More Crossroads Wheel Blocks

Some new fabrics have recently come my way, and they've made it into these latest blocks. My friend shopped for me at retreat, and I shopped online and at a couple of local quilt shops. Even with buying only quarter yard or half yard cuts, my stash report will take a hit this month. It's okay. 

Here's a closer look. I'm fussy cutting wherever it makes sense. 

A bit of Kaffe

Do you see propellers? 

Another cactus print

I need three more blocks, and I've selected fabrics for them. Plus, I have one existing block I want to replace entirely, and another I want to revise. 

I really need to set this project aside and work on my grandson's b-day quilt. I have fabrics for it, but I'm still playing with design options in EQ. I need to have the quilt finished before February. My scheduled time on the long arm in January is the 8th, so I must have the top done, and backing and batting in hand by then. Since Jo-Ann's closed, I guess I'll have to search online for video game themed fleece for the back. Or solid grey would work. 

Link ups: Alycia Quilts 11/21,  Small Quilts and Doll Quilts 11/24

Almost Postage Stamp

I started this project more than a year ago, but apparently, I didn't post about it until this post in April. It started as an attempt to use this border fabric and my extensive yellow-green and olive stash. 9 yards of this fabric were purchased in 2010 for backing for a green quilt, but the shade of green turned out to be wrong.* So the yardage has been languishing in my backing stash ever since, taking up space I could use for other fabrics. 

I also had an overflowing bin of yellow-green and olive fabrics. My plan was to use them with neutrals in a checkerboard design. Along the way I added some greener greens and some accents of purple and orange. 

I die-cut 2" strips from all the dark fabrics, and from as many low volumes as I could pull together, both white-based and ivory-based. As usual, I cut way too many strips. 

I made strata alternating light and dark strips; cross cut the strata; and assembled checkerboard blocks. Each block has 64 squares and finished at 12". 

The squares finish at 1-1/2 inches, so not truly a Postage Stamp quilt. But almost! 

This was started back when PCQ was making twin bed size quilts for one of the charities we support. Since we don't need twin size now, I set aside six of the blocks and made the quilt a large throw size. It will comfortably cover a grown man, 68 by 80". And the masculine colors make it suitable for a man or possibly an older teen boy. 

I used up a lot of that print for the backing and used the backing offcuts for the binding. I still have some left, so it will go back in the stash until I can find another use for it. 

The six unused blocks will go into another charity quilt, probably to be assembled at a future retreat. And the leftover strata are also being used for another charity quilt, in WIP status now, which I may work on at social sewing after the new year. Die cutting is always helpful, but in my case, I always cut too much! 

*Expensive lesson learned: Always take swatches of the fabrics used on the front of the quilt when shopping for backing. 

Link ups: My Quilt Infatuation 11/13,  Alycia Quilts 11/14,  Small Quilts and Doll Quilts 11/17

Two More Blocks

I was out of town most of last week so I didn't have much sewing time. Since I got home I've been able to make two more blocks.

I think the one on the right is my new favorite. But I have several more to go, so there may be more favorites to come. 

Link up: Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Crossroads Wheel Progress

I now have 25 of 36 blocks made. This was supposed to be a long-term project, but it's been so much fun designing each block as its own palette! 

A friend asked me to show the blocks in groups of four, so here goes: 

One block needs a little fix. The center fabric in it is used in another block, so I have pinned a replacement swatch over it. It's an easy fix. 

I have 11 more blocks to go. A friend with whom I often trade scraps gave me some prints that will work, and she shopped for me via phone photos at retreat. Can't wait to get my hands on the new prints when she gets home! 

Meanwhile, I have 9 of 11 backgrounds. I'll have to go shopping after I get a few more blocks made with the fabrics on hand, so I'll pick up a couple more backgrounds then. 

Linking up with Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

October Stash Report and Goals Update

Lots of stash activity in October, both In and Out. Due to some finishes in both September and October, I can count a lot out, but I also brought in a lot for the Crossroads Wheel project I'm working on as well as some backings. 

My only complete finish this month is the Windmill Baby quilt. 

Other than that, I mostly worked on Crossroads Wheel blocks. After exhausting my scraps and my stash, it's been fun collecting new FQs and small cuts of yardage to add to the palette. I'm fussy cutting wherever the print offers opportunities. 

I was supposed to have two time slots on PCQ's long arm this month, but one conflicted with an event in the room so it got cancelled. My Almost Postage Stamp top was finished and the backing was ready, so I quilted that during my one time slot. Full post coming soon. The teal top and backing are ready but that will have to wait until my next long arm opportunity. 

October Stash Report

IN this month: 9 yards (3 yards from Connecting Threads.  1-3/4 yards from Hobby Lobby. 4-1/4 yards from Prickly Pearadise.)

OUT this month: 28-1/4 yards (Backing and binding for windmill baby quilt, 1-3/4 yards. Teal quilt top, 10 yards per EQ. Postage Stamp top, est. 10-1/2 yards. Backing and binding for Postage Stamp, 5-1/2 yards.)

IN YTD: 60-3/4 yards

OUT YTD: 121-3/8 yards

YTD Net Change: 60-5/8 yards out. 

Goals Update: 

October Recap: 

1. Quilt the Postage Stamp quilt. Done. 

2. Bind the red and black churn dash top. Done and donated. 

3. Fix the bottom border on the teal top. Piece the backing for it. Done. 

4. Quilt the windmill baby quilt on my domestic machine. Done and donated. 

5. Finish piecing the Positively Scrappy top. No, not touched. 

6. Make some more blocks for the new Crossroads Wheel project. Yes, made 22 of 36 blocks. 

7. Start planning a new video game-themed quilt for grandson's birthday. Found suitable fabrics and got his dad's approval. Piecing will be simple to feature the prints. 

8. Make a banner for my souvenir pins. Done and hung. 

Mostly the Crossroads Wheel blocks consumed my attention this month. I did get to social sewing a couple of times, and finished the scrappy top I've been working on there. I found backing for it in the club's stash. I'll post more about that project separately. 

November Goals: 

1. Bind the postage stamp quilt. 

2. Prep batting and quilt the teal quilt. 

3. Continue piecing Crossroads Wheel blocks.

4. Make a mug rug for the PCQ Holiday Luncheon exchange. 

5. Design and cut out grandson's new video game inspired quilt. 

The video game quilt has an end-of-January deadline, so I need to get as far along as possible with it. I also need to find licensed fleece fabric featuring Mario, Yoshi, Picachu, or MineCraft for the backing. 

Since the top I've been working on piecing for months at social sewing is done, I'll need to take something else to work on there. I'll take the Positively Scrappy project that wasn't worked on in November, and maybe I can finish that top. 

The other big accomplishment for October was the banner for my souvenir pins. I've been collecting pins for years, and I finally got around to making a display banner for them. 

All in all, October was a great month on the quilting front. In addition, the weather here has turned cooler and we're enjoying fabulous resort weather. DH has been working in the yard, so we've been visiting garden centers and cactus farms. We brought home five new specimens. Two will be hardier replacements for a couple of Yellow Barrel cactus that didn't make it through the extreme summer heat in full afternoon sun. The others will be planted in our shadier back yard, some in pots. Who knew cacti do better in the shade!!! In the almost 5 years we've lived here, DH has turned our back yard into a botanical garden.