RSC16 week 14

 PROGRESS REPORT

DOG PARK QUILT.  The flimsie went together quickly and I showed it at our Monona Quilters meeting on Monday.

The fleece backing has a dog theme and is so fluffy and soft after washing.  Yesterday I got it pinned and ready for some simple quilting.  It is about 43 inches square.

Modern HST Sampler blocks to date:  

As you see, I am doing these in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge colors, since they come every other week.  Can't wait to get going on April's orange with black or brown for all my projects.

It's taking me quite a while to do my slab blocks because it's not just a crazy patch, but more of a designed piece, evolving bit by bit and I'm enjoying the process very much.  It's a challenge to make it exactly 8.5 inches to match my 16-patch blocks.  Here is the February one I just finished today.

It's been a good quilting month for me.  The next step is to quilt and bind the Dog Park quilt, then back to my single blocks.  Those will just stack up till December, but I have number of WIPs to finish.

Thanks for all your nice comments this past week.  I link up with RSC16 at soscrappy and Sew Cute Tuesday at Blossom Heart Quilts.  Be sure to see what fun things are going on there.

Paula B Quilts

  I'm using the Rainbow Scrap Challenge monthly colors for my blocks.

RSC 16 week 13

UNCHARTED WATERS

This week has been a happy time for me with my piecing.  I made the latest Modern HST Sampler block, Formation.  I stayed with straight purple for the simple block, although it looks more like navy here.

So I completed the blocks for this month.  I'm trying to keep to the more modern look for this set of blocks.

The most fun I had this week was building a boat.  I had seen Gayle's tiny boat and then Sue's larger two-masted version, both so cute I had to make one.  Since I work with lots of 2.5-inch strips, I designed my own 6.5-inch boat block, in March colors of course.  It only took ten minutes to make it, using flip triangles for the boat shape and some HSTs I already had on hand.

The only problem with these little boats is that, like potato chips, you can't have just one.  So I made two more in January and February colors, but I know it won't stop there.  Sailing has been in my blood since I sailed with my Norwegian uncle in RI waters as a girl.  I love the silence except for the sound of the rushing water and also love the rough seas.  I sure do miss the ocean here in Wisconsin.

The other fun time I had was making another 16-patch block because I had not done a blue one that I liked.  The first one was just plain dull.

I tried to make this blue one as colorful as my other 16p blocks, which is trickier with blue and purple.

I was really happy with the result.  Now I have several more slab blocks to catch up, plus my Dog Park quilt and that is coming along well.

I hope each of you had a satisfying Quilty week.  I link up with RSC16 at soscrappy and Sew Cute Tuesday at Blossom Heart Quilts. Check them out to see what everyone is up to.

RSC 16 week 12

HARD WORK WITH PURPLE

The entire result of my piecing this week was only two blocks.  Life seemed to keep me away from my quilting.  One beautiful sunny afternoon I did get out to see the birds passing through.  It was my first sighting of cedar waxwings, a group of them flitting around a tree full of dried berries.  That was the best day of the week.

I did finish my purple with yellow slab block.  It is 8.5 inches, to mix in with my 16-patch blocks.  

The rest of the last couple of days was spent RIPPING AND ROARING.  I was making my third twinkler  block and had a nice selection of scraps picked out.  On the first blue one In Januarly I had cut and pieced the wrong fabric and had to rip it and replace it.  On the second one, brown and pink, I repeated the same mistake again.  I certainly did not learn that lesson.

This time I made sure I had the right fabrics for the right blocks, but I merrily stitched one set of them upside down.  Rip again times four.  Not the end. They were lined up wrong so two more ripped out.  And by this time I was so upset and anxious to finish that I ended up with at least two more rips.  

But I finally finished it as best I could just in time to get my photos taken.

I think I must have dyslexia of piecing, or whatever you call it.  I have not decided whether to continue making this block.  Maybe it's a mental block block.  I do love those twinklers, so we shall see what April brings.  Have a good week everyone and much success in your efforts.

I link up with RSC16 at soscrappy and Sew Cute Tuesday at Blossom Heart Quilts.

RSC16 week 11

A MOUNTAIN AND A PROJECT LINUS QUILT

Despite a week busy with constant distractions, I did get a few things done.  One was pulling fabrics and then more fabrics.  I'm starting to have piles of pulled fabrics cluttering my work space.  But they are all so special!  

We received another Modern HST Sampler pattern, the Mountain.  There was a special fat quarter I knew that I wanted to use.  After looking everywhere at least twice with no luck, it finally showed up in the very bottom of a box. Hallelujah!  

The special fabric is the middle one with twinkling stars and flowers, my touch of yellow.

My other touch of yellow was this pot of mini daffodils. My son Chris bought me a pot every year, so a friend got them for me in remembrance of Chris.

Update on my zipper pouch:  A good friend came by the other day and had a tough time hunting in her huge purse.  She loved the little pouch and I gave it to her.  She quickly filled it and went away happy and better organized.

Today I looked at the calendar and realized it is only two months until our quilt group charity collection and I have nothing to donate.  So more fabrics came out.  Fortunately I have a fleece blanket with dog motifs waiting to be used.  In my stash I also found doggie fabric on green, at least a yard.  A row quilt is so easy to make, so I laid out the idea below.

When I added the border of cars the name was obvious, Dog Park.  It won't be as long as the other ones I've made, probably more of a square.  No purple, but who knows what the color will be for May?

I link up with RSC16 at soscrappy and Sew Cute Tuesday at Blossom Heart Quilts. 

RSC16 week 10

   PURPLE AT LAST!

I've been so excited about the March colors that I dug through all my scraps, strips, bits and pieces to find things to work with.  Having them all sorted by color made it an easier job.

Since I don't have a block in mind for this month, I decided to use the crumbs and scraps first.  It took me a lo-o-ong time to trim and square them.  I decided to continue making 16-patch blocks. Also, I love Joy's slab blocks (The Joyful Quilter).  She kindly gave me hints about how to construct them.   

Time has flown this week and my shoulder does not like the damp cold weather.  But working with these cheerful fabrics has been so much fun that it brightened my days.  Sometimes I just sit and stare at them, so-called deep thinking.  But the more I look the better I can tell what looks right for my style. Yes, now that I am the Rainbow Gal I have a direction and a focus, which really is exciting. (I keep my official rainbow cape hidden away during the day, but at night who knows?

So here is my work for this week, one partially stitched 16-p and the start of a slab block, both to be 8 inches finished.

Oops, I forgot one thing, my first ever Easy Zippered Pouch, a tutorial at The Renegade Seamstress.  It is only 6 x 8 inches with a 7-inch zipper.  I found the zipper in my zipper stash. I'm sure everyone has one of those!  I found the scrap of brown for the outside and a fat quarter for the lining, and cut them out, one last chance at brown.  The directions were good, but somehow I ended up with one brown outside out and one yellow lining print outside.  Ah well, I really wanted a reversible pouch, right?

I do like it and plan to make more.  It is a good size to stick in a bigger purse, nice for gifts.  Not such a bad week after all.

I link up with RSC16 at soscrappy and Modern HST Sampler at Blossom Heart Quilts.  See what other folks have been doing in March.

Sew Cute Tuesday bonus post

My favorite quilt was made about 25 years ago.  I was trying to get the effect of light shining through stained glass.  I call it Shekinah, the light of God's presence in our midst.

The other effect I worked on was fading out to the edges, which involved lots of time at the design wall, testing out each triangle to make crosses and stars based on the color arrangements.

I machine quilted it in one week for a show deadline.  It now has the place of honor in my small apartment. I enjoy seeing it every day.

I link up with RSC16 at soscrappy and Sew Cute Tuesday at Blossom Heart Quilts.

Sew Cute Tuesday, March 1

MODERN HST PROGRESS

The Modern HST Sampler is a challenge I am enjoying very much.  I've completed each of the four  blocks and learned a lot about HSTs.  The method I like best is definitely the Easy Eights.  I used that for the Stepping Stones block, even though there were two extra blocks. 

As you can see, I've used the Rainbow Scrap Challenge colors of the month, blue with purple for January and brown with pink for February.  I loved the brown batiks I dug up, which blended the two colors so nicely.

My calendar is marked with the dates for each new block pattern because I'm so excited to be doing them.

I link up with RSC16 at soscrappy and Sew Cute Tuesday with Alyce at Blossom Heart Quilts.