just a little piecing

Sometimes I just play. It seems to start with a frustrated clean up around my sewing room. But, then, it is so fun that I start wandering from little project to little project. I have been really concentrating on finishing ufos this year with an emphasis on emptying my 'to be quilted' closet. I haven't just played with scrap pieces. 

I found a baggy of of 2 1/2 inch squares in sewn sets of 2. 

I hadn't sewn any shirt snails trail in a while, so I started 5 more.

I found enough scraps to make 2 5 1/2 inch monkey wrench blocks from odd colors. And 2 little beauty baskets.

The room is still a mess, but, I had a few moments of soothing piecing. I am pondering next year and how to downsize my quilting stash. I like to piece, but, I don't really need to start anything new. Yet, I miss the enthusiasm of a new project. Luckily, I still have ufos that will be interesting.

I am linking:

wednesday wait loss

midweek makers 

My quilt infatuation

oh scrap

little bits

I am just making bits and bobbles while I work on my spools quilt.

9 patch on point - top
monkey wrench - bottom

lil beauty baskets - top
4 patches for strip tease - bottom

wednesday wait loss

midweek makers 

My quilt infatuation

floor mess

My strip bins overfloweth. The big problem is the floor around them is collecting strips as well. I don't like the mess of sorting into colors, so, I wait until the situation is urgent. I am trying to clean the floor in my sewing room. It has to be done.

1 1/2 inch strip bin

This is the 1 1/2 inch strip drawer unleashed. Hard to believe all this was in one drawer. 

The big pile of neutrals was a mess on the floor which prompted my attention. I sat on the floor making piles of color.

What to do with them?

 Their permanent home will not hold any more. I have tried to keep them in a smaller bin - it didn't fit

nope

I found this plastic container, and, I could get most of them here.

But, there were still a lot of neutrals with no home. I had an extra waste basket that I repurposed for them. It will be easier to dig through them, this way, than, an organized stack. I think it will work.  

Time to make 4 patches. 

or 9 patches ...or both

I  am linking to:

midweek makers 

 

wednesday wait loss

My quilt infatuation

Oh scrap

project box

Last week was a workshop with our quilt guild. Our resident quilt queen had agreed to teach her 2 nd last time 4 patch posey class. I needed to find the two I had already started, to take and finish at the workshop. I, certainly, did not need to start another one with the class, but, it was a committed time to work on finishing. I went through every ufo bucket twice and no luck finding it. I gave it one more try Friday night, and found the bucket. All my buckets are labeled, why was it so hard to find "the" bucket? - too many buckets.

The black floral was Sharon's 1st last time to teach the class in 2016. 

This was the 2015 class, and, my first 4 patch posey quilt. The fabric I chose, wasn't busy enough to make some of the really awesome combinations that make a 4 patch posey unique. That is why I took it again with a different  fabric.

While I had the bucket out, I decided to reacquaint myself with the projects that were stored together.

I guess I was hoping they had become friends and finished each other. sadly, no. But, I had learned one thing, I have too many ufo projects. I had an actual number, and it was scary. I can't share kind of scary. It's time to make the tough decisions.

This was a cute bug quilt kit I purchased a little while ago. I had forgotten about it. I still want to make it. I think I will make this next year's rainbow scrap challenge. Any color that comes up in a month that is in this fabric, I will at least get started that month. I should have plenty of months as options.

This was an I spy quilt made like a polaroid picture. I hadn't gotten much done on it. I have a large quantity of I spy fabric and scraps. But, do I want to work on it? yes and no - that is always the problem. First, I think I will ask my friends if they want to take it, and see if I can pass it along.

This is a zigzag quilt that uses 1 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch pieces. I think I have 49 blocks. I bet there is enough of the blocks for a baby donation quilt- undecided.

This was a veggie jar quilt kit, that I thought was already made into jars, but, no. I will offer this to friends first.

These are the string blocks for Bonnie Hunter's blue skies quilt from her book string fling. I definitely plan on finishing this someday. It goes back into the project box.

I have 2 of these panels that I had hoped to make into donation quilts. Asking friends if they want to make a donation quilt from these panels.

And a quiltsmart package for the double wedding ring. I looked at the plan for this, and, I have leftover wedges from my dwr quilt that I could make use of with this. This needs to go, and, I need to move on.

I had cut for a book quilt for my daughter who has always been a  bookworm. I do want to do this. Another rainbow scrap challenge by color and month.

And, finally, this project was a kit I bought and spent more money than I should have on it, and, it is all pieced. I just need to decide how to finish it. It is smaller than I like, so it stalled. I will finish this and not work on anything  else until I do. No cutting, no piecing, no other quilting fun, until I have this finished. Let's see if I can do it. This will part of my one monthly goal and phd 20

I'm linking to:

TGIFF

TGIFF different     here  and here

Whoop Whoop

creations

phd 20
peacock party
oh scrap
from bolt to beauty
UFO busting

one monthly goal

old world mystery 2

Today, Quilted Twins. released clue 4 for the old world country fantasy mystery. I have finished clue 2, so, I am a little behind. But, I am still feeling confident that I can keep with the schedule. So far, the clues have not seemed overwhelming or difficult. I chose this colorway, but there is a gray and royal blue colorway as well.

The light squares were made using pieces I had cut wrong for my Lucy's basket quilt. They were the right size.

This was clue one

I'm linking to:

TGIFF

TGIFF different     here  and here

Whoop Whoop

peacock party
oh scrap
from bolt to beauty
UFO busting

Old world mystery

I cut the strips I would need for the first step of the old world country fantasy mystery from Quilted Twins.

We spent the evening in the living room watching television and I didn't want to go upstairs to my sewing room, so, I decided to treadle the seams. It isn't as fast but, it gets the job done.

It didn't take long before I had the first clue done.

This is Becky's first mystery, and I was really looking forward to making it. I like her quilts and wanted to try something new. I had trouble finding the material I would need here. I needed 3 constants and the rest will be scrappy. I think  today I will work on clue 2.

I am linking:

Monday Making

design wall monday 

oh scrap

finish along goals

I finished 4 quilts for the 2019 finish along in the second quarter. I have plenty of goals leftover for the third quarter.  I will be having back surgery in the next week, so I don't know how much that will effect my sewing and blogging or for how long.
I am working on the binding for allietare, and, I have sugar mountain ready to put on the long arm.

I have a few more garden party blocks, and

another batch of 50 -4 patches for sand castles.

My list for the 3rd quarter:
1.wiggle time
2. allietare
4. sweet land of liberty
5. unicorn
6. good fortune
7. crazy 6
8. countryside cottage
9. sugar mountain
10. jelly mystery
11. melba applique
12.on ringo lake
13. scrappy twirl
14. soul searching

I am linking to:

creative compulsions

needle and thread Thursdays

TGIFF

Finished or Not Fridays   

Whoop Whoop

peacock party

offwall friday

Oh Scrap

beauty pageant

boms away 
finish a long

4 patches

I've made another 50 four patches -only 212 to go. These are for sand castles quilt in Bonnie Hunters book. I have the string piecing done, and I am slowly building four patches as leader/ enders.

I have been moving my batik fabrics to the new bookcases. I had more than I thought. I suspected that about all my fabric, which is why I needed more/better storage.

I am linking to:

to do tuesday

chameleon color linky

Oh scrap

4 patches

I need 512 - 4 patches for sand castle quilt - a quiltville pattern. I am using them as leader/ enders for other stitching. I have only made 200 and I need more. My bucket was looking empty, and, I needed more variety.

I thought this was a good reason to dig through the 1 1/2 inch strip bin, and strip piece the odd stuff.
Now, I need time at the accuquilt to get sets of twosies cut, and then, I can mindlessly sew more tiny 4 patches. I am guessing I have not made enough even yet, but, it will get me started.

I have 2 more florabunda blocks to add to my collection.

One of my rug hooking friends brought this quilt in to show everybody. This was her husband's Grandmother's quilt project. There were pieces from a 1929 newspaper found in the back, used as foundation papers. It is really a beauty in person. The  diamonds were hand stitched but the blocks were machine pieced together.

I love all the different fabrics and shapes sewn together to make a piece.
Beth plans on hand quilting it. Just imagine the relationship she will form while she works on it, and thinks about the family member who made it.

I am linking to:

creative compulsions

needle and thread Thursdays

I am linking to:

WOW

midweek makers

Oh Scrap

boms away 

A little bit of aqua

I have been playing in the aqua scraps. I made the flying home blocks in light and dark. I just saw this block called the humility block in an old magazine. I know why... I often get the pieces turned around and have to unpick and resew. And it is an easy block. sigh.. I have made some interesting variations, though. But, no chance, of pride on making this one for me.

I made 4 patches for the someday irish chain quilt.

I am filling the box, probably for next year.

I made the checkerboard 4 patches for woven checkerboard.

 And, I found some florals for florabunda, and, although it is not rainbow quilt, I found them, and cut them while they were there.

I am linking:

lots of aqua inspiration at:

rsc19 super saturday
oh scrap

fair and square

In this post I was trying to figure what the string blocks were that I found. I later realized, I had started fair and square without making any note of it.
After the string blocks were finished, I started making 360- 4 patches that finish at 2 1/2 inches.

Those are finished and I am slowly putting the blocks together. I am using this as my away project for Tuesday quilt group and Friday quilt group. And There is always fun to be had and slower progress.

I just love it when all the prep work is done, and I just need to start assembly. I really like Bonnie Hunter quilts for that reason. She breaks it down into pieces, and then everything falls into place. This quilt pattern can be found in her book String fling at quiltville.blogspot.com.

This is the quilt that had inspired me at Jo's country junction

I am linking to:

WOW

midweek makers

Oh Scrap