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.  

Three Down.....

Just pulled the Rainbow Scrap Challenge Sawtooth Sampler of 2015 off of the quilting frame!  I'm going to sit and admire it for a few minutes, but maybe after that I'll trim the edges and make up some binding?  Or maybe tomorrow?  The main project for tomorrow will be to start the reorganization of the sewing room.  With Kurt home, he can offer lifting and carrying help.  

Anna sent this photo of her using the scanning electron microscope at FIT today.  Doesn't she look all official?  I hope her data turns out.  She sure is learning a lot during the process.  

Pantography

 I can't really remember the last time that I used a pantograph on a quilt.  Maybe twice or thrice, ever?  The design I really wanted to do on this quilt would not work at all on my machine.  Not enough sewing space.  I though I should surround each of the stars and extend into the alternate blocks with big diamonds of some sort.  Sew not possible.  Knowing that I want to get this quilt done soon so that I can get the machine out of the formal living room, I thought I'd go with an edge to edge pattern.  

So I pulled out this little swirly arc type pattern and tried to remember just what to do.  I think its coming back to me.  The funniest part is, that each member of my family has wandered by at some point during the process and asked why I was quilting from the wrong side.  I guess they do notice things.
We all went as a family this morning to watch Star Wars.  Everyone except Anna who went to FIT to work on her science fair project.  I really enjoyed it. Everyone did except Kurt, he thought it depended too much on the greater story arc and didn't stand alone enough.  Today is his first official day of being unemployed.  His new job won't start until January and so he is hoping to enjoy a little quiet time around the house.  We'll see how that goes.  He usually gets stir crazy after just a few days.  

Slow Sunday Tidying Up

A couple of weeks ago, I read a review for a book that sounded interesting.  I'd been planning to spend some time over Christmas break doing some organization and cleaning, so I popped it into my Amazon cart and got started reading right away.  The idea was really simple.  Just take everything you own, throw it in a big pile, and pick out only the things your really love to put back.  The author  suggests doing it one category at a time.  So I pulled out all of my tops that evening and only picked out the ones that I like and wear.  The rest went in a basket to give away.  Magic!  Today I dumped out a cupboard and drawer where the kids keep school supplies.

I threw everything in a couple of laundry baskets and told them to pick out anything the wanted to keep.  Anna got two notebooks and a binder, Sydney picked a bag of seeds.  Ryan didn't want anything.  So I tidied up what was left and put back what I thought we actually needed.  Look at that!  Nothing will be falling out next time we open the cabinet door.  Hard to imagine.  Kurt wants me to do the Tupperware next.  I need to do books because they don't fit on the shelves anymore.  One at a time.  One at a time.  

 After all of that hard work, I am more than ready to settle in for some slow and steady binding stitching.  The 6 inch sampler from 2014 was on the top of the pile, so I started it last night while watching some TV with the kids.  Two sides done and two more to do.

 I think, after I have rested a bit, that I will load up the 2015 sampler quilt.  I still have no idea how I want to quilt it.  Maybe something will come to me as I do the prep work?  First though, I am headed over the Kathy's Quilts to see what other slow stitching is going on.

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.  

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.  

Sawtooth Border Preparation

After much consideration as to what to do with the borders, I finally decided on applique teardrops to extend the cross blocks from the center.  Making more four patches would have been ideal, but without background fabric, that just wasn't going to work.  So I found a teardrop shape on google images and printed out several sizes and shapes to see what would work.  After finding one with the right proportions, I cut out freezer paper templates and ironed them onto the right sides of the fabric.  

 Here are my 24 rough cut teardrops ready for a bit of prep work.

 They will look something like this when I get them sewn down.  Now the best part, I get to settle down and spend a little time with needle and thread doing slow stitching.  What a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon.  To see what other slow sunday stitching is going on in blogland, head over to Kathy's Quilts.  

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!

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.  

Blasted B's Strike Again

 When I ordered the new solids for Farmer's Wife, I also threw in a border option for the Sawtooth Stars.  I always try a rainbow border on rainbow quilts, and I never end up liking it.  Maybe I need a different rainbow?  I thought a nice grey batik might be the perfect neutral option.  My family says absolutely not, too mottled, too neutral.

I also grabbed this nice neutral dotted batik for the back, again I was told it was all wrong.  So what to do with borders and backings?  Any opinions?  Suggestions?  Help?

Brown Alternate Blocks

The block count for the brown 2.5 inch blocks is 24. I did a count back in June if you want to refer back now that it is time to start thinking about finishing off.

Brown alternate blocks appear in both the top and the bottom row.  In general, the cross blocks are split so that the color of the row is echoed above by a large zig zag swag of smaller squares.  Since brown forms the top row, there would not have been much of a chance to mirror above.

So I decided to pretend that the top and bottom of the quilt were continuous, and wrap the brown around to finish out the zig zag shape.
For the top row you will need 4 four patches made from 2.5 inch squares of brown and background.  In addition, 4 additional brown squares will become part of the center dark four patch.  Combined with the blue  and purple blocks from earlier this year, you will be making three large alternate blocks for the top row.  The center is brown on the top and blue on the bottom.  The left and right are a bit trickier.  Because the purple wraps around the corner, the outer half of each block is purple while the inner half in brown on the top and blue on the bottom.  Check out the pictures above to see how it works.
The bottom row is a little mirror image, but with red in the middle and pink on the right and left.  I found having a design wall really useful at this stage of assembly.  Most of the rows could be sewn together at this point.  There are only two lime green blocks to finish off next month.
It is actually starting to look like a quilt at this point!  Exciting, isn't it?

RSC Sampler October Block 2 - Kick

Since the Tri-Recs rulers were already out, I thought I'd go ahead and make a second block this month using the same basic shapes.  

This time, because we are making a four patch, the basic shapes can all be cut out of 3.5 inch strips.  From brown, use the "tri" part of the ruler to cut out 4 triangles.  

Then, with the background fabric folded right sides together, use the "rec" tool to cut 4 pairs of wing pieces.  

You can look back to the tutorial for last month if you need a step by step for piecing the pointy stars.  The background and star points are reversed in value this time though, so that the middle part is brown instead of the outer "wings" which were brown last time.  Sew all four subunits in the same way.

Getting the blocks all pointed in the correct direction is probably the only tricky part of this block.  starting on the upper right and working around, the top point should be up, right, bottom and left.  The diagonals are always pointing away from one another.  Just check against the picture to be sure you've got it right.  

Go ahead and sew the four patch unit together and the sampler part of your block will be ready to go.  It should be 6.5 inches unfinished.  

Here it is with the star points added.