AIHC Challenge, April 27

AN EVOLVING IMPROV PROJECT

I started the Rainbow Scrap Challenge for 2016 by making, among other things, a 16-patch block using the colors of the month supplied by Angela at soscrappy.  They were a mix of two colors each month, such as pink and brown, purple and blue.  I had no thought for any use of them when they were done.  

These were the first four blocks through April, 2016.  My only goal was to make them as colorful and playful as I could.

By August I had nine blocks, nice but not enough to use by themselves.

The tenth color was black and neutrals, which I chose to skip.  Instead, in October I decided to make more muticolored blocks and ended up with these.

I certainly had lots of color but no purpose in mind.  So they just got stuck down in a pile of UFOs untiil last week.  I had some free time and, while browsing through my stash, I found this fleece blanket with monkeys and bananas.  It was designated for a Project Linus quilt backing and at one point I had bought some banana fabric to go with it.   How many people buy banana fabric?  Only us crazy quilters.  

I only needed to add about 6 inches all around to make a little child quilt.  What better than monkeys and bananas?  The finishing touch was the 9-patch corner blocks and one flimsy finished this morning.

Is it colorful enough?  I really love it, an improv to donate to Project Linus on May 8.   In fact, I guess it also counts toward AHIQ goal two because it has two different sizes of blocks  However, I already have some blocks in mind for that goal, so just count it as an extra improv and a UFO finish.

Thanks, Kaya and Ann, for running this challenge.  I'll be back next month for sure.  Come check out the Ad Hoc Improv Quilts doings at  Kaya's blog,  Sew Slowly, or Ann's blog, Fret Not Yourself. 

RSC16 week 16

DEADLINES MET

My main goal this week was to finish my Dog Park quilt, which I last showed as a flimsy, needed for Monona Quilters charity collection on May 9. Once I switched to using the walking foot for it, I wanted to do the entire job before using my 1/4-inch foot again.  A friend helped me to get it pinned to the fleece backing on the weekend.  It was only about 45 inches square, a lot easier to handle than the 50 x 60 ones I've made in the past.  Here it is after quilting.

I bought the kids fleece blanket about a year ago and the dog fabric last fall to coordinate with it.  With the deadline looming, I quilted  and bound it in three days. The gold binding was left over from another project with just inches to spare.  

I quilted in the ditch for the strip pieces and did meandering rows in the dog area so it would not look like they were fenced in, but free to run.  It shows best on the back.

The finished quilt: 

My other goal was the Modern HST Sampler block called Pointed, which I managed to muddle through just in time to do these photos.  Of course, it is done in RSC16  April colors.

For the eight HSTs in orange I used a different method called The Eight Square Method by Honey Bear Lane on Pinterest.  You end up with straight grain on two sides and only the diagonal on the bias.  I don't want to mess around with stretchy edges and it is easy to do.  

Over all it was a very nice week with warm sunny days at last and that feeling of satisfaction from meeting my goals.  I hope you all had a good week and I'll be checking your posts on Rainbow Scrap Challenge at so scrappy tomorrow.

RSC15 week 39

This is the last week of orange and I'm looking forward to next month.  But I have another orange option for my row quilt.

I really like the orange bordered by the little pinwheels.  I only have about six pinwheel strips so I will have to be careful where I use them.  That is one of the reasons I have been going slowly with these rows, so I won't end up having to do any ripping and replacing.  The floor is only temporary, but I do make good use of the iPad by taking photos of all my ideas to look back at.

The other reason I have put this aside was to finish this Project Linus quilt, a WIP since last winter.  I machine tacked each block, which is lo-o-ts easier than pushing a needle through fleece.

Hooray, today i finished the binding, so here it is!  There are little bits of orange in it also.

The flimsy came very close to the 50 x 60 inch size of the fleece blanket backing, but with a little fudging I managed to get the binding on, not the neatest job, but the happy little girl who gets it will not care.

You can see how well the front goes with the fleece, which is how I design them, from a given back to a coordinating front.  I think this limitation makes them more challenging, which I love.

    This quilt will be collected in mid-October at our Monona Quilt group.

I link up with RSC15 at superscrappy.blogspot.com, Sew Cute Tuesday at blossomheartquilts.com and Throwback Thursday at kristaquilts.blogspot.com.  Come and join us, it's good fun.

Sew Cute Tuesday, August 31

A SIMPLE QUILT FOR A LITTLE GIRL

I took this pinned quilt to show at our group meeting this morning.  I thought you would enjoy seeing how easy and cheerful it is. I start by buying kiddy fleece blankets, size 50 x 60, on sale.  This becomes the basis for my theme and color scheme.  I love the cute candies on the pink fleece. 

The top is only a couple of charm packs and white Jellyroll strips in between, each row just staggered.  No picky piecing for me.  The pink border made it very close to the size of the fleece blanket backing, where you can see the machine stitched edge.  I will cut that off and bind it with the green, which is from a whole Jellyroll that I bought for bindings. 
So, no pieced backing, no separate batting and I am going to machine tie it with a wide zigzag at zero, which make a neat little bump. Will do those in pink, in the center of each block.  I use a walking foot and there is no problem with lumping or anything on the back.  What could be easier?

This quilt will be a charity quilt for Project Linus, which is one of several local groups to receive our quilts twice a year, the next one in October.  I know it will make some little girl feel special.

      I link up with RSC15 at superscrappy.blogspot.com, Sew Cute Tuesday at blossomheartquilts.com and Throwback Thursday at kristaquilts.blogspot.com.   Please join me there.

Sew Cute Tuesday, July 28

MY FIRST BABY GIRL QUILT

This quilt was originally intended to be a Project Linus quilt.  My good friend found out she was going to be a new grandma and wanted me to make her one just like it.  I told her I could never duplicate it, being a jelly roll random mix.  So I surprised her by finishing it in time for the birth of her darling granddaughter last Christmas.
   I tried out the 3 Dudes pattern to give it lots of movement and was very happy with the color mix. I backed it with a fleece kids' blanket in pink with cupcakes and other sweets in the same colors.

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 My next project is another girl quilt for Project Linus, which just needs to be backed and quilted.  Having this Sew Cute Tuesday spot to share my projects keeps me going.

RSC15 week 12, goldens

Back-to-front Linus quilts...that's how I design them.  I first buy 50 x 60 fleece blankets with colorful themes.  I've been lucky to get them at a great sale price, $2.88 each, and have several on hand.  I also look for sales of pre-cuts online, because I can't get to stores very often.

The challenge for me, and the part I like best, is choosing the pattern and colors to go with the fleece backing.  I often make up my own pattern, which has to fit within the backing size. 

For this one, number six, I found two lively compatible charm packs which bring out the colors and action I wanted.  The key for me is using large enough pieces to show off the fabric pictures.   This time the four patch does it and all 20 squares are done.  I am thinking of using black sashing.  A border will depend on the overall size.  

The due date for Monona Quilters charity colection is the end of May and I expect to have two quilts to hand in.

Another surprise in the mail today, this darling mug rug made especially for me by a dear friend in WA.  It just shouts "spring" to me. How did she know about yellow for March?