In Praise of Dark Blue Scraps

There's a new page on the calendar and a new color for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  This month's challenge is to use the dark blue and dark neutral scraps in the bin.  I have a never-ending stash of blue scraps, so it was short work to pull some strips for a 49-patch block.

With this block completed, I now have 24 of these seven inch beauties.  

I think this may be my favorite block arrangement so far!  I love the effect the white squares create.  A large quilt in this style, made in rainbow colors, would be wonderful.  Unfortunately, I don't want to make any more seven inch blocks, so this will be the extent of this project.  Maybe I'll tackle a larger version - with larger blocks - at some point in the future.

These sailboat blocks were a souvenir from the Pensacola Quilter's Guild Show of 1993.  They sat around in a drawer until 2016, when I decided to assemble them as part of the blue Rainbow Scrap Challenge month.  All the assembly fabrics came from my scrap stash.  

After the sailboats were assembled, they languished some more because I couldn't decide how to quilt them.  Finally I decided to just "get 'er done" and added batting and backing and started hand quilting.  The quilting isn't fancy, but it holds the layers together and was good practice.  

The backing is scraps of lobster fabric from another quilt.  I even added a hanging sleeve!

There was an affectionate voice in my head reminding me to add a label - and so I did!

I'm adding my blue scraps to the RSC link-up - always fun and always inspirational!

Summer Stitching

Today was the first time I've touched my sewing machine in about two weeks!  I felt kinda rusty, so I started out with simple 49-patch blocks.  Since the month just started, there's a new color for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge - orange.  

I pulled out the box of 1.5 inch strips and pulled enough strips for two 49-patch blocks.

I've been using Bonnie Hunter's Trip Around the World technique to make these blocks.

Throwing in last year's 49-patch - now there are three.  When dark blue comes up as an RSC color, I'll have three blocks in each rainbow color.  Then it will be time to assemble these somehow or other.

Even though I've neglected my sewing machine, I've still been plying my needle.  These sailboat blocks were souvenirs from a quilt show many years ago (1993!).  I finally assembled them about 2 years ago as part of an RSC project, then let them languish because I couldn't decide how to quilt them.

I few weeks ago I figured there was no time like the present to get the batting and backing together and baste the layers for hand quilting.  I still didn't know what I was going to do for quilting design, but I figured I could at least start by quilting around all the blocks.  I just kept adding quilting here and there and before long it was getting done.  I'm still not completely finished, but the end is in sight.

Need more orange scrap inspiration?  Check out the weekly Rainbow Scrap Challenge link-up!

Adieu Bleu

Today is the last day for sharing scrappy blue projects for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  This January was blessed with 5 Saturdays, so that meant lots of time for playing with blue scraps.  Although I didn't construct a lot of blue blocks, or finish any blue quilts, I still feel I made good use of lots of blue scraps!

 

This week I finished a batch of 4" Sawtooth Stars.  These will get added to last year's blocks, which will eventually become a very scrappy rainbow star quilt. 

 

The sailboat blocks were a souvenir from a quilt show in 1993.  They were all stitched by different hands and were not all the same size  I decided to use the wonky setting technique Bonnie Hunter used on her Happy Scrappy Houses to get the blocks to a uniform size.  The sashing and cornerstone fabrics are all from the scrap stash.  I think I'd like to add another outer border, but it depends on what I can find in my stash.  I'm really happy to have finally put these blocks to use!

Since my stash of blue scraps is endless, I'm sure I'll be returning to scrappy blue piecing throughout the year.  For now though, I'm looking forward to focusing on another color and seeing what inspiration strikes.