Cheating on the No New Project Diet

I've been on a (No) New Project Diet for several weeks now.  My goal has been to finish up some long-standing projects before I start anything new.  

The diet has been working pretty well, but sometimes it's hard to resist the urge to have some creative fabric play.  Inspiration struck this week when I decided it was OK to indulge in fabric play - for a project that was already under way.

I started making Burgoyne Surrounded blocks last year as part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  I hadn't made any for several months, but the need for some fabric therapy got me going again.  The RSC color(s) for this month are dark green and sage.  The starting fabric for this block was the small green floral.  The scraps didn't lead in exactly the dark green direction I intended, but I like the result. 

This block started with the dark green batik.  I haven't sewn all the parts together yet, but you can see how I handle all the little pieces.  First, sew the different block units (9 patches, 4 patches, etc.) together, then assemble all the parts into rows.

We are having glorious Autumn weather here in our neck of the Gu'f Coast.  Dear Hubby and I both took Friday off from work (gotta use those vacation days, they disappear at the end of the year!) and have been chillin' at our camp.  Of course being at the camp means I get to sew on my Singer 15K treadle.  I enjoyed many happy hours of stitching this weekend!

And what was I stitching?  Some 9-patches from a swap organized by Barb at Fun With Barb.  This project has been on my Finish It list for over a year.  I'm so happy to finally be assembling these into a quilt top!  This picture is a tease, because the final block arrangement will be very different.

And since we're enjoying the camp, I decided it was time to hang my New Orleans Sunflowers quilt.  This was my first hand appliqué quilt.  My inspiration was a pattern by Anita Shackleford.  Dear Hubby made the quilt hanger for me.

I haven't given up on the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, so I'm linking up with them this week.  It's always great to see all the colorful inspiration on display!  

Still on the Finish It Train!

I have not been blogging much recently, because most of my quilting activity has involved hand-stitching bindings.  I've finished the binding on one quilt and started another, but there are still FOUR more in the pile of un-bound quilts!  

And why have I been focused on all this binding?  Because I'm still on a kick to finish up some UFOs!

This quilt got finished up earlier this week.  It's had a final trip through the washer and dryer and I'm more than happy with how it softened up and got crinkly.

The weather is not conducive to outdoor pictures today, but I wanted to document the quilt before mailing it off to a family member.  This quilt started out as an effort to use up a big stock of red, white and blue scraps from a previous quilt.  First I made the 16-patch blocks, then added the pinwheels (inspired by a Bonnie Hunter quilt).  Next, a red border followed by an HST zig-zag border (maybe my favorite type of border?!) and another dark blue border to frame everything.

My local long-arm quilter, Cindy Braiwick, had fun adding some patriotic quilting elements.

She added lots of stars, some words, and other patriotic symbols.  The quilt is a gift for my uncle, who is retired from the US Air Force.

The quilting showed up better on the back of the quilt, although I had to tweak the color to improve the visual.

And yup - I remembered to add a label!

Another quilt on the Finish It! list is Modern Crosses.  I should probably call this Not Modern Crosses, as I used reproduction fabrics instead of modern fabrics.  These are blue blocks for September's Rainbow Scrap Challenge color.

I needed five more blocks to complete the setting, so I chose some multi-color florals.

I wasn't in love with just arranging the blocks in a straight set, so I looked online to see if anyone else was making the pattern and how they were setting the blocks.

When I saw several versions of the quilt using this half-drop setting, I knew I had a winner.  Now to cut some half-size pieces for the side blocks and stitch everything together!

I also did a little experimental sewing.  I needed a clear vinyl bag of some sort to carry necessities to an upcoming American football game.  Any bags being carried into American sports stadiums need to conform to a specific size and be see-through.  I knew I could probably make something from materials I had on hand, so I went looking for inspiration online.  Diane Knott at Butterfly Threads had recently made a bag of her own, and I also found this tutorial which got me started.

I didn't want my bag to be team-specific, so I chose some stash fabric with fall colors.  I already had some vinyl on hand, and some lightweight fusible interfacing for the handles.  Not bad for an afternoon's sewing!  Now I'll have something to tote my wallet, sunglasses, reading glasses and lip balm - all things I hate to be without!

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!

The Scraps of Summer

Here we are, almost to the end of August already!  Local schools are already back in session and it's starting to get dark just a little earlier every night.  We even had a "weak cold front" (as the weather prognosticators called it) roll through Wednesday night, which at least dropped the humidity for about 36 hours.  Even though the daytime temperatures were still in the 90s, the low humidity was heavenly!

I am still on a Finish It Up kick, trying to get some project boxes emptied out and reduce the mental fog caused by too many UFOs.

These blocks were started in 2012 for a BOW by Barbara Brackman:  Grandmother's Choice.  The blocks commemorated the push for voting rights for women.  My original plan was to set the blocks with blue cornerstones, but about a third of them were not quite the right size, and I was afraid it would be too hard to get everything to come out straight if I used cornerstones.  This actually turned out straighter than I thought it would - although I felt like I was wrestling the quilt as I worked on it!

I think it needs a little extra oomph, so I'm going to add a narrow dark blue border, followed by a wider blue and red floral border.  I didn't buy enough of the floral fabric - bad math on my part - or I would've finished the quilt today.

In between wrestling with the Grandmother's Choice blocks, I also finished some Modern Cross blocks using orange (cheddar!) reproduction fabrics.  I think I've finished the RSC colors for this project, except for a few dark blue blocks.  

Next up:  binding this 16-patch and pinwheel quilt that started life as an RSC project.  It's still too hot to sit under a quilt while hand-stitching the binding, but I'll just crank down the air conditioning while I'm sewing!

More scrappy stitching can be found at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge link-up.

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!

Red Repro Returning

This week's Rainbow Scrap Challenge project was to use some red reproduction fabrics for quarter log cabin blocks.

It's sad that reproduction fabrics don't photograph easily.  This is a nice group of different red fabrics, but you'd need a real close-up shot to see all the variety.  I'm contemplating setting these blocks on point for the final quilt, so I keep experimenting to see how I like that arrangement.

And for comparison, here are all the quarter log blocks together, in a straight set.  The blocks finish at 9 inches, and I plan to have at least 45 blocks when I'm finished.  

That's the extent of my RSC sewing for this week.  I'm still trying to finish some UFOs, so I'm keeping the scrappy sewing short and sweet for awhile.  There's lots of scrappy inspiration at the weekly RSC link-up, though!

Red Hot July Scraps

The Rainbow Scrap Challenge proceedeth, and the color for this month's scrapping is declared to be red.  Perfect for these record-setting hot July days!

A quick excavation in the box of 1.5 inch strips produced enough scraps for two 49 patch blocks.  I started making these blocks in 2017, using random 2 inch scrap pieces.  When the 2 inch squares were exhausted, I started using Trip Around the World style piecing to make these blocks.  

The design wall was empty, so I pinned up all the 49 patch blocks to date.  I've been aiming for 3 blocks in every rainbow color, so I need more orange and blue blocks.  There's a 3rd pink block, but I noticed the sizing was off, so it may have to get re-done.

That's the extent of my red-hot scrappy stitching so far this month.  For more scrappy inspiration, check out the Rainbow Scrap Challenge link-up for today!

Teal Repro Crosses

I put some teal reproduction scraps to work this week - making quarter log cabin blocks for my Modern Crosses quilt.

When I started making these blocks, I had lots of neutral-colored fabric scraps (chunks) to use for the backgrounds.  I've just about run through the scraps and will have to start cutting yardage.

My design wall is currently empty, so I should pin all these blocks up and start thinking about the finished quilt.  I only need two additional color groups (orange and brown) to wrap up my plans for this quilt.

On a completely different note, I pulled out a UFO this week and made plans for finishing it.  I started these Grandmother's Choice blocks in 2012, a BOW created by Barbara Brackman.  All 49 blocks have been marinating since August of 2013, so maybe I can finish assembling them by August this year!

Scrappy Fabric Therapy

Today was one of those Saturdays when I was in serious need of some fabric therapy.  I did a lot of traveling for work this week, and that left me too tired to do much of anything in the evenings.  Happily, I was able to spend most of today sewing, and getting lots of good things accomplished!

I'm still plugging along on some Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects.  This month's color is teal (and similar variations), so I pulled some 1.5 inch strips and pieced two 49-patch blocks.

I'm still not sure what size quilt project I'll ultimately make with these.  They're only 7 inches, so I'll either need to make a lot more, or stop soon and make a small quilt.

Last year's block was made with random 1.5 inch squares; the Trip Around the World/strip method is much easier!

I've been feeling the need to finish up a number of languishing projects - so most of my current stitching focus has been on moving things along.

One of last year's Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects was making Windblown Wishes blocks from Diane D. Knott's Scrap Quilt Secrets book.  After I assembled my blocks, I took a little detour from Diane's pattern when it came to the borders.  I decided to make a half-square triangle border, again using rainbow colors.  

Today I added a narrow all-white border and stitched all the HSTs together for the next border.  If I'm lucky, I'll get to sew the borders to the top tomorrow.  I think I'll add a wider white border after the HSTs to finish things up.

I haven't been blogging much over the past several weeks, so I was surprised to discover Blogger had disabled the emailed comments feature.  I've switched to moderating all comments, so at least I'll get an email notification when comments are posted.  I do enjoy all the sharing that takes place via blogging comments, so I hope this helps keep the conversation alive!

*Edit:  moderated comments are not getting sent via email, either. 

There's more Rainbow Scrap Challenge inspiration at the weekly RSC link-up, so please stop by and see what other quilters are up to!

Scrappy Quilt Construction Goes Pink

Pink is the color for this month's Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  I've scoured the bins of pink strips and squares and pulled some pink scrappy chunks from various drawers.  Blocks were made and parts and pieces assembled.  I'm getting anxious to finish up a couple of scrappy projects from last year, so I jumped ahead and made some extra parts and pieces as well.

First project:  use up some 1.5 inch strips to make 49-patch blocks.  I already had one pink block from last year, and I was able to add 2 more.  I'm waiting for the end of the year before I decide what to do with these blocks.

I started making these quarter square log cabin blocks this year using reproduction fabrics.  My original plan for these blocks was to make a straight set quilt, but maybe I'll reconsider and set them on point.

One of last year's RSC projects was based on Windblown Wishes, a quilt from Diane D. Knott's book, Scrap Quilt Secrets.  I decided to do an outer border of HSTs, and planned to make the HST parts each month as part of this year's Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

Since I had the box of 2.5 inch scrappy strips out anyway (for the pink HSTs), I went ahead and finished up all the remaining colors needed to finish the border.  I'm not sure when I'll get to start assembling this, but at least the HSTs are ready to go.

This is another Rainbow Scrap 2017 project that still needs attention.  The scrappy pinwheel blocks need sashing and cornerstones; the cornerstones are more pinwheel blocks.

And now the cornerstone pinwheels are complete, so as soon as I cut the sashing, I can start assembling this RSC project!

If you love scrappy quilts, be sure to check out today's Rainbow Scrap Challenge link-up - lots of colorful inspiration!

A Little More Yellow with More Machine Appliqué

The Rainbow Scrap Challenge colors for April were yellow and gold.  I pulled out some scraps earlier in the month for on-going RSC projects and I wrapped up the month with some reproduction fabric scrappy appliqué.

The basket pattern is from Blackbird Designs - When the Cold Wind Blows.  I've been using the design to practice machine appliqué techniques.  

Inspired by a recent post by Barb (Fun with Barb), I decided to try using 100 weight polyester thread for machine appliqué.  Barb had tried the thread for machine quilting, but I reasoned it might be good for machine appliqué as well.

Barb used Invisifil thread, a product from Wonderfil.  The thread is advertised as "ultra-fine but surprisingly strong".  I ordered some small spools of Invisifil in neutral colors to try on my basket blocks.

For stitching, I used a universal 65/9 needle and 50 wt Aurifil cotton thread in my bobbin.  After I adjusted the tension a tiny bit, my machine was very happy with the new thread.  In this example, the neutral thread worked well with the fabrics and seems to disappear, although the stitching line is fairly easy to see.  What I like about the 100 weight thread is the matte finish.

I ordered my Invisifil thread from Red Rocks Thread, and while I was perusing the website I decided to see if there were any other 100 wt thread options.  I wound up ordering a spool of Superior MicroQuilter 100 wt thread.  The MicroQuilter thread is advertised as being very strong, but still good for invisible stitching. 

The MicroQuilter thread performed just as easily in my machine; I used the same needle and bobbin thread.  The stitching is more obvious in this example, but using a different color of thread might improve the "invisibility".   Again, the matte finish is a plus.  Both of these threads come in a multitude of colors, so getting a close match is possible. 

For comparison, I went back and photographed the stitching on an early basket.  This block was stitched with invisible nylon monofilament thread (YLI brand, but others are available).  The nylon thread is good for recreating the look of hand appliqué, but the thread does have a glossy look.  

OK, now that I've bored you with all my thread experiments, go over to the weekly Rainbow Scrap link-up for some scrappy inspiration!