'm going to quilt it at this point. 

It's always good to have goals!

Good luck on yours!

Q3 Finish-A-Long

Blind Man's Fancy Tea in the Rose Garden

I've finished four more Blind Man's Fancy blocks. 

Since I'm using rose and tea themed fabrics my quilt is named Blind Man's Fancy Tea in the Rose Garden. 

Just an fyi on my process for those who are interested in that stuff-  I usually make these four blocks at a time and they take a lot of time because the pieces are cut weird sizes. I usually don't pull all fabrics for a quilt ahead of time- for this one I just want to use tea and rose fabrics I have on hand.  I usually don't even pull all the fabrics for a block but pull as I go. I also cut pieces as I go and don't cut all pieces for a quilt or a block ahead of time.  So...I start with fussy cutting four center squares.  Then I figure out what to surround them with and cut those fabrics and add them on.  Then I decide on the little HST fabrics (that finish at 1 13/16th of an inch)...and so on.   I try to keep the same value in mind when cutting fabrics but am not always successful. I usually don't lay blocks out on the floor to see how they all look together and usually just sew them together randomly into a top when all blocks are finished.  I say USUALLY but there are exceptions to every USUALLY. 

My blocks finish at 15 inches using Beth Donaldson's online pattern. 

 

fyi - I noticed there's also an 18 inch version in the book History Repeated. 

The deer and beetles are devouring my roses this year (and other fruit and flowers) but I did manage to get a few photos of some of my roses before they were completely gone. 

I love roses! 

And so, I guess, do deer and beetles!