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

Finishes, with a Little Help from My Friends

Back in February my friend Cherie visited for a few days, to go to QuiltCon and to sew together. PCQ's old long arm machine was officially dead at that time, and the new one wasn't in yet. It would be a couple more months before it was installed and we could be trained. Cherie has a long arm at home in Pennsylvania. She graciously offered to quilt two of my charity tops that were finished but not quilted yet. She took the tops, backs, etc. home with her. 

She came back to AZ to go to retreat with me in July. She had such a good time last year that she was excited to go again. We had such a great, friendly, and eclectic group of quilters this time. It was the best retreat I've ever been to. 

Anyway, Cherie brought back the quilts she had quilted. Since retreat, I've bound and labeled them.

Another shout-out goes to blogger friend QuiltDivaJulie, who has very generously sent some de-stashed fabrics from her "resources" to PCQ on several occasions. Some of the fabrics in the tops Cherie quilted were from Julie. 

Without further ado, here are two finishes thanks to a little a lot of help from my friends:

Storyboard Stacked Slabs
This is a large throw suitable for a teen boy. Many of the fabrics in it are from the Storyboard collection by Seth Apter (plus some additional prints from my stash). Thanks, Julie, for donating the fabrics to PCQ. 

Black, White, and Bright Lozenges

This was inspired by a Tula Pink quilt I saw on Pinterest. My attempt to make something similar to the original was a disjointed jumble, but reorganizing the lozenges in vertical columns of medium, light and dark helped. Many of the black and white fabrics were donated to PCQ by Julie and others. 

One of the charities PCQ supports serves victims of sexual violence. They occasionally have a need for boy quilts. Both of these quilts are suitable. The Storyboard one measures about 58" by 68" and its masculine palette should appeal to a teen boy. The Lozenge quilt measures about 60" by 74", large enough for a tall teen, and is gender neutral in design and color. 

Thanks so much, Cherie, for quilting these for me. Thanks also to Julie and others for donated fabrics. These quilts will be shown at the August PCQ meeting and then donated. 

Link ups: Alycia Quilts 8/1,  Small Quilts and Doll Quilts 8/4

July Stash Report and Goals Update

Wow, July was a pretty incredible month, with almost no blogging to show for it. 

I came down with Covid when I returned from vacation in June, so I quarantined at home until I tested negative and could go on retreat. During my time at home I repurposed a PCQ kit and assembled a long-kitted-up baby quilt UFO. 

Cherie joined me for retreat and we worked on a confidential project. When she was here in February when PCQ's long arm was down, she took two of my charity tops home with her to quilt on her long arm. She brought them back and I bound and finished them. Story to come in a separate post, but here's one of them.  

All of this used some yardage, but I also acquired some, too. I invested in some much needed low volumes using a gift certificate my students had given me in thanks for teaching the color class. And of course I couldn't go to Ritter without buying something from Shiela's shop!

The biggest accomplishment for July was the pink Scrappy Serendipity and its pattern. 

July Stash Report:

IN this month: 5-3/4 yards (3 yds low volume prints from Prickly Pearadise. 2-3/4 yds from Ritter.)
OUT this month: 13-1/2 yards (Backing for Stacked Slabs - 4 yards. Backing for Lozenges - 4 yards. Binding for Stacked Slabs, 5/8 yd. Binding for Lozenges, 5/8 yd. Binding for pink Scrappy Serendipity, 1/2 yd. Sashing for black & red churn dash, 1/2 yd. Top for bright Plus baby quilt. about 2 yards. Backing for same, 1-3/8 yards. binding, 3/8 yard. )

IN YTD: 44 yards
OUT YTD: 79-5/8 yards
YTD Net Change: 35-5/8 yards out

Nicely moving in the right direction, and I'll have more to count out yet this year as I finish the teal project and some other WIPS. 

Speaking of the teal project, assembling the top is one of my goals for August. 

Goals Update: 

July Recap: 

1. Finish the last two blocks for the teal value study project. DONE. Also pieced the border blocks. 

2. Repurpose a kit from PCQ Community Service and make a top. DONE, red & black Churn Dash. (No photo yet, story & photo later)

3. Plan for and attend retreat at Ritter Ranch. YES!!! Best retreat ever!!!

4. Quilt the pink Scrappy Serendipity quilt. Yes, quilted, bound, and finished. Needs PCQ label for donation. 

5. If possible, quilt the Cherry Jubilee quilt. No, I only had one time slot on the long arm so this will have to wait until August. 

Other: Pieced Orange Plus baby quilt UFO, long kitted up, and quilted it on my domestic machine. Photo and story to come later. 

I need to take some photos of some of these projects and post about them. Stay tuned! 

August Goals: 

1. Quilt Cherry Jubilee next time I have a time slot on the long arm. 

2. Assemble the Teal Blocks into a top.

3. Test a smaller scale Scrappy Serendipity block for a baby quilt.

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

5. Work on the confidential project from retreat.

6. Start thinking about a new complicated long term piecing project. 

Perhaps I should add something about writing blog posts to my August goals. The hold-up is getting good photos. The sunlight is brutally strong and the shade is deep dark, so I've been having trouble getting decent photos lately. Plus it's 110 degrees here in the afternoons, not fun to be outdoors wrestling with quilts. I may have to make do with indoor photos. 

All the Teal Blocks Are Finished

Whoo-hoo! I finally got those last two blocks for the teal project done, the ones with the hourglass units. Still don't love those units, but I'm getting better at squaring them up. 

And do you see what else I got done? All the border blocks!!! The top row (not in this photo) and the bottom row are sewn together. The sides will be added to each row as I join the blocks in to rows. I don't plan to get this to the finished flimsy stage this month, but maybe next month. We'll see. 

Linking up with Alycia Quilts 7/11 and Small Quilts and Doll Quilts 7/14

Pink Scrappy Serendipity Top, and Pattern

Before I went on vacation in June, I finished another Scrappy Serendipity top. I swear, these blocks are addictive. The fun comes from selecting the fabric combos one block at a time, not knowing exactly what the final quilt will look like. It's amazing what I found in my scraps and my stash that I had forgotten I had! 

My first version was totally scrappy. My second version was curated scrappy, blues and greens. Both versions worked well. Now my third version is curated scrappy also, in pinks and purples, but this version features one consistent background fabric. 

I wanted to use one consistent background fabric in this version instead of a scrappy background. Both options work, but I do like the constant background here with all the variety in the pink and purple prints. The fabric is a confetti print on white that I had in my stash. Because there is a lot of cutting involved, by using a constant background fabric I was able to die cut 2-1/2" strips which made the cutting go much more quickly.

The block is 10 inches finished. The earlier quilts were 6 by 8 block layouts for 60" by 80" quilts. The pink version is a 5 by 6 block layout, 50" by 60".

Making this version also served as a test for the Scrappy Serendipity pattern. The pattern is ready to go now. 

I will be sharing the pattern with members of PCQ. While not specifically developed as one of our community service charity patterns, it would certainly work. I am offering the PDF for any charitable purpose. It looks great in patriotic prints! 

If you would like the Scrappy Serendipity pattern PDF, leave a comment. YOU MUST INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL WITHIN THE TEXT OF YOUR COMMENT, otherwise I have no way of sending it to you. 

Linking up with Alycia Quilts 7/4, and Small Quilts and Doll Quilts 7/7

June Stash Report and Goals Update

I was away on vacation for a couple weeks in June, so not much quilty stuff happened. 

I managed to piece together a larger size version of PCQ Community Service's Irish Chain pattern in a curated palette so I could check the yardages, etc. I turned in the top and the pattern early in the month and promptly forgot all about it. No photo, sorry.  

I did finish another Scrappy Serendipity top, this one using all one background fabric. I made it to test the yardage requirement for the background if using all one fabric. And also because I liked the analogous pink/purple palette. This scrappy pattern works so well in analogous colors. This version finished at 50 by 60 inches, a good kid size throw. 

 (Pardon the crooked indoor photo. It's 114 degrees outside right now

 and I don't feel like going out there in the heat to take photos.)

Along with sewing the top, I wrote up the pattern. I also designed and wrote patterns for two friends. One had a QOV eagle panel that turned out to be squares (blocks) so we came up with a diamond medallion layout and I gave her dimensions, cutting, etc. She has already finished the quilt and it turned out looking good. The other friend wanted a layout for some BOM blocks of an awkward size, and after struggling to come up with something that would fit, I gave her a couple options with measurements. 

My other accomplishment for the month was just one more hourglass block of the three remaining for the teal project. Now only two to go!

No stash was added this month. I didn't even visit a single quilt shop on my vacation! But since I finished this Scrappy Serendipity top, I get to count its fabrics out, and the yardage of mine used for the Irish Chain test. 

June Stash Report

IN this month: 0
OUT this month: 11 yards (Irish Chain test sample, my fabrics, about 5 yards. Pink Scrappy Serendipity top, about 6 yards.)

IN YTD: 38-1/4 yards
OUT YTD: 65-5/8 yards

YTD Net Change: 27-3/8 yards out

Goals Update: 

June Recap: 

1. Piece a top for pattern testing an enlarged version of the Irish Chain pattern for Community Service. Edit pattern. Turn in top and pattern on 6/6. DONE

2. Work on the teal value study blocks. Yes, but still have two left to make.

3. Work on the Leftover Strata project. No, not touched.

4. Quilt Cherry Jubilee on 6/29. No, time slot cancelled. 

5. Work on design requests from two friends in EQ. Yes, provided a QOV pattern for Cherie's eagle blocks and two layout options for Paula's BOM blocks. 

6. Play with color combos for Scrappy Serendipity in EQ and start another fabric version. Yes, made a pink/purple version with one fabric for the background. Wrote up the pattern for both versions, two sizes. 

7. Prep for retreat in July. Yes, the collaborative project with Cherie is ready to go, and I'll take along the Postage Stamp project and the Leftover Strata project.

Wow, it looks like I got a lot more quilty stuff dome in June than I thought. Not so much sewing, but a lot of designing, calculating, and writing. 

July Goals: 

1. Finish the last two blocks for the teal value study project.

2. Repurpose a kit from PCQ Community Service and make a top. Must be smaller than the twin bed size originally kitted up.

3. Plan for and attend retreat at Ritter Ranch.

4. Quilt the pink Scrappy Serendipity quilt

5. If possible, quilt the Cherry Jubilee quilt. 

Just Three More Blocks

 I put the blocks for the teal project back up on the wall. This is where I'm at now: 

Only three more blocks needed! They're all the 8-pointed star block (second row on the left) which uses hourglass units. I don't like making hourglass units - I have trouble getting them to come out even. I guess that's why these blocks are the last ones I still need to make.

Maybe I can get them done this month? We'll see. 

Link up: Alycia Quilts 6/13,  Small Quilts and Doll Quilts 6/16

May Stash Report and Goals Update

 Wow, I kind of got carried away with Scrappy Serendipity in May! What started out as blocks inspired by something on Pinterest became a big disappointment, until I tried a half-drop layout. Problem solved, and I liked it so much I made another!

After teaching a Dancing Plus class, I quilted up my teaching sample top, so that's another finish for May. 

With all those finishes, a lot of fabric was used this month! The stash report is looking good for the year. 

May Stash Report: 

IN this month: 6 yards (3 yards Kona Snow; 3 yards wide backing)
OUT this month: 25-1/4 yards (Scrappy Serendipity 1 top (multi), estimated 7-1/2 yards. Dancing Plus top, 2-1/4 yards, class samples & step-outs, 1/2 yard. Dancing Plus backing, 1-3/8 yards; binding, 3/8 yard. Scrappy Serendipity 2 top (blue/green), 7-1/2 yards. Backings for both SS tops, 3 yards wide back plus 1-1/2 yards regular width. Bindings for both SS quilts, 1-1/4 yards)

IN YTD: 38-1/4 yards
OUT YTD: 54-5/8 yards
YTD Net Change: 16-3/8 yards out

That's a lot for one month!
I may not have as much to show for June. A couple of the things I'm working on are design requests from friends: help to figure out layouts for BOM blocks and panel squares. Also, I have some non-quilty things going on that will take some time. And prepping for retreat in July needs to happen, also. So if I don't accomplish much in June that's picture-worthy, or I don't post much, that's why. 

Goals Update: 

May Recap: 

1. Prep for and Teach a Dancing Plus class. DONE. 

2. Finish Scrappy Serendipity (formerly the Scrappy 5-Patch Plus) top. DONE. 

3. Prep a backing for Cherry Jubilee. DONE

4, Work on piecing the Leftover Strata project. No, not touched.

5. Prep a backing for Scrappy Serendipity. DONE x 2

6. Book time and quilt something on the club's new long arm. Double DONE! Both the original multi and Blue/Green SS quilts have been quilted due to a bonus time slot on the long arm. 

Other:  - Prepped backing, layered, pin-basted, and quilted the Dancing Plus top on my domestic                        machine. Bound it.
            - Pieced, quilted, and finished another Scrappy Serenade top in blues and greens.
            - Bound and labeled both SS quilts. 

June Goals: 

1. Piece a top for pattern testing an enlarged version of the Irish Chain pattern for Community Service. Edit pattern. Turn in top and pattern on 6/6. 

2. Work on the teal value study blocks.

3. Work on the Leftover Strata project.

4. Quilt Cherry Jubilee on 6/29.

5. Work on design requests from two friends in EQ.

6. Play with color combos for Scrappy Serendipity in EQ and start another fabric version.

7. Prep for retreat in July.

Link up: Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Two Scrappy Serendipity Quilts

I got lucky and scored an open time slot on the long arm this week! I quilted the original multi color Scrappy Serendipity on Saturday during my original reserved time. Just an all-over free motion meander, with light taupe thread. It came out great, and no hiccups with the new machine.  

When I went into the reservation system to book my next time slot 21 days out, I saw that there was an opening on Tuesday, so I nabbed it. Per the rules, jumping on an open time slot in the current week doesn't count toward or against your 21 day allowed reservation. Whoo-hoo! 

So with my bonus time I was able to quilt the blue and green version. This time I had a helper, which was great (thanks, Paula). I used a medium blue thread on this one and it worked well with both the pale background prints and all those blues and greens. 

Both have mostly the same backing, a wide back fabric in newsprint, but I had to add in a little of another grey print to bring the second backing up to size.  Both quilts are 60 x 80", good for teens or adults. They'll both go to the local family services agency, which typically experiences an uptick in need at the end of the school year. 

Always one to take a pattern and make it better, Paula suggested using black prints where the whites are, along with bright colors. I'll try that in EQ and see how it looks. I'm sure I'm not done with Scrappy Serendipity yet. 

Link ups: My Quilt Infatuation 5/29,  Alycia Quilts 5/30

Scrappy Serendipity

I might have been a little obsessed with the block I was making for the top shown in my previous post. 

The block is satisfying to make because each block's palette is designed individually, so it doesn't get boring. My scrappy version was fine, once I landed on the half-drop layout, but it would probably look even better if I used an analogous palette. I might have gotten carried away and I started another version. Cutting ensued. 

I had pretty much depleted my low volumes and nicer scraps, so pulling from stash was needed. I cut a 2-1/2" WOF strip of 40+ different blues, greens, teals and purples.  I also cut strips from an unknown number of pale low volumes, probably at least as many. I cut the strips into the small pieces needed and made up packets for 43 blocks. I was so involved I forgot to take photos. 

After cutting, these blocks are quick to make, and sewing them in pairs helps for chain piecing. Within a few days I had another whole top's worth of blocks on the design wall. After a bit of tweaking the layout, I ended up with this finished top. 

Like the first one, it's 60 by 80", a suitable size for an adult or teen throw. It's pretty gender neutral, so it could go to any of the charities we support. Backs for both are ready.  I'll get the first one quilted next week, and this one later when I have my next booking on the long arm. 

I'm calling this quilt Scrappy Serendipity, sort of a nod to all the Scrappy Celebration quilts my friends and I made last year. I'm sure this won't be the last time I make this pattern! 

Link ups: Alycia Quilts 5/23,  Small Quilts and Doll Quilts 5/26, 

Not So Bad, After All - I Like It!

 

It's pretty amazing what just a simple block layout change can do. This went from just a boring grid to something more interesting by just changing to a Half Drop layout. The half drop layout allows the horizontal "arms" of the blocks to interlock into the negative spaces between the adjacent blocks. 

Is it beautiful, wonderful? No, not at all. But it's certainly acceptable. 

Would I make it again? Absolutely! But there are a few things I would do differently, mostly having to do with Value and value placement. I would only use the very lightest low volume prints, avoiding the ones that read darker, like the piece below the red motif at the center. I would also make sure there's enough contrast between the four small patches and both the background and the arms. I might try a more controlled scrappy palette also, such as all cool colors. 

These blocks are fun to make because each one is designed as its own palette, so it's not boring to make multiples of the same block. Want to make your own version? Here's the block plan, but avoid busy, high-contrast background fabrics like in this EQ image: 

For a half drop layout like mine you need 45 blocks and 6 end fillers. The end filler blocks finish at 5" by 10" (5-1/2 by 10-1/2" unfinished). They're made of 2-1/2" by 5-1/2" low volume pieces, 5 per block.  The finished top measures 60" by 80", a good size for an adult or teen throw. 

I have backing ready and time booked on the club's long arm at the end of the month, so this will be finished and ready to donate in June. Since we know that one of the agencies we support has an uptick in need at the end of the school year, this will go to them. 

Link ups:  My Quilt Infatuation 5/8,  Alycia Quilts 5/9,  Small Quilts and Doll Quilts 5/12

Half Drop Layout to the Rescue

The scrappy blocks I wrote about last week are fun to make because each one is designed individually. From a selection of cut pieces, I can lay out two blocks, chain piece them, and have them finished in a half hour. It didn't take very long to make most of the blocks I need for a 6 x 8 block layout. Here they are on the design wall: 

How disappointing! Disjointed. Boring. And no matter how I move them around, they don't look any better. 

I was shooting for a 60 x 80" throw size for a donation quilt, so I still need two rows of blocks. Not a problem to make the blocks, but the resulting quilt will not be one that I'm proud of. So I played with layout options in EQ and landed on Half Drop Blocks. 

After changing the layout on the wall, I need 45 blocks, not 48, and 6 end fillers. Here they are laid out on the wall in the Half Drop configuration, still a 60 by 80" quilt: 

Much better. Still not the most beautiful quilt, but much improved from the first version. I have time booked on the long arm at the end of the month, so I'll get this quilted and send it on its way to the local family services agency PCQ supports. While not a beauty, it can still bring comfort to an abused teen. 

Link up: Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

April Stash Report and Goals Update

A lot of sewing happened this month, using a lot of fabric. On the other hand, a lot of fabric was added to the stash. Surprisingly, more fabric went out than came in. 

A four day retreat resulted in the completion of two tops. I have given them, along with backing fabric and binding, to two of the quilter friends who were at the retreat.  

to Edna

to Judy

At the retreat I also got all the blocks finished for my Almost Postage Stamp quilt. They were already started.

Since I've been home I chased a squirrel. I saw something on Pinterest that intrigued me, figured out the block, dove into my scraps, and made blocks. The good news is I'm having fun making them. The bad news is, my version looks boring. I have a solution, which I'll share in another post. 

I also finished a donation quilt this month. Most of the fabrics were donated, so I'm only counting out the ones that came from my personal stash. 

While at retreat I shopped at their little fabric shop, and a few yards came home with me. Then an on-line end-of-bolt sale caught my attention. Plus, an outing with the girls to a couple of local shops resulted in some purchases, so there was definitely some stash enhancement this month. My finishes and gifts more than made up for it for the month, but I'm still up for the year. 

April Stash Report: 

IN this month: 18-3/4 yards (Retreat purchases, 6 yards. Bernina Connection, 5 yards. Modern Quilting, 1-1/2 yards.  Online end-of-bolt sale, 6-1/4 yards.)

OUT this month: 19-5/8 yards (Navy/Pink LCT variation top, 4-5/8 yards; backing, 3-1/2 yards; binding 5/8 yard. Kaffe flying geese top 4 yards; back 3 yards; binding 5/8 yard.  Urban Jungle Stacked slabs top, my fabrics, 1-1/2 yards; backing 1 yard; binding 3/4 yard)

IN YTD: 32-1/4 yards
OUT YTD: 29-3/8 yards

YTD Net Change: 2-7/8 yards added. 

Since I started a new scrappy project and got wound up in making blocks for it, I neglected some of the other items on my goals list. Oh, well, it's just a hobby anyway, no pressure. 

Goals Update: 

April Recap: 

1. Finish packing for retreat and have a good time there.  YES!!!

2. Make progress on the Postage Stamp project. Yes, got all the blocks pieced at retreat. 

3. Make progress on the Kaffe flying geese project. Yes, finished the top at retreat using Plan D and sashing purchased from Shiela's shop.  

4. Assemble the navy and pink LCT medallion blocks. If possible, add the borders. Yes, finished the top at retreat.

5. Quilt the Urban Jungle stacked slabs quilt on April 11. DONE and donated. 

6. Prep for teaching Dancing Plus in May.  Progress; I still have to send out pre-cutting instructions to the students. 

7. Prep backing for Cherry Jubilee top. No

8. Develop new project using leftover strata. Yes, I've started a project, something mindless I can pick up as time permits. 

Other: 

 - Chased a squirrel: started a scrappy project inspired by something I saw on Pinterest and made 45 blocks for it. 

 - Wrote a pattern for the flying geese top shown above.

The friend I gave the flying geese top to likes it so much, she wants to make a queen size version in autumn colors for a grandchild's wedding in the fall. She asked for the pattern, so with the help of EQ8, I drafted it for her. I had forgotten how much I like writing patterns. More about this in a future post. 

May Goals: 

1. Prep for and Teach a Dancing Plus class. 

2. Finish the Scrappy 5-Patch Plus top. 

3. Prep a backing for Cherry Jubilee. 

4. Work on piecing the Leftover Strata project. 

5. Prep a backing for Scrappy 5-Patch Plus. 

6. Book time and quilt something on the club's new long arm.

Recently, new LED lights were installed in the ceiling of my sewing room. The light is so much brighter in there now and it's much more pleasant to work in there. So much so that I've been spending a lot more time sewing, mostly making blocks for the new scrappy project. 

If I continue to spend that much time in the sewing room, I'll definitely knock out everything on my May Goals list, but those are the priorities for now. We'll see what I can get done in May. 

A New Scrappy Project

I saw something intriguing on Pinterest and I thought it would be a good project for my Scrappy Celebration friends to make next. Here is a link to the Pinterest post.

I sent the girls the image, and one was interested. So I figured out the block:

I raided my scrap drawers for low volumes and darker colors, and cut a lot of pieces. I may have gotten carried away.... So far I've made several blocks. They go together easily and they're addictive to make. 

Here's the original Pinterest inspiration photo. 

Pinterest: Shonda at Calico Flower

You may notice, there are blocks that emphasize the Nine Patch, and others that feature the Plus. I'm trying to keep my blocks as random as the ones in the photo, but if you know me, you know it's hard for me to do random. 

My blocks use 2-1/2" scraps, so they finish at 10". I'm shooting for a smaller quilt than the one in the photo, a 6 x 8 block layout for a large throw. Or if I get carried away making blocks, a 7 x 9 block layout for a twin size. I have more than enough scraps! 

I didn't really need another piecing project right now, but sometimes you just have to chase that squirrel. 

Link up: Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Another Retreat Project: the Postage Stamp Quilt

 Another project I worked on at retreat was this Postage Stamp type quilt. The squares finish at 1-1/2" so it's not a true Postage Stamp, but this is as small as I care to work. Here are 32 blocks on the design wall, plus border strips.

Months ago I started this project to use up some of my yellow-green stash. I used my die cutter to cut 2" strips of nearly every fabric in my yellow-green basket, and some true greens. Then I selected some other warm colors and purples for more variety. 

The strips were sewn into strata. Then the strata were carefully cross-cut, again using the 2" die.  I laid out the strips in a checkerboard, and wrapped them up in blocks. I need 35 blocks for a 5 x 7 layout, and I ended up with enough strips for 36 blocks. Each block has 64 little squares. I didn't count the individual fabrics used, but it's a lot. 

I made one sample block and packed the rest up for retreat. With all seams pressed toward the dark fabrics, the seams nested nicely. They'll nest when I sew the blocks into rows and sew the rows together, too. 

I was pleased that I was able to get all the blocks made at retreat. I'll lay them out on my design wall at home and make sure the same fabric isn't adjacent to itself, then label them, and pack them up for a future retreat. 

This quilt will be twin size when finished. Did it make a dent in my yellow-green stash? A bit, but there's still plenty left. At least I can jam the basket into the shelf where it belongs now. 

The outer border fabric in the top photo will also be the backing fabric. It's a tiny olive-on-cream paisley. I bought 9 yards of it back in 2009 but it wasn't the right shade of green for the top it was intended for, so it's been languishing ever since. I'm glad to eventually have a use for it.

Some people don't care for yellow-green and olive shades, but I like the way this is turning out. And it's gender neutral. It will eventually be a donation quilt.  

Link ups: Alycia Quilts 4/18,  Small Quilts and Doll Quilts 4/21

Top Finishes at Retreat

 Retreat was a lot of fun, and I got a lot accomplished. Today' post is about two tops that were partially started and are now finished flimsies. I'll write more about the rest of the retreat another time. 

First up, this LCT Variation top. (sorry for the moire effect in the photo; the navy and white print is a small geometric.)

The blocks were already made, laid out, and kitted up, so all I had to do was sew them together and add the borders. 

The other finish is this top using flying geese blocks made of Kaffe prints with black and white sky. This is actually about plan D, earlier ideas didn't work out. 

Again, the blocks were already made. 

I had a Kaffe jelly roll from someone's destashing sale and I had hoped to use it for sashing, but the prints in it didn't work with the ones in the geese. Thank goodness for the little shop at the retreat ranch, where I found the sashing fabric that worked. Fortunately there were two strips in the jelly roll of the green print that worked for the corner stones.

More about this retreat in another post, including what the other girls were working on.

Link up: Alycia Quilts

 

March Stash Report and Goals Update

A couple of big changes in direction occurred this month. One was a request to teach Dancing Plus in May, which required a demo sample to present at the PCQ meeting in April. The other was a need for a teenage boy donation quilt. Both of those items were accomplished. And they helped my stash report, although shopping and an estate sale canceled out any stash reduction. 

The Stacked Slabs top and its back were made from a combination of donated fabrics and my personal fabrics, so I'm only counting out the amount of yardage that was actually mine. 

March Stash Report:

IN this month: 5-1/4 yards (3 yards purple solid; estate sale, 2-1/4 yards)

OUT this month: 5-1/4 yards (Dancing Plus class sample top, approx. 3 yards worth of scraps. Urban Jungle Stacked Slabs, my fabric, 2-1/4 yards)

IN YTD: 13-1/2 yards

OUT YTD: 9-3/4 yards

YTD Net Change: 3-3/4 yards added. Not moving in the right direction, but that will change. 

Another accomplishment - if you could call it that? - was a failed test block to use up some leftover strata in a future project. It's good to try out test blocks; I learned that that pattern's method of making that particular block is not for me. Instead, I've been thinking of alternative plans to use the leftover strata. 

One of my goals for March was to be trained on the club's new long arm. Training went well and I'm now certified to use it. In even better news, they opened up registration for time slots on the new long arm today and I was able to get a time slot for late next week. Whoo-hoo! 

Goals Update:

March recap:

1. Prep for and teach color classes 5 and 6. DONE. 

2. Prep several projects to work on at retreat in early April. Yes, I have the Postage Stamp project, the navy and pink LCT project that was kitted up months ago, and the Kaffe flying geese project. More than enough to keep me busy for four days!

3. Attend hands-on long arm training. Yes! I'm certified to use the new Innova long arm, and I was lucky enough to get an early time slot when registration opened up. 

4. Continue piecing blocks for the teal project. Yes, made a lot of progress. 

5. Prep a backing for the red Cherry Jubilee top. Not done.

6. Continue working on the scrappy project at social sewing. Yes, although I was only able to go to social sewing once this month. 

7. Participate in Sewing Club's charity project at first Wednesday social sewing. Yes, I made three pairs of little boys' shorts for inclusion in Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes. 

Other: Made a small Dancing Plus flimsy for a teaching sample. 
           Made a Stacked Slabs top and a backing for it. 

My teal project doesn't have a deadline, but I did make significant progress on it in March. Since I have a lot of other projects planned for April, it may go into time out for a month. Or if time permits, maybe I'll make another block or two. 

 

April Goals: 

1. Finish packing for retreat and have a good time there.

2. Make progress on the Postage Stamp project.

3. Make progress on the Kaffe flying geese project.

4. Assemble the navy and pink LCT blocks. If possible, add the borders.

5. Quilt the Urban Jungle stacked slabs quilt on April 11. 

6. Prep for teaching Dancing Plus in May

7. Prep backing for Cherry Jubilee top

8. Develop new project using leftover strata.

Looks like I'm planning for a busy month in April!

Progress on the Teal Project

It's been a while since I last reported on the teal project. The most recent progress photo is in this post. Since then I've been occasionally making blocks. Now my design wall looks like this: 

The bottom full row in the photo is the middle row of the quilt, so I'm more than halfway finished with the blocks. There are enough blocks on the wall now to see the diagonals in the layout. 

There's no deadline for this project so I'll just continue to make blocks as time permits. 

Link up: Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Urban Jungle Stacked Slabs

Last fall the PCQ community service chair received a large donation of fabrics. Among them were a lot of black and white prints. She handed me a big tote bag full of them and asked me to do something with them. We discovered that among them were two colors of a Marcia Derse print, and there was a dark red colorway of the same print in the donation as well. 

I played around in EQ but I was never happy with anything I came up with. 

Recently I was reminded that the local family services agency that PCQ supports occasionally has a need for comfort quilts for teenage boys. In years past, we've seen that there seems to be an uptick in need at the end of the school year. 

So I pulled out the Marcia Derse prints and some others that read masculine and have colors that go together. Rather than fuss with a complex pattern, I let the fabrics do all the work with my Stacked Slabs pattern. (The fabric that looks pink here is actually red but if I try to darken it in the photo, everything else goes too dark.)

The result has kind of an urban vibe, but the featured prints had something about trees on the selvage, so for my own records I'm calling this Urban Jungle.

There was enough of the featured fabrics plus the other black and grey print left over to piece together a back. I'm certified on PCQ's new long arm, so as soon as registrations open up and I can book a time slot, I'll quilt this up. 

Link Up: Alycia Quilts

A Little Dancing Plus Top

A quick little finish, a teaching sample (top only) for my upcoming Dancing Plus class. 

 Some dance to the left, some to the right, and a few are out of step....

I'll be teaching the blocks at a PCQ class in May but I needed a sample to display at the April meeting to promote the class. This was a quick finish, 42 blocks for a baby quilt top that measures 36 by 45 inches. 

Scroll down to the post below for more info, and find the tutorial for the blocks here.

Link up: Small Quilts and Doll Quilts
               Alycia Quilts 3/28/25
               Quilting is more fun than housework 3/30/25