Antidote for Age-Shock: April Aqua!

I think most of us would agree that quilt-making equals Fabric Therapy and Fabric Therapy helps us deal with the stresses of life. 💖 Since the beginning of April, I have been using Fabric Therapy as an antidote (or celebration?!) to the observation of another trip around the sun.  

I managed to finish up my Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects using this month's soothing color of aqua.

I made two Sugar Bowl blocks to add to the collection.

It was easy to pull together six Ring of Stars blocks using chunks of fabric left over from previous projects.  

An aqua fleur de lis Burgoyne Surrounded block

And an aqua and pink Burgoyne Surrounded

Only seven blocks still needed to complete the requirements for the Burgoyne quilt!

I also pulled out a long-term UFO and decided it needed finishing - now!

The pattern is Merry-Go-Round by Sandy Klop (American Jane Patterns - be careful if you go here - it's a rabbit hole of great pattens!).  It's a fun take on hexagons using fabric strips and an equilateral triangle ruler.  The triangles are assembled in half-hexagons, then sewn into strips, matching hexagon tops and bottoms.  

 I was inspired to try the pattern using a fat quarter collection of tropical brights I purchased at a quilt show many moons ago.  I started the blocks at least ten years ago, but put them away when I needed the design wall for another project.  I "found" the bag of blocks and and scrappy strips a few weeks ago and decided it was time to finish things up.  Since I made my blocks using fat quarters instead of jelly rolls, I had a more limited amount of fabric to make hexagons.  There were enough hexies for a wall-hanging, and that was good enough!  I've gotten all the hexie parts sewn into strips and now need to sew the strips together.  Another UFO will be crossed off the list!

And now that it's Saturday, it's time for the Rainbow Scrap link-up AND more Fabric Therapy!

Hospital Sketches: Virginia Cockscomb

The February block for Barbara Brackman's Hospital Sketches BOM was Virginia Cockscomb.  The inspiration for the block was Robertson Hospital in Richmond, Virginia and its matron, Sally Louisa Tompkins.

The cockscomb pattern has been on my appliqué bucket list for some time.  I'd still like to make an appliqué quilt with several cockscomb blocks - Anita Shackelford's Cockscomb Variations (scroll down to view the book) has been calling my name for several years.  

My fabric choices didn't work out as well as I thought they would - the white background fabric in the circles gets kind of lost against the light blue cockscomb fabric.  It's a learning experience!

All the convex (outie) curves in this block almost did me in!  I was struggling to get even curves on the light blue frond - too many pointy edges instead of smooth curves.  I was ready to give up on freezer paper prep for machine appliqué and resort to hand appliqué for this block.  As I contemplated switching techniques, I did some online research on hand appliqué and discovered I should not be clipping the outside curves.  Instead, the curves should be trimmed close to the seam line and the fabric smoothed around the outer curve.  I tried that technique on my freezer paper templates, and was able to get much smoother curves.  Like I said - a learning process!

Now that I look at my finished block, I think it looks a little bare.  Some quilters added additional items to their cockscomb blocks - birds being the most popular addition.  I may have to go back and add a bird to my block, too!

  

Green Wrap-Up: Tiny Tuesday

I'm not a huge fan of small quilt blocks with tiny pieces, but in the spirit of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, I've been playing along with the Tiny Tuesday blocks published each week.  My scrappy green results this month were mixed.

Multiply is the clever Tiny Tuesday block from Jo at ButterZ.  The smallest pieces start at 1 1/4 inches before sewing, and the resulting 4-patch gets trimmed to 1 5/8 inches.  My fingers struggled with that a little!

We also did a wonky Log Cabin block.  My light greens didn't all have the same level of lightness, but, I got 'er done.  I did get to fussy-cut the cute ladybug in the center!

Sally Trude offered one of her great flip triangle owls for another Tuesday block.  I have to confess, I punted on Sally's block.  I suck at doing flip triangles.  So I did an appliqué owl instead.  I did find some large dot fabric so my owl could have googly eyes, though.

The last Tiny Tuesday project didn't get posted on Tuesday, so I went looking for something on my own.  When I saw this block at Generations Quilt Patterns, it reminded me of a Burgoyne Surrounded block so I knew I had to make it!  The 9-patch sections get made by strip-piecing, so the block is not too fiddly.  I also switched the color/fabric orientation so it seemed a little more Burgoyne-like.  What name would you give this version of the block?  Un petit Burgoyne?  Faux-goyne?  

Scrappy Ring of Stars

I've been wanting to make a quilt for a friend of mine.  I almost gave her my Windblown Wishes quilt when it was finished (pictures coming as soon as we have some decent weather for photography), but decided I couldn't part with that particular quilt.  I find it easier to give away a quilt if I have a certain person in mind from the get-go.

I thought about quilt blocks/patterns on my bucket list and finally focused on star blocks made with the Tri-Recs ruler.   Back in the early 1990s, my quilt guild made an opportunity quilt based on the Fifty-Four Forty or Fight quilt block.  At the time, there were no specialty rulers to help in the construction of the blocks, so we all learned to paper-piece the blocks required for the quilt.  I loved those spiky star blocks and always wanted to make a quilt of my own featuring them.  I'm so happy I can now use a specialty ruler to make the blocks rather than paper piecing!

Ring of Stars by Nancy Rink

This quilt caught my attention several years ago when I did a Google search for starry quilt patterns.  It's kind of a deconstructed Fifty-Four Forty or Fight block - with the 4-patches used in another block to make a secondary pattern.  I decided it might lend itself to a Rainbow Scrap Challenge treatment and downloaded the pattern from Connecting Threads.

I did some sketching and planning and figured I would need at least 3 sets of blocks in each rainbow color.  I also decided to make 9 inch blocks, so I could use scraps from my 3.5 inch strip bin.  I think this project may turn out to be a great scrap buster!

As always, there's more scrappy inspiration at the weekly RSC link-up!

Inspired by Rainbow Scraps

There's a new Rainbow Scrap Challenge color for March - green!  As always, I could jump in and make an all-green quilt just from scraps, but for now I'm going to stick to my 2019 RSC plans.

First up - some Sugar Bowl blocks and random scrappy 4-patches.

I'm adding to my collection of Sugar Bowl blocks this year - making two additional blocks in each of the rainbow colors.  I have a final layout planned once I finish all the needed blocks.

The RSC Tiny Tuesday blocks have been a fun diversion during the week!  These wrap up the yellow scraps from last month, along with more random 4-patches.  I still haven't decided on a setting fabric for the TT blocks.  I'd love to find the perfect multi-color fabric, 'cuz I'm kinda bored with using white.

Believe it or not, this Postcard Quilt was inspired by the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!  I started it in April of 2017 and put the final stitches in it last week.  The inspiration was multi-colored scraps, which got me looking through my collection of flamingo fabrics.  The top went together quickly, but languished for lack of quilting.

I decided it was time to try some of the built-in quilting stitches on my sewing machine, so I layered things up and went to work.  I used this wavy quilting pattern to mimic postal cancelation marks on the postcard "backs".

For the postcards themselves, I improvised with free-motion quilting around the motifs on the fabrics.  This isn't a great picture of the quilting, but I guess it gives you the idea!

I even made a flamingo postcard label!  

As always, there is more scrappy inspiration at the weekly Rainbow Scrap linky party!

Hospital Sketches: Periwinkle Wreath

So...Barbara Brackman is doing another BOM on her Civil War Quilts blog.  

The theme for this BOM is Hospital Sketches - looking at the roles of women in Civil War hospitals.  

I knew I would be participating, because - historical appliqué patterns AND a hospital setting!  

I don't think I've really talked about my profession on the blog.  Yup, I'm a nurse, and I originally trained at an old-fashioned hospital-based nursing school about 100 years ago.  That's my graduation picture - we had finally given up wearing starched white pinafores and graduated to more modern nurses' uniforms.

While I waited for the first BOM block to be published, I debated over what type of fabrics to use.  My love for blue and white quilts was my final inspiration, because I've never done a blue and white appliqué quilt.

I assembled a basket full of potential fabrics, some of which were leftovers from other projects and some new and uncut fat quarters.  I also decided to keep my background fabric fairly simple and purchased yardage in a cross-weave type off-white fabric.

The first block, Periwinkle Wreath, was a tribute to Louisa May Alcott, who served in a Union hospital during the war.  I won't give away her story, because you should hop over and read it!

As much as I'd like to be doing hand-stitched appliqué, I knew I'd NEVER finish the blocks in a timely fashion.  I used freezer paper and starch to prep the shapes, and machine appliqué using invisible thread to stitch them in place.  Yippee for finishing!

FYI, if you have a Facebook account, there is a Facebook group for the BOM if you want to see all the different blocks.

Meanwhile: Red Schoolhouses

The last time I wrote about my red schoolhouse quilt blocks, they looked like this:

Shortly after posting that picture, I went ahead and added white sashing between all the blocks, creating a small quilt top with six schoolhouse blocks.

Then I was stuck.  I auditioned several red fabric borders, but didn't like the look.  I also tried some red and white HST configurations, but I didn't like those, either.

I sat back and pondered my original idea for the quilt: it was meant to be a wallhanging for my sister.  She has several of my quilts already, but says she doesn't have the wall space to hang them for display (forget the fact they are all bed-sized quilts and should be used on a bed - she wants to hang them, instead).

The schoolhouse wallhanging is already well over 40 inches wide, and any added borders are just going to make it bigger and more difficult to hang on a wall.  What if I (gulp!) cut off two of the schoolhouse blocks and made a four block quilt?

It only took a matter of minutes to rip out a few seams, stitch up a few injured seams, and press everything into shape.

Now the red border looks fine, and the quilt is a manageable wallhanging size.  

Since my inspiration quilt was hand-quilted, I decided this one should be hand-quilted as well.

After visiting one of my favorite quilting resources (Quilting with Style by Gwen Marston and Joe Cunningham), I designed a simple cable design to fit in all the sashed areas.  I also worked out a fan design for the borders.  Everything else will be outline quilted, with maybe some improv quilting here and there.

Now to get the quilt marked and basted.  Should I start quilting it immediately or put it in the queue behind some finished quilts that need binding?  Thoughts to ponder...

Taking a Dip in the Yellow Scraps

It's a new month and a new color for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  This time we'll be using up some yellow scraps, but it appears my stash of yellow scraps and chunks is pretty slim.  I've completed my planned blocks for the month, so I'll just be fishing around for a few additional yellows to make the remaining Tiny Tuesday blocks for the month.

I already have enough Burgoyne Surrounded blocks featuring yellow fabrics, so I won't be making any of those this month.

I needed two additional Sugar Bowl blocks for my planned quilt. 

They joined up with the previous yellow Sugar Bowls.  Only six more rainbow colors to go before I'll have all the blocks I need.

Two-inch strips and squares teamed up to make some 4-patch blocks.

They'll go in the stash of 4-patch blocks from previous RSC stitching.  There are no actual plans for these yet, but eventually inspiration will strike.

I'm still keeping up with the Tiny Tuesday blocks - it's kinda fun to look forward to stitching a new block every Tuesday evening!  Since I had used up a bunch of two inch scraps on 4-patch blocks, I had to dig into the gold scraps for one of my TT blocks.  

I may be low on yellow scraps, but plenty of other RSC quilters will have scrappy yellows to share.  Check them out at our weekly RSC link-up!

A Dent in the Red Scraps?

I think I made a dent in the red scraps this month as I worked on Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects. On the other hand, I definitely made some new red scraps, as I cut into yardage I purchased for a red and white quilt.  

I finished the red and white Schoolhouse blocks I started last weekend.  I decided on mini Ohio Stars (3 inches finished) as cornerstones, and got those finished up today.  Now to cut the sashing and piece everything together.  

For what it's worth:  I couldn't have made those mini Ohio Stars without a couple of handy resources.  The All-In-One Quilter's Reference Guide has a wealth of information including cutting guides, piecing techniques, and other technical know-how for quilt making.  And thanks to Generations Quilt Patterns, I learned a speedy new technique for making Ohio Star blocks.

I wasn't sure I was going to participate in this year's Rainbow Scrap Sampler project, but I guess I am!  I've done each week's Tiny Tuesday blocks and added two extras that were experiments.  Before I started in on the 3-D Bow Tie tutorial, I pieced a practice block to make sure I remembered how to do it.  And I wasn't sure if I wanted to make 3 inch Ohio Star blocks, so I tried a 4.5 inch size first.  The cutting instructions for the 4.5" size are in the Ohio Star tutorial linked above.  You're welcome!

I think I'm done with the red scraps for now.  I'm looking forward to next month's RSC color and Tiny Tuesday blocks.  In the meantime, you'll find some more red scrappy inspiration here!

Tiny Tuesday: 3-D Bow Tie Block

Welcome to my Tiny Tuesday Tutorial!  I'm publishing this a little early, as Monday is a holiday and may afford some stitchers the chance to complete their weekly block ahead of schedule.

When SoScrappy Angela described her idea for a tiny block sampler for this year's Rainbow Scrap Challenge, I was intrigued.  I figured small blocks in rainbow colors would be a fun challenge, even if the finished block size was an untypical 4.5 inches.  Better still, Angela was inviting RSC participants to submit their own block tutorials for the challenge.

One idea that immediately occurred to me was the 3-D or Origami Bow Tie block.  I learned how to make this block many moons ago at a quilt guild demonstration.  Since then, I've made several quilts using this traditional block with a structural twist.  Once you figure out the slightly unusual block construction, the blocks are fun and addicting to make!

Note:  I recommend reading through the instructions before sewing up your block.  If you need more help visualizing the process, there are several Youtube videos available online.  Sometimes seeing the process demonstrated is easier than looking at static pictures.

For one 3-D Bow Tie block (finished size 4.5 inches), you will need:

• 3 bow tie fabric squares, 2.75 inches
• 2 background fabric squares, 2.75 inches

Take one of the bow tie fabric squares and fold it in half, wrong sides together.  Finger press the fold.  This will eventually become the knot of the bow tie.

Place the folded square on top of one of the background squares, right sides together.  Align the raw edges at the top.  I've used a pin to hold things together and mark the raw edges.

Place another bow tie fabric square on top of the background and folded square combo - right sides together.  Pin together on the left side.  Keep the background/folded square combo raw edges at the top - see next picture.

I've temporarily flipped back the bow tie fabric square so you can see the placement of the background fabric and folded bow tie fabric pieces.

Stitch a 1/4 inch seam along the pinned edge.

After stitching the seam, finger press the seam away from the folded bowtie square, as shown above.  The raw edges of the folded square should be at the top.

Keep the block aligned as shown in previous picture.  Place remaining bow tie fabric square under the folded square, right sides together.  Place remaining background fabric square on top of the folded fabric square, right sides together.  Align the edges of the two squares with the top and right side of the folded fabric square.  My pin is marking the top right edge of the folded fabric square.

Stitch a 1/4 inch seam along the right edge, as shown above.

After stitching the second seam, your bow tie block should look like this.  The folded square makes a "bridge" between the two sections of bow tie and background fabric squares.  

Looking at the block from the top, you can see the folded square piece can open.  This piece will now be pinched and pulled into the knot on the bow tie. 

Align the four bow tie and background squares as if you were aligning two sections of a 4-patch block.  While aligning the squares, open the folded square/knot so the raw edges line up with the raw edges of the other squares.

Pin the raw edges together (right sides together), catching the edges of the bow tie square/knot, but being careful not to catch any other part of the knot.  I've flipped the block open in the picture so you can see how the folded square/knot should look.

Pin everything securely in place and stitch a 1/4 inch seam, catching the folded square/knot in the seam.

Completed seam.

Open the block and make sure you didn't catch the center of the knot in your seam.

Press and enjoy your completed Tiny Tuesday 3-D Bow Tie block!