Surprise Progress on the Blue Blocks

It's a design floor again!

When I started the blue blocks at the end of our Spring Break I never thought that a week later I'd be done.  Just shows what a little determination can do.  I would definitely classify this as a busier than usual week.  But I made sure to try to get at least a few minutes sewing or cutting time in whenever there was a lull in the activities.

Woke up on Saturday to a rainy gloomy day.  I usually do the quieter prep part of sewing before everyone wakes up.  Since I was past the halfway mark on the blue blocks I just cut and cut to get the rest of them ready.  Once the girls were up and moving I started sewing.  No one had to go anywhere or do anything (other than homework) which is very unusual so I got to stay home almost all day.  Despite a few interruptions and having to make a side dish and dessert to take to the family dinner later, I was able to get them all sewn except 2.  Some were with directional fabric and some I had to squeeze out the last tiny bits of fabric to make it work, but overall my progress was steady.

Sunday afternoon I got the last two done.  I couldn't wait to lay them out and see.  Sure enough, it is just what I envisioned.  I am so pleased with it.  Turns out the original block that was all I had done when I picked this UFO to work on is a tad bit smaller than the others so I will have to make one more red star.  






And after seeing it all laid out I think I want to make a pieced border than will extend the blue chain and complete the blue chain square visually.  We'll see.  But surely as fast as the blue blocks went together I can come up with 20 or so half blocks without too much trouble.

Check out other design wall and floors at Patchwork Times.

Stash Report 033014

Lots of little progress.  Long overdue protectors for the arm rests of my dad's two recliners.  Not great, but done and used up something from the stash. 

Finally bound the pink & purple quilt.  Bound the blue & green quilt also, but since I used the trimmings from the backing it had already been counted as used.  Since I usually can only sew in small spurts of found time, my progress is slow, but I'm okay with that.

If the baby is a girl I will take the pink quilt.  If the baby is a boy, I'll take the blue!

When I first started the blog and linking up to the stash report I decided to report as "used" the amount for a completed step of a project - blocks, sashing, border, etc - rather than an entire completed project.  The reason being that a little progress regularly would be more encouraging and motivating than a giant chunk every now and then.  It is working.  Every week I make extra effort to get something done and something used up!


Fabric Used This Week: 1 yard for recliner arm protectors, .35 yards for binding for pink & purple quilt

Total Used 2014:  20.95 yards
Fabric In This Week:  0 yds 

Total Bought/Received in 2014: 7.25 yards
Net Used 2014: 13.7 yards

Stop by Patchwork Times and see how others are doing with their stash.

Sewing Blue Blocks at Last

I have been waiting and waiting to get started on the blue blocks.  I finished the red stars that can be seen here and here and here, but had to put off the blue blocks since other projects were higher priority.

The instructions for the blue blocks were for the use of a single blue and a single neutral.  I wanted mine to be scrappy - each block a different blue & neutral.  So it was a little bit of a slow start getting it worked out for a single block, but now I have a system down and I should be able to get the others done in my little bits of found time. 

I couldn't wait to get enough done to put them on the design wall - covering the quinceanos quilt that is still stalled!  I love the way it looks with the different reds, blues and neutrals.  Just how I envisioned it.  But I know that if I had made this back when I first started about 4 years ago or so it would not have come out this way.  My skills and tastes have definitely changed.





 I made myself finish the binding on the two baby quilts before I made many more blocks.  Now I can sew blue blocks without guilt that something else needs to be done first. Only 18 more blue blocks! This quilt is currently on the front burner now!

Linking up with Patchwork Times.  Head on over to see what's on some other design walls.

Also hooking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict.  It's not a finish, but since I had to work extra this week any progress is good.

Stash Report 032314

I had the perfect backing for the blue & green baby quilt.  I believe it was leftover from the Green Memorial quilts that can be seen here.  I really liked this fabric, but I only had to think twice about using it as a backing now rather than in a top sometime in the future.  I also joined a bunch of batting strips and made a frankenbatting and was pleased to get that used up as well.

My motto for this year is "USE IT UP."  I inherited the packrat gene, so I have a lot to use up.  One quilt, one project at a time, I will get it used.

I had to go to the fabric store to buy thread since I ran out mid-quilting.  Since it was a variegated thread I thought I should at least attempt to find a match.  I found something close enough at my second stop.  Anyways, at my first stop I found remnants of flannel and cotton in cowboys & bandanas that would have made adorable burp cloths. But I came to my senses and realized that I don't have anyone to give them to, don't have time to make them, and on my current fabric budget don't have $ to buy it.  I figured that if I ever need cute burp clothes again I will go out and buy some cute fabric at that time.  So I am happy to report fabric out this week and not in!

Fabric Used This Week:  2.9 yards for blue & green quilt backing

Total Used 2014:  19.6 yards


Fabric In This Week:  0 yds 

Total Bought/Received in 2014: 7.25 yards

Net Used 2014: 12.35 yards

Stop by Patchwork Times and see how others are doing with their stash.

This was a Tough Finish

The pink & purple quilt quilted relatively easily so I never imagined so much difficulty with the blue & green quilt.  But like children - no two are alike.  My goal was to get it done this week and I did.

I had hoped to get them both bound as well.  Not sure about that, but I'll try.  The girls are having a sleepover with their grandfather tonight and I am having a one-woman quilting retreat!  No telling what I'll get done.

Hooking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict for a Friday Finish.

Helping Hands 2 Help 2014

Sarah over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict has a really worthwhile project going on now.

Through Hands 2 Help charity Quilt Challenge 2014 people are making quilts for 3 organizations: Quilts of Compassion, Happy Chemo, and folks recovering from Hurricane Sandy.

Not only is it a great cause, but there are also discounts, free patterns and other give-aways.

It's not too late to sign up.  Head on over to:

http://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/2014/03/make-list-monday-hands2help-other-things.html

Marjorie K. Rawlings Quilt?

Tragic Ending For a Quilt

On our Spring Break trip we made a side trip to the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings State Park.  We might not have even noticed the small sign except that Little S's school is named for her. It was out in the middle of nowhere but worth it to see how excited Little S was to be there.  

Unfortunately it was not a day for inside tours but we were able to poke around and explore outside. Look what we found covering the chicken coop!

What a sad ending for a completely hand stitched quilt - covering a chicken coop. The coop already had a roof so it was unclear what the purpose of the quilt was. Maybe to cover the sides at night but it didn't appear to be big enough for that.  The greenish fabric under & next to the quilt appeared to be a table cloth and was in much better shape.

At first I thought the extreme difference in colors was fade or the back folded over the front, but it was just very different fabrics. Some of the stripes were completely shredded up to the seams.  I was tempted to take it off and spread it out to photograph flat but I was afraid it would fall apart even more. It was raining while we were there and it had obviously been rained on many times already. 

The girls asked why I didn't take the quilt and rescue it from its fate.  Even they recognized that this was not the proper use of a quilt. I do wonder if it had belonged to Marjorie Rawlings or was from the caretakers. Either way, what a shame. 

Note: Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (August 8, 1896 – December 14, 1953) was an American author who lived in rural Florida and wrote novels with rural themes and settings.  Probably best known for The Yearling which was made into a movie starring Gregory Peck.

Stash report 031614

Back to sewing after a few weeks of forced separation from the sewing machine.  Yippee!!  So I have fabric moving out again.

Sashings, inner and outer borders on the blue & green baby quilt DONE.  All scraps and fabric from the stash. 

Fabric Used This Week:   1.7 yds for sashings, inner and outer borders

Total Used 2014:  16.7 yards

Fabric In This Week:  0 yds 

Total Bought/Received in 2014: 7.25 yards

Net Used 2014: 9.45 yards

Now to see what I can use up to make a backing.

Go see some other stash reports at  Patchwork Times

Strawberry Picking

I see more strawberry jam in my future.

Visiting my sister to kick start our Spring Break. Went strawberry picking at Spivey Farms. Fill a quart basket for 50 cents.  Kept filling and filling and dumping into our own containers.

   And eating and eating!  On our way out paid  on the honor system. 

 We ended up with 26 quarts for $13.  Wow. Way better than the grocery store in price and taste.   Sure wish it was closer to home so we could do it every year.

Flimsy at Last

Took longer than I had hoped but I finally got the top done.  R was home from college briefly, I was called in to work extra days, etc, etc but the delay worked out fine.  I had more time to think about getting the borders on since I was unable to sew so I changed my original plan and went with solid corners in the outer border. I like having more yellow to liven it up even more for a baby and it was easier. So when I finally got 15 min to sew again it was DONE!

Thanks to a situation that has been hanging overhead for ages reaching resolution the quilt doesn't have to be done by mid-March after all. Phew!  I am happier for the resolution than the postponing because it means that we are good for overseas travel again!!  So I can hand-deliver!!!! either the pink quilt or this quilt to the new niece or nephew in Guatemala this summer.  We are so excited!

Spring break is next week. I will have plenty of time to get it quilted and then get this quilt and the pink & purple quilt bound for sure.  I am eager to get back to the red, white and blue quilt. 

Found a great place to photograph the quilt while killing time waiting for Middle E's activity - a 20 min drive for a 1 hr meeting in a really out of the way place :(   Little S remembered the playground at the athletic field nearby and saved us from sitting in a parking lot!  The view from the top of the slide/bridge is perfect to get a nearly direct overhead shot.   I have a feeling we will be back!

Linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict to show off a finish.

Strawberry Jam

Yummy!  A goal this year was to make jam and jelly when fruits reached their lowest price of the season. I already made apple and here is some strawberry.

I will get more strawberries during spring break next week and make more. It is always the most popular.  I give most of it away as hostess, thank you and teacher gifts. Can't go wrong with homemade jelly and a loaf of fresh bread!!

Scrappy Challenge Near Finish

I almost got it done.   The center is finished.  I need a few more keys on the piano though.  Came up a little short there. 

I have a great excuse.  It is R's Spring Break and she is home from college for 5 days.  Yippee!  I would not trade that for anything.  Her sisters are loving it.  It is so nice to see them all together again.  Not sure when we will have her again, so we are taking advantage of every minute.

In this upside down picture you can see the January Scrappy Challenge block in the upper left and lower right.  The February Blocks are in the center of each outer side.  The 4 center blocks are stars made from the leftovers of my Smith Mountain Morning with a few adaptations to work with the scraps and colors for this quilt.  The upper right and lower left are churn dash blocks - making do with what I had.

It has to be completely finished by mid-March in order to get hand delivered to Guatemala for the new baby.  It will be.  After R leaves I will pour myself into it instead of moping around missing her!!

This was a good challenge for me.  Gave me something to focus on for a needed quilt instead of spending too much time agonizing over choosing the perfect design.  I enjoyed learning new units.  It all went together quickly.  I look forward to March's block.

See some other scrappy finishes at Patchwork Times