ScrapHappy Saturday

Its been one of those weeks.  So sorry for not getting a block up on Tuesday.  I was in Jacksonville for a state testing committee meeting.  Kurt was in LA for a conference and Sydney got the flu.  So glad this week is almost done.  Sydney is starting to feel better, but realizing how much work she needs to make up.  Kurt and I are both home again, so hopefully things will settle down.  We had hoped to go car shopping this weekend, it is looking like it might be a bit rainy. 

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ScrapHappy Saturday

What a week!  I was frantically finishing editing a test on Wednesday when an announcement came over the intercom.  Usually it is another lockdown drill.  This time it was my principal announcing that I had been voted as teacher of the year for my school!  A huge group of people from the school and the district came rushing into my room with flowers!  

Then I got to write some essays for the teacher of the year and read some essays about endangered species from my ninth graders.  And assign some essays on a test about cells for my AP kids.  Its been a whirlwind.

Anna is home for the weekend!  She has a week off for fall break.  Monday is a teacher workday for us and Columbus day for the kids.  I have a few things to finish up at school, but I'll do those after Anna goes back to school again.  The quarter ended on Friday, so there are those last minute odds and ends.  I'm going to be out of town for two days next week, so I should  clean up my classroom a bit and make a few copies for the sub.  

I haven't enjoyed many sunrises lately.  There has been a huge driving wind lately with a lot of rain.  This morning was beautiful though.  And on a weekend.  Can't ask for better timing than that.  

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Tiny Tuesday - Geese Circle

 This block is built of 4 flying geese along with a 2 inch square.  There are SEW many ways to make a flying goose block.  I'm going to use easy angle and companion angle rulers tonight because I haven't in a long time, but feel free to use the method that works for you.  I'll come back at the end and link to some other techniques for you to consider.  The key is that each goose should be 3.5 by 2 inches unfinished. (Finished size = 3 by 1.5)
To use the specialty rulers, start with 2 inch strips of two contrasting fabrics.  I chose black and grey.

 With the darker color, use the companion angle ruler to cut 4 goose bodies.  If the strip is folded in half you can cut two at a time.

 Next, use the lighter color to cut 8 goose wings.  Again, if you fold your strip in half you can double your productivity.

 Add a 2 inch square of light fabric and you are all set.

 Sew one wing onto the right side of each goose body.  Finger press before sewing the other wing onto the left side.

 Press your flying geese and trim the dog ears.

 Start placing  your geese around the center square.  This block is just like the friendship block we did a couple of weeks ago, but with flying geese instead of plain rectangles. It uses the same partial seam method.  So if you made that block you will be ready to go.

 Continue to rotate the geese around the center square working in a clockwise direction.

 Sew the top goose to the center square using a partial seam.  This means that instead of sewing end to end, you will start in the center of the square and sew to the right hand end.  If you look carefully at the picture, you can see that the left hand end of the seam is open.

 Move on to the block in the upper right and sew using a regular seam.

 Continue to rotate around, each seam is regular until you get back to where you started.

 The top seam is already half sewn, so you just have to finish off the other half.

Press the seams on the back to help them lie flat and you are good to go.  

Back in a flash with some links to other geese methods.  

No Waste Flying Geese Method with cutting chart.  

5 Ways to Make Flying Geese

Scrap Happy Saturday

I'm looking forward to doing something with my browns and blacks this month.

I think another scrap basket is first on my list. 

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Walking on the Dark Side

As we begin the wrap up, it is time to tackle the "darks"  brown, black, grey.  I'm grouping them together so that you can find the anchor hue that works for you.  I know that people are hesitant to include black and brown in their rainbow quilts, but I encourage you to give it a try.  They lend a certain gravitas and grounding to the brightest of quilts that can really work well.
It is not only the first day of a new month, it is also Tiny Tuesday.  Today's block is called floating stairs. 

 Today's block is on a four by four grid, which means we will be working with 1 5/8 inch strips.  I started with extras from the 2 inch strip b5/8in and trimmed them to size.  I chose 4 different browns with a single background fabric.  You could mix it up differently if you like.

 If you carefully stack up all four brown strips, you can cut them to size at the same time.  Each rectangle is 2 3/4 by 1 5/8

 Here are all the pieces you will need:
4 rectangles of brown 2.75 (2 3/4) by 1.625 (1 5/8)
2 large rectangles of background fabric, also 2.75 by 1.625
2 medium rectangles of background fabric, 2 by 1.625
2 small rectangles of background fabric, 1.25 by 1.625

 Start with the brown rectangles, and stair step them from left to right.  Use the background rectangles to fill in the empty space.  The large rectangles go on the top and bottom on opposite sides.  Then one small and one medium rectangle go on either side of the two brown units in the center.

 Sew the background rectangles to the brown rectangles and press the seams toward the brown.  Sew the rows together in pairs and then sew the pairs together to make your finished block.

There you go!  That one didn't take long at all.  

ScrapHappy Saturday - Last Purple Day

It will be sad to say goodbye to purple.  The month is almost over though, and it is time to start the last new color this year.  I know some of you have an extra month planned, but it nice to have some time at the end to start turning some of those blocks into quilts.  I know some of us also have catching up to do.  Somehow the middle of this year really got away from me!

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Tiny Tuesday - Bright Hopes

I was looking for something simple and straight forward tonight.  I seem to say that every Tuesday lately.  Bright hopes is on a basic nine patch (3 by 3) grid.  The thing that makes it different is the use of a partial seam at the beginning to allow a wrap around effect. 

 You will need a center block which is 2 inches and 4 rectangles which are 2 inches by 3.5 inches each.  That's it!

 The rectangles will be sewn in a swirl like fashion around the center square.  Start by folding the center square onto the end of the top rectangle. 

 You will start with a partial seam.  All that means is that instead of sewing from end to end, you will start in the middle of the background square and sew to the end.  Now the rest of the seams will be "normal" until you get back to where you started.  Fold down the center square and finger press the seam toward the purple. 

 Now fold the right side rectangle onto the straight edge formed from the combination of the center square and the top rectangle. 

 Fold that rectangle open, finger press the seam toward to purple again and move on to the bottom rectangle. 

 Sew the bottom rectangle open and move onto the left side. 

 Sew the left side on and you are back to where you started.  Now the partial seam you started with can be completed. 

 Fold the top rectangle down, the right end is already sewn, you just need to complete that partial seam. 

Sew from the end of the top rectangle back to the place where you started.  

Open it up and press to that all the seams go outward toward the purple rectangles.  I think the whole block took about 5 minutes to make.  Super quick one today!  Enjoy.  

ScrapHappy Saturday September 21

The sunrises are getting later each morning. I'm not able to wait for them on school mornings anymore. One more reasons that weekends are happy!  Lizzie enjoyed the morning with us today.  She seems to be adjusting to the new house pretty well.

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Tiny Tuesday - Card Trick

Most of the patterns I have seen for Card Trick blocks are a combination of flying geese, half square triangles, and quarter square triangles.  It is a cute block,but it seemed like a lot of work to deal with all of those diagonal seams.  This version relies on squares and rectangles.  Then by setting it on point, it conveys a similar effect.  

 Start with strips of fabric cut 1 and 5/8 inches wide.  Each strip should be about 5 inches long.  You will need 4 different purples with a decent amount of contrast and a background fabric.

 Cut 4 squares from the background fabric.  Each will be 1 and 5/8.  Then carefully stack all 4 purple strips so that you can cut them at the same time.  Start by cutting a square at 1 and 5/8 inches, and then cut a rectangle which is 2 3/4 inches long.

 Now un-stack your purple squares and rectangles and start to arrange them.  The four squares go in the center, and the rectangles go in the center of each side so that the purples match the first square of each side of the center.

 Sew the center four patch first and then press it and set it back in the center.  Now you have a simple nine patch to sew.

 Press the seams away from the center section to reduce bulk.

Finally, make sure this one is set on the diagonal in the finished block.  

ScrapHappy Saturday

Off to a late start this morning!  I slept in late and then we walked the dog through the howling wind.  Humberto is supposed to head out to sea, but it is windy right now.  We retreated quickly from the stinging sand on the beach.  Sounds like a perfect reason to stay in and sew.  Last weekend I finished off the purple bin.  It is waiting with the orange bin for some foam board for the base that I keep trying to remember to bring home from school. 

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