Row by Row Assembly

Because somebody requested it, I am backtracking to put together better finishing instructions for the Sawtooth Sampler Quilt.  If you go to the RSC15 Sampler page from the tabs at the top of the page, you should be able to find individual instructions for each color, but I never did a row by row assembly run down, so here it is:

Row 1: purple star, chain block with half purple, and a brown and indigo quarter, brown star, chain block half indigo and half brown, brown star, chain block a quarter brown, a quarter indigo and half purple, purple star

Row 2: chain block half purple and half light blue, indigo star, chain block half indigo and half blue, indigo star, chain block half indigo and half blue, indigo star, chain block half purple and half light blue

Row 3: light blue star, chain block half green a quarter light blue and a quarter blue, blue star, chain block half blue and half green, blue star, chain block half blue and half green, light blue star

Row 4: chain block half green and half yellow, green star, chain block half green and half light green, green star, chain block half green and half light green, green star, chain block half green and half yellow

Row 5: yellow star, chain block half orange quarter yellow and quarter light green,  light green star, chain block half orange half light green, light green star, chain block half orange quarter light green and quarter yellow, yellow star

Row 6: chain block half orange and half pink, orange star, chain block half red and half orange, orange star, chain block half orange half red, orange star, chain block half pink and half orange

Row 7: pink star, chain block half pink quarter red and quarter brown, red star, chain block half red half brown, red star, chain block quarter red quarter brown half pink, pink star

I a working on finishing up the PDF collection for past quilts, so this will go with the set.  Please let me know if any other directions or information is needed.  

Last ScrapHappy Saturday of 2015!

 Where has the time gone?  Next Saturday will be a new year, and so today is the final chance to celebrate the Rainbow Scrap Challenge of 2015.  Not that you can't just keep rolling right along into the Rainbow Scrap Challenge of 2016 of course.  I was super excited this week to finish up the Rainbow Scrap Challenge Sawtooth Sampler from this year.......

and the Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Sampler from last year.  Tutorials for both are still available, just check for the tabs at the top of the page.  I'm still working on converting everything into printable PDFs, so stay tuned.
The reason for all the frantic finishing?  It was to start new quilts of course.  The first tutorial for the new Rainbow Scrap Challenge Column Along Sampler will be making an appearance soon.  Until then, please share your own finishes, starts, or general scrap using plans.

Christmas Day Finish

The Rainbow Scrap Challenge Sampler Quilt of 2015 is officially done!  Just in time too, 'cause I started the 2016 sampler yesterday.  

The back is a speckled batik along with a stripe of grey to make it wide enough.  

It was quilted with an edge to edge pantograph, and bound with a light green leaf print batik.  The fabrics were hand dyed especially for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge by Vicki Welsh.  

ScrapHappy Saturday - Sew Begins Break

 Today is the first official day of winter break!  I'm going to keep quilting some more on the Rainbow Scrap Challenge Sampler from 2014.

Then, if I feel like sitting for a bit, I've got three quilt tops pinned or bagged and ready to sew. End of the year organizing of fabric will round out the list for a full day of quality quilting time.  

I hope you are finding a little time among all the holiday festivities to think about ending and begining anew.  The linky is available below for all who wish to join and share news of their rainbow scrappiness.  

Moving on Down the List

 After two evenings of binding stitching while hanging out with the kids, Cherry Blossom is officially done.  I used a happy green polka dot on the back and a repeat of the inner border purple for the binding.  It even has a hanging sleeve because Anna thought we should hang it in the study.

 Ryan was kind enough to hold it up outside for a quick photo.  Not that I gave him much of a choice.

 I've had a stack of solid squares ready for the back of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge Sampler quilt for quite a while.  Sewing them together randomly took just a couple of evenings this week.  Now that the quilting frame is fully extended, it is the perfect time to quilt up the last three big quilts on my list.

Hawaii Sunset is loaded now.  I think this sampler might be next, just because I think I know how to quilt it.  Still pondering how to quilt this year's sampler.  Hopefully inspiration will strike.
Not now though, Kurt and I have a Christmas party tonight.  Sydney has a two day out of town LAX tournament starting tomorrow, and the Anna and Ryan are at a powerlifting match on Sunday.  Soon though, the semester will end and quilting will take priority.  

A Scrappy Finish

 Bulk Mail is officially done!  This started with 1.5 inch strips in a rainbow of colors.  I sewed up one each month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  The center squares are 12 by 12 for 144 total squares.  Each border uses 60 more squares.  Add to that 20 cornerstones and that means that 2528 1.5 inch squares were put to good use in this quilt top.

 There was a soft green and pink paisley print on yellow background that got stretch out with just a little bit of extra yellow for the back.

 The rainbow binding might just be my favorite part.  I pulled out one 2.5 inch strip from each color of the rainbow and sewed them together in spectrum order.  It was so satisfying to hand sew the binding down, knowing how close I was to the end based on which color came next.

One last shot of the quilting.  Pebbles and ribbon candy in the wide sashing strips and a simple stipple on the colors.  I am linking up at Quilting is More Fun than Housework for Oh Scrap! on Sunday.  Showing off your scrappy progress on Sunday is the perfect follow on to ScrapHappy Saturday, so be sure to go visit and see what scrappy fun is brewing out in blogland.  

ScrapHappy Saturday - The Begining of the End

 There is no new official color for December.  You are welcome to make one up if you need 12 colors for your quilt.  Might I suggest aqua, which sadly did not get a turn this year?  Or the dark and light neutrals?  How about peach, violet or sage?  I you do not need a 12th color though, now is the time to start finishing things up.  Go back for any colors you might have missed along the way.  Take stock of your block pile and figure out if you have enough to put a quilt together.  If not, can you make up the difference, or do some projects need to carry over to the new year?  For me, December will be all about quilting.  Cherry Blossoms is draped over the frame.

The dining room table is three deep.  Sawtooth Stars got teardrops appliquéd down over Thanksgiving.  Well, except for that one silly brown piece that fell off on the trip.  Underneath is Hawaii Sunset which has a back already made and another sampler quilt which does not.  That should all keep me busy for a while.
How are your blocks in progress looking with just three ScrapHappy Saturdays left in the year?
Misterlinky is below, please share your progress with us all.  Don't forget to visit others and encourage them as they begin to finish what they started.

Packing

I draped a finished quilt over a chair to dry last night, and this is what I woke up to.  

 That helped me decide to get the binding on sooner rather than later before things started to get frayed or ravelly.  After much thought, I went to the 2.5 inch strip bin and pulled out a red strip, and orange strip, a yellow strip, all the way to the end of the rainbow.  The binding is all machine sewn now and ready for some slow stitching in the car.

 Of course, but the time that was done, it was too dark to get any good pictures.  Shorter days and cooler weather are really making it feel like winter around here.

Still going strong, I went ahead and put the last border on this year's sampler quilt.  Now all that remains is to applique down the tear drops.  More applique for the car?
Most people worry about clean laundry when they are getting ready for a trip.  I am madly trying to figure out which quilts I can get finished before it is time to leave.  

Slow Sunday - Rainy Day Edition

I enjoyed reading about Kathy's experience with fall and the onset of winter.  It has been so hot here that we aren't feeling and change in the seasons yet.  It is a rainy day though, so staying in to catch up on slow stitching sounds just right.

 I have these applique orange peels ready to prep and need to get it done before Thanksgiving when we will have some car time and some sitting around hanging out with family time.  I have new motivation to finish off the orange peels this year so that I can start on Quilty 365 circles on January first.  I want mine to be a true calendar quilt quilt with each month laid out in weeks.  I have a plan all drawn up, but won't start until this current project is on to the next phase.  To check out more slow Sunday stitching, head over to Kathy's Quilts.  

November is all about getting quilts ready to go to the next phase.  There are enough of these postage stamp stars for two twin sized quilts with a few leftover for fun. They will be set with wide lattice and cornerstones which had me digging in the 2.5 inch square bin yesterday.  There weren't enough  of all of the colors and so one thing lead to another and the rest of the day was spent turning strips into squares and scraps into strips and generally playing with scraps.  I have one plastic shoebox already sorted by color and another one ready to be sorted and organized.  So, whatever projects go on the list for next year, one of them will definitely need to use 2.5 inch squares.  I am thinking about Arkansas Crossroads which would make a nice thematic addition to the Missouri Puzzle that is in the simmering stage.  To take a look at more scrap happiness, head over to Oh Scrap.  

ScrapHappy Saturday - Lime in the Coconut

There were enough lime green postage stamps to make these 12 postage stamp stars last weekend.  That means there will be enough for to put a row in each of the twin sized quilts that these will turn into.  Now I need to decide whether to sew these together and have another quilt ready to go, or keep working on quilting some more on the finished stack.  It is a quiet weekend at home!  I am so excited to be able to putter around the house for two days.  The girls want to bake for Thanksgiving.  Ryan needs a haircut.  That is all that needs to be done for two entire days.  I can't wait!
I do plan to spend some time this afternoon firming up the plans for next year's Rainbow Scrap Sampler.  Vicki Welsh has planned out some custom dyed fabric  based on next year's theme color and I am designing a row a month quilt.  It will be smaller than this year's quilt, and use a variety of block sizes.  Check back later today for more details.
Mister Linky is below so that you can share your own rainbow scrap creations with us all.  It has been really exciting for me to start to see finished quilts coming together as the end of the year grows near.

ScrapHappy Saturday - Key Lime Pie

This morning I plan to work on turning some little 16 patch blocks into postage stamp stars.  Two sets of star points are ready to go and two more are cut out.  I think that is when I ran out of background fabric the last time I was working on it.  I am sure there is more lime green somewhere to make some more star points.  The lime makes me smile - so bright and happy.
How about you?  Lots of lime to share?  Mister Linky is below for one and all.

Lime Alternate Blocks

At this point in the year, I think most of the people making the Sawtooth Sampler have gotten the alternate blocks down.  There was a square count back in June, but now that November has rolled around, it is time to start finishing everything up.  You will need 24 lime green 2.5 inch squares.  16 of them will be sewn into 8 four patches.  Six squares can be sewn together to make "twosies".  The last two blocks are combined with yellow to help transition.  Basically, the lime blocks form a big "M" shape over the top of the two lime blocks.  Fill in the rest of the "X" blocks with 4.5 inch squares and you are good to go.  These are the last alternate blocks. You are ready to sew your blocks together and start pondering border options.  

Then This Happened

I was on my way to finishing the borders for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge Sawtooth Star Sampler Quilt 2015.  I loved all the suggestions to extend the cross blocks out into the border.  After getting out all the leftover fabric and starting to lay them out, I realized that I was out of background fabric.  How did that happen?  I tried the grey, but it was really too dark.  There was, however, a fairly big chunk of slightly darker dotted background batik fabric.   I am considering some teardrop applique to extend the pattern, but first, I need another piece of background fabric.  So close!  Fortunately, most of my fabric comes from Connecting Threads and they still had more of the same fabric.  It was even on sale!  So three more yards are on the way along with enough other fabric to get to the free shipping with a $50 order.  Why three yards when I only need a piece 4 inches by 30 inches?  You just never know when extra background fabric will come in handy.

There is fortunately, plenty of fabric for the backing.  I can get that pieced together and be ready to go when the last of the border fabric shows up.  

November Block 2 - Swamp Angel Star

Swamp Angel Star is a pretty block with a very strange name.  It is a minor variation of the Ohio Star block from earlier this month, so it should go together pretty quickly.  The corners are replaced with HST units, which gives it a nice dimensional look.

You will need 1.5 inch strips in green, green and background along with 2.5 inch strips in background and green.    

Place the 2.5 inch strips right sides together and use the easy angle ruler to cut 4 HST pairs.

Next, layer up the 1.5 inch strips and cut them with the easy angle ruler.  You will need 4 of background, 4 of brighter green and 8 of the other green.

Finally, cut a 2.5 inch square of green fabric.  Here are all of your pieces ready to go.  Go ahead and Sew the HST units together.

 

Next, start sewing the QST units, first into pairs and then into squares.  

Here are your finished subunits ready to go.

Sew them into a nine patch to make your finished star block.

Insert the block into your star points and you will be all set.  Tada!  Here is your last sampler for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge Sampler of 2015!

ScrapHappy Saturday - Lime in the Coconut

I am in a mode for finishing as the holidays start to approach and the end of the year nears.  These OMG Churn Dash blocks might just be next on the list.  I have a note that says I will need 20 "X" blocks and 40 "O" blocks.  So I'm almost done with green nine patches, but I'd better get busy on the alternates.
To celebrate the new month, I have just finished the last drawing for the fabric giveaway for 2015.  Thanks to random.org, Karen at K's Quilting Korner is the the winner of a packet of hand dyed  fabric in lime green made especially for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge by Vicki Welsh.
Vicki and and I have been busy planning out the colors for next year's Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  It may seem early to be thinking about next year, but planning a new quilt is the best reward for finishing.  Hopefully some of your RSC15 quilts are ready to come together and you have started to ponder plans for RSC16.
You might notice a new button in the right hand margin, you can click on it or follow this link to find out more about what we have cooked up for next year.

Here is the Sampler quilt I made last year with Vicki's hand dyed fabric for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  It still needs a border, backing and binding, but plans for next year's Rainbow Scrap Challenge Quilt are already underway.  In fact, firming up plans for next year's challenge quilt might be just the motivation necessary to start getting this quilt finished up.
Misterlinky is below so that you can share all of your lime green and finishing posts.  Have a scraphappy Saturday!

9 Carat Diamonds Shining Proudly

Some quilts almost make themselves.  Not the sewing part of course, but at least the deciding part.

 I had some extra nine patches leftover from another Rainbow Scrap Challenge project.

I saw an inspiration quilt, but the colors were all wrong, and of course, there was not a tutorial.  I'm not sure of the original block size, but I had 2 inch squares sewing into nine patches.  Those were framed out with 1.5 inch strips.  2.5 inch squares seemed to work for the flip and sew corners.  It didn't take much math before, the pattern was ready to go.  Given the rainbow assortment of blocks, neutrals seemed like the best way to go, so into the stash I went for extra bits of grey, red and black.  Before long, rainbow rows of color started to come together, one each month as the year moved along.

No borders made the finishing fast.  Extra yardage in red and black were framed out for the back.  Simple swirly pattern in grey thread for quilting gave texture without taking away from the colors.

Binding Nine Carat Diamonds

The binding is on Nine Carat Diamonds and I am ready to settle down for a bit on slow stitching.  Nothing is better on a Sunday than some quiet time with a bit of handwork.  To see what other slow and steady stitching is going on out there, head over to Kathy's Quilts and join in to the linky party.  I was planning to post some pictures of Halloween festivities from last night, but Kurt has taken the camera and headed off to LAX with Sydney.  

November Color Announcement

The color for November is light or bright green.  Green is second only to blue as far as volume for many of us, and it deserves another chance to come out and play.  I couldn't wait and announced the color yesterday, so go to this post to enter the drawing for the fabric giveaway of hand dyed fabric for this month.  

November Block 1 - Ohio Star

Ohio Star is a classic quilt block.  It can be done in two or three shades of green to celebrate this month of bright and light greens.

 You will need 1.5 inch strips in two shades of light green along with one background strip of the same size.  In addition, you will need 2.5 inch strips of another green along with background

 The companion angle ruler is usually used to make flying geese, but it can also be used to make the quarter square triangles used for this block.  The directionality of these blocks doesn't matter, so layer up as many strips as you feel comforatable cutting at the same time. You will need four QST units in background, four in the lighter green and eight in the darker green.

 In addition to the QST units, you will need 2.5 inch squares, one in green and four in background.

Pair the QST units together to make half square triangle units.  Make 4 in green with green and four in green and background.  The directionality does matter, so make sure they all go through the same way.

 Sew the HST units together in pairs to make 4 blocks which look like the one shown above.

 These blocks will be centered on each side of a nine patch.  Background fabric will fill in the four corners while the center square is the 2.5 inch square of green.

Sew your nine patch together to make your Ohio Star block.  

After adding the star points, you will be all ready to go.  There is only one more block to go until you are ready to sew your sampler quilt together.