A Scrappy Sunday Afternoon

A funny thing happened when I went looking for an orphan project to offer up for the Quilt Orphan Adoption event ...

I pulled out the project I had in mind and put the completed blocks on the design wall.

The fabrics in some of these blocks came from a long-ago fabric swap where we exchanged 8 10 inch-strips and 2 squares of fabric, sized and chosen to make two of these blocks. The pattern came from Eileen Sullivan when she was a guest on Simply Quilts. The quilt was called Summer Vine.

(I tried to find a link, but was unsuccessful)

In addition to these blocks, I had a printed copy of the fabric swap guidelines and–fortunately for me–the block directions from the old Simply Quilts website.  There were also many strip sets for more blocks, still in the envelopes they had arrived in.

My plan was to count up the number of blocks that could be made from those strips ... but what happened is when I started to do so, I think I discovered why I probably stopped making the blocks - incomplete swap packages and questionable fabrics.

Then I second guessed myself and thought maybe I had misread the swap guidelines ... so I sat down and tried to make blocks from the swaps with missing strips.  Way back then, I didn't have scraps or much of a stash.  Today, it wasn't such a big deal to dig into my bin of cream and tan scraps and find something close in value to make up the difference.   After making those two blocks ... I made four more.

Too many of the fabrics either seemed too old and uninteresting or the quality just isn't very good, so I decided not to pass them on to a potential adoptive quilter.   But since I have quite a few blocks made and all those unwrapped strips sets–and they're not all "bad," I am going to cut the strips to make block kits and assemble the rest of the blocks as a leader/ender project.  I still haven't counted the number of potential blocks ... or decided what I'll do with them when I'm done making blocks.

I am joining the party for Oh Scrap! with these very old, very scrappy blocks.

I also haven't decided what will become of the scrappy Wavy Gravy blocks I have been hand-piecing. Now there are four.

For me the most fun has been finding fabrics in my scraps to use in this block.  I thought I would stop at four blocks and make a pillow cover (and that still might happen), but yesterday, I put together 2 more groups of four fabrics (in pinks and grays) ... and will likely prepare some more pieces for some slow Sunday stitching.

I'm joining the party for Monday Making.

Two Quilts That Can Finally Be Revealed

It's been a while since I shared the little quilt that I made for Kate's annual swap of little quilts.

I named it Little Strings, for the tiny string-pieced triangles.

Now that all the swapped quilts have been received, I can share the quilt I received in the swap, made by none other than Kate herself: 

You can see all the quilts with information about who made them and to whom they went to in the swap in the Grand Reveal on the blog for Another Little Quilt Swap.

In the Cotton Robin group last summer, one of the round robin quilts took the longest trip ever reaching its destination (literally on a slow boat from Canada to New Zealand).  When all seemed lost, a replacement quilt was started and then, when the wayward quilt arrived,  a group of us decided to use it as a center and make a round robin quilt for Julie, our fearless leader.

By the time I received the quilt from Rachel, it had already passed through the hands of five quilters and looked like this:

At this point, it measured approximately 43 by 59-inches. The rounds seemed to be wider and wider and I felt my challenge was to add something narrower that was still graphically strong. I decided to continue using the dark blue that Rachel had added to border her beautiful appliqué rows and to add colors from the center. After I added my round, it looked like this:

After me,  Tami and Laurina added borders, Nan quilted the quilt and Jay added the label and binding and it looked like this:

The finished quilt is approximately 70-inches square, large enough to wrap up and feel appreciated.

I love the little quilts we make as part of the Cotton Robin and can't wait until next month when the last quilt will arrive, ready to be backed and quilted, but it was fun to work on this quilt with many rounds.

Tiny Strings - My Quilt for Another Little Quilt Swap

Finished in early January, I waited to share this little 15 inch quilt until after swap decisions were made for Another Little Quilt Swap and it was sent on it's way.

I called it Tiny Strings because of those triangles which began as bits of string quilt fabric left after cutting shapes for a bed-size quilt.  They each measure 7/8 inch and contain 2-to-4 fabrics.  This quilt began when I came across a small ziplock containing a bunch of these sweet triangles that, I guess, I was unable to toss.

This photo, taken just after I began quilting it, shows some of the tiny strings and gives a little feeling of the scale.

I took a few other detail photos while I quilted it.  This quilt was made before Double Dare and you can see that the doodle-y style quilting in that quilt started here. 

1. Beginning to Quilt, 2. Doodle-y Quilting Design Fill, 3. Tiny Strings - Quilting Detail, 4. Tiny Strings - Border Quilting Detail

I'm happy to be able to share this secret project and am joining these link parties:

Finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts
FMQ Project Linkup at The Free Motion Quilting Project
Link a  finish Friday at Richard and Tanya Quilts
TGIFF on Amy's Crafty Shenanigans
Whoop Whoop Fridays at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

2014 is here ... now what?

It feels like 2014 will be wonderful. Maybe it's because the sun is shining brightly and people are out and about in shirt sleeves or light jackets.  I have so many ideas rattling around in my head, that though I planned to blog something today, I'm not sure where to start.  So, how about a New Year's Day brain dump?

2014 arrived as I was stitching down the binding of my first finish of the year–a small quilt for Kate's Another Small Quilt Swap.

This is the eighth round of the swap–I always want to participate but never managed it, so this time, I was determined to get a little quilt made.  I''ll be able to share in a couple months when the swap is over and all the quilts have landed in their new homes. In the meantime, I'll be wondering if anyone will like it as much as I do ;-)

The deadline to send photos of your completed little quilt is January 20 has been extended to February 3, so there's still time to join me.  Complete details can be found on the Another Little Quilt Swap blog.

Today on her blog, Quilts and Dogs, Glen mentioned on her blog her New Years food tradition of

... black eyed peas for prosperity, ham for health and cabbage for money in the new year.

My own tradition is less specific, but also includes black eyed peas and greens.  I had  planned to make my usual vegetarian Hoppin' John ... then something on the Homesick Texan's blog caught my eye.

It will be New Year's Day Migas with Black-Eyed Pea Salsa and Bacon for lunch for me today.
(photo from the Homesick Texan blog)

The Block Lotto has kicked off another year.  This year the block designs are mostly geometric shapes, in three sizes: 7-inch squares, 14-inch squares, and 7 x 14 inch rectangles like January's Double Chevron blocks.

A week or so ago, I accidentally blew away my block patterns page–or was it Blogger's fault? What happened still isn't clear, but when I re-build it, the block pattern for this Double Chevron block will be added.  (In the meantime, you can find it on the Block Lotto site).

Along with this year's Block Lotto patterns, I'll be sharing directions for using them in a quilt for anyone who would like to try the blocks and play along (whether they are part of the Block Lotto or not). I'll be starting with this set of fabrics, recently won in a Blog Giveaway, for my quilt, and adding to it from my stash.

The  Blogiverse is filled with offers of Quilt-Alongs and I am reticent to suggest another, but ... details for the Mod-Mod (Modern Modular) Quilt-Along will be published mid-month each month in 2014. There will be options for making something as small as a 42-inch square or as large as a king-sized 105 inch square (with other sizes in between).

I am not one to make a list of resolutions, but I like the idea of choosing a word as a touchpoint for the year. and have chosen one: Dare. I also have challenged (dared?) myself with a specific quilt-related goal. More on that later.

It isn't just the beginning of the year, it's the beginning of a month and time to declare goals for the first month of another year of Lovely Finishes and the NewFO challenge. This year I really want to re-visit some of my golden oldie UFOs–many of which were put aside because I wasn't confident in the skill needed to take the next step.  I now feel ready to take on the challenge in some of those projects.

After my New Year's Day lunch, I'll be pulling out my project for January's lovely finish ... or I may head out for a walk in the sunshine ... you never know when Winter will return with a vengeance.

Turkey, the Macy's Parade and Setting Triangle Math

My Thanksgiving morning was perfectly nostalgic. Up early to put the turkey on and make a nice breakfast. followed by watching the Macy's Thanksgiving parade on TV . . .  updated a bit because as I watched, I cut setting triangles and assembled a Christmas quilt top from those old swap blocks.

With a large design wall, it was a lot easier to figure out what I meant by my mysteriously coded sketch and lay out the blocks.

It seems I always have to go look up setting triangle math, whenever I put blocks on point.  I know that the magic number is the square root of 2–1.414–but I never remember what to do with it ... so off to the computer I go.

Here's how I will remember NEXT time:

• Since I'll need MORE side triangles, I MULTIPLY the finished block size by 1.414.  Then, because I am going to cut the square into quarters, as for quarter-square-triangle units, add 1 1/4 for the seam allowances.
• For the corners, I do the opposite and DIVIDE the finished size block by 1.414.  Because I am going to cut them diagonally in half, like half-square-triangle unites, add 7/8 inch.   

For both kinds of triangles, round the measurements to the nearest 1/8 inch ... so you can easily cut them.

For the corners, I used the twelve inch star block as the starting point.  12 / 1.414 + 7/8 = 9 3/8 inches.  Because I inserted six inch 4-patches into the side setting triangles, I used 6 in the side triangle math. 6 * 1.414 + 1 1/4 = 9 3/4.

Broken Brain Quilt Math

For one of the doll quilts I'm working on, I started with a pattern for a 6 inch x 9 inch miniature and am making the blocks twice as large. As a result of some broken brain calculations, I made enough strip sets to make more than twice as many blocks as I need . . . or more than enough blocks for a quilt for my friend Terri and one for me. I'm choosing to see it as a silver lining ;-)

I was a mini-chain-piecing fool this afternoon.



By evening, I had seventy little blocks made.

Synchronicity and May Flower Blocks

When Diane saw this quilt on the cover of Quick Quilts, she sent email asking if anyone on the Quilting Forum was planning to organize a swap of the color-rich floral churn dash blocks. The same magazine sat on Terri's coffee table calling her name . . . so she organized the swap.

I thought my niece Hillary would really love the quilt, so I joined. I finished my blocks today. Here are my fabric combinations.





As I was putting the blocks for the swap together, they charmed me, so I made some extras for a second quilt, with a different setting for me. I can't wait for the swapped out blocks to come back to me.

Tea(se) for Two

I'm working on two Doll quilts to swap with friends.

One is part of Kate's Another Little Quilt Swap. The other is for (blogless) Terri. Without saying which is which, here are the sets of fabrics I think I'll be using.



One will be foundation pieced using an original design; the other will be a very traditional miniature. I'm looking forward to working on them both . . . and the deadlines loom on the horizon.

The other work-in-progress around here is the that the great bedroom-sewing room switch which is now more finished than not. I still need to put up design walls and peg boards and move and organize my fabrics and clothes, but I am sleeping in the new bedroom and and sewing in the new sewing room, where I can enjoy the view of the pond.



Even on an ugly, rainy day, the view can be pretty entertaining. There are ducklings on the pond and today, a gaggle of Canadian geese faced off with this heron in some sort of dispute over territory on my little pond.

The cats weren't allowed in the old sewing space. I'm not sure if I can deprive them of the prime upstairs pond view . . . but I'm not sure if they can learn not to be so helpful.



These are some 30's repros triangle square blocks like those I sent to Becca this week for her swap. I'm thinking a scrappy broken dishes quilt could be fun . . . and Johnny B. seems to like the idea, too.

Catching up on Birthdays

. . . and Birthday Swap Blocks.

First, I owe a long overdue thank you for the last four blocks I received, from Lucey (Jeanne), Becca, Faye and Peggy. My set of nine is now complete and only alternate blocks and consideration of settings and borders stands between me and a beautiful traditional quilt.




This week I have been playing catch-up on the blocks I owe some of the other birthday girls. Here's the block I made for Becca and an extra I made to make up for one of the swappers who went missing in our group. She asked for stars in chocolate-covered cherry colors--I know the star in the Stepping Stones block is subtle, but after making my Baby Steps doll quilt, that block really charmed me.



I signed up to make two more make up blocks for group 3. Another one for Becca--this one a star in Halloween and coordinating brights on a black-on-black background and another bright star floated on black for Bonnie (which I mailed along with the Baby Steps doll quilt--see how everything is connected ;-)



My last catch-up effort was a house block for Jeanne (Lucey). I confess to a serious What was I thinking? moment after I printed the foundations for the Farmhouse PFP pattern and cut the units apart. It's been a while since I did any paper pieced blocks made from moer than a few units. Ultimately, I think it was worth the slightly head-spinning, crazy making effort. Here's a look at before and after.



I actually even have a block ready for Kate--the last birthday girl in my group, though I am also second-guessing myself for the umpteenth time in this swap . . . it has been a fun year of making friends and interesting blocks. I can't wait to see the quilts that come from the swap.

Long Story Short

Almost four weeks ago, I crashed and burned, health-wise, and every time I thought I was improving, I crashed even harder and found myself further away from feeling better.

As a result, in the last month, everything stopped.

I received four more beautiful birthday blocks and hurt too much to take photos and thank the block makers.

I made NO progress on birthday blocks I am making for others or any other quilting, sewing, crafting or anything.

All work on the Walking in This World exercises stopped after my last artist date, a couple hours spent at a local quilt show. Photos were taken, but never labeled or shared.

Just about my only progress in life these last four weeks is measured in doctor appointments and lab tests.

I must be some kind of crazy optimist, because I've joined Kate's little quilt swap . . . believing I will feel well enough soon enough for long enough to make a little quilt for this swap.

And I'm optimistic that I'll feel well enough to catch-up on blogging soon, too.

Doll Quilt Swap II Quilts

Today, I received Twinkle, Twinkle, this fabulous quilt, made by Debbie.



And Bonnie received the quilt I made, Baby Steps--named for the 4 inch Stepping Stones blocks.



Twinkle, Twinkle is 18 inches square; Baby Steps is 18 x 24 inches. They are both made from 4 inch blocks.

This was a great swap . . . all the quilts have been wonderful and I think all of us are ready for DQSIII.

Doll Quilts

Yesterday was the mailing deadline for Doll Quilt Swap II on the forum on quilting.about.com. My quilt is on it's way. I named it Baby Steps, a reference to it's size and the traditional block on which it was based. Here's a detail showing the quilting and batik fabrics I used . . . the last hint before revealing the quilt. The small squares measure 1/2 inch.



I haven't yet received my quilt from the swap, but a doll quilt from another of the swappers did land in my mailbox.



I think Peni was one of the first to finish and mail her quilt. Afterward, she shared an in-progress effort of an earlier, abandoned idea. I offered to give her teeny weeny basket blocks a new home and use them in a different design. Peni was inspired to re-hab them herself and this was the result. Isn't it incredible? The feather wreaths in the alternate blocks are 2-1/4 inches across.



Peni said that "these little guys said they wanted to g live with you because you believed in them all along. You knoew they could become more than a failed project." She hoped they would bring a smile to my face when I looked at them. How could they not? I love these happy little Party Baskets.

In Progress

My sewing space still looks a little like Santa's workshop.



Altering some of my Christmas swap blocks has become a slippery slope . . . and now, all except 8 of the original blocks that I made or received have become Dewey's Victory blocks like these. A couple of these have new centers pinned on, being auditioned.

Another of my blocks from Kate's Birthday blocks swap arrived today, from Christine.



The only progress I've made on the alternate appliqué blocks is photocopying the pattern.

The block lotto this month has made great progress; more than 100 blocks have been entered already this month. Here are mine.