Flannel Rag Quilt Set

Long Story for a Fun Project

Due to an unusual set of circumstances I taught a small group of students for three years in a row.  It was really a privilege to see them learn to walk when I was in the One-Year- Old class,  hear them make sentences when we were in the Twos, and just take off ready to go at the world when we were in the Threes.  It was sad to see them go at the end of the year last year.  We had a Super Party to send them off.  Check out what I made to go with the party   here and  here

Anyways, one of the moms was really great at keeping us motivated.  She kept us in treats all the time.  It didn't take much for her to think of some reason to bring us a goodie.  So when she became pregnant last year with a much desired baby, we knew we had to do something for her.  Mr. Blue has now moved on the the VPK class, but we still see him in the hallways and we have been keeping up with the baby's arrival.

Mr. Blue told us that the color for the baby's room was pink, white and purple.  I went to my stash and had plenty to work with.  For a long time I have wanted to make a rag quilt from flannel.  This was the perfect project.  I didn't have enough of a variety of all flannels, so I made sure that each square had at least one side flannel and there were no non-flannels side by side in order for the rag edge to work.  I did not put an extra layer of flannel or batting in the middle of each square.  We live in Florida and flannel is usually plenty warm.

I made the quilt in just a few hours - once I stopped agonizing over whether to cut the fabric or save it for another 20 years, the project moved right along.  My co-teacher did the cutting/fringing of the seams.  I got off easy on that!

Quilt Front

Quilt Back

Rag Edge Detail

I had a few odd pieces left over so I made a little lovey also with rag edges.  The edges are not quite a fun as on the larger quilt, but it is still very textural.  I had fun mixing and matching the shapes front and back.  I like a good puzzle.

Lovey Front

Lovey Back

The whole project started because I thought a few burp clothes would be a good gift.  I made them last and used up more fabric.

Burp Cloth Front and Back

Folded Burp Clothes

 Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts  and Confessions of a Fabric Addict  to show off finishes.

Appliquéd Hearts

This quilt started with a small stack of orphan blocks from somewhere.  I copied the heart and made a few more to learn some of the decorative stitching on my mother's machine. Every now and then I would make another.

Last weekend out of the blue I pulled it out and added a few more blocks. Then I decided to count them up. I realized with a very little bit of effort I could be done.  

The blue border was a 6 yard long  4" wide strip - all a single piece - that had recently been given to me.  In and out just that fast.  I like that. 

It was not anything special, not high priority, not anything at all really. Far from perfect, but done. It will go to the guild for someone else to quilt and then on to Hopsice.  I think it will work just fine there.  "Covered in Love" might be a good name. 

 Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts  and Confessions of a Fabric Addict  to show off finishes.

Stash Report 092814

Appliquéd Hearts

An unexpected finish when I should have been finishing something else. Oh well. Fabric out is fabric out, right?  It will go to the guild for someone else to quilt and then on to Hospice.  So it is really going out!

Fabric Used This Week: 2.79 yards for front and backing

Total Used 2014:  56.97 yards
Fabric In This Week: 0 yards 

Total Bought/Received in 2014: 16.08 yards
Net Used 2014: 40.89 yards

 Head on over to Patchwork Times to see how others are doing with their stash.

Stash report 092114

Drawstring lunch bag

This was a pretty quick project that took longer to think through than actually do it. You can see the process here.

Fabric Used This Week: .5 yards for bag front & lining - all from stash, drawstring cord too!

Total Used 2014:  54.18 yards
Fabric In This Week: 0 yards 

Total Bought/Received in 2014: 16.08 yards
Net Used 2014: 38.10 yards

Head on over to Patchwork Times to see how others are doing with their stash.

Drawstring Lunch Bag

My high-schooler has been taking her lunch to school in a ziploc bag. I envisioned a fabric version of the plastic bag. I still had shark (the mascot!) fabric left from previous projects for her.   I thought about it for a few weeks, then I finally cut the fabric. Of course there was not enough since it was directional. So I added a contrasting insert and had to set it aside while life happened.

Finally this past weekend I desperately needed to finish something in my life and have some small amount of control. I showed her how far I had gotten and offered to embroider her name in the blank spot - thinking she was too old for that. Nope, she was all for it.  

Got out the embroidery machine, which is about 25 years old but still works for simple stuff.  The thread broke. The needle broke. The thread jammed   The thread broke. I have never had this much trouble before.  By the time I set and reset her name it was not the least bit even. She was still happy with it. If she keeps it full and closed up it is less noticeable. Just don't tell anyone your mother made it!

The rest of the bag was easy peasy.  I know I could have figured it out on my own, but since things were not going smoothly I looked it up.   I used this tutorial    and it went together so quickly.

 Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts  and Confessions of a Fabric Addict  to show off finishes.

Scrap Bag Flimsy

I got this to the flimsy stage.  The background story on this quilt can be found here.

I really, really like this layout.

I would like to use the pink for a border but not sure I have enough.  That challenge will have to wait for a time with no distractions since I need to concentrate to get it right the first time.

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts  and Confessions of a Fabric Addict  to show off finishes.

Scrap Box Quilt

Stash Report 082414

I am working on a project that started with 1 orphan block, some pieces and some scraps.  When my MIL let us into a box of scraps that had been given to her I found this.

I really liked it and as we dug around we found more bits and pieces that obviously went with it.  So I brought it home since I really needed another project!  The good thing is that it didn't take much space in the luggage.

It has been waiting and waiting.  I ironed up the scraps a while back so then they were positioned temptingly.  I resisted and stuck to what had to be done.  Finally, last weekend we watched 3 movies.  I never watch TV and rarely rarely watch a movie, so this was a big deal.  (We had 3 free Red Box movies and it was the last weekend before school started.)  I had to have something to work on while we watched, so I got out the pieces, pulled more fabric from the stash and that kept me busy.   Over the 3 movies I got all the pieces cut and organized.  The background green was the limiting factor.  I was able to barely get 20 blocks, which was my goal.  There was no more of the reddish pink from the original scraps, so I went with another pink altogether and it turned out fine.

Got them ironed and squared up and started playing with layouts.  The obvious was this, except I didn't like the incomplete row and there was no way to make 4 more blocks.














                                 Tried this next and I LOVE it.

The background green is much softer in real life.

I would like to add a border of the pink, but I am not sure there is enough for even a very narrow border. We'll see once I get the blocks sewn together.

Blocks are squared and there are no glaring color mis-placements - yet!

I would definitely make this design again, but do it using strips rather than blocks.  It would go faster with fewer seams for the same look.

My Stash Report rules say that I can report fabric as used once I get an entire step of the process done.  Little bits of progress keep me more motivated over the long run.  So here's my report.  I only counted what I added from my stash, which was not much after I got it calculated.  But fabric out is fabric out!!


Fabric Used This Week: .25 yards 

Total Used 2014:  53.68 yards
Fabric In This Week: 0 yards 

Total Bought/Received in 2014: 16.08 yards
Net Used 2014: 37.60 yards

Head on over to Patchwork Times to see how others are doing with their stash.