With Some Blue Scraps

With some blue 2 inch width scraps I made six Wedding Ring blocks that finish at 7.5 inches. 

I now have 89 blocks and my target is 144.  

And with some blue 2 inch width of scraps plus a few other colors of scraps I made eight Sixteen Patch blocks that finish at 6 inches.  I've been making these for a couple of years and now have 91 blocks out of a target of 130. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

Tangled Webs

Tangled Webs

64.5 x 85

It's a finish! 

This is a strip quilt, not a string quilt, made of 1.5 width scraps and the "stars" are different spider web fabrics.  I started it back in October 2015 in order to use up my bin of 1.5 inch scraps I had at the time. I did just that but didn't have enough blocks for a quilt so I set it aside for awhile waiting for more scraps to happen. 

I used the Bonnie Hunter tutorial for making the blocks in this one. Back in 2012 I made a Spider Web quilt (with a Spider Man backing) using a different method and strings. 

By May 2019 more scraps had happened so I made it my goal to make more blocks and finish a flimsy. 

I quilted it on my DSM with spider webs.  In the "stars" I quilted leaves because spider webs need to be attached to something. 

In case you are thinking...ewwww, spiders...well, spiders in the Victorian era were a symbol of good luck.  

It took me over a year from flimsy stage to quilting because I don't really enjoy piecing backings. Well, it finally happened and now lots of spider webs and spiders are now a backing. I probably have enough spider web fabric left now to use as center strings in a string quilt. So the drawer full of spider webs is not quite empty yet. 

Finished or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More

Take a Walk on the Wild Side

I thought I would take some pictures of things growing wild around here.  If interested take a walk with me. 

Last Saturday we had a big storm with 80 mph winds. After storms like that we usually have a lot of trees that fall that need to be cleaned up but we were lucky this tie and just had lots of branches down. 

I found a poor butterfly that looks like it lost part of its wings. It didn't seem to have any problems flying from one bee balm blossom to the next. 

Milkweed pops up here and there in the flower garden and I just let most of it grow in place for the monarchs.  It's that tall plant on the left hand side of the photo. 

I've seen several monarchs around but never when I'm taking pictures. 

This year it also popped up in the veggie garden and it looks like it planted itself all in a row next to my strawberry patch.  

After the storm all the milkweed fell over so I had to stake it all up even though I felt like pulling it all up.  

I think those are wild oyster mushrooms growing on a log from a tree that fell last year that I used to prop up a trellis that needed a little extra support. 

Black raspberries also pop up here and there on the property and I try to keep them contained in four patches. 

The rain made them nice and plump for picking.  I think I now have enough in the freezer to make a batch of jam when the weather is cooler. I'm going to strain out the seeds this year when I make it.  I've used grandma's recipe to make a raspberry cobbler that we ate warm with ice cream. 

I'm really surprised that the birds don't eat all the raspberries.  Actually with all the free range cats around here I'm surprised there are any birds. 

Wild Larkspur is another thing that popped up in the flower garden a few years ago. I let it grow in some places but it is rather invasive. 

The flowers are blue and look a lot like the larkspur I planted but that has not bloomed yet. The larkspur I'm growing from seed will be in different colors. I used to grow  lot of it and dry it. 

Another thing that grows wild around here along the field fence lines is Joe Pye Weed. Several years ago a patch popped up in my flower garden so I left it alone. Now it is rather invasive so I pull a lot of it up. 

Usually it is covered with Tiger Swallowtails but I have not seen any yet this year. Maybe it is too early for them. 

Fleabane is another thing growing wild around here in places.  I think they make a nice filler in a bouquet. 

I let Queen Anne's Lace or Wild Carrot grow here and there around the property but dug most of it out of the flower gardens because it was too invasive.  I think they are pretty, though. 

And speaking of invasive...how about an invasion of Marshmallows? It's the tall plants on the left and right. I actually grew them from seeds about thirty years ago and have not been able to get rid of them. They pop up here and there and before you know it they are five feet tall. I originally had the crazy idea that it would be fun to make actual marshmallows from marshmallow with the kids when they were younger. Then I had second thoughts when I saw all the work involved.  Really...read up on the history of marshmallows. They were made with the marshmallow plant you see above. 

And speaking of wild and crazy here's Poindeckster. 

We give him something different for hair every year. 

Hope you enjoyed the walk in the wild side. 

Now I'm walking into the sewing room. It's kind of wild in there too. 

Chicken Scratch

I dug out an old UFO, Grandma's Apron Strings, that I started back in 2015, I thought all I had to do was finish piecing the fancy chicken scratch sashing, assemble the blocks and I'd have a top (and an empty box). 

But the other day when I went to assemble the blocks I realized I had SEVEN rows of six blocks (42 blocks total) and evidently I thought when I did the original chicken scratch that I had SIX rows of six blocks (36 blocks total).  

Darn! I have to chicken scratch 13 more sashing pieces. Darn! Darn! Darn! I knew this was not going to be quick and easy. 

 

Ok, might as well start so I can finish.  (Don't throw it all back into that box, please).

I'm not sure I have enough Blanc embroidery floss and I think the little card of floss is mislabeled (gosh, I thought I never made mistakes 😇) as Blanc.  But, I'll never find out if I don't get started. (Don't put it all back in the box, please). 

Just a little FYI - chicken scratch embroidery is also called depression lace, Amish embroidery and snowflake embroidery. 

Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts

The Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Blues

My scraps are getting smaller and smaller; itsy-er and bitsy-er;  teenier and weenier! 

This week I worked with 1.5 inch scraps mostly in blue since that is the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) color of the month. 

Last month I started some Double Irish Chain blocks (9 inch finished). Backgrounds will be light browns and center chain will be dark browns. The rest of the chains will be in the color of the month. I'm thinking 100 of these blocks will make a nice big bed quilt so what better way to achieve that goal than make a few each month from scraps. 

I started these Plus Postage blocks (10 inch finished) in December 2019.  Blocks are inspired by an American Patchwork and Quilting 2016 pattern designed by Susan Ache.  I'm thinking about 81 of these will make a nice big quilt. 

I don't have many solids but I did find enough pieces of different blues to make some PSP20 (Postage Stamp Pandemic 2020) blocks (8 inch finished).  Blocks aren't ironed yet. I'll wait until assembly to iron them so I can nest seams. 

I caught PSP20 last month so I've been catching up on blocks with solids in the RSC colors already called if I have the solids. I could only find one lonesome green piece to use but enough orange for three.  I'm not sure what size this quilt will be...maybe twin sized. That might be 80 blocks. 

I've been making Wishing Rings (3.5 inch finished) for a couple of years now. I cut the 1.5 inch sides from 1.5 inch scraps. I think last time we had a blue month I made blocks with blue centers and corners which are cut from 3.5 inch width scraps.  This month I made the blue blocks with light corners. 

I've almost cleared out my 1.5 inch scrap bin which was one of my goals. So from now on most of my 1.5 inch strips will be cut from scrap chunks. 

And finally, the Double X and Snowballs use 1.5 inch scraps. These blocks finish at 4 inches and I've been making these for a couple of years. They are inspired by a vintage quilt. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

Now With Borders

I now have a 4.5 inch border pieced of greens all around on The Farm. 

First I added a dark one inch green tone on tone border all around. 

I then pieced together a variety of different lengths of 3.5 inch width pieces of green leafy fabrics. 

I'm not usually one to add borders to a quilt but this one seemed to need one. 

I like the quilt much better now. 

Getting this border on was my July OMG (One Monthly Goal)  hosted at Elm Street quilts. 

It's still early in the month so let's see if I can earn some bonus points and a smiley face. I'm going to try to piece the backing, pin baste and quilt. I said TRY! 😉

A Day in the Life of a Daylily

I took a camera with me this morning (about 6:30 a.m.) on my walk through the gardens. I love this time of year when the daylilies are blooming. I started my collection over 30 years ago and over the years have divided them and divided them and divided them.  The flowers usually open early in the morning and wither by the next day. 

One of these days I'm going to make a whole cloth quilt of my flower garden with embroidery, applique, stumpwork, broderie perse and whatever else suits my fancy. So I've been taking lots of pictures for reference. I will probably start on it this fall. 

More later.