From PIGS to WIP: Positively Peachy

Packed away in a box labeled Work on at Retreat was a bag with some FQs and coordinating fabrics. Three of the FQs were from a Riley Blake line called Calliope dated 2013. It's rare that I use a fabric collection, but I must have acquired these at some point and kept them together. Some of the fabrics were cut into 4-1/2" squares. 

However, a couple of the FQs measured only 17-1/2". I needed the full 18". That's probably why the project was packed away. 

 

An 18" FQ should yield four rows of 4-1/2" cut squares. But 17-1/2" would yield fewer squares and a lot of waste. OK, what can I do with this? 

If I want four rows of squares from 17-1/2", the maximum size I can cut the squares is 4-3/8" which would be 3-7/8" finished. 4-1/2" cut squares would be 4" finished and ten across would be 40". Ten of the 3-7/8" finished squares would be 38-3/4".  Not a significant difference if my pattern uses only squares, but a huge PIA if my pattern is any more complex than that. 

Okay, a simple Plus quilt will work. I trimmed the previously cut squares down to 4-3/8" and cut more from the rest of the fabrics in the bag. I found a couple additional fabrics in my stash that work with the overall palette and cut enough for a baby quilt. Here it is laid out on the design wall. 

Soft mid-tone and pastel shades of peach and seafoam in a modern Plus layout. This will make a nice baby quilt for Operation Shower. And it moves this project from a PIGS to a WIP. 

Link ups: 
Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Love Laugh Quilt

Bright Strippy Spiral Flimsy

This was a squirrel that I just had to chase a couple months ago. I love how it turned out!

It was inspired by something I saw online, and if I knew where I saw it I would give credit, but unfortunately I don't. The original inspiration was concentric squares, not spiral, and white, not black. 

I tried to get a good photo earlier this week, but the wind was helping just a bit too much. 

The flimsy is 60 x 68", a good throw size for a short person like me. I want to get a bright large scale Kaffe Fasset print for the backing. 

I plan to quilt it myself and keep it. My hope is that this will be for outdoor living during the winter when we move to AZ, but since the move is on hold, it may be next year at the earliest that we could move. 

Link ups: 
Confessions of A Fabric Addict

Alycia Quilts

Wendy's Quilts and More

My Quilt Infatuation

June Stash Report and Goals Update

Seems like whether I feel motivated or not, I have a lot of time at home so I've been sewing a lot. So much so that I needed to refresh my stash this month, but that helped revive my sewing mojo. I finished piecing and/or quilted several projects this month, so it was a productive month in the sewing room. I purchased this cute little bird print...

 ...and this is what became of it: 

Little Birds top

June Stash Report

IN this month: 13-1/8 yards (3-1/2 yards from QF.  7-3/8 yards wide backing from Backside Fabrics. 2-1/4 yards solid Kona colors.)

OUT this month: 10-1/2 yards (Basket Weave top (my fabrics only) 4 yards. Round Robin top 2-3/4 yards per EQ and binding 3/8 yard. Little Birds top 2-1/2 yards per EQ. Sea Glass backing 1-3/8 yards and binding 3/8 yard.)

IN YTD: 42-5/8 yards

OUT YTD: 77-1/4 yards

YTD Net Change: 38-5/8 yards out

 

Basket Weave Bee Blocks top

Still far more out than in; no wonder my stash was looking a little boring to me.

Sea Glass baby quilt

Goals: 

June Recap

1. Finish piecing Bright Strippy Spiral. DONE, photos Friday. 

2. Talk to Sandy about quilting How Many and Corona Medallion; get and/or prep backings. Yes, talked to Sandy and she's on board. Custom dyed backing from Vicki Welsh for How Many is on order, due to be shipped in late July (her dye order is on backorder). Still need to piece the backing for Corona Medallion.

3. If possible, start quilting Color Spoke Puzzle. No, my friend hasn't been able to place an order for notions including my invisible thread yet. 

4. Layer, baste and quilt Sea Glass baby quilt. DONE. 

5. Finish piecing basket weave bee blocks top. DONE.

6. Design something new and complicated to piece. DONE, created a Jen Kingwell block variation, pieced the block, added to it round-robin style, quilted and bound it for a baby quilt.

Other: bought fabric, pieced another baby quilt top (little birds) 

Round Robin baby quilt

July Goals:

1. Piece backing for Corona Medallion. If backing for How Many arrives, ship everything to Sandy for quilting. 

2. Find fabric, piece backing, baste and quilt Warm Strippy Spiral. 

3. Quilt Little Birds baby quilt. 

4. Plan a more complicated quilt and start piecing it. 

5. Piece and quilt another baby quilt.

6. Find a UFO to work on and move it forward.

I'm sure I'll have plenty of time for sewing in July, so we'll see what I can get done. I'm very glad to have an outlet for baby quilts (Operation Shower) because there are already too many quilts piled up around here. 

Link up: Quilt Fabrication

Not On the Design Wall Yet...

But I have a plan for these. 

Along with these. 

And these. 

And I'll add a few of these. 

And with the addition of some of these, I can start laying them out on the design wall. 

Link ups: 

Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Love Laugh Quilt

Blogiversary

It occurred to me that it was about this time of year in 2013 that I started my blog. Yes, seven years ago. Who'da thunk it would last this long?!!! 

My first post was June 26, 2013, so yesterday would have been my blogiversary. Check out my very first post here. 

I have no plans to give up blogging any time soon. I like that it's a diary of what I make, and more than just a photo album, I get to tell stories about what I'm doing. 

Oh, and whatever became of those fabrics in the photo in that first blog post? 

This is Mega Medallion (queen size) and it's promised to my great-niece Maddie when her family moves into the new home they're building. 

Friday Finish: Round Robin Baby Quilt

I like how this turned out. 

It started as an effort to puzzle out how to make a block similar to but different than a Jen Kingwell block. Then I figured I should do something with the block, so I built on it in rounds, round robin style. I used up all the fabric I had since these were scraps and FQs to begin with, so the finished size is about 38". 

For the backing, I used a lovely thick soft flannel gifted by a friend. It was just wide enough, and it couldn't be more perfect for this little quilt. The quilting is a simple loose meander to keep it soft. 

After a spin through the washer and dryer, this little quilt will go to Operation Shower. 

Link ups: 
Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Alycia Quilts

Wendy's Quilts and More

A Little Fabric Shopping

Sewing from stash is kind of like cooking from the pantry. Eventually you need to buy groceries to make whatever's left in the pantry work into an actual meal. 

My LQS opened recently with limited hours and limited number of shoppers. After so many weeks of lockdown, I needed to get out. So I planned to go there, and also meet up with a friend in the parking lot to hand off some stuff. While we were talking in the parking lot (socially distant, with masks) another mutual friend arrived, so we had a very nice visit for awhile. Then shopping. 

The store was all spruced up and there was a selection of sale merchandise, but nothing in the sale section called out to me. What I went for was a black on white print that reads very pale.  I found one, and a couple of other low volume stash boosters as well. 

What I also hoped to find was a design seed for a boy baby quilt. I make lots of baby quilts for Operation Shower, mostly using fabric from my stash, but sometimes a themed fabric or a particular color combination is needed to spark an idea. I have more than enough girly fabrics, but I try to make boy or gender neutral baby quilts as well. 

I couldn't resist this cute tiny bird print. Each little bird is only about an inch big.  The brilliant red-orange and the B+W had to come home with me, too. 

I didn't go hog wild at the fabric shop. I browsed, considered, chose, and I'm satisfied that what I came home with will support other fabrics in my stash to create something new. 

Then a blogger offered a coupon code for a discount at an online fabric seller, and I succombed to the lure of wide backings. I'm not fond of cobbling together backings; I'd rather use a whole piece if possible or at least minimize the number of seams. So I shopped and my order came. 

Some backings from known brands are good quality fabrics that can be used in piecing the front of a quilt, too. The splatter print is a remnant that I can use to piece the front of a baby quilt and then use the rest for the back. The same with the large geometric print. The text print and the grey Grunge are generic and I got sufficient yardage to back throw size quilts. 

My stash report will take a hit this month, but that's okay. Since the Paducah quilt show was cancelled, I didn't do my usual annual stash enhancement, so I'm still down for the year.  My little refresh here isn't going to hurt me, and now I have some new fabrics to pet and play with.

Since these photos were taken, they've all been prewashed and ironed. Now, what to make first???

Link Up: Quilt Fabrication