New Orleans House Project

Sunday, March 13, 2022

March Comes in with the Scraps

 I don't know about you, but for the past two weeks I've been struggling to stay focused on long-term or complicated quilt projects. It's not that I've lost my sewing mojo, just that complicated pattern instructions or large piecing projects just seem overwhelming.  Simplicity has been the rule of the day.

In that case, hurrah for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!

Antique Tile blocks couldn't be simpler.  A couple of squares, a couple of rectangles, sew everything into 9-patch components - pretty soon you have a finished 12-inch square.  

BTW, this month's color for the RSC is yellow. 😎


 I was able to use up some vintage scraps here - the blue and yellow print is 20 years old.


 The sunflower print is another vintage fabric.  I'll be sad when I've used up the last of these scraps!


The Blackford's Beauty blocks require a little more concentration, but after you've made a few of them, they're not that difficult.  Just assemble the pieces into 9-patch units and sew everything together as you would a 9-patch block.



 After making a BB block in bright yellow scraps, dig out some reproduction yellow/gold scraps and make another block.  I think most of the scraps here were generated during Barbara Brackman's Stars in a Time Warp BOW.  Which reminds me I still haven't assembled my SIATW blocks.

 


 You may recall a few weeks ago I was working on a tulip block project for my quilt group.  Tulips are not traditional spring flowers in New Orleans because our climate is not all that favorable to them.  However, they can be coaxed into blooming, and we love the results.

The largest park in New Orleans - City Park - shares a tulip garden every year on the shores of their Big Lake.  This is just a small slice of the scenery, taken the Saturday after Mardi Gras.  Happy Spring!