Some Rainbow Scrap Challenge Finishes

I've put the finishing touches on several Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilts recently, but did not take the time to photograph all the results.  Since we spent the long Independence Day holiday at our camp last weekend, I packed up my finished quilts so I could hang them from the balcony for photos.

I started making the 9-patch variation blocks in 2015 and put the finishing stitches in the quilt late last year.  

Diane Knott of Butterfly Threads Quilting did the long-arm quilting for me - lots of swirls to counteract all the squares and angles on the front of the quilt!  

The handprint backing fabric has been hanging around in my stash for 20 years, at least.  This seemed like a great project to use it up!  I also shopped in my stash for the binding fabric - a purple cross-hatch fabric that worked perfectly.

Another long-running Rainbow Scrap Challenge project is this sampler quilt.  Our RSC leader, Angela Feldbush, shared block instructions every week throughout 2014, resulting in lots of scrappy sampler quilts.

My finished sampler top languished in the "Needs Quilting" pile for a couple years, until I had the great idea to ask Diane Knott to long-arm quilt it for me.

I spent some binge-watching TV time hand-stitching the binding last week so I could add this quilt to the Finished pile.

I was being optimistic when I put the finished date on my label!

Windblown Wishes was a more recent Rainbow Scrap Challenge project.  My inspiration was the Windblown Wishes quilt in Diane Knott's Scrap Quilt Secrets book.  I used a different border treatment than Diane's pattern, but I think it worked out well for the RSC format.

Of course I had to ask Diane to quilt this project!  Even the quilting reflects the "windblown" idea!

I used some leftover binding fabric to make a frame for the quilt label.  

So the UFO pile has shrunk a little, but there are still plenty of projects waiting for their finishing touches.  If I can tear myself way from non-stop weather coverage on television, I might actually do some sewing today.  And since our power is still on, I'm going to go look at more Rainbow Scrap Challenge inspiration at Angela's Soscrappy blog.

(FYI, we're still waiting for Tropical Storm Barry to make his presence felt in the New Orleans area.  Forget about the sensational coverage on the Weather Channel.  We've had minimal rain, minimal wind, and little storm surge.  Conditions are a little worse closer to the coast, but still not life-threatening.)

Windblown Wishes Gets An RSC Update

During last year's Rainbow Scrap Challenge, I used the monthly color challenge to make Windblown Wishes quilt blocks.  Once all the rainbow-hued blocks were done, I planned to assemble them much like Diane Knott's version in her Scrap Quilt Secrets book.  

Diane's pattern uses sashing and cornerstones to create secondary 9-patches between the blocks.  I liked the effect in Diane's quilt, but decided it just looked like random Starburst candies sprinkled on my quilt.  I think the difference is Diane's blocks contain random colors and mine are specific colors.  I tried organizing the cornerstones in a more color-specific way, but still didn't like the effect.

In the end, I opted for a traditional sashing and cornerstone layout. 

Now that I've changed direction from Diane's pattern, I plan to do my own border treatment as well.  There will be a 2-3 inch solid white border, followed by a border of RSC-themed HSTs to mimic the HSTs in the quilt blocks.  I'll probably add a final white fabric border outside the HSTs to stabilize them.  

The HSTs can be part of my monthly RSC projects.  I'll need around 15 of each rainbow color; that should be pretty easy to do using my already-cut strips and the handy-dandy Easy Angle Ruler.  

So, not much scrappy blue stitching here today, but if you check out today's RSC link-up, I'm sure you'll find plenty of inspiration!

Rainbow Scrap 2018 Kick-Off

So it looks like much of my Rainbow Scrap Challenge activity this year will involve pushing ongoing projects toward the finish line.  I plan to continue working on some previously started RSC blocks, but I'll also add at least one new project.

From the Wrapping Things Up Department:  assembling last year's Windblown Wishes blocks into a flimsy.  I'll be adding sashing and rainbow-hued cornerstones, followed by at least one fabric-only (not pieced) border.  The pattern can be found in Diane Knott's Scrap Quilt Secrets book.

Another ongoing RSC project will be to make more of these 49-patch blocks.  I started making them last year with random, 1.5 inch squares.  When I had used up all the squares, I started using Bonnie Hunter's Scrappy Trip Around the World technique for piecing the blocks - as evidenced by the pink block.  These finish at 7 inches, so I'll just keep making them until I decide I have enough for a wall hanging or small quilt.

Another carryover project from last year:  scrappy pinwheels.  The plan is to assemble the pinwheels into 9-patch blocks, with a neutral background.  I guess I'll try to assemble a few blocks each month as an RSC activity.  I haven't done any math on this project, so I may wind up needing more pinwheels...time will tell.

One more ongoing project:  scrappy selvage blocks.   I'm still not sure how I want to use these blocks, but I plan to continue working on them this year.

I plan to keep making Burgoyne Surrounded blocks in 2018, also.  I picked out these scrappy chunks for a light blue block, but haven't gotten the parts and pieces cut yet.

Last, but not least, I've added a quarter log cabin block to my Rainbow Scrap Challenge repertoire.  I only chose 2 light blue scrappy fabrics for this month; I figure I'll use lots more darker blue scraps when we get to that monthly color choice.

Wow.  Now that I've put all that in writing, it sounds like a lot of work, fabric therapy!  I think there's plenty here to keep me happily stitching for the coming year.

For more scrappy inspiration, be sure to check out the weekly Rainbow Scrap Challenge link-up page.

Disappearing Pink Scraps

The color for this month's Rainbow Scrap Challenge is pink.  I didn't find a lot of pink scraps in my stash, but I managed to use them in creative ways (I think).  I'm not finished working on my round of RSC projects, but the scraps have decreased to the point where I may have to make some new ones!

I completed two Windblown Wishes blocks this afternoon.  Pink wraps up all the blocks I plan to make for this quilt, so the next step is getting a flimsy assembled.  Maybe that will happen by the end of the year?

All kinds of random scraps got turned into pinwheel blocks.  I've accumulated quite a stack of pinwheel blocks, but I'm going to keep making them through the end of this year's RSC.  I do have a plan for them, but I'm not ready to start assembling them yet.

The scant amount of pink scraps led me to try strip piecing a pink 49-patch block.  I used Bonnie Hunter's Scrappy Trip Around the World piecing technique, but modified it for my needs.  I think this might be my favorite 49-patch block so far!  Since these are only 7" blocks, I'll be making more of them for next year's RSC.

For more pink scrappy fun, check out today's link-up at Angela's Soscrappy blog.

This Week in Fabric Therapy

My sewing room has been in need of some serious re-organizing for several months.  All the flat surfaces were so piled with fabric and projects and storage containers there was barely room to do any work.  I started to tackle the mess last weekend, and have at least made some progress in tidying up a few areas.

One of the main things I wanted to do was get this Spring Clean* string quilt project set up in an organized fashion, so I could whip out a string-pieced block whenever I had a small window of stitching time.  Now I've got baskets and bags of light and dark strings, plus a stack of ready-cut foundation squares.  This quilt requires 144 string-pieced blocks (I'm almost halfway there), so I need to stay focused if I'm ever going to finish it!

I started this Pumpkin Table Mat (Primitive Gatherings) several years ago in a class at The Quilted Owl.  I finished everything but the embroidered embellishments.  I found the storage container when I was re-organizing the sewing room.  I realized this might be my only taste of Fall this year, so I decided to get the embroidery finished and enjoy it.  I've been using a white chalk pencil to help with the stitching lines - I just haven't brushed all the chalk marks off yet.  The light-colored thread is actually gold - not sure why it looks white in the picture.

Another storage container re-discovery:  my hexagon creations from Barb Vedder's Hex Vex pattern.

I'll be traveling for work in the near future, so I decided to cut as many hexie parts as possible to give me something to work on while away from home.  I need to find a small Ott lite so I can see my stitches in the hotel room at night.  True confession:  I've been working on cutting these parts and pieces longer than just the past week!

Last but not least, the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color for October is pink.  The re-organizing project kept me from digging out any pink scraps until yesterday.  I pulled some 2 inch strips to make squares and HSTs for some Windblown Wishes blocks, but I haven't had time to finish them.  I'm not finding a lot of pink scraps in my bins, so I may have to make some new scraps!

As you can imagine, all this Fabric Therapy was an antidote for stress this week.  Whenever a hurricane threatens the Gulf Coast, we all use our favorite coping mechanisms.  I'm glad Fabric Therapy works so well for me!  Hurricane Nate was pretty much a no-show for New Orleans, and although there was weather-related damage to other parts of the coast, it wasn't as bad as predicted.  I will be glad when hurricane season is over!

*The Spring Clean Quilt is a pattern by Brioni Greenburg in Issue 8 of Fat Quarterly Ezine.  

Slicing Into Orange

I managed to use up a few more orange scraps this week, slicing them up into components for different Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects.

Orange Windblown Wishes blocks from Diane D. Knott's Scrap Quilt Secrets.

Windblown Wishes number two.  I only want to include rainbow colors in this quilt, so once the RSC gets to the color pink, I'll be finished making blocks.  

Ditto for orange Pinwheel blocks - just rainbow colors planned.  Almost time to start assembling these into a quilt top, too!

I meant to share this picture last week - the reunion of my son David and his dog Jozy.

Jozy stayed with us for a good chunk of the summer while David was out of town for work.  My husband and older son (Andrew) drove up to Dallas last weekend to take Jozy home.  Do you think they were happy to see each other again?!  BTW, Jozy is a boy dog, named for American soccer player Jozy Altidore.  There's a pun in there, of course:  Jozy Labrador.

No Escape from the Blues

The Rainbow Scrap Challenge focus on blue is about to come to an end.  My stash of blue strips, squares and chunks has thinned and my RSC projects have edged closer to completion.  On the other hand, working with blue fabric this month inspired me to pull out a blue and white UFO and start another blue and white scrap quilt.  I think I'll be working with blue for more than just the month of July!

One RSC project I've been working on this year is 4 patches.  These were just a simple way to use up bits and pieces of strips and squares left over from other projects.  I don't have a plan for these right now; I think I'll just hold on to them until inspiration strikes.

Another RSC project has been Windblown Wishes blocks from Diane Knott's book Scrap Quilt Secrets.  When I finish all the rainbow colors, I'll have 16 ten-inch blocks.  I think I will stop there and turn them into a wall hanging.  Unless different inspiration strikes!

Now that all the RSC projects have their blue additions, I'll be back to working on my blue & white Sawtooth Star and Uneven 9-Patch quilt (aka Big Blue Monster).  I've decided the BBM needs a border of Flying Geese blocks, and I still need to make about 40 of them.  And when that's finished, I'll be working on Diane's Summer Star Scrappy Sew Along - in my case, another blue and white scrap quilt!

Windblown Yellow

I did a lot of yellow scrappy prep work this week.  Lots of parts an pieces were cut, although not all were sewn.  Amazingly, I made a huge dent in my yellow scraps! 

The first blocks I assembled were Windblown Wishes from Diane Knott's Scrap Quilt Secrets.  Every time I make these blocks, I want to jump ahead and make all the other RSC colors just to see how they all turn out!  

 

I didn't have room to put all the Windblown blocks on the design wall today, but here's a sample of how the RSC blocks look so far.  Diane's quilt has sashing with cornerstones, which creates a secondary 9-patch between the blocks.  I will definitely be setting my blocks that way!

That's all the yellow scraps I have stitched to date.  There are still pinwheel blocks, 4 patches and Happy Scrappy House borders.  Maybe even a Burgoyne Surrounded block.  If you're a fan of scrap quilts, check out the Rainbow Scrap Challenge link up for this week!

Green Scrappy Bits

I'm off to a slow start on Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects this month.  There was this little distraction called the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (Jazz Fest for short) which was entertaining, but exhausting.  We had friends visiting from out of town, so prepping for that took time away from sewing, too.  It felt good to have some fabric therapy time today, as I dug through all the green scrap bins to make up some RSC blocks.

First up were some Windblown Wishes blocks from Diane Knott's book, Scrap Quilt Secrets.  These made a pretty good dent in all the lighter varieties of green in the scrap bins.

I also made some pinwheel blocks.  I need 15 of these, but I ran out of workable combos.  Time to make more scraps!

This 49-patch took every little green scrap in the bin.  I wasn't sure I could get all the different shades of green to play well together, but it's not too bad.

I've only made 4 of these blocks so far.  I'm not sure what the final plan for them will be.  They only finish at 7 inches, so I'll need a lot more of them if I want a quilt.

I also had enough bits of green to make some 4 patch blocks.  Again, there's no specific plan for these, I'm just trying to use up scraps.  I've started a notebook (in Evernote) of 4 patch quilt designs.

I still have some other Rainbow Scrap projects in need of green scraps.  I hope I'll have time for more fabric therapy this week so all my RSC projects get their infusion of green.  There's more green inspiration at the RSC link-up today.

Red, Red March

It's been kind of a slow start for scrappy March sewing.  I'm still not functioning at 100% after a bout with the flu, so everything seems to be happening in slow motion.  After spending the morning getting long-deferred car maintenance taken care of, I managed to spend a few hours playing with the scrap bins.

Working on the red & pink fabric drawer

The Rainbow Scrap Challenge color for March is red.  I generally prefer using clear reds as much as possible for my RSC projects, and I found a lot of brownish red and maroon in the scrap bin.  That meant I needed to sort through the red yardage for some "new" scraps.  Sorting was a fun project, as the drawer of red and pink fabric has not been straightened in some time.   

After cutting some new scrappy 2 inch strips, I was able to assemble 2 Windblown Wishes blocks.  It was good to go digging through the red yardage and scraps; some of the fabric bits still floating around my stash are from my earliest days as a quilter!

Linking up with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge party and enjoying everyone's red inspiration...

Aqua Wishes

I managed to do some serious depleting of my aqua and teal colored scraps for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge this week.  I don't have a big collection of blue-green fabrics in my stash, despite several years of stash enhancement for the RSC.  That sounds a little backwards, but you gotta have stash in order to make scraps, right?

This week's scrappy block was Windblown Wishes from Diane Knott's Scrap Quilt Secrets.  These are fun blocks to make and I look forward to having a pile of rainbow-colored Wishes at the end of the year!

In other news, I have been assembling my Quilty 365 blocks more rapidly than I thought possible.  I started assembling on Monday evening and I'm halfway through already!

I decided to set them in chronological order in sets of 30 - kind of like a calendar page.  The RSC color of the month often influenced which fabric got chosen on any given day, although apparently not often enough you'd be able to guess that month's color by looking at my blocks!

My plan is for narrow, neutral sashing between the 30 block sets.  Right now I'm auditioning 2 different gray fabrics.  The one on the right is a Riley Blake Blender and it's a bit on the taupe-y side.  The gray on the left is a Grunge fabric from Moda and definitely reads as more of a true gray.  I'm leaning more toward the Riley Blake right now...

Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Beginnings and Endings

It's the beginning of another year for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  The RSC has had a great deal of staying power, thanks to hostess Angela and the scrap-loving participants.  This year's challenge will continue the theme of using up scraps following a monthly color dedication. 

Since I've vowed to try to finish a flock of UFOs (or at least make progress on them) this year, I'm keeping my RSC plans on the simple side.  I'll definitely be working on finishing some RSC projects from previous years.  However, I can't stay out of the boxes of scrappy strips and squares, so there will be at least one new RSC project, too!

 

I knew I wanted to use 2 inch squares for this year's RSC project, as I have a large box full of 2 inch squares and strips (see Bonnie Hunter's Scrap Users System).  I originally thought I'd do postage stamp blocks, but I wasn't happy with lack of variety of light and dark fabrics in the stash box.  Next I tried white/light fabrics mixed with the purple squares and liked the result much better.  

Then I remembered Diane Knott had a fun pattern based on squares and HSTs in her book Scrap Quilt Secrets.  The quilt is called "Windblown Wishes".  Diane uses strip-piecing to make her 25 patch block centers, but the same look can be accomplished with scrappy squares.  I used my scrappy 2 inch strips and the Easy Angle ruler to make the HSTs.   

I was so pleased with the outcome I was ready to start making more "Windblown" blocks in other colors, so I think this project will be a keeper.

This week Angela has also invited RSC participants to share previous scrappy rainbow projects.  

I have posted about unfinished RSC projects in the past, but I've not taken a look back at completed projects.  I counted up seven quilts that were a direct result of RSC inspiration.  All but one of these quilts (the green Trip Around the World) were gifted to family or friends.

 

I also counted up six flimsies that were created as a result of the RSC.  I hope to have the Scrap Jar Star in reproduction fabrics (top left), the RSC Sampler (top right) and the Carpenter's Wheel (bottom left) quilted and complete by the end of 2017.

 

I worked on the New Orleans House Project in 2013.  The blocks have been waiting for attention since then.  One of my 2017 goals is to get these blocks moving toward a finished quilt.

 

These 4 inch Sawtooth Star blocks were an RSC project from 2015-2016.  I want to set the blocks medallion-style with an appliqued piece in the center.  The applique center has yet to be started, so this probably won't get finished any time soon. 

There are a few other RSC-inspired projects floating around in my studio, but I don't have up-to-date pictures OR plans for finishing them right now.  

As always on Saturday, it's Rainbow Scrap Challenge link-up day.  I can't wait to see all of this week's RSC inspiration!