Friday, December 29, 2017

RSC17 week 52

GIFT REVEAL

This was the first year I have given Quilty gifts, kind of a last minute idea.  I decided to make quilted baskets like Joy at The Joyful Quilter. I started by making three stip panels, one for each basket.  The first was for my granddaughter in her favorite red, blue and yellow colors.  
It turned out to be much more work for me than I thought.  I kept having to make changes because I measured wrong, etc.  Here is the saggy finish.


When this was done I decided that the other two, for my daughter and her SIL, a former quilter, would be carryall bags, lots easier.  The one for my daughter, in her favorite turquoise, went very well.
The back was a green print like the handles.



The last one in purple and turqouise was a really big hit with SIL.  She loved that I had unknowingly backed it with her favorite fabric, which she had donated to me when she quit quilting to take up paper crafting.




I'm looking forward to 2018 to work on my monthly Scrap Attack goals, which are all UFOs.  If you have not heard about Scrap Attack, it is a fun way to have a monthly goal.  It was a great idea from Sarah at  Confessions of a Fabric Addict.  

Wishing all of you dear friends a Blessed and Happy New Year.

Meanwhile, you can see all the cheerful happenings at
Rainbow Scrap Challenge at

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Scrap Attack, 12/28/17

The Scrqp Attack plan came just in time for me to tackle some much needed work on my encroaching fabric stash.  Here is the evidence.

June, 2015 This was the state of this fabric storage area back then.  I had just obtained the blue stacking unit and thought it was the answer to my problems.  



Obviously I was way off course.  I started buying fabric online with every sale I found.  Here is the result now, a whole wall full two layers deep.



So here are my Scrqp Attack goals, all UFOs, some of which are stacked in a pile on top on the right side.

Quilt and bind all the following:
  1. Rail Fence Star
  2. Balloons
  3. Houses
  4. Sizzle Strips
  5. Improv blocks
  6. X Block
  7. Gentrification
  8. Spinning Curves
  9. Stars Large and Small
  10. Beth's Quilt
  11. Trim all scraps
  12. Geese Migration

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

AHIQ, 12/27

BATIK IMPROV QUILT

I made this quilt top using half a drawer full of batik strips that I had no use for.  My daughter saw it and asked if she could have it.  Since I have not made her a quilt since she was 14, it's about time because her daughter is now 16 and I've made her two Quilts.  


I cut each paired strip set into 10-inch pieces and added the orange bits here and there to spark things up.  

Thanks for the AHIQ challenge this year.  I did enjoy working on the challenge steps on another top, but have not done the lettering yet.  Still debating on how to get that done. 
Looking forward to linking up again. Happy New Year!

Please have a look at Ad Hoc Improv Quilts doings at  Kaya's blog,  Sew Slowly, or Ann's blog, Fret Not Yourself

Friday, December 22, 2017

RSC week 51

MY OLDEST QUILT

For this Christmas weekend I'm showing you a quilt with red and green appliqué. It was the very first quilt I ever had.


As a new bride I was decorating our first home in California and chose rose colored shag carpet for the bedroom (this was back in the mid 60's of course).  I was buying antique furniture and came across this quilt for sale. Because it was perfect for our bed and knowing nothing about quilts, I enjoyed using it.  I grew up in Rhode Island and, to my knowledge, had never seen any quilts.  However, blue and white woven coverlets were common there, made in the New England textile mills.

I knew this quilt was old and guessed it was from the 1930's.  I began reading about quilts and realized that mine was older.  The colors were older dyes and the red, made using harsh mordants, has begun to disintegrate.  The green appears to be blue over yellow.  The appliqué was done with blanket stitching.


 
 A few years later I ordered a free sample copy of Quilters Newsletter, about a dozen black and white pages. It might have been their first issue in 1969. I sure wish I had it today.  It showed a drawing of my quilt block, called a Harrison Rose variation.  William Henry Harrison, a military hero and the Whig party candidate, was elected President in 1840.  Harrison died after only one month in office and his memory was honored in the Whig Rose or Harrison Rose quilts.  

In addition I found that there were hearts quilted in the muslin areas.  These were used for brides' quilts.  



Overall, each row of blocks  is different.  Some have extra flowers added.  Each of the three appliqué borders has different flowers, as if the makers were down to their last red scraps. The fourth side has no border except the muslin, often used with pillow shams covering it.



Because I bought the quilt in the  San Francisco area, I like to imagine a young bride from a modest home setting out with her husband in a covered wagon, with families who were seeking a new life in the West.  What stories that quilt could tell!  

That also began my search for other antique quilts, many not in perfect shape, which needed a good home.  I have many now, including a collection of doll quilts.  It was not until 1980 in Spokane that I took up quilting, and now have another home among all you wonderful quilt bloggers.



From my home to yours, may these days of celebration bring love and joy to you all, and may God bless you richly.

Join me in the fun of checking out the wonderful things folks are doing at
Rainbow Scrap Challenge at


Friday, December 15, 2017

RSC17 week 50

MANY COLORS

The fact that Christmas is coming quickly did not deter me from starting three quilted gifts.  I've never tried the pattern before, but believed every word Joy at The Joyful Quilter told us about how easy and fun this project is.  If I find out differently in the coming days, she is the one to blame.  

Here are the three stacks of strips I gathered for piecing each one. 


So far I have finished the piecing on two of them and working on the last one.  Then the real challenge begins for me, to assemble these gifts ASAP.  


That's all I've been doing this week, so I'm sharing an antique quilt from my collection.  It goes so nicely over my wing chair and adds more Christmas cheer.  It is a Courthouse Steps log cabin variation from around 1900 and is made of heavier fabric, perhaps for draperies or winter dresses. The closeup gives you a feel for the texture.    



It was given to me by a woman who wanted to know the age of another quilt and then offered it to me for free, to give it a good home.  It joined my other old adopted quilts and is truly loved.

I hope you all have a happy and peaceful holiday season.

Meanwhile, you can see all the cheerful happenings at
Rainbow Scrap Challenge at

Friday, December 8, 2017

RSC17 week 49

PLAYTIME

This week has been playtime for me.  In other words, neglecting the finishing quilting and binding on three quilts while getting into some new projects and having fun with them instead.  Does that sound familiar to anyone?   

I don't have any set deadlines right now, no promises made that I can't keep.  But last week I awoke one morning and a Project Linus quilt idea popped into my head full blown.   I had a layer cake stack of animal prints which I had bought for fussy cutting.  They are not in my usual bright colors.  However, a roll of Grunge strips inspired me to do a quilt with those and the animals.  Turqouise and warm orange are included in the prints.  

To make it as quick and easy as possible, I decided on a row quilt, where ther is no seam matching and anything goes.  Here is my first idea laid out on my design floor.


In this case the white pieces act like another bright, versus beige.  So it will be quite lively for a child.  Finding backing fabrics won't be a problem. My bulging stash will breathe a sigh of relief to lose some weight.
  I'm calling this one Waterfront Property.


The other project is my RSC17 or RSC16 neglected blocks, houses and little boats.  As I mentioned before, I've been making some trees for my neighborhood.  Finally I decided to use these three blocks in a row quilt rather than just the house blocks alone.  I even found some cute ocean fabric which I had bought to use with the boats.


The layout here comes right off of my graph paper mockup.  I haven't named this one yet.


The end result has been playing with my blocks and having a good time.  Even if I work on the WIPs I will still be cheered by thinking and planning for these fun row quilts.  

I'm not doing any Christmas Quilting projects this year.  I don't need the pressure.

Join me in the fun of checking out the wonderful things folks are doing at
Rainbow Scrap Challenge at

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

RSC17 week 47, 11/25

 A NOT-YET-FINAL FINISH

Here is the fastest quilt I've ever made.   I plan to show it at my guild soon.  I showed the process last week and finished the flimsie. 

  It was finished with a narrow orange batik border.  The wide outer border was cut from a wide batik backing I've had for seven years, which was way too long to hide in my closet.


The finished size is 60 X  70 inches.  I named it Southwest Daybreak.  


That is when my plans changed.  I was writing a post to Kat to offer it to her at 
katandcatquilts.blogspot.comCovered In Love

 Just then my daughter stopped by with some groceries.  She took one look at it and loved it.  I made my first quilt all by hand for her when she was 14, an Irish Chain done before rotary cutters and mats.  
As for this one, the size for quilting was intimidating.  She then said she would prefer to have a fleece backing like many I've made for Project Linus.  I gave her the okay because that's not as bulky to manage.

Naturally, she went right down to Joanne's and they had a great supply of fleece at pre-Black Friday sale prices.  Here is what she came up with for the back.



Meanwhile I've been working on a plan for my Geese Migration blocks.  I'm not including the multicolored ones from last April, so the remaining 16 make a nice layout.  I plan to use black sashing and will see what comes next.  



I hope everyone is having a good weekend and not spending too too much on fabric.  I've made a purchase from Craftsy, but one was a pack of Olfa blades.  They really do last longer.  That was very practical, wasn't it?  That's all I have to say for now.  Have a fun week! 

I'll be waiting to see what everyone has done at
Rainbow Scrap Challenge at

Friday, November 17, 2017

RSC17 week 46

MORE BROWNS

This week sets some kind of record for me, start to finish of a flimsie.  I told you last week about my large bin stuffed with batiks and waiting to be used.  There were so many strips that it was overstuffed.
Now you see how much I have emptied the bin.  


There were so many strips that I had no use for, or so I thought.  After tackling these unwanted strips I turned them into this 50 X 60 top, finished except for borders.
I added one little spark of orange to each strip, which makes quite a difference.  If you know me, you know I can't make dull quilts. I had to add those bright touchs.  Many of you liked them very much.



I decided on an inner orange batiks border and a wider subtle one.  Here is how it looks with the orange border added.  



I've been saving a precious two yards of 108" wide batik which I bought in 2008 from Sew Batik at Quilt Expo here in Madison WI.  I'm showing you this before I even remove the string tie and cut off a few 4-inch strips.  There is still time for a few more pets.



Tomorrow I will attach those final strips and it will be off to Kat at Covered In Love, her wonderful charity for grieving families.

I have also found time to add a pair of evergreen trees to my neighborhood.  The one on the right is a Christmas tree with stars and ball ornaments from a charm square.  I used my Tri-Recs rulers to make them.  




Time is really flying this month, as it always does with holidays coming.  I wish all my USA friends a very blessed Thanksgiving Day, and to you other dear friends abroad a special time of relaxation.  

Come join the scrappy fun at
Rainbow Scrap Challenge at









Kat at Covered In Love Kat at Covered In Love

Friday, November 10, 2017

RSC17 week 45

BATIKS GALORE

This week I was getting tired of making little trees with tiny flip triangles.  I looked through my stash to find something to reduce some of my ever-encroaching fabric.  I also wanted to start a new quilt for Covered In Love.  

I have a big bin full of batiks, mostly jelly roll strips in muted colors.  They've been sitting around for years.  So I dug into them and decided to make blocks. I fold the strip into four and measure this folded piece at 10-1/2 inches, and trim off the excess at the end with the selvages and one fold.  With my scissors I also cut through the other looped end and have four equal strips.  No rotary cutting needed.  Then I chain pieced pairs of these strips.  


To make about a 60 X 60 inch top I needed 15 strips of five pairs,  (I know that's only 50 inches, but there will be borders.)   I felt that these pieces with a lot of brown could use a spark of orange, so I've been inserting narrow strips of bright orange batik randomly.  I also staggered the blocks like bricks.


This went together so quickly that I finished one third of the top in no time.  I'm very happy with it.  There are so many prints and colors it reminds me of an Impressionist painting.   



So that's my contribution to RSC17 November brown and darks.  I'll be checking out your exciting posts for more new ideas.

Come join the scrappy fun at
Rainbow Scrap Challenge at








 

Thursday, November 9, 2017

Covered In Love, 11/9

I'm starting a new quilt for Covered In Love this week.  I love bright colors, but have a big bin full of batiks, mostly jelly roll strips in muted colors.  So I dug into them and decided to make blocks. I fold the strip into four and cut off the extra selvage, leaving 10 1/2 inches.  With my scores I cut through the folded end and has four equal strips.  No rotary cutting needed.  Then I chain piece pairs of these strips.

The strips laid out look  like a sample below.


I'm planning on about a 60 X 60 or longer top.  At the rate this is going, it will probably be finished next week.  My bin is now at least one-third empty and the top is looking good already.

I'm linking up with Covered In Love at 
katandcatquilts.blogspot.comCovered In Love

Friday, October 27, 2017

RSC17 week 43

FAREWELL TO PINK

It's been a nice month for pink, but I'm looking forward to finishing some of this year's WIPs.  Here is my final  pink block, a Churn Dash to pair up with my Folded Box blocks, as an RSC18 project.



Speaking of finishes, I was surprised to see my Tossed Salad quilt on Kat & Cat's post yesterday.  It has been so nicely quilted, with a colorful backing made from donations by Sandra.  It will be joining her Kat's Covered In Love charity quilts for grieving families.


I'm really excited about a new squirrel project which hopped across my path from Jayne at Twiggy and Opal.  She posted a tutorial for her X block, 16 inches and really easy to make.  That evening I pulled out a charm pack of Kaffe Fassett cool colors, which I could not resist buying on sale recently.  What? Again?  This is the first block I pieced.



I changed my construction method to make it entirely with charm squares, including Toscana in coordinating colors and Bella white.  These are the last three blocks that are pieced.






All in all, it has been an unexpectedly productive month for me, partly because I have a squirrel to thank.

I hope you have also had a scrappy productive week, at least a week full of good things.  We seem to find those good things in unexpected times and places.  
Take a look at what your friends have done this week at
Rainbow Scrap Challenge at


















Friday, October 20, 2017

RSC week 42

HAPPY PINK

This has been a very nice week for me with a few surprises.  First, my daughter, who is a nurse, stopped by yesterday and brought me a Subway sandwich, yum yum.  Then, when I was showing her the three Project Linus quilts I had finished for Monday's guild charity collection, she asked if she could give one to a special friend.  This is a young woman with a debilitating condition, getting weaker all the time.  Beth is part of her support group.  She and her mother both love quilts.  Of course, I was thrilled to give my quilt to a person who is sick and will appreciate it.  


She will be getting my Mile a Minute quilt, with Beth proudly showing it off.


Today I received a post from Kat at 
katandcatquilts.blogspot.com   She posted photos of a top I donated to her charity Covered In Love.  She had it finished and it will be donated to the family of a terminally ill patient at the hospital in Texas where Kat works.  I was delighted to see the backing and quilting done by Meloney, another volunteer.  Here is my photo of the blocks in progress.



As for pink, I did also manage to finish my two pink Geese Migration blocks.





The week flew by and that's all I got done in quilting The Rainbow quilt and piecing the geese.  I am looking forward to seeing all of your scrappy doings at
Rainbow Scrap Challenge at

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Covered In Love, 10/18

RAINBOW QUILT

This week I finished another Project Linus quilt, Rainbow.  This, plus the two I showed you on 9/26, will make three Project Linus quilts for our Monona Quilters charity quilt collection next Monday.  All of the quilts will go to a number of local charities, including the University Hospital in Madison WI.  

This started out being a crayon quilt.  I finished all the colored strips but had not added the crayon tips.  It looked great as a rainbow and the size was just right.



For the backing I already had a fleece blanket bought on sale, perfect for the theme.


Doesn't this make a perfect Project Linus quilt?



I'm linking up with Covered In Love at 
katandcatquilts.blogspot.comCovered In Love

Friday, October 13, 2017

RSC17 week 41

A RAINBOW FINISH

Last week I pieced together my rainbow of strips which I decided not to make into a crayon quilt.  The strips made a colorful 40 X 40 inch top.  I used a fleece crib blanket for the backing and the binding.  
I finally finished it yesterday.



This will be one of my three Project Linus quilts which will be collected by our Monona Quilters guild in another week.

For pink this month I've made a Folded Box block.  Now I have a total of eight at 12 inches each.  My idea is to alternate them with Kona steel gray blocks for a modern setting.


  But for a top I will need about eight more blocks.   So I am going to make Churn Dash blocks in similar colors to add to the mix.  Maybe it will be for RSC18.  At least I have the plan made in advance.  
It's satisfying to finish my projects this year, probably for the first year I've been in Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  This also keeps me looking for new ideas and new ways of doing things better by linking up with all of you talented people.  

Hope you all have a chance to work on some finishes this week, or at least make some progress on those WIPs.

Come join the scrappy fun at
Rainbow Scrap Challenge at





Friday, October 6, 2017

RSC17 week 40

THINKING PINK

It's about time.  Pink is finally here.  Strangely, I don't have much of a pink stash to choose from right now.  I just used quite a bit on my girl's row quilt.  However, I must admit I did supplement my stash with a number of precuts, namely, an I Spy layer cake with lots of princess squares.  And I have been watching Smiles from Kate and drooling over her Alison Glass fabrics.  I dipped my toe in and ordered a charm pack, which just arrived.  Talk about brilliant colors, they really glow.  

Enough about buying fabrics.  My first pink project was two little houses to finish off my neighborhood.


I had to put the cat in one doorway.  This was followed by screeching and jumping from my pink monkeys bought at Quilt Expo.  So one of them literally swung from my ceiling fan and dropped into the other house (maybe a slight exaggeration).  


I'm very happy with the pair of them.  This did solve the jealousy problem for now.  



My main project now is our guild charity collection in two weeks.  I have two Project Linus quilts finished, but could not pass up the chance to add one more.   My crayon quilt without the points became a rainbow strip quilt instead,  I made the pink row and finished piecing the strips last night.  Although each strip had twenty 2.5 X 5 inch pieces, there was as much as two inches difference in width when I measured them.  I fiddled around until they all ended at 40 inches.  That included removing a piece from the longest row.   



Last week I had bought the cutest rainbow themed fleece blanket to back it.  They were on sale again at a lower price, $3.80 this week, so my daughter kindly bought me five more really cute kid fleeces.  I also ordered five crib size poly batting a from Connecting Threads during their 30% off sale.  So I have no excuse not to complete many more Project Linus quilts.  

I'm thankful for this productive week and hope you all had a chance to get some good pink projects underway.

I am linking up with
Rainbow Scrap Challenge at