From Whence Did These Pink Scraps Come?

This week I used my pink scraps to make some 9 inch wonky log cabins and...

...4 -8 inch string blocks. 

I don't like pink so I was wondering from whence did these pink scraps come?  I'm a sucker for butterfly and heart/valentine prints. I won a couple of fat quarters that I've cut up and used in other scrap quilts. I made a couple of shirts, dresses and shorts for the granddaughters.  And I made a couple of quilts for the granddaughters.  Oh, and I like polka dots and I'm a sucker for novelty prints when they are on sale (like those dogs I used in a quilt for the granddaughters).  I think I might have made a pillowcase or grocery/book bag with a few of those prints too. 

We (Rainbow Scrap Challengers) are using up our pink scraps this month. Check out how this fine (well, kind of fine) ScrapHappy Saturday at SoScrappy. 

Don't Set Sail On Someone Else's Star

I won some Tall Star blocks from Block Lotto back in September.  The blocks were 6 x 9. I added 2 inch strips to each side to square them up to 9 inches. 

Then I made some wonky words - "Don't set sail on someone else's star" - which is supposedly an African proverb.   I found it by Googling for sayings with the word "star". The words are my first attempt at patchwork words. I wasn't quite sure how to add the words to the quilt so they could be read properly. I didn't fret over it too much. This is how they ended up. 

I figured with that saying I should add some ships to the quilt so made up a few Tall Ships - another Block Lotto block. 

I was a little short on the red fabric with little stars I had in my stash for backing so added a strip of some other red fabric with stars. 

I quilted most of it with loops and stars on my plain Jane DSM. 

The sail boats were quilted with just loops.  I don't think you can see it very well but under the ships I quilted what are supposed to be waves. 

All together the quilt looks like this.  That white stuff all over the bottom is snow. 

Don't Set Sail

72 x 90

Since it has some good advice for a high school graduate I'm putting this in the Grandkid's hope chest. One of them will get this for their high school graduation.  There's nothing like planning ahead I always say. The oldest Grandkids are 9 so it will probably be a while before it will get any use. 

Linky Partying at: 

Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Finish it Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts

Link a Finish Friday at Richard and Tanya Quilts

Potpourri of Hand Stitching Projects

I'm still working on hand quilting this Double Wedding Ring. I'm stitching in the ditch around the rectangles in the arches  in order to get some practice stitching. before I attempt anything in the center areas.  There are 98 arches in this quilt so I think I will be at this for awhile. 

I need to finish stitching down the binding on this 72 x 90 quilt.  I hope to finish that before end of day so I can get it washed and dried today also. I live out in the country where the electricity is expensive. We get a lower rate on the weekends so we try to get our laundry done on weekends to save money. (In the summer we hang laundry outside to dry.) 

I finished 6 more butterflies and need to cut more to work on tonight and little bit each night after work and dinner.  I need to count how many I have left to do.  I THINK I have 44 finished and need 54.  I've been using 30s reproduction fabrics on Kona Snow embroidered with black perle #8. 

If you are doing some hand stitching this fine Sunday morning why not stitch along at 

 Slow Stitching Sunday hosted by Kathy's Quilts. 

Where is Pinkie? Where is Pinkie?

Pink is the color of the month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2014. 

I've made some pink 3 inch spool blocks which brings the total block count to 321. Over a third of those blocks are blue. So this year I hope to add to some of the other colors before I start assembling them into a quilt top.

These really are the same block as the spool block but change the colors around and add one and you have butterflies. 

Late last year I started making these 3 inch butterflies. These are the first in the color pink. 

I think I'm going to use make them into blocks like a vintage quilt I saw at Nostalgic Cafe. 

I think I have enough scraps left for some string and crumb blocks for next week. 

Looking for ideas for your pink scraps? Visit ScrapHappy Saturday at  SoScrappy. 

ALYoF February Goal

I just realized I haven't declared a February Lovely Year of Finishes Goal. 

I'm working on a UFO. I hope to have these 1470   2.5 inch squares  that I have made into 30  14 inch blocks made into a quilt TOP 70 x 84.   If I get more than that finished it will be a bonus. 

Oh, the quilt will look similar to the Technicolour Yawn aka Scrap Vomit quilt at I'm A Ginger Monkey  except that my Block B uses different colors for the center pattern. 

 Feb Goal Setting Party for ALYoF

Practice, Practice, Practice and then Practice

I decided I wanted to hand quilt this Double Wedding Ring quilt. 

I've done big stitching in perle 5 on my Dandy Garden quilt. 

I've done big stitching in perle 8 on my Rainbow of Favorite Things quilt. 

I've done big stitching in perle 8 that was then laced (laced running stitch).  This quilt also had some finer hand stitching in the ditch.    (Grandma's Sewing Room/Spools quilt),

Last year I tried hand quilting with 20 wt thread on this ginormous (somewhere between queen and king sized) snowball/nine patch quilt.  I couldn't get used to using a thimble. I couldn't get the stitching motion right. I couldn't get used how the quilt should fit in a hoop.  And the stitches looked like basting when I was finished. So it sits in a crumpled heap up on the bed in the spare bedroom. 

Everytime I had a coupon I bought a different kind of thimble to try. None of them felt right. Some fell off my finger. Some slipped when I tried to push a needle with it. 

I finally found one I can work with.  It has a little ridge around the top. 

I have a hoop I like and I've learned not to pull everything taught like I do for embroidery. 

I've started out by stitching in the ditch between fabric strips on the arches.  My stitches are kind of hidden that way while I practice, practice, practice. I think I have the motions figured out and feel a little more confident.  Now if I could just see a little better...

I'm meeting up with other folks at Kathy's Quilts for some Slow Sunday Stitching. 

What Do You Think of Pink?

PINK is the color of the month for Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2014. I'm not crazy about PINK but I have a granddaughter who has loved pink since she was old enough to say the word. So, because of her I have a few pink scraps.   

Each month this year I'm making a kaleidoscope block from the color of the month, the color of the month with its complement and the color of the month with the color of the previous month.   The corners triangles are made from crumbs.  

I have four 6.5 inch squares left over from the kaleidoscope blocks. I was thinking of sewing them together but decided to wait since I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them yet. 

On the left are 5 inch Little Monkeys.    I started making these last year and now I have 102 of them.  On the right are Little Twinklers..

Last year I made a donation quilt for Wrap-a-Smile with every single piece of pink scrap/orphan block I could find. I called it Pink Fluff! 

Check out all the latest in PINK scrap inspiration at Scrap Happy Saturday.