Getting Rid of the Blues

The scrap color of the month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge is blue.  I've figured out numerous ways to get rid of my various sized scraps this year.  Last week I used up a lot of 2.5 inch pieces. 

I made a Blue Sue to go with my Brown Sue.  Pieces are 1.5 inches. The vintage pattern is from the Q is for Quilter blog. 

In other postage stamp news...I finished a 6 inch postage stamp heart and I finished my 10th blue 7 inch postage stamp block. 

And, finally, I made four 9 inch wonky log cabin blocks from various sized scraps and sewed them all together into an 18 inch block.  Twelve of these blocks should make a nice sized quilt. 

If you are using up some blue scraps join the RSC 2014 Scrap Happy Saturday linky party at SoScrappy.

Tea Towels Aren't Just for Drying Dishes

No, tea towels aren't just for drying dishes. Some of the vintage ones are for hoarding  collecting.  And, now they are for quilting. 

Sophie of Sophie Junction is hosting a Tea Towel Challenge and I decided to pull some towels out of the drawer, give them a soak in oxyclean and pick one for the challenge.  And there above you see my choice for the center of a quilt.  I'm not sure how vintage this is or how long I've had it or even how I got it or why I have it but it reminds me of those colors we so loved in the 70s for some bizarre reason. 

  It's one of those rather stiff old linen towels that could stand by itself in a corner of the kitchen. And, yes, I see a "run" in the apple and grapes.   And, the edge has a little fraying going on. 

But, I think this towel will be the center for my challenge, my quilt, my masterpiece. 

This month we are supposed to make an appearance at the linky party to show off our tea towel choice and our fabric choices. The colors in the tea towel should determine the color palette for the quilt (whether we like them or not. It is a challenge, after all.) So, I show you above some of the fabrics I had in my stash that I'll use.  I can guarantee that most were on sale for a very nice price or they wouldn't be in my stash. 

And I really, really, really hate to admit it...but these were in my stash too.  Did I mention I have a hoarding collecting problem? 

At any rate...I haven't had to buy a thing in order to participate in this challenge. And, that's a good thing. 

So, hey!...if you are a hoarder collector like me I don't think it is too late to join in on the fun. Grab a towel and join the party! 

For Izzy

I only have one row left to add to the Double Wedding Ring quilt I've been making for my granddaughter Isabelle (aka Izzy).

 Last year when her paternal grandmother died she told me I would live at least until her wedding. She's 9 so I hope she doesn't get married until she's 30 or so but that's out of my control.  I did decide then and there that  I would make a quilt for her wedding now while I'm healthy and have the means to buy fabric. And if I'm not physically in attendance at her wedding I will be there in the spirit of a quilt for her special day. 

I'm going to try my hand at hand quilting on her quilt since there is no hurry to get it completed. 

Also into Izzy's hope chest will go a quilt for her High School graduation.  I am trying my hand at some patchwork words of a proverb for this one.  Hopefully it will provide a little inspiration. 

Both quilts are at a stage where they are too big for a design wall.  But if you want to see some inspiration hanging out on some some design walls out there in blog land visit Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times. 

Happy Butterflies

The Heartstrings Quilt Project is having a holiday Happy Block sew along.   

Since I have a whole box of  Happy Blocks of various themes just waiting to be sewn into some donation tops (aka UFOs) I decided now was as good a time as any to get it done.   Happy Butterflies is the third Happy Block top I've assembled in the last couple of days. 

I just noticed that I hadn't declared a January goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes 2014 so I might as well try to get this completely finished up this month.  I sewed together a few pieces of scrap batting and found some fabric in my stash that will work for the backing. Now I just have to get down on the floor and get it pin basted and I'll be set. 

A New Year of Slow Sunday Stitching

As I posted previously my Crazy Cravings lap quilt is a top now but it is far from finished. First I need to somehow embellish all the connecting seams.  Some people leave them as is but I like to have some kind of stitching on all seams and don't like to be able to tell where one block starts and ends. 

When I'm finished with that I need to add some rick rack to the brown border and I was going to do some chicken scratch embroidery on the gingham border but I'm finding the 1/8 inch squares don't show it off so well so will probably either crochet some trim or do some herringbone stitching on the gingham.  Ahhh...the best laid plans....

 And this year's Crazy Quilt Journal Project is a Crazy Farm lap quilt.  This is my second block to work on. I'm going to try very hard to do two 12 inch blocks per month.

I'm also embroidering Days of the Week fruits for another project I have in the works but have not yet revealed. 

Good thing I take pictures of my projects every once in a while. Looks like I forgot to stitch the cherry blossoms.   I have 3 out of the 4 days finished.

I finished the applique on 10 more 30s Butterflies and now they are waiting for some blanket stitches and backstitches.  These are for a quilt that I'm making like the one I inherited from my grandmother that is falling apart. 

I took the two days off after New Year's Day so got a lot of hand stitching done. Normally I try to work on my hand stitching projects at least 15 minutes each evening after work and on Sunday.  Friday night and Saturday I work on my sewing machine.

For some inspirational projects being worked on by hand visit Kathy's Quilts Slow Stitching Sunday.

Singing the Scrappy Blues

Last year  for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge I used most of my dark blue/bright blue scraps in a crumb fish quilt for donation so I have lots of blue scraps left to work with.  With 2.5 inch scraps I made a few Little Monkey blocks to add to my collection of blocks I made last year.  I want to make a  Double or Queen-sized quilt with these. 

 With the left over HSTs from the Little Monkeys I put together a blue 8 inch Depression Block and a few 4 inch pinwheels.

And with some 2.5 inch squares I made some Little Twinklers. 

I've always loved the Kaleidoscope blocks I've seen out in blog land so finally broke down and bought a Kaleidoscope ruler. These aren't as difficult to make as I first thought. I used 1.5 inch scraps and in the corners I am going to use crumbs.  Block is 12 inch finished. 

I first tried the ruler on my brown scraps with some blue thrown in also.  So, that gave me the idea to each month make a kaleidoscope block in the color of the month plus make one in the color of the month and the previous color of the month. I may also make one in the color of the month plus it's contrasting color.  I want to have enough for a large quilt so this may be a multiple year project.   I also think I will make a border on this quilt from crumb blocks - like little kaleidoscope pieces. 

And, speaking of crumbs...here's a couple 6 inch crumb blocks left over from making the Kaleidoscope blocks. 

Well, why not join in the scrappy fun? It really does help to clear out the scraps and besides you can get some great ideas as to how to use up those scraps. 

Visit Scrap Happy Saturday (RSC 2014)

 for some scrappy inspiration and then go get out those blue scraps and start sewing!! 

Crazy Cravings - It's a Top !

I finished the last block for my Crazy Cravings lap quilt and now have them all sewn together with borders.

 I think it measures about 57 x 69. 

The pink  border is a pink gingham and I plan on doing some chicken scratch embroidery in brown along it. I'm thinking I may add some white rick rack on the brown border or crochet some trim to add along the brown border (to make it look like frosting).  I also need to add some stitches where the blocks are now joined together.  

And when that's all finished I will add batting and backing and add some big stitch quilting to hold it all together. 

I'm so glad I have made it this far. 

This has been my Crazy Quilt Journal Project for 2013.  

For 2014 I'll be working on Crazy Farm! 

Linking to: 

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

Finish it Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts