MSQ Linky, February 2017

Thank you, Alyce, for giving us this chance to practice HST techniques.  I learned a great deal and feel more confident making them now.  Due to family circumstances I was unable to complete the entire set, but did complete twenty blocks.  Instead of a large quilt, I'm planning to use them for three or four smaller projects.

These are in better lighting and grouped by color.  

M

   

I'm already more confident and have jumped right into more HST projects.  Thanks again, Alyce.

Blossom Heart Quilts

RSC16 week 53

2016 REVIEW

This past year was one of many monthly block projects.  Some were very fulfilling.  Others were good learning and practice opportunities.  As a result I did not have as much time and energy for doing entire quilt projects, except for my Project Linus kids quilts.  Plus, the last couple of months have been taken up with Bonnie Hunter's El Porvence Mystery quilt, lots and lots of piecing.  That plus the use of an old loaner machine this month prevented me from doing anything beyond basics.  No FMQ, no quilting at all.

If this sounds like excuses, it is definitely not.  I'm proud of all the blocks I've made, whether or not they have become finishes.

This is how far I got on piecing together these forgotten blocks from years ago, found in my daughter's attic.  I call it Arizona and it will be a wall hanging when finished.  I love the colors, which remind me of our visit to Phoenix and Sedona.

This is my favorite project from RSC16, my Twinkler wall hanging.  It was definitely in the frustrating but rewarding category and hangs in my bedroom as a flimsy.

Here is my Dog Park quilt when it was donated to Project Linus.  My previous post tells the story of its improv development.  It is one of my favorites.

 My two Pinwheel row quilts were also given to Project Linus.  They started when I received a giveaway of 92 HSTs, which I turned into pinwheel blocks.  I had enough for two quilts, adding rows of some pieced blocks and a lot of precuts.  The backs were made with the leftover fabrics.  Somehow I missed taking full pics of the finishes.

My 6-inch boat blocks continue to multiply and will end up bouncing on the waves in a row quilt.

The RSC16 monthly 16-patch blocks have had a few more added and are now a flimsy.

My 8-inch improv blocks have been the most rewarding project for me.  They are also RSC16 colors. I plan to set them on a grey background, sort of in gallery fashion.  Im definitely going to continue these and do more in this direction.

B
I took part in Modern HST Sampler with Alyce at Blossom Heart Quilts   I completed 20 of the 24 12-inch blocks, two a  month.  This Folded Box was a substitute for one of those.  I love the 3-D effect and am going to do this one for RSC17.

Those are the highlights of a very enjoyable year with Angela.  I feel like Rainbow Scrap Challenge is my online neighborhood, with many dear friends.  I wish all of you a very Happy New Year and lots of quilting fun.

I'm linking up with

Rainbow Scrap Challenge at

   soscrappy 

Oh, Scrap! at 

Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework 

RSC16 week 48

A VERY TIMELY PRIZE

For the Modern HST Sampler third quarter Linky party I entered my photo of my finished blocks and was thrilled to win a random prize.  It was a $25 voucher from Gotham Quilts.  Last week I received my chosen gift of fat quarters, XOXO by Cotton and Steel.  These are lovely modern fabrics.

Last week I posted a photo of the very colorful charm block flimsy I just finished.  I had no plans for a backing until the XOXO fabric arrived.  Four of them were perfect for this quilt back.  I added a playful street scene, a half-yard piece from my stash.  Here was the perfect combination for this super bright top and backing.

My friend Laura, who is not really a quilter, is developing a good eye for color as we work together to take photos of my WIPs.  She has much steadier hands.  Here's what we laid out last night down in our club room, my last minute change of mind.

The addition of the sashing and border will give a few extra inches on each side to make sure the sandwich will work.  So the entire backing was FREE and came just in time.  Thank you, Alyce, from 

Modern HST Sampler at  Blossom Heart Quilts

HAPPY SHOPPING

I went to Hobby Lobby this week for Warm and White batting, 40% off with coupon.  I also found the cutest cat fabric I've ever seen, also on sale.  I snapped up two yards, no project in mind, just to love for a while.  Bad photo, this is black on pure white.

  It was only about 4.50 a yard, so if you fall in instant love with these sweet faces, check at HL.  Coincidentally, I saw that Diann of Liitle Penguin had used the same fabric in one of her cross blocks. 

I had decided to do a row quilt with my little sailboats, so I was looking online for some fish fabric for them to sail on.  Did not like any, but HL had this really cute bolt, also on sale.  It's perfect!

I might end up making more boats going the other way variety in the rows.  It should not take long.  So I am pleased that I've got plans for most of my RSC16 blocks and I'm working on other things as well.  Good thing to do in the short winter days. 

I hope everyone has a happy weekend doing what we all like best, fabric shopping.

Check out the Quilty fun at

Rainbow Scrap Challenge at

   soscrappy 

Oh, Scrap! at 

Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework 

RSC16 week 44

SERENGETI SUNSET

Africa is always a hot place, so this portrays the end of a steamy jungle day.  The elephants are on their way to the watering hole for relief.  They love to swim or role in the mud.  Are you getting the picture?

This is my final RSC16 block for the year.  I was really stumped until I found the elephants.  But the sky pleces are my favorite part.  I already have a plan for my improv blocks as a modern quilt.

120 QUILTS!

The Monona Quilters have a semiannual collection of quilts which are given to local charities in the Madison, WI area.  These were the 120 quilts collected from 40 of our members on Monday.  Added to the May collection, the yearly total was nearly 300 quilts.  They include neonatal flannels for the UW Madison Hospital, Project Linus quilts for sick or needy children, veteran quilts, halfway house bed quilts, lap quilts for nursing homes and other charities.  One member has made tactile quilts for the Wisconsin School for the Blind as well.  We are very proud of our generous members who donate their time and supplies for these many recipients.

Modern HST Sampler Third Quarter progress:  

Here are my third quarter blocks for Modern HST Sampler at Blossom Heart Quilts.  The total in December will be 24 and I hope to be very comfortable making HSTs by then, which has been the goal for this project.

Fall has a sense of winding down for me.  Of course, bears go into hibernation for the winter, but we quilters are just gearing up for big finishes, holiday projects and plenty of stitching time on all those WIPs which have been piling up. So have a fun productive week, everyone!

Take a look at what's happening at 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge at

   soscrappy 

Oh, Scrap! at 

Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework 

RSC16 week 41

FALL FROLIC

The yellow and orange Rainbow Scrap Challenge fall colors are fun to work with this month.  For the Modern HST Sampler this week I chose to do an alternate 12-inch block called Frolic, taken from Patchwork Square web site, which I used for my last Modern HST Sampler block.  The diagram shows a blank center spot, which I filled with the perfect fall leaf fabric, so I call it Fall Frolic.

Just looking at this block makes me feel so happy, remembering my father raking up piles of leaves for us to jump in, and then baking potatoes in the burning pile.  

My October boat is a sturdy one with a really solid-looking keel.  It can take being tossed around by a hurricane.  My uncle always rode out storms on his boat so it would not crash into a dock or be blown ashore.  He never lost any of his boats.

Here is another of my antique small quilts, probably made about the 1870's to 1890's.  It is sturdy and in good condition.  The outer border is a four-color print of a paisley type.  It could have been used for a hot pad.

Tonight we are going to finally have weater in the forties, which should bring out the leaf colors at last.

May all of you have good quilting time this week and perhaps meet a goal or two.  I will be linking up at the following blogs.  Please join me to see all the excellent quilt projects.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge at 

soscrappy 

Oh, Scrap! at 

Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework 

Sew Cute Tuesday at 

Young Texan Mama

Modern HST Second Quarter

Modern HST Sampler blocks 7 - 12 

 

I link up with Modern HST Sampler at Blossom Heart Quilts  

RSC16 week 35

FALL IS IN THE AIR AT LAST

It's so nice to be able to breathe fresh air and feel a bit of a cool breeze now and then.  All you eager quilters are working on Christmas projects, but not me.  I feel a lull in my spirit and am waiting for September..

So I wound down on my purple completely.  My last block for the month was my improv and I decided go for black and white, but two bits of color did slip in there; however, they did feel right.  

Actually, the pointed bits of blue and black were from a piece that showed up in my scraps and I knew it would find a place someday.  I used just half of the width here, because my block size is limited to 8-1/2 inches.  The other half will have to wait, but I hate to part with all of this fine bit of piecing that some talented person made.

My second block this month for Modern HST Sampler was the Whirligig, 12-1/2 inches.  When I laid out some of my blocks, one did not seem to have a mate to help it blend in for a sampler.  It's my beachy cabana block from June. 

So  I gave it a bright companion in Whirligig colors and now they make me happy, one last bit of summer.  It reminds me of carnival rides and parades.

Finally, my group of 16-patch blocks at the halfway point:

I have been stocking up on more sale fabrics, mainly solids, which will never go out of style; at least that's what I tell myself.  So that's all for now, friends.  See you in September.

I link up with RSC16 at soscrappy

RSC16 week 34

 MORE OLD AND NEW PURPLES

Here is another pair of old lavender quilts from my collection.  They are my vintage 1930's dollhouse bed quilts.

These are the tiniest quilts I have ever seen.  Don't recall where I got them, probably about 20 years ago.  Some dear person made this Trip Around the World pair for a lucky girl with a dollhouse.  They even have fussy cut peach flowers in the green squares.  The front and back were stitched right sides together and turned, so no binding was needed.
They are the highlight of my antique doll quilt collection.  I hope these whet your appetite for the rest of them, which I will be showing every few weeks or so.

My latest purple block is Windmill for the Modern HST Sampler directed by Alyce at Blossom Heart Quilts.  I've been doing these 12-inch blocks in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge colors.  I was pleased to find a nice soft green with the look of trees for the highlight.

  These single blocks week after week do add up so its time to show some of my progress.  My fleet of sailboats is hoping to get enough members to take off on a world cruise (or something more within my budget).  

If I did have that kind of budget I would already be on my way and blogging from some exotic isle with Wifi and nice cool breezes.  

Wishing you all cool breezes this week.

Linking up with 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge at

http://superscrappy.blogspot.com/

RSC16 week 30

SUMMER DOLDRUMS

Because it has been too hot to do anything outside this week  I have had plenty of time for sewing. Then why haven't I got very much done?  I think the heat has been making me sleepy and I'm taking naps all the time.  That and the usual life stuff getting in the way.

I am happy to report both Modern HST Sampler finishes for July, done in happy watermelon colors. Last week I asked for your  advice on background colors, either black or light pink floral to relieve too much white in the Turnstile block.  Most of you preferred the black as being more modern, but it wasn't quite right.  A couple of you suggested purple (why not? ).  Good advice and this is the result.

Thanks to all of you who helped me to decide.

During the week there were too many online sales and I gave in to some, blame it on the heat again.  

My stock of solids and batiks has now nicely filled out and my charge card balance as well.  If a quilter has to have fabric  there is NOTHING that can stop us, right?

Today I'm proud to say that I finished the Introspection block after only three major rippings.  I even took my photos before I realized some of the HSTs were going the wrong way.  I fixed that, took more photos and twice found some of the chevrons aimed wrong.  Alter much grinding of teeth and backbreaking labor, here is the final product.

Another gorgeous William Morris Jewels was so perfect for the rosy print HSTs that I also added it to the center square.  Thanks, Barbara Brackman, for your talented repro designs.

This long final week of July will give me time to do an improv block and bind the two Pinwheel quilts.  I hope you all find time for doing quilting and having fun.

I'm linking up this week with

Rainbow Scrap Challenge at

soscrappy

Modern HST Sampler at

Blossom Heart Quilts

Sew Cute Tuesday, July 19

TURNSTILE FINALLY DONE

In my previous post at RSC16 I showed two mockup versions of Turnstile to ask for opinions whether to go for a black dotted background or light pink with flowers.  Most people liked the more modern black look, but it seemed too harsh for my taste.  My final choice, suggested by some folks, was purple, which I am happy with.

Thanks for all the input, dear friends.  And thanks to Alyce and her Modern HST Sampler for giving me this fine practice in HST designs.  

MY FAVORITE SCRAP PROJECT AND WHAT I HAVE LEARNED

First of all I have to admit that I do not have pounds and acres of scraps as some of you long time scrap collectors do.  I have lots of yardage, fat quarters and other pre-cuts  especially jelly roll strips and charms. My actual crumb collection is what you see here. It doesn't even fill a quart-size bag.

I do have larger sizes organized and ready to use or cut down, but they are not truly scraps.

One of my monthly goals this year is to make an 8.5-inch slab block using the Rainbow Scrap Challenge colors of the month.  For some reason I always do my other blocks first, like the Twinkler and the sailboat, but I keep putting this one off.  Maybe my excuse is to use the other pieces first and use the leftovers for this block.

However, an interesting thing has been happening since I learned about slab blocks from Joy at The Joyful Quilter.  They seem to fit my more architectural leaning than real scrap quilts as of old.  I love the riot of colors, but I prefer structure rather than randomness.  This has all gelled in my mind in the last few months.

These are my first four slab blocks for the year.

Obviously they are mostly rectangular and becoming more focused on a theme or fussy cut block like the flowers.

Each month I have put more time into thinking about them and not doing anything randomly.  I realize now that they have become improv blocks, if there is an actual definition of one.  To me it  does not involve a pattern, but grows organically as I play and make choices.  Playing is sometimes hard work.

Here is the improv block for May, using green, but brighter greens and bits of other colors.  I call it A Gathering Of Doves.

My June improv block started with a flower iwith hints of aqua, the main color.  It evolved by balancing that orange with a pink little building, adding floral fabrics and even a piece of Ruby chard stems as tree branches.  It became The Neighborhood Flower Shop.

Does any of this make sense to you?  I felt a need to post these thoughts and photos to illustrate the process of improv, at least in my thinking.  And it definitely does us my scraps and crumbs.  Now I need to get busy on the next Modern HST Sampler and my July improv block.

JOIN IN THE FUN AT

Oh Scrap at Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge at soscrappy

Modern HST Sampler at  Blossom Heart Quilts

RSC16 week 29

EVERTHING'S COMING UP ROSY

This was a productive week for me, trying to get my commitments done.  My OMG goal for July is to finish my pair of Pinwheel Quilts, which were just flimsies about 42 inches square.  As of today I can report I have finished the quilting and have only the dreaded binding left.  My arms got a workout doing those twisting rows and straight ones were easier.  

Here is my progress on the Modern HST Sampler called Turnstile.  It consists of many smaller HSTs and lots of white, too much for my liking.  I'm torn between two different background colors and could use your input.  It is a modern series, but lately I've been using more foliage for the greens.

 Number One is modern:

I know the black is a strong contrast, but it makes a statement ( what it says is whatever you think, like Wake Up!, or just Yuck, I hate it! )  

Number Two is definitely traditional:

The light is not great  but it is a pink floral on white.  It's stretching my limit of what is modern, but it would blend better with other blocks.

My ROSY Twinkler is one I'm very happy with summer at its best.  I just love it.

I'm joining another project, Melody Larson's Focus on Fusing, which is just starting and I'm waiting for a fabric order to arrive so I can get going on learning her methods.

Do check out what others are doing.  I link up with RSC16 at  

soscrappy and Sew Cute Tuesday at