Q3 Finish-Along Goals

It's time to decide what I want to get finished this quarter. I usually do more piecing this time of year than finishing because it's too darned hot here without air conditioning to quilt a large quilt on my DSM.  Nevertheless I'm making goals and if they don't get completed they can always flip over to fourth quarter goals.

1. Spider Web

2. The Patriot

3. Streak of Lightning

4. HISS

5. Black, White and Red (Read) All Over

6. Text Me

7. Scared Shirtless

8. Crumby Yummy Candy

9. In a Heartbeat

10. Sunshine Round Robin

11. Cattywampus II

12. Puss in the Corner I

13. Puss in the Corner II

14. Happy Cats


15. Cats in Neutral Territory

2019 Q3 Finish Along

Milquetoast

Traditional name for this block is Bright Hopes. Doesn't seem to fit with these little blocks made of low volume scraps.  And compared to most of my quilts this one appears timid, meek, unassertive and rather bland - Milquetoast. 

And yet I like making these little four inch blocks as much as I like eating chocolates or bacon flavored chips.  I'm going to keep making as long as I have low volume scraps.  I make a few blocks every day and now like magic I  have over 100 blocks.  I think when all is said and done I might even love Milquetoast.  And if not...no use crying over spilt milque...I'll give it away.   

Gallimaufry in Pink

 

I enjoy making these little four inch blocks from scraps.  I have 277 of them now in all colors of the rainbow. 

 Gallimaufry is my version of a c. 1890 quilt. 

Inspiration quilt was found at Rocky Mountain Quilts where the quilt was described as follows: 

"This is a whimsical original rendition of an Irish Chain, which to follow the pattern needs to be viewed from a distance. How amazing would this be in a great room over a fireplace? this quilt was obviously pieced by someone who loved calicoes. No solid colors here. The fabrics date from 1860 to 1890, giving us the creation date of this piece. This is a quilt top for a fabric junkie. There are many patterns pieced on this top. Variation of diamond in a square, old maids puzzle, bow tie, broken dishes, four patch, all combined together creating the most unusual Irish Chain I have ever seen. All pieced by hand, and ready to quilt."

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework

All My Hurts The Garden Spade Can Heal - Ralph Waldo Emerson

All my hurts the garden spade can heal. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

How Many Triangles Does It Take to Make a Quilt?

 It's no secret that I have a LOT of UFOs. I'm trying to correct that but sometimes I don't know which ones to work on. So sometimes I play some games and let others decide for me.  This year in addition to calling UFO numbers to work on each month, Stephanie, from the Stashbusters Yahoo group,  also calls a precut or shape each month that might trigger us to use stash or finish a UFO.  

This month the shape is TRIANGLE.  And I have this UFO that I'm going to work on. 

I have six rows of triangles sewn together so far that are 84 inches long. That is the width of my quilt.  I want a quilt that is at least 88 inches in length so I need about 44 rows. 

 Several years ago I made a small box of these units as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge Project that used 2.5 inch scraps. I followed a tutorial at Molly Flanders blog.  I never did count them but when it looked like I had a lot of them I decided to start sewing them together. I made three rows and then quit and put it all away until now. A couple of days ago I added three more rows. 

Each row consists of 36 or 37 units (two triangles). I decided that the way I will tackle this UFO is to sew all my units together into rows of 36 and then see how many rows I have. After that I can decide if I need to make more units before I start sewing those rows together again. 

I'm anxious to see how many rows I will have when the box is empty. I don't think it is enough for my quilt but time will tell.  I'm too darned lazy to count them all if you want to know the truth. 

This is some nice mindless sewing that I really need right now when I'm feeling stressed to the max and trying to keep the blues at bay. 

An empty box of triangles and ? amount of rows is my July OMG (One Monthly Goal). 

I'll be blogging about a few more games and goals soon that should keep me motivated and moving things forward. 

Some Things Old; Some Things New

 I've finished up enough blocks for a couple of quilts that are old projects. 

All of these Triangle blocks are finished now for what I call Out of the Blue that I started on January 1.   I promised myself I would not let this new start roll over into the new year of 2020 without at least reaching flimsy stage. So I've been slowly working on a few blocks each week. This is the ironed stack. 

 And this is the stack that needs ironing. There's 128 blocks total (if I remember correctly) that will make a quilt 83 x 90. I've been using blue tone on tones (TOTS) for the sides of the triangles and warm TOTS for the triangle points that form a star.  I blogged that I wasn't sure I would have enough blue TOTS for the triangles and then lo and behold I received a box in the mail from a kind and generous quilty friend that contained some. 

 Out of the Blue was inspired by a vintage quilt made by Minnie Lee Deakins and is a Quiltfolk pattern called Minnie's Stars.  Anonymous previously left me a blog comment that mentioned the block is known as Road to Florida and also lately named Smoothing Iron.  I can see how it could be called Smoothing Iron, a name I really like, but not sure about the road to Florida. 

 And now I also have enough Carolina Chain blocks made so I can begin assembly. I started these blocks last year to use up 2 inch scraps left from making Fractured Rainbows (aka Totally Demented). When I started making Fractured Rainbows I did not have a 2 inch scrap bin so I cut scrap chunks and bits into 2 inch pieces.  After that I had a 2 inch scrap bin so Carolina Chains was started.  I used blue TOT scraps left over from making those Out of the Blue blocks for the side setting triangles. 

 I figured I have finished blocks for two old projects so I deserve to start two new projects.  I have a lot of odds and ends of low volume fabrics plus I still have a lot of low volume 2 inch scraps so thought I would make some low volume Bright Hopes blocks that finish at 4.5 inches.   I was inspired by the Bright Hopes Quilt at Red Pepper Quilts. 

 These blocks are addictive, mindless and have a calming effect and who doesn't need that once in awhile? This will make a nice summer quilt I think. 

And turning up the low volume to loud...

I recently followed a link to a Strips and Squares quilt at Cluck Cluck Sew and decided to give it a try to use my 2.5 and 4.5 inch scraps instead of fat quarters as listed in the tutorial. I'm thankful for the inspiration and idea and tutorial but I'm not really following the tutorial for assembly either. I'm using up scraps.  The quilt combines Rail Fence blocks, Sixteen Patches, Happy Blocks and eight inch squares. 

But instead of eight inch squares I'm using 4.5 inch scraps to make some four patches to add to the mix. 

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework

Garlic Knots aka Arrowhead Puzzles

Eight inch finished Arrowhead Puzzle (aka Garlic Knot) blocks using dark blue and white  2.5 inch scraps.  Only about 30 more to go and I'll have a twin sized quilt. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday