Mats and Scrappy Piecing

 I've continued to work on the mats I showed last time.  I'm having a great time playing with these scrappy smalls. 

This skinny mini I ditch quilted and gave to my manicurist friend along with the larger mat I cut it from. Stacy liked them both :)

I was able to use batting cuttoffs for all the mats, though I did have to piece some together to bring them up to size.

 I found that using  slightly oversized backing and batting worked best for me in stitching  the layers.  The 1/4" seam didn't try to curl or jam at the corners and the excess was easily trimmed with scissors before turning the sandwich right-side out. 

There was more design work on the scrappy churn dash and cross block top.  More 3.5" squares were sewn up and added all around. 

I'm liking the shapes and colors of this scrappy squirrel. The top measures about 33 inches square at this point.  I'm still thinking about making small star blocks, perhaps just for the corners, and considering a stop border between the patchwork and stars.  I cruised Pinterest for some border ideas, which was fun. A  stop at JoAnn's Fabric resulted in some bargain remnant  white background pieces. I was there primarily to pick up some easy-threading needles, but couldn't pass up the 50% off  yardage price. One piece was an entire yard, whoop whoop!

Getting back to the bookshelf quilt for my niece, which has been on the design wall for months, is February's goal. Since it is a short month, design decision-making needs to be ramped up. I've been stalled for too long!

Scrappy Stitching, Sisters, and Weather

Scrappy is the current  mode in the sewing room.  I'm piecing the long rows of  Easy Breezy blocks (Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville leader-ender) in my chosen setting with a 3.5 x 6.5" spacer.  I ran out of 2" squares I was making into 4-patches, so went to my precut drawers to find something else.

I found a bunch of 1.5x2.5 rectangles and decided to make rectangular blocks.  I had lots of green pieces so played around and came up with this setting.  

These were fun to sew up--they were just finger-pressed so look a bit wonky.  Not sure what they will become yet! In case you are wondering--no, that is not the smallest scrap I save...

This scrapbooking drawer is loaded with color-sorted 1.5" and 2" strips and squares...

...with 1.5" squares as the smallest scraps.  I am not really a string quilt lover, so cut my scraps down pretty much as I go.  I was just thinking it might be fun to make a mini Jelly Roll Race quilt from all the 2" strips.  

We somehow survived all the horrible scorching hot weather that lasted for so many days last week in SoCal.  Temps were up to the high 90s at our house and there was damage to the landscape. Here's our poor avocado tree. 

It only got burnt in this one spot, luckily. 

The avocados themselves survived just fine.  

 

My daylily doesn't look too happy here!  Thankfully we have two room air conditioners to use, but due to the immense humidity up to 90% for multiple days due to the unusual west coast hurricane off Mexico, it was not pleasant to move around much at all.  Power flex alerts lasted for the whole week. I didn't mind the air-conditioning at work, for once!  I felt bad for all the kids out practicing sports, including our grandsons who are starting soccer again. 

Next on my list is figuring out what I want to take to Sewtopia, coming up in November.  My sister Kathy and sister-in-law Laura were here over  the hot hot weekend and we cut out all the pieces for Laura's project, Everbloom by Paper and Pen patterns, in a sweatshop manner we called Amish Day.  Kathy ironed the fabric and Laura and I got all the cutting done. This will be Laura's first Sewtopia and we wanted her to be able to start right in to sewing!  Luckly this year we will be able to drive to the event in Palm Springs and bring our own machines.  The travel to Florida last year was tiring!

Design Wall Monday--August 22, 2022

 Design Wall Monday--see more design walls on Judy's Small Quilts and Doll Quilts blog. 

Not much stitching going on here--I am stalled out on the bookshelf quilt.  As an alternate project, I sewed more rows for my setting of Bonnie Hunter's Easy Breezy blocks--last year's leader-ender.  

I chose to set mine with a rectangular 3.5 x 6.5" light print.  So far, I am liking it.  My plan is 8x13 Easy Breezy blocks, so six more rows are needed--this will be a big quilt.  To fit our Cal King bed (72x84), borders will be needed. 

This stuffed toy was a Fair Prize our daughter's boyfriend won for our grandson--it's a GHOST Pepper,  So silly! It's about 20 inches tall in real life :)

Youngest grandson Dane corralled and rearranged all the objects on the coffee table for us when he was here recently.  He turned 2 and there will be a party next weekend.  

Another great sunset from a few days ago.  Love these late summer days. 

Bookshelf Quilt Additions

I'm pushing to add more non-book elements to the bookshelf quilt for my niece Emma.  The directions I am using, the Fabric At Work Bookshelf Quilt Pattern, included directions for chunky bookends.  I pulled a well-aged fat quarter from stash and quickly cut and pieced the bookends. 

Nice neutral sort of taupe/gray with a crackle texture.

I'm pleased with them, simple and easy.  The cat blocks I showed last time got their tails made. 

I decided intertwined tails would be too out of proportion, so I just mirrored them. 

Simple zigzag of the edges after fusing.  Since Emma is a grown woman who just graduated from university, I don't want any of the elements to be too cutesy!  I'll be working on books that are stacked and books that are leaning, per the instructions, to help fill up the bookshelves. 

Design Wall Monday--Log Cabins and Star Blocks

 Design Wall Monday--see more beautiful design walls on Judy's Small Quilts and Doll Quilts blog. 

The Log Cabin and Star swapped blocks continued to occupy my design floor.  There were so many blocks left over after my initial layout that I played some more with the little quilt. 

An extra row of blocks all around was fun to lay out, but looked a bit heavy. 

I adjusted the rows and sent out a query on Instagram: double row, or spacer strip and cornerstone?  The latter won out.  Luckily I had a large piece of muslin in stash that I cut vertically so no seams would be required. My strips were cut 2.5" wide and the 2.5" cornerstones came from my scrap system drawers. 

I pretty much scant stitched all  the seams of these blocks together; I wanted the stars to be pointy and preserved.  I think it turned out well.  The quilt top is about 60" square.  I am not really a square quilt lover, and will audition another border top and bottom. I'm happy to have so many of the swap blocks in the quilt top!  

Log Cabin and Star Block Play

I had a small number of leftover blocks from the Log Cabin Loonies project recently sewn into a small top last month. A lot of star blocks remained from Barb's last swap (Fun with Barb)  a couple of years ago.  I laid them out together. Some of you may remember that the mailer I sent my swap blocks in had exploded en route to Barb, and a kind mailperson had forwarded them on to Barb, but too late to swap.  Barb very kindly sent my blocks back and HER swapped blocks.

My Log Cabin blocks finish at 7.5 inches, and if I have figured correctly--and skinny the seam allowance while sewing the 6" finished star blocks together--they should just come out even.  I really didn't want to scramble my brain trying to figure a spacer border between!  I like it set block to block anyway.  Grandson Hunter told me he liked my quilt and wanted to help sew it.  I told him this was too complicated, but I'll have him choose some big squares of other fabrics and we will sew them into a quilt. He was very excited about that. It would be a great summer activity.  

I made this mini quilt last weekend while Grant was golfing.  I think they were leftover charm pieces.  

Backing cut from a fat quarter and diamond quilting, with binding made from a long hoarded print. 

Cute on my mini quilt hanger.  So fun to play with small projects!

Stitching Things Up

Lots going on in the sewing room.  I started with the pile of Memory Lane blocks hogging the end of the cutting table. Pattern by Ellen Replogle from her book Laps From Fats for Family and Friend, 2006.

They went together easily as there are no seams to match at this point. I plan to finish all the rows today, but did not feel like working on them last night.  Instead I played in the leftover blocks and pieces drawer.

That was fun!  Another Plaidish2 block was partially assembled as well.  None of these are pressed as I was too lazy to get the ironing board out for this late night play. 

My leader-ender blocks also didn't get pressed.  I'm  down to just a few more of these Adam's Ribs block pieces; maybe they will last through completing the Memory Lane top. 

After my manicure appointment yesterday, I took a turn through my local fabric store.  These remnants jumped into my hands!  Some good chunks there for less than the cost of a fat quarter. The black and white yardage was also discounted 30% so I got a yard and a half.  I liked that is non-directional.  Ok, off to get some sewing done before grandsons' ball games. 

Design Wall Monday--Memory Lane Blocks Finished

 Design Wall Monday-- See more Design Walls on Judy's Small Quilts and Doll Quilts blog. 

I pushed to get all the Memory Lane blocks finished over the weekend.  

This one turned out really pretty.   There was a proud moment that turned comical with another block. 

How I didn't notice all the mistakes until the block was completely finished was pretty ridiculous!  I had to disassemble nearly the entire block to put it right.  

My leader-ender project also had an oops. 

That was fast to fix, just one seam.  There were lots of these Adam's Rib blocks finished over the weekend. 

I have another nice pile of cut pieces to work on when I assemble the Memory Lane rows. I played thread chicken with the last Memory Lane block.

Layout and switcheroo of these blocks was hard, since there are 5 fabrics in each block in different positions. 

There was another session after this layout. Finally I called it quits

I look forward to getting this top together--the Oh My Darling fabric collection has waited years to get this far! 

Memory Lane Figuring for the Finish Line

The Memory Lane Quilt blocks are getting closer to the finish line.  I completed two more blocks and need only 7 more to get to 20. The pattern calls for 5 fabrics in each block and I needed to make some notes to avoid repeat combinations of colors. 

I have started each block layout by choosing colors for the chain squares, then adding the strips in their position either as the center or corners. I jotted down the combos done so far, then paired up the remaining chain square pieces, avoiding repeats. 

The red and cream print still had two squares to use up, but looking at my photo, I did a double with the blue floral/stripe--that won't do!  There will be a short round of switcheroo again.  Glad I caught that. 

I caught the moonrise last week lighting up the palm tree and some clouds.  We are getting some much needed rain as I type this post, hope it soaks in deep!

Design Wall Monday--April 18

 Design Wall Monday--see more Design Walls at Judy's Small Quilts and Doll Quilts blog. 

I did not spent much time at my machine the past week, so only a few new blocks to show. 

Memory Lane block laid out.  The folds in the cream print were ironed before assembly.  I have not gotten any faster at sewing these large blocks--I have to check the placement and sewing order in the book every time! This pattern is in a Laps from Fats book, by Ellen Replogle.  

I really liked how this one turned out--and at the 11th block finished, it signaled the home turn for the 20 blocks needed for the quilt top.  This is a no borders quilt so once switcheroo and sewing all the blocks together is complete, it will be a finished top. 

Another Plaidish2 block done as a leader ender. I might need to change the row 2 end rectangle on the far right, it is really too dark to be a medium.  I can probably just use the backside!  Lots more piecing in my future.  I need to prep another quilt top for quilting at home, and really want to send out another to the long-armer.  

Design Wall Monday--4/4/2022 Memory Lane progress

 Design Wall Monday--see more design walls on Judy's Small Quilts and Doll Quilts blog. 

I've made a few more large blocks for the Memory Lane quilt.  Each block has five fabrics making up the center, corners and square chains. 

These 16" finished blocks are a bit of a puzzle to put together.  I have to double check the directions for layout and pressing each time.  I made myself a cheat sheet to keep track of the layouts,  as some pieces are used twice for the various positions in the blocks. I am concentrating on using the large squares one time apiece before duplicating!  Having a great time with this puzzle. 

Design Wall Monday--Memory Lane Quilt Update

 Design Wall Monday--see more design walls on Judy's Small Quilts and Doll Quilts blog. 

There has been a lot of time with needle and thread the last few days.  I did a lot of cutting before getting to some sewing.  Trying to empty baggies and bins of projects is a neverending challenge in my sewing room.  I started with a baggie of leftover black and white pieces from the baby quilt I made for middle grandson Hunter, who is now 6 years old!  I wanted to use them as leader-enders. 

The first pink solid I pulled from stash had to be augmented by a darker shade, and just for fun I threw in the print for the last two blocks. 

The block is from the quilt Adam's Rib by Fons and Porter.

The first Memory Lane block laid out.  I love this clever design! 

And first block finished under Mini's watchful eye. These are big blocks, 16 inches finished, so will make a big quilt fast.  I had fun picking and choosing fabrics for each from the 20 fat quarters required; I used the Oh My Darling fat quarter collection I bought some years back from Connecting Threads. 

Playing with color and print is my favorite pastime.  Each block has 5 fabrics in different arrangements so I am doing my best to mix color, scale and prints. 

The quilt is in this book which was published in 2006--I picked it up several years ago at a guild sale. Lots more piecing for me to do, my favorite part of quilting :)