Catching Up with Cassandra

 I've been following along with Barbara Brackman's latest appliqué BOM - Cassandra's Circle.  

I've enjoyed the accompanying Civil War history stories about Mary Chestnut (the Cassandra of the BOM title) and her circle of friends.

More importantly, I've enjoyed the appliqué challenges: learning different appliqué techniques, and improving my understanding of color and fabric choices for appliqué.

I finished block 8 yesterday (Cotton Boll), just in time for block 9 (Lost Love), published today.  I used freezer paper and starch to prep the appliqué pieces.  The pieces were stitched in place using machine appliqué - in this case, a very narrow zig-zag stitch and monofilament thread.

Since the design wall was empty, I did a quick arrangement of all the completed blocks.  Not a great photo, but it does remind me I need to use some more blue fabrics.  That's a perfect starting point for the Lost Love block!

Scrappy Catch-Up and Finish

 I've done a little work on Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks this month.

Our challenge color was red, and I made four red, scrappy 25-patch stars earlier in the month.

Since I didn't start the 25-patch stars (yes, I'm using a throw-back name) until mid-year, I've been working backwards through previous RSC colors.  My green scraps were a little limited, but I still have lots of time to balance out colors if needed.

I also dug up some additional red scraps to make some Easy Breezy Leader-Ender blocks.  These are fun scrap-buster blocks; I need to cut some more parts to replenish my leader-ender stash.

I was finally able to photograph a finished quilt that started as an RSC project.

According to my notes, I started this quilt in 2014, but I apparently didn't blog about it until 2017.  This represents just about every blue fabric (excluding reproduction fabrics) that has made its way through my stash in the past six years!

The quilt is destined for the bed in my guest room; it measures 88 inches by 93 inches.  I didn't follow a specific pattern, just made Variable/Sawtooth Star blocks and Uneven Nine-patch blocks until the quilt was the size I wanted.  The Flying Geese border added a few extra inches and a finishing touch.

Long-arm quilting by Diane D. Knott of Butterfly Threads Quilting.  I love how the double clamshell pattern worked out!

Some of you know I love the combination of blue and white.  Whether it's quilts, transferware china, or KLM houses (thanks, Barb!), I seem to gravitate to all things blue and white.  I figured this quilt was as much a collection of blue and white as anything else I collect, hence the quilt name.

Finishing this quilt was a great sunshine-y spot during the past crazy months!

Red Scraps and Schoolhouses

 Although the calendar says "September", the heat and humidity still feel like August!  We're under heat advisories for the long Labor Day weekend, so quilting is a good excuse to stay indoors - in the air conditioning!

The new month also means a new color for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  Red scraps are the focus this month, and I've already been busy cutting and piecing them.

I'm making 25-patch star blocks as an RSC project - trying to use prints instead of tonal or blender type fabrics.  I had to dig around a little to find just the right scraps.

Coincidentally, I finished up a red and white quilting project that started during last year's red RSC month.

The Schoolhouse quilt was finished in June, but I procrastinated on making a label for it.  I finally added the label last week and I'll be sending the quilt off to its new home when the holiday weekend is over.

I've made several quilts for my sister, and she always laments not having any large blank walls in her home where she can hang the quilts.  I keep telling her to just use the quilts, not hang them, but she insists they are "too pretty" to use.  (sound familiar?)

I figured if I made a wall-hanging size quilt for her, she could find a spot to hang it on the wall.  I even added a hanging sleeve! 

I had fun figuring out how to hand quilt the blocks, sashing, and borders.

 She'll be retiring next year after a career in education, so I thought the Schoolhouse pattern was appropriate!

I hope everyone has a safe relaxing weekend!