blue scraps

I was in the left lane, and I noticed the car up ahead was in the right lane at a dead stop. I wondered what was wrong. Fortunately, I slowed to be sure everything was all right. Then I realized we were waiting on a new family of ducks. Oh, they were so cute and so very tiny. I wish our world took better care of our small and vulnerable things.

I have blue woven checkerboard blocks made for the rainbow scrap challenge.

And a blue scraptastic star is finished.

I was in the mood to sort through my batik bucket. And blue was right on top. I am trying to fold and mark the fabric. I didn't think I had very many batiks, but, I was surprised when I took the time to get it all sorted. I will need to use it in a new project. Oh, shucks.

lots of blue inspiration at:
rsc19 super saturday

oh scrap
UFO busting

allietare and one monthly goal

Earlier this month, I posted my goals for one monthly goal at Elm street quilts.

My one monthly goal for June
I wanted to:

1. Finish smith mountain morning - done

2. move allietare along- done
I cut and trimmed the outside of allietare, and I added the gold inner border. I like pressing the borders and noticing all the bits of fabric that I used. The red with black crows was/is one of my favorite Debbie Mumm prints.

I added a black outer border, and it is on the long arm ready to quilt.

3. make swap blocks - done

4. keep up with rainbow scrap challenge -done

5. and I wanted to start garden party piecing. - done I have 40 blocks made and thanks to Lisa B for the help to get this block fixed.

I am linking to:

creative compulsions

I was featured last week at

needle and thread Thursdays

TGIFF

Finished or Not Fridays   

Whoop Whoop

peacock party

offwall friday

Oh Scrap

beauty pageant

boms away 

one monthly goal

garden party and liberty

I have added more garden party blocks  (quiltville) to my project box. This is an easy block to take with me when I quilt away from home.

I have more liberty sewing finished. I am sewing the motifs together in sections. That way I can finish the 2 1/2 inch squares needed  to frame each one. And, if I read the directions right, It will go together oddly - not in rows.

I am not really paying any attention to keeping the fabrics separated. I am just sewing them together on a whim.

I am linking to:

to do tuesday

chameleon color linky

Oh scrap

I am linking to:

Monday Making

Moving it Forward Monday 

design wall monday 

boms away 

liberty sewing

I did have a finish yesterday - yay me
I guess working on this quilt is the most blue sewing I have done this week for the rainbow scrap challenge. This is one of those "I didn't see it coming" projects. It isn't even on the list of important finishes I want to get done. But, once I sorted it out, I just had to keep working on it. I have been piecing the squares to go around the framed pieces and join them together.

I did put the point on the blue crayon - what an effort.

I made letters with blue scraps using Lori Holt's abc book.

What I really have wanted to do this week is clean and fold stash. I have my eye on a Billy bookcase from ikea, and, I have to clean up enough space to have room for it.

lots of blue inspiration at:
rsc19 super saturday

oh scrap
UFO busting

smith mountain morning finish

My silly hubby, He found a cut up shirt sleeve and put it on my smith mountain morning quilt and informed me He had put the sleeve on my quilt for me since I hate to do it. lol

We had a lovely day to photo the quilt outdoors.

This will be part of my finish along finishes. and my one monthly goal for June. It seems that it has taken forever to finish. I took a class with Bonnie Hunter in Lafayette Indiana in October 2013. It is included in her book scraps and shirttails 2. I had all the blocks made by 2014, and then it sat. I decided it was important to finish it this year, and I have had it on the list for goals 3 times. I can tell my workmanship has really improved with each quiltville quilt I make.

I am linking to:

TGIFF

Finished or Not Fridays   

Whoop Whoop

peacock party

offwall friday

Oh Scrap

beauty pageant

boms away 

sugar mountain quilt

The second day of retreat, I decided it was time to open an old ufo box and make decisions. In 2013 Pam Buda held a workshop in our guild, and talked about how quilters would often make do with what they had. This was the pattern called sugar mountain. Our instructions were to intentionally make some blocks different, as though we had run out of material. The pattern calls for 12 blocks, and I don't really do small quilts, so I had made more, but I didn't know how many to make because I didn't have a plan. It was time for a plan.
I dug through the box and sorted what I had. I had HSTs, strips, triangles, and few chunks. I made squares with the leftover pieces, and then, laid out the blocks. I needed 3 more and to cut several setting triangles.

I had enough of the blue fabric to make a border, and by afternoon I had a top. It is still wall hanging size but it will get done. The best part of this finish, There was an unopened fat quarter bundle that was in the box, just in case I would need it. Now, it will be put back into the stash for play time.

We had about 25 people at our retreat and everyone was busy making their projects. This was a beautiful quilt from a Jen Kingwell pattern called delillah.

And a donation quilt made with applique butterflies.

I am linking to:

creative compulsions

I was featured last week at

needle and thread Thursdays

I am linking to:

WOW

midweek makers

Oh Scrap

boms away 

more pineapple blocks

I was in the mood to put another round on the pineapple blocks. It is easier if I have a long strip that I can use for chain piecing. I am using a bag of scraps gifted to me by a fellow guild quilter.

For this round, the corners of the template are used for trimming by placing the center square in the right template square.

 I started it here.

I am linking to:

to do tuesday

chameleon color linky

Oh scrap

retreat traffic jam

We had a 'sleep in your own bed' retreat Friday and Saturday. It is always great to connect with other quilters and to learn more about them and how they do something. And, it is a great way to give a little as well. And the best part was going home to sleep in your own bed. Everything was locked up tight, and we could just start right where we had left off the night before.

I worked on a mystery quilt from Morgansons and stitches and sew forth. I didn't have a picture of the quilt, so, I had to rely on the instructions. This was a kit I purchased in 2013.

First, I cut it out from a purchased kit of fabric. Then, I started with the 9 patches in the center. After lunch, I added the triangles for the square in a square blocks.

I think, the longest part was laying it out and deciding. I would arrange it, and, sew on something else for awhile, and, then, take another look. I didn't put it together. I need to trim the blocks a bit first.

I am linking to:

Monday Making

Moving it Forward Monday 

design wall monday 

boms away 

Oh scrap

blue crayon

I didn't get much blue sewing done this week for the rainbow scrap challenge. I had a steroid injection in my back and it was fine, but stressing over it had me a little blah. I did sew a blue crayon together for the crayon quilt.

I started making little tulip blocks, just for fun. It is a new Bonnie Hunter pattern in quiltmaker magazine called blossom time. Each block requires very little thinking or fabric, so I grabbed a scrappy bucket and cut a few just to try. My only problem is borrowing little 4 patches from the sand castles quilt, when I need so many to finish it. Oh well, I have no shortage of 1 1/2 inch strips, I will just have to make more.

I am off to an all day quilting retreat, maybe I will get something done. But, I will definitely have fun.
I am linking:

lots of blue inspiration at:
rsc19 super saturday

oh scrap
UFO busting

progress

I am not in a finishing mood....at all. I seem to want to drift from project to project. I did another round on some pineapple blocks, more here.

I made a few more florabunda blocks, more here.

I made another section of sweet land of liberty, more here.

I have a few more garden party blocks, more here.

I am linking to:

TGIFF

Finished or Not Fridays   

Whoop Whoop

peacock party

offwall friday

Oh Scrap

beauty pageant

boms away 

lightening and liberty

I have finished a few more blocks for my string block that I am calling lightening. I think I need 4 more blocks and then I will make it a quilt.... or not. But, I have cleaned up the area and even vacuumed, so I am hesitant to start the mess. I swear, the strings just go flying.

My women's group at church had a patriotic themed crafty evening. They said bring your own project if you want. Why not a quilt that I have started and need to finish. Other than my daughter's quilt, this is probably the oldest UFO I have. It is from the early 90s. I think it is called sweet land of liberty. I have several parts of it made. I just need to figure out what I still need to do and start putting it together. Everyone loves a puzzle, right?

I am linking to:

creative compulsions

needle and thread Thursdays

I am linking to:

WOW

midweek makers

Oh Scrap

boms away 

slotted trimmer

I forget where I heard about this trimmer for HSTs. I had it in my cart forever, trying to talk myself into not buying it. I have a few bloc loc rulers for trimming HSTs once they are pressed, and I wasn't sure I needed to break from that system. I did buy them, and I am having a little trouble remembering to use it, since it is just habit to press them open and trim from there.

If I use my accuquilt to cut my pieces, I don't have any dog ears to trim, but there is a spot for that in the template for an easy trim. The lines are easy to use and see what to trim. And it was very accurate.

I found it easier to use in this direction, if I wanted to trim dog ears and the triangle without moving the template.

The only con for using a trimmer this way is for any mystery fabric, and, pressing afterward may make it wonky. I used the trimmer on a bunch 40s triangles I had found at a thrift store.

I am linking to:

to do tuesday

chameleon color linky

Oh scrap

storms and garden party

Uh oh - tree limb on top of house. We didn't hear it come down in the storm. But, this is an ash tree and has been infected by the emerald ash borer. We have been nursing it, trying to save it for 2-3 years. Some of the branches are dead, but some are still very alive. It may not have taken much to get the branch down. We called in reinforcements ( our son) and it was removed. I am so glad he is still young enough. I don't think we are.

I have my first blocks for garden party ( a Bonnie Hunter pattern ) finished. I had this cut 2 years ago and put in a project box with the idea that I had cut it all. I grabbed the box and took it with me to Friday sewing group. It wasn't long before I realized I hadn't cut the neutrals. I made a quick trip home to grab a few. Since it has been awhile since I cut them, it has been fun to see them come together - little surprises. Garden party is one of my goals for the year as a new, to start, project. The pieces are small, but it is really easy to put the block together.

My other new start, for the year, is sand castles. I am still slogging through the 4 patches. As long as I am making progress, I am happy.

I am linking to:

Monday Making

Moving it Forward Monday 

design wall monday 

boms away 

Oh scrap