block swap

I am participating in a swap with 4 other quilting friends. We make for each other every month. We all do this differently. Lucy sent 3 months worth before the middle of January. She is a go getter. Linda works in Friday group consistently, meets the goal, and then, works on something else for a little while. Sue works consistently and then works ahead. She isn't stopping until she is finished for the whole year. I am not sure how Hazel does it at home, But, she is over 80 and she can do it anyway she pleases, so far as I am concerned. lol  I am a little like every one. I decide I want to make them and, I make and make and make, and, then, discover I am ahead. Then, it is out of my head for awhile, and, I work on other projects. It is so fun to receive our little packets of blocks every month. We have been sewing together for awhile, and, I could probably pick the quilter who makes each set without knowing the name. And, we are using basically the same fabrics, but, they look different from each quilter.
For our swap we are using 1 1/2 in and 2 1/2 inch fabrics. I think the real size of the circa 1880 quilt, is much smaller.

I couldn't resist the temecula Wednesday block. I cut a 2 inch strip of everything after I cut the swap strips, so it is easy to have these ready to work on as well. I have a large stash, but a small collection of civil war fabrics. So, I have to make my blocks from fabrics I am willing to cut, which narrows my selection a bit. Do you have fabrics you just want to keep as pets? It will get easier to cut I am sure.

I am linking to:

needle and thread Thursdays

birch trees

Birch trees quilt is growing. I have been adding the different colors, row by row. I am really being somewhat random.

I am nearly done with all the blocks I have made. I think I like the size and will not need anymore blocks. Since I had made them for the rainbow scrap challenge, I made a few blocks in each color, and I didn't know if I would have to fill in with some new blocks to get a good color combination. So far, it looks good enough to me.

I think I have a favorite and then I see another color I like better, and then another and so on.

I am linking to:

WOW

midweek makers

Silly Mama WIP

Oh Scrap

A finish for February

My one monthly goals for February included the finishing of this quilt. It is celtic soltice, a quiltville mystery quilt from 2013. I have had it pretty much ready for quilting since then.

I had thought I would do a celtic quilting on the quilt, but, opted in stead for the big swirls in a cool gray color.

And for a backing I used a bit of the shamrock - don't you know. While making it, the green was very overpowering green, but, with the blue borders it calmed the colors. I like that it makes large circles as a secondary pattern.

See my other mystery finishes here

This was a finish for the 2019 finish along. My list is here.

I finished all 30 blocks that I am doing every month for my swap partners for our version of the circa 1880 quilt.

I had hoped to get the border on the Christmas snowflake quilt. I did, and, I also pieced the backing, and prepared the binding. It's ready for the longarm.

I am linking to:

Monday Making

Moving it Forward Monday 

main Crush Monday 

design wall monday   

boms away 

Oh scrap

one monthly goal

patchwork times

stash report February 24, 2019

My hubby brought this flower to me yesterday, in the dead of winter. What a welcome surprise. He had brought one of our planters in from the deck and has it wintering over in our basement under a grow light. The marigold has made it so far.

It was time to do something with this stack of fabric from goodwill. I really like the 2 solid pieces on the left. They are grunge fabrics from before there were grunge fabrics. I am guessing the 80s.
I decided I would weigh it to get the yardage, and there was 5 pounds. There are usually 3 yards in a pound.

Stash report

Fabric Used this Week 13 yards - bargain basement

Fabric Used year to Date: 46 yards

Fabric Added this Week: 15 yards

Fabric Added Year to Date: 71  yards
net fabric: 25 yards bought more than used

Last week, I started creating edges on my long term hexagon quilt. I've made some progress. One night, I was really absorbed in the project, and, then, realized I had added too much. haha. I need to check the whole side and not just one section. Or not watch a really good movie.

I sewed more than 15 minutes every day. 

I am linking to:

Slow Sunday Stitching

Oh scrap

sunday stash at quiltpaintcreate

15 min to stitch at life in pieces

yellow letters

I really like making these letters. It seems quick and then there is the fun of a quick success.
I like that all the letters require pretty much the same size of strip, so I can just cut a 1 1/2 in strip and a 2/12 inch strip and pretty much make everything from there.

Last time I didn't get any takers on the letter game. So I will play it. and, everything plus s on the end.
pea
pear
reap
any
ran
gear
ear
near
area
err
sang
rang
spear
sear
grape
gray
grey
pan
pang
yarn
yearn
yes
gap
pray
gay
parry
grass
pan
nap
snap
greasy

These are for woven checkerboard

These are for an Irish chain.

I am linking:

 SewCan She

rsc19 super saturday
oh scrap

dreami

bargain basement

I have a finish - bargain basement from the book scraps and shirttails.

It was cold and windy, but most of the snow was gone, so we opted for an outside shot.

I have decided this will be for my Grandson Matthew. It has his Grandpa's shirts in it, and, oddly enough, there was a scrap leftover block from His Dad's eagle quilt over 20 years ago. It's the little gold friendship star lower left side. I guess I don't get rid of anything.

I think the border really adds to the quilt and frames it nicely.

I am linking to:

TGIFF

Finished or Not Fridays   

Whoop Whoop

peacock party

offwall friday

strings

Here I talked about a puzzle I had with a batch of shirting string blocks that I didn't remember. I had gone through my ufo lists and my wish lists, and I couldn't find any project that I would want these blocks, but I had precut a substantial number of foundation squares, so, I just kept going. I had about 10 squares left when I saw the quilt again that inspired them. It is fair and square - a quiltville pattern. Puzzle solved. They are finished now, trimmed and depapered. It's time to look at what else I will need to do for this pattern.

 I cut the red centers

It is going to take a gazillion 4 patches. I know I have a few extra somewhere. I will still need to make a lot more. It should help clear the 1 1/2 inch strip bin. I might even make these on the treadle.
I am so glad I finally figured that puzzle. It was really bugging me.I have a clear tub clearly marked in case I can't remember again.
I am linking to:

needle and thread Thursdays
Humble quilts

double wedding ring

We have had another through the night snowfall and it is pretty looking out the window. Yesterday, I had rug hooking guild and a quilter's group get together. Two fun things in one day is pretty exciting around here.
I spent rug hooking time transferring a new snowman pattern to linen. I didn't get it finished, but I did get it squared and borders straight and nice.
At quilt group, I worked on double wedding ring and sorting through a box, that I wasn't sure just what was in there, despite the labels. I will have to do another post about the treasures I found.
I felt that it was time to revisit the double wedding ring quilt that I started last year during a quilt along at Jo's Country junction. I have several blocks ready to assemble into a row.
Actually, I have blocks in all stages of completion and need to figure out what I have done, and, what I need to still do.

In the pile to the right are the rows ( I have 2) . In the front are the blocks with 2 melons, and the back left pile has 3 melons.

I am linking to:

WOW

midweek makers

Bee Social
Silly Mama WIP

Oh Scrap

templates

I am a tool person and so is my husband, so he would let me buy anything that was a tool. He is a machine repairman, and he knows that the right tool can make a huge difference. I made my first quilt with a homemade cardboard template. We have come a long way since then.

I did a quick check on the template inspired quilts I am piecing. I have taken the double wedding ring out of the box again and I have several of these parts I need to make.

I have been cutting 2 1/2 in tumbler blocks again. They are just cute.

work has stopped on oriental pinwheels

I have all the blocks ready for scrappy twinkle

and I have not decided on fabric choices for drops of jupiter.

I think I am not a template sewer, but just a quick check around my room, and I found all these quilts started or using templates. And I am sure there are more I just didn't see.
benefit - I am not interested in buying anymore templates as long as I am doing this challenge.

I am linking to:
Free Motion by the River

to do tuesday

chameleon color linky

Oh scrap

good fortune - green

We decided for our "fun Saturday outing" we would visit Menards and buy some garden seeds. We have grow lights in our basement, and start a few plants indoors for our garden. From the look of outdoors, we are too early, but, we were in need of thinking of Spring and the green coming in the days ahead. Our February has been especially gloomy, I decided we would do one fun thing a day to try and stay positive.

I thought I would put Good fortune on time out for awhile, but, I found my self assembling the green triangle border. It's little what could it hurt.

My tips for adding this border to good fortune mystery quilt.

1. don't - geesh
2. I had to add 2 more triangles to every border. I needed to measure and not take bonnie's word for the size.
3. I decided I had ironed the triangles wrong. I wanted them ironed so that I could see the intersection.
4. cheat the seam allowance to match the intersection.
5. be happy with a small success rate on not losing points

6. The iron is your friend - mash it flat. mine wanted to curl

7. look at it farther away. jeepers

8. look forward to a string border that is purposely and legally wonky.
9. be glad it's over and done.

See my other mystery finishes here

I am linking to:

Monday Making

Moving it Forward Monday 

main Crush Monday 

design wall monday   

boms away 

Oh scrap

stash report February 17, 2019

I added this fabric this week. Read about my quilter's miracle here.

I also felt the need to add some neutral reproduction fabrics to my stash for the circa 1880 swap for which I am participating. They are in short supply in my limited reproduction stash. The cheddar/ mustard jumped in the cart.

I am still without a new hand stitching project, so I plan to dig out the hexagon quilt and figure what I need to do to start evening the edges.

Stash report

Fabric Used this Week 1 yard 

Fabric Used year to Date: 33 yards

Fabric Added this Week: 8.5 yards

Fabric Added Year to Date: 56  yards
net fabric: 23 yards bought more than used

I sewed more than 15 minutes every day but 2, I had cataract surgery, but I did sit in my chair for a try, but no, everything was too fuzzy.

I am linking to:

Slow Sunday Stitching

Oh scrap

sunday stash at quiltpaintcreate

15 min to stitch at life in pieces

rsc end of rainbow

I have both red and yellow string pieces made and cut for the end of the rainbow quilt. I have a bad habit of carrying a book around with me and putting it down at some point without even thinking about it. If I have a few minutes, I might grab it to read, or I might carry it to my bedroom for a before bed look, or I might carry it to the cutting table, or the kitchen table, or ....The book with the pattern is hiding right now,

But, not before I have cut all the background pieces. Most of the time, I can just look on the top strata of things and find the missing book. This one is being a bit sneaky.

Maybe this is as far as this one will get for awhile.

I have the blocks for flying home finished in yellow.

I am so inspired by all the quilters in the rainbow scrap challenge. There is only one more Saturday in February, I better get busy and finish up yellow for the month.

I am linking:

 SewCan She

rsc19 super saturday
oh scrap

my tiny tuesday blocks

Great story. It has taken me this long to decide if, and how, I was going to quilt along with So Scrappy's rainbow sampler this year. I was feeling the pinch of being behind, and I wasn't sure how to envision it finished. I started looking for ideas.
I tend toward plain neutral backgrounds. I am chicken I guess.
I really liked Diann of Little Penguin's grey background.
and the prints background at  Jamie's L'fair.
and Susie's print background.at knitty quilter.

I shopped online and added several great backgrounds to shopping carts. But, then I had an epiphany and realized I should use my stash. What a novel idea.

I decided on this crosshatch background in gray that looks print like, but also more black and white. Ha -a tribute to all three of my wishes. I had 3 yards  and Angela suggested 3  1/2  but I can make it work. right?
So I made the blocks. oh, I really like them. Oh, I will want to finish them. Oh,what if I don't have enough. I was pretty sure I had bought the fabric at Joanns, and it was a keepsake calico. I will look to see if they have any more just in case. And, then, I made 2 wrong cuts, and I knew I would be in trouble.
A trip to Joann to find there was the same fabric, but with a different dye lot and much darker. It wouldn't match at all. sigh..

Without telling you all the overthinking that went into this simple statement, I decided to go to a neighboring town and see if they had any of the old dye lot to match. Hubby said he would drive me (getting close to valentine's day) yesterday, and they had  2 1/2 yards of the same fabric. what a blessing.

The clerk checked on her computer thingy, and said the only other store in Indiana that showed having any of the fabric was in Bedford nearly 3 hours south of here.  Talk about a quilting miracle.

I think this will be a fun sampler. So scrappy will be releasing a new block every Tuesday in the color of the month. You should do it too.

I am linking to:

TGIFF

Finished or Not Fridays   

Whoop Whoop

peacock party

offwall friday