Saturday, December 7, 2024
ScrapHappy Saturday - December is for Wrap Up
Saturday, November 30, 2024
ScrapHappy Saturday - Post Thanksgiving Nap
Saturday, November 23, 2024
ScrapHappy Saturday
Happy almost Thanksgiving! Until very recently, we still worked most of the week before the Thanksgiving holiday. We have a new schedule though, and have an entire week off! How lovely is that? There will be quite a bit of hexie sewing in my future as we drive to gather the kids from college. I am SEW close to having the final borders done for my long term hexie diamond project. Like all hexie quilts, I just have to figure out how to complete the edges to make them non hexagonal. Wish me luck! How are your RSC projects coming together as the year starts to wind down? The linky tool is below. Please share your holiday sewing plans with us all. For those who don't have a holiday this week, share your regular sewing plans with us instead. Any sewing plans at all are festive and fun.
Saturday, November 16, 2024
ScrapHappy Saturday - Putting the Pieces Together
There are no official colors in November and December at the the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. Hopefully you have a collection of blocks to put together. Perhaps you have a bit of catching up to do. Soon there should be a finished quilt or two ready to be born. I have the blocks for Hen and Chicks patiently waiting for a bit of free time. I keep saying that the busy part of my job is going to be over soon. I think that might be accurate right now as applications are in, the fair is over and I might enjoy a bit of calm.
How are your projects starting to come together? I hope that your block collections are coming together nicely Misterlinky is below, please share with us all.
Saturday, November 9, 2024
ScrapHappy Saturday - On the Road Again
Saturday, November 2, 2024
ScrapHappy Saturday - Lights and Tunnels
The sailboat was adorable though rustic. Kurt did all the work of prepping and shopping because he is remarkable and I have been a crazy lady lately. Things will settle down very soon.
Friday, October 25, 2024
ScrapHappy Saturday - Sewing Drought
And so the lack of sewing time will continue for at least a few more weeks. The big career day is next Friday and then I am off to DC to celebrate our Blue Ribbon award. We had planned to take a long weekend after that to spend some time in Virginia, but Kurt's uncle Bob passed away and so we will go straight from DC to Ohio for his memorial. After all of that though, there should be a period of calm. I say that with hope in my voice. This weekend though, we are camping on a sailboat in the keys and I can't wait to do nothing for a few days. It will be good for me to breath for a few minutes right now. I hope you are having lots of sewing progress to share with everyone.
Saturday, October 19, 2024
ScrapHappy Saturday - Post Hurricane
I made it back safe after the hurricane and spent a busy week getting caught back up again. I say that as if things are going to be calm after we get back to normal. It is just a busy time. Busy with all sorts of fun though, so I will not complain. I still need to move all the patio furniture back outside after the hurricane. Then I will finally be ready to get some use out of that new chair.
The power was out for four days while we were evacuated, so that led to a massive cleanout of the fridge. Kurt just got back last night, which means I didn't do a lot of restocking yet. How are your final few blocks coming together? I am looking forward to seeing other people be productive even if I haven't been busy in the sewing room lately.
Saturday, October 12, 2024
ScrapHappy Saturday - Retreat
We are enjoying a long weekend in the mountains far away from the hurricane. The power is back on at home, but internet isn't up quite yet. There was no damage to our place which is on the east coast, well away from where Milton entered the state. That gave him plenty of time to simmer down a bit.
Apples are ripe here and the kids picked a few which need to be peeled and turned into some apple pie filling and applesauce. I keep thinking that we should try some apple cider, but that needs a machine to do on a large scale. Our attempts at homemade wine have been hit or miss so far, but we will keep trying until something works.
The cat has been hanging out on a quilt next to a window as cats love to do. There are birds and squirrels to spy upon. I am also enjoying some time relaxing, though there is a fallen tree just calling my name that is ready to turned into some firewood.
Friday, October 11, 2024
Hurricane Update
Saturday, October 5, 2024
ScrapHappy Saturday
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Hen & Chicks October Block 4 - Forty
Repeat on the other end of each background rectangle for a total of 8 flying geese units.
Sew the geese into pairs, both facing in the same direction. Press the seams away from the point of the top goose.
Hen & Chicks October Block 3 Tower's of Camelot
I loved the inverted star look of this block. Then I accidentally rotated the QST units in the smaller version and all of the sudden it was a diamond. The smallest changes in fabric placement and value can make such an impact in the final look of the block. I am not sure if I am going to remake the second block or not. I kind of like it!
Go ahead and use your favorite method to make 8 HST units. I know, 8 is a lot. Half of them will turn into QST units and the other half will remain. You will also need 5 background squares and 4 small grey squares. I should mention that I did not choose the most fabric efficient methods in block assembly here, but it sure was easy
You will use the small grey squares to snowball all 4 corners of one of the background squares. The other background squares get a diagonal line, and then are placed right sides together with 4 of the HST units. Make sure the seam and the line are perpendicular to one another.
Sew on the drawn line and then flip open your square to reveal a quarter square triangle. Press and trim away the extra fabric beneath. I know this creates some waste, but it is simpler than doing the math for the two at a time method and then having seams running in different directions on different blocks.
Pay special attention to the orientation of the units here. I speak from experience, as I have two different blocks based on a simple rotation that I didn't even notice until after the block was sashed and hanging on the design wall.
Here is your finished block. I really do enjoy this one, it is subtle, but effective.
Hen & Chicks October Block 2 - Dandy
Repeat the same procedure for the adjacent corner. Viola, two star points!
Sew as a nine patch and press away from the star points.