Positively Scrappy Progress

The Plus blocks are all made and are up on the wall, but not carefully placed yet. I need to move them around so that the same fabric isn't touching itself or in line with itself. And I see two patches that are too dark that need to be replaced, easy fixes at this stage. 

Even though the background fabrics are all low volumes and the Plus fabrics are black or charcoal variations, this quilt has A LOT of color and print in it. So different from how I usually do low volume backgrounds. 

After I get these blocks arranged, I'll make the ones for the tops and bottoms of the half-drop columns. I don't want to make them until I know which fabrics they'll be adjacent to, so I can avoid using those same fabrics. 

These blocks will finish at 8" so the quilt will be 56" by 72", a good size for a throw. 

As is often the case, this new project captured my attention and has completely taken over. I haven't touched any of the other WIPs on my to-do list. Funny how that happens...

Link up: Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Positively Scrappy, Not Yet Ready for the Design Wall

Once again, I saw something inspiring on Pinterest. It was credited to "StitchMischief, Dec. 2020," but I can't find the link now. It's a scrappy quilt similar to but not the same as Scrappy Serendipity. This design features dark Plus motifs on a colorful low volume background. Here's the inspiration photo: 

Credit: Stitchmischief, Dec. 2020, via Pinterest

Edited 9/9: Link to image source: Instagram

In my ongoing efforts to use up scraps and stash, I pulled out everything that could work for the black or charcoal plus shapes. Then I pulled out all the harder-to-use low volumes, the ones with light grounds but a lot of color or pattern or contrast in them. After raiding my scraps, I also cut bits from yardage. Didn't make a dent! 

Now I'm in the process of making blocks. I think I'll need 54 of them. 

Just a few more needed, then I can lay them out on the design wall. Like Scrappy Serendipity, this design uses a half-drop layout, so I'll have to make end blocks for some of the columns. 

One of my goals last month was to think about a new long term project. This is the project that called to me, not long term at all, but I am having fun with it. 

Link up: Small Quilts and Doll Quils

August Stash Report and Goals Update

I had some finishes this month; thus, I had good stash usage. I've been making an effort to use as much as possible from my stash this year, and my stats are looking good. 

The big finish was Cherry Jubilee. The fabrics in the top were already counted out, but now that it's finished I can count the backing and binding. 

Cherry Jubilee

Backing for the UFO baby quilt also counts, as does the top of the pinwheel baby quilt (no photo yet).

Wanda's Squares UFO baby quilt

August Stash Report

IN this month: 2 yards (Bob's Variety- 2 yards.)

Out this month: 9 yards (Backing & binding for UFO Baby quilt, 1-3/4 yards,  Backing for Cherry Jubilee, 4-1/2 yards.  Windmill baby quilt top, 2-3/4 yards.)

IN YTD: 46 yards

OUT YTD: 88-5/8 yards

YTD Net Change: 42-5/8 yards out.

Goals Update

This month was so-so on the goals front. Some accomplishments, something extra, and something untouched. 

August Recap: 

1. Quilt Cherry Jubilee next time I have a time slot on the long arm. Done. Also bound; needs label.

2. Assemble the Teal Blocks into a top. No, not touched. 

3. Test a smaller scale Scrappy Serendipity block for a baby quilt. Done. Not pursuing this because it consumes more than my available one yard of background fabric. 

4. Make a back for the red & black churn dash. Done. 

5. Work on the confidential project from retreat. Progress.

6. Start thinking about a new complicated long term piecing project. Started cutting for a new scrappy project; don't know how long term it will be. 

Other: pieced a windmill baby quilt top. No photos yet; separate post coming soon. 

September Goals: 

1. Help Edna quilt her large quilt on the long arm. May take two sessions. 

2. Assemble the teal blocks into a top. 

3. Piece franken-batting for the red & black churn dash top. 

4. Piece backing for the Postage Stamp top. See if I have enough batting off-cuts to franken-batt together for it. 

5. Make progress on the Leftover Strata top. 

6. Make progress on the new scrappy project. 

7. Make backing for windmill baby quilt. 

Cherry Jubilee

Finally finished! 

I started this top back in November, pieced with lots of tiny scraps. Then the top sat for a while. I finally had an opportunity to make the backing and quilt it. Bonus, I got the binding on, too. 

Because of the cherry red and cream color palette and some low volume prints with cherries in them, I'm naming this quilt Cherry Jubilee. I really like how it turned out. 

For the backing, I used a beautiful William Morris print in burgundy that I had purchased for something else and then opted not to use. I had almost enough, so I spliced in a little of the burgundy print fabric used for the binding. 

Can I say again, I really like how this turned out. My husband likes this one too, and he almost never comments on my quilts. 

Cherry Jubilee, 64" x 88" 

Link ups: Alycia Quilts 8/28,  From Bolt to Beauty 8/28,  Small Quilts and Doll Quilts 9/1,  My Quilt Infatuation 9/4

When "Mindless Sewing" Requires Brain Work

At QuiltCon in February, I picked up a 1-yard cut of a cute ivory/multi star print. Low volume but with a lot of color variety. 

Last week I was in the mood for a little mindless sewing. Nothing complicated, just something that could use the star print and solid colors to go with it, small, for a baby quilt. 

While searching in a drawer for something else, I found an old windmill template I had made years ago. Ah-ha, perfect! I drew the quilt design up in EQ to make sure I had enough yardage, liked the result, and started cutting. 

And that's where the brain work did not kick in when needed. I had forgotten that asymmetrical pieces need to be cut with the fabric all face up, not with the fabric folded together as it comes off the bolt. Not a problem when using solid fabrics, so my seven colors, cut with the fabric folded, turned out okay. 

But definitely a problem when I cut the print with the fabric folded. Half of the cut pieces faced the wrong direction - wrong side up when facing the right direction - and were not usable. Yikes! 

Plan B, find some more prints in my stash that I could use for alternate blocks with the star print and the solids. Back to EQ to design where to place them. With a final plan I could recut the pieces needed and kit up the blocks. 

With different background prints in some of the windmill quadrants, I had to follow the printout carefully, to sew up the right quantities of the correct combos. So much for "mindless sewing." Then I had to lay them out exactly as planned, no possibility of moving colors around because the backgrounds wouldn't match. 

Now, instead of having the star print for all of the background, there are three prints: the stars, a pale yellow batik and a light cream/multi that has yellow, blue, and orange in it. 

It's a baby quilt for donation. It's fine, even though it's not quite as originally intended. Maybe it's more interesting because of the varied background prints? 

Next time I'm in the mood for mindless sewing, I think I'll stick to strips or squares.

PS - Those wrong-side-up cut pieces of the star print are just large enough to eke out a 2-1/2" square, so I'll find another use for them. The cute fabric won't go to waste.

Link up: Small Quilts and Doll Quilts 8/18 and Alycia Quilts 8/22

Almost Postage Stamp Blocks

I took the previously made Almost-Postage-Stamp blocks with me to retreat but did not get a chance to work on them. Since I've been home, I put them up on the design wall so I can make sure the same fabric isn't next to itself. I also made sure the blocks were arranged so that all the seams would nest. 

(Pardon the poor photo. My new can lights are wonderful

for working but not so great for photos.)

This project was originally started back when PCQ was pushing to make twin bed quilts. Since we no longer need such large quilts, I held out one row of blocks to make it smaller. The blocks on the wall will come out to 60 by 72". With borders, this quilt will be 69 by 81", still plenty big for a throw. 

My husband commented that he likes all the little squares. I think I'll keep this quilt for him. All the fabrics used are my own, not PCQ's, and the planned backing is a fabric I purchased in 2010. If I use my own batting, not the club's, then I can keep this quilt; it won't have to be a PCQ charity quilt. 

Since this is smaller than originally planned, I have six blocks left over (I had one extra block to start with). I'm thinking about what I can do with them, so they don't go to waste. I might alternate them with print squares and then add borders for a hospice quilt. Just need to find the right prints. 

Link up: Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

An Old UFO, Finally Finished

Do you take an extra project to retreats, just in case you run out of things to work on? I've been taking the same small, simple baby quilt kit to retreats for years, but I've never gotten around to working on it. 

Back in the early teens I was making donation quilts for kids with Circle in the Square Quilters. The quilts were given to first responders in University City MO and to Operation Shower. Wanda of Exuberant Color sent me a package of 5" squares in bright vibrant prints to make kid quilts. Some of the squares have found their way into several quilts over the years. Thanks again, Wanda! 

Years ago, I laid out selected squares in a Plus design and kitted them up. The kit has been to girl scout camp, Sew Me St. Louis, and Ritter Ranch retreat multiple times. 

One of the reasons I haven't pushed very hard lately to get this kit sewn up is because so far, PCQ hasn't had a charity that wants small quilts or baby quilts. That recently changed with the approval of Luke Air Force Base as a recipient for baby quilts. PCQ has lots of members who like to make smaller quilts, so I think we'll be supplying the young families at Luke for quite a while. 

So, rather than let this kit languish any longer, I sewed it up last month and quilted it on my domestic machine. It's ready for donation. I hope a young Air Force family can use it. 

41 x 45" baby quilt

One more UFO finally finished! 

Link up: Alycia Quilts