Last ScrapHappy Saturday of 2024

 

I sewed binding on this tiny chaos quilt on the drive here. The front is tiny nine patches leftover from another quilt. For a while I was entirely obsessed with tiny little nine patches made from one inch strips. They still keep turning up in my scrap bins from time to time. 

Here is the back, just randomly leftover green blocks from the orphan bin. I think that I love it even more than the front. Even the batting is pieced together from leftovers! I squeaked out this chaos quilt in just in time to count as a finish for 2024. 

Just three days until the beginning of RSC25! I think that I have settled on a simplified lattice layout for my new leaders and enders project. I very much wanted to use what I have on hand. So the 2.5 inch squares are always ready and waiting. I don't keep 3.5 inch squares on hand, but I will come up with those from either crumb fabric or existing scraps. Honestly, 3.5 is a reasonable size of squares to collect, I just usually focus on smaller bits. 

How are your 2024 wrap up plans coming along? I hope that you have cleared some mental and physical space for RSC25 projects! Feel free to share your plans for next year or your finishes from last year. Next week will be week 1 of the new year and PINK will be the color. 

Day 3 of 2022

 I guess I will keep counting days until I get too busy to post on a day and loose track.  Most likely when school starts again on Thursday.   Not looking forward to the Covid fueled mess that is going to be.  We have no authority to mandate vaccines, masks, testing or quarantines.   With no way to fight back, it will just be a matter of watching it work through the students and staff.  I pray that no-one else will die before it is done.   

The sunrise this morning looked like an egg, sunny side up.  It was hazy and drizzling.  Almost before it had cleared the horizon, the sun was behind clouds for the rest of the morning.   

The afternoon turned beautiful though.  Here is my friend Linda who retired this year.  Look how relaxed and refreshed she looks!   We had a nice long beach walk at low tide and caught up on all the gossip.  

I am spending my last few days of vacation working through and inventorying of WIPs, UFOs, PIGs and orphans. 

Bins 1 though 4 are my designated Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects for this year.   That is one for each week of the month.   

1. Courthouse Steps from 1.5 inch strips
2. Blackford's Beauty from 2 inch strips and squares
3. 2.5 inch HST units now designated for Carpenter's Stars
4. tiny paper pieced log cabin blocks are ongoing

Here is the plan for the Carpenter Star blocks.  It is my third try for the HST units I've started.   I saw this post at Sane, Crazy, Crumby Quilting and was inspired.     

5 is my only official WIP that isn't part of the RSC.  It is aqua churn dash blocks meant for Ryan's bed which he took with him to college.   I might turn it into something smaller instead.   Bin 6 is a collection of pieces for a double wedding ring quilt that I started cutting with an Accuquilt die that I haven't gotten out since the move.  I might try to make space to set that up and focus on starting some collections of fabric pieces ready to sew.   Bin 7 isn't a UFO at all but a collection of 10.5 inch squares to use for quilt backs.    

Bins 8 and 9 are also not quilts but collections of blocks from 2.5 and 2 inch squares. 

Pulling out the bin of 2 inch squares inspired me to take stock of the Irish Chain blocks that were leftover from an earlier quilt and should be enough to start the next one.   I don't often make the same pattern again, but I think this will be my third iteration of this quilt.   

That just leaves this one drawer of orphans.  Thanks to a bit of organization and sorting, it is able to close again.  Most of these are extras from trying out new patterns or writing tutorials.   I will try to focus on turning these into smaller quilted projects.  Quite a few potholders, placemats and table toppers could easily come out of this bin.   That will allow me to participate in the Table Scraps Challenge with The Joyful Quilter who is always such a great cheerleader for RSC.   

If you are also on an organizational quest, Stephanie has been kind enough to make tracking sheets for us again this year.  They are available in editable as well as PDF formats.  Feel free to make a digital copy or print one out as you track your own RSC22 projects. This can be especially helpful if you are carrying over projects from last year that only need certain colors.   

Tracking Sheet in editable form

Tracking Sheet in PDF printable form

I will also add the links to the RSC22 page as well as next weeks linky party to make sure everyone gets a chance to see them.   

Crumbs and Orphans

At this rate I will never need to buy fabric again.  I think I could sew indefinitely with the leftovers of other projects.

 First up were some red crumb blocks.  These were put together using a coin quilt concept.  I also have a stack of HST bits that are almost ready to turn into blocks.  There always seem to be plenty of triangle shaped bits from putting binding strips together.  These all got squared up to 6.5 inches which seems to be a nice size to save for later.  Then the trimmings from all of that will go back into the start of more crumb blocks and the cycle will start again.

Then I put binding on some orphan block potholders.  I'll save the hand stitching for slow stitch Sunday with Kathy tomorrow.  I'd love to make a few more of these, but I ran out of the special batting that goes in the middle.  I wonder if regular batting would work?
Right now absolutely everyone is out of the house.  Kurt has gone to shop for a new laptop for the kids during tax free shopping days.  They got my old laptop when I switched over to the Mac, but it seems to be getting more and more temperamental lately.  One of these days it will just stop working for good.  Anna and Sydney are both playing with friends and Ryan is at a birthday party.   It's just the dog and I right now hangin' out on the couch.  It is almost too quiet.........

Orphan Quilt

 I mentioned earlier that Anna had called "dibs" on the orphan block quilt.  She has decided that she wants it to be her quilt and that it will go to sleepaway camp with her later this summer.  Therefore, she wanted to quilt it.  I had her do a quick sketch on a bit of scratch paper and then she jumped in and started quilting!  She started with a basic meander before long was trying out a loop-de loop.  So for everyone who wanted to know if using a quilting machine is hard, apparently even a child can do it.

Then started picking out a new pattern for each block. I pulled out the pajama quilter workbook and showed her a few patterns.  She traced each one with her finger and then jumped right in with no fear at all!  We did have to take a quick break for dinner.   Anna was talking about how happy she was going to be to snuggle up with her new quilt as soon as it was done.  Then Sydney got got a confused look on her face and reminded us that the quilt was supposed to be for children without parents, not for Anna.  I guess we should have been a little more specific when we called it an orphan quilt.
It is done now and I've just finished sewing on some binding from the leftover binding drawer.  From start to finish, every bit of this quilt was leftover from something else.  How fun it that?

Basking in the "Bs"

Borders and backs are the bane of my quilting experience.  I have more flimsies in the closet hanging out waiting for the "Bs" than I care to admit.  It used to be batting and basting as well, but fortunately, the handiquilter got me over that headache.  So today I decided to just persevere and get some quilts past the awkward phase.  The orphan blocks got a leftover dresden wedge border.  Anna has called dibs on this quilt.  She wants to take it to sleepaway camp later this summer.  It sure is unique.

Here is the back, random chunks of floral fabrics that didn't go with anything else and another strip of the dresden bits.  Definitely one of a kind.

Next up I got the pink fabric cut that Anna had picked out for the border on the second chemo quilt.  I think I'll cut the extra 16 patches at a wonky angle and use them as cornerstones.  These just need to get trimmed to size and sewn on.  There is enough of a pretty pink print to make the back with no trouble.

Sand and Sea will have a simple border from a coordinating print that was bought special.  There is still a bit for the back to go along with extras of the tan and blue.  Maybe in horizontal stripes to represent a beach horizon?

 The kids wanted to go see the movie Epic this morning.  There won't be a lot of days this summer when all three of them are home at the same time so we took advantage of the opportunity for a group outing.  It was actually really good.  Ryan and Sydney have been playing together beautifully all afternoon.  They worked together to clean Ryan's room after lunch and then started a game of dino-opoly.  I think Ryan is winning after getting museums on Gigantosoraus and Seismosarous.  Kurt is just back after going out with some work people, I made a nice pot of chili in the crockpot which the kids said was actually very good.  They even said I should make it again sometime.  Some days are just really good all around.  I hope that tomorrow doesn't swing the other way to compensate.

Orphan Quilt Play Day

 After spending a bit of time cleaning up in the sewing room, a big stack of orphan blocks ended up in the scrap basket.  While looking at youtube videos of sock knitting, I ended up on longarm quilting tutorials finding just the right inspiration for my Midget quilt which is waiting in the wings.  At this point I decided I was definitely in need of a practice top.  So, with a little help from Anna, we sorted through the blocks picking out sets to puzzle together into a top.  Check out all the excellent practice space!

There are certainly blocks for at least one more quilt amongst the happy chaos.  First though, Anna was inspired by a set of applique blocks and has printed off a group of patterns that she wants to try to turn into some blocks of her own.  She is feeling so excited right now -- best to strike while the enthusiasm is abundant.  Ryan has math camp for the next two weeks so a little quality girl time sounds just about perfect.