Thursday, July 28, 2016

RSC 16 week 32

CHANGING OF THE COLORS

I feel good about getting goals done In July. Namely, I achieved my goal of finishing a pair of Pinwheel Row quilts for One Monthly Goal at Red Letter Quilts for July.  They went from flimsies to finished entirely.  One was done with giveaway HSTs I used to make large pinwheels.  I had enough for a second row quilt as well.  All the other rows came from my stash, both backs as well..
Here is the finished pair:


It's such a good feeling to have those done.  Now I can take on another WIP or two.

I also finished up all my RSC16  blocks for watermelon month, appropriately named for all the heat everyone is suffering through.  My improv block was the final one, a little more on the structured side, inspired by some fascinating crazy stripes.


Sometimes you just have to use certain fabrics which don't let you ignore them, namely the black and rose charms. A little lime and some crazy brown ones thrown in made it quite easy to finish, no agonizing this time.  So I ended up rewarding myself with lots of emoticons this month, which are less fattening than chocolate (which would melt in my hands in the heat anyway).   

For the new purple for August I'm showing you an original table topper from around 1900 done in silks with embroidered outlines.  I have had it for years as part of my small and doll quilt collection.   The silks have shredded over the last 100 plus years, but it is has a great faded beauty.  It is about 14 inches square, has no batting and the back is a faded floral.  It is one of my treasures.


I'm going to continue showing pieces from my antique quilt collection whenever I can get good photos.  It's so nice to see how the quilting traditions have been passed on through the generations.
 
Now that August is here and I'm still spending time indoors with the a/c, I've pulled out all my purple stash again, a lot of it in batiks.  I'm also designing a girl quilt with fabrics I've had set aside for too long.   I hope you all have a good month ahead, keeping cool and quilting.

I'm linking up this week with
Rainbow Scrap Challenge at
soscrappy 
Modern HST Sampler at
Blossom Heart Quilts

Friday, July 22, 2016

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

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

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

Rainbow Scrap Challenge at soscrappy
Modern HST Sampler at  Blossom Heart Quilts

Sunday, July 17, 2016

Oh Scrap, July 17

MY FAVORITE SCRAP PROJECT

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.

JOIN IN THE FUN AT

Oh Scrap at  quiltingisbetterthanhousework.blogspot.com
Rainbow Scrap Challenge at soscrappy 
Modern HST Sampler at Blossom Heart Quilts

Friday, July 15, 2016

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  
Blossom Heart Quilts

Friday, July 8, 2016

RSC16 week 28

GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT

With the hot weather upon us, using these watermelon colors seems to be keeping me cool, at least in my mind.  The luscious colors are really dripping with cool.  

Each month I seem to be starting off with my sailboats because, truthfully, they are the fastest to make.   This is one where I found the HSTs already made from some other project, so it almost felt like cheating.  On the other hand I don't have a Parts Deptartment full of orphan blocks, like Magpie Sue's.  


I really had a good time making this 16-patch block.  My scrap box of rose, pink and lime is not very full this month, so I dithered around until I came across a bunch of polka dot pink charm squares.  I've never been fond of them, but for this block they made it so playful I could not resist.  I think it's now my favorite 16-patch.


These dots also remind me of watermelon seeds, the little white ones.  I even found some wonky green melons.

This week I also entered the OMG July Monthly goal at Red Letter Quilts, which is to quilt and bind my two Pinwheel Row quilts.  So that is my major undertaking for now.  I'm using my walking foot to do a mix of straight and wavy lines (It's not always clear which is which.)  

For my Twinkler star I found some gorgeous flowers like the full blown rose, so that will be my focal point.  


My wish for all of you dear friends is a fun and satisfying week, whatever that includes.

I'm linking up this week with 
Rainbow Scrap Challenge at soscrappy 
Sew Cute Tuesday at Blossom Heart Quilts 
One Monthly Goal at Red Letter Quilts
Brave Quilter at Pink Doxies
Have a look at all the interesting things that are going on there.

OMG for July

This is a pair of Pinwheel Row quilts which have been WIPs for a long time.  I made some progress on getting backings made and getting them pinned ready for quilting. 

My OMG goal is to have them both machine quilted and bound by the end of July, so I don't quit so close to the finish.  They are about 45 inches square and started with a giveaway of 92 HSTs left over from a project by Summer at Easy Quilter.  I turned them into six inch pinwheels and had enough to make two quilts.  The rest of the rows were just added as I had the fabric and thought up some uses, with lots of pinwheels jelly roll strips from stash.

Quilt number One:

 
Quilt number Two:


I'm making this goal for myself and for Project Linus which will be the recipient of these kids quilts.

Saturday, July 2, 2016

Brave Quilter Challenge, June

I took this challenge to learn how to appliqué circles which represent balloons.  I completed the Balloon quilt for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge 15.   Here is the completed flimsie, December 2015


For the back I have yardage of a lovely turquoise shade and I want to have balloons being set free and ascending up, up and away.

I've never really done appliqué and have been afraid to try it, but the backing is sitting there waiting.  This month I read on some blogs about Lara Bucella!s brand new book Crafted Appliqué.  I don't do hand stitching any more and this seemed like an answer to prayer.  

  At the same time I read about the Brave Quiter challenge for June at Pink Doxies and decided to enter to give me an incentive to complete this quilt back.  I ordered the book from Amazon and bought Mod Podge for fabric and some foam brushes at Hobby Lobby.  Yesterday I found a scrap of fabric to work with.  Here is my layout.


It was easy to apply the Mod Podge and smooth it out.  After drying, I cut out the circles of various sizes to test my luck with different stitches.


The results are very unimpressive.  But I did try the single stitch, the worst one, and the satin stitch possibly passable with practice.  I think the chicken tracks, or whatever they are, turned out the best.  It was the easiest to turn and hid glitches better.  The glue held the circles in place, however the edges came loose in a few places.  I pressed them again as recommended and that was an improvement.  No fabric was scorched in this test.

So I completed my goal to see if I could do the appliqué and that was a great incentive.  Big thanks to you, Julie.

Friday, July 1, 2016

RSC16 week 27

EASING INTO JULY

I must have had some subliminal message, because my slab block done this week is a combination of the colors for June and July.


Perhaps I should switch this block category from slab block to improv block because the way I work them has become a more lengthy and thoughtful process.  My limits are the 8.5 inch size and the RSC16 colors, but I sort of work on developing a theme for each one.  Here I started with the large flower, which quickly shifted off center.  To balance it I added the pink building with some flowers and more floral fabrics.  The top left piece was cut from a piece of ruby chard stalks to represent tree branches.  Now I think of it as a little neighborhood flower shop.

Here is the group of six improv blocks for RSC16 so far.


The main project for this week was to get my pair of Pinwheel quilts pinned and ready to quilt.  I went to Hobby Lobby and bought 45 inches of 90-inch Warm and White, my favorite batting for light weight and it does not require close quilting, a limit of 10 inches.  I bought it at 40% off, of course, and cut it in two.  So each 45-inch square came to about four dollars.  After trimming the fabric even, there was enough overhang for backing and flimsies.  Here are the two similar quilts ready to go under my walking foot.




I want to thank my friend Janice for help with the pinning.  I had a fun time today with my granddaughter Sarah and her friend Ilena from France, who helped with the photos and were the highlight of my day.

I'm working on a challenge project for Brave Quilters which will be turned in by the deadline this weekend.  I wish all of you a happy weekend and fun quilting.  I link up with RSC16 at    
soscrappy and Sew Cute Tuesday at 
Blossom Heart Quilts