RSC16 week 17

A MYSTERY BLOCK AND MEMORIES

This has been a catchup week for working on my self-commitment to six monthly blocks.  For Rainbow Scrap Challenge I'm doing .a twinkle star, a 16-patch at 8 Inches, a slab block of the same size and a slightly smaller sailboat.  They are all in the RSC monthly colors.  They just seem to have somehow added themselves of their own volition.  All of a sudden there they are saying "Me next!  Don't forget about me."

This slab block got me finally caught up for January.  I do enjoy these the most because they allow me to be inventive.

In addition, I am doing a Modern HST Sampler block every other week, also in the RSC colors.  As long as I have to drag out all my orange and brown scraps, I might as well go all the way with them.  These are 12-inch blocks, however, and should be a fine sampler quilt by year end.

This block was titled Intersection, using 16 HSTs.  I did not like the pattern arrangement when done in my fabrics, so I just moved them around to get this block.  I don't know if it has a name.  If any of you know it, I would appreciate you telling me.  All you quilt history buffs and Dear Jane followers must know hundreds of them. 

 

Before he passed away a year ago, my son, Chris, and I used to take rides in the country and he especially loved old weathered barns.  When I learned there were many barn quilts to be seen in the next county, we started seeking them out with an excellent listing of all the Green County barn quilts. We only got to visit a few before winter set in, but here is a photo of one which we took with the owner's permission.

I'm now hoping that I can carry on where Chris and I left off, by interpreting some of the barns and barn quilts I've seen in person or on Pinterest.  Thank you, Julie Sefton, for your inspiring book, BUILD-A-BARN, which I bought and am using to plan a 'barn quilt' barn quilt.  Julie, Quiltdivajulie, has a blog called thefreepiecedbarnproject.blogspot.com and I highly recommend it for process not patterns.

 I hope you all have a colorful week.  I link up with RSC16 at soscrappy and Sew Cute Tuesday at Blossom Heart Quilts and WIPS BE GONE at A Qulting Reader's Garden.

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.

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.