Rainbow Scrap Challenge Sampler August - Mr. Roosevelt's Necktie

This is a very old fashioned traditional block.  I chose it because it has a nice diagonal motion.  I've been trying to make sure the movement and symmetry of the final quilt are taken into account.  Even though I planned out specific blocks at the begining of the year, I've been enjoying picking out blocks for each spot in the quilt.

Here are the pieces you will need:

2 - 3.5 inch squares of background fabric

2  - pairs of HST units cut with the easy angle ruler from a pair of 2 inch strips of different indigo fabrics, one lighter and one darker

6 - 2 inch squares of indigo

2 - 2 inch squares of background fabric

Start by sewing two HST units together along the hypotenuse.  Trim the dog ears and press.  This will make a HST unit with indigo and indigo.  I forgot to take a photo, but you can see it two photos down.  

 Take two small indigo squares and place them in the corner of the large background squares.  Draw a line from corner to corner on the indigo square.  Sew on the drawn line and press the square to make a flip and sew triangle.  Repeat with both squares. Save these for now.

 Two of the small indigo squares will combine with a HST unit and a background square to make a four patch.  You will need to make two identical four patches.

 OK, the four subunits you will need for your larger block are now done.  Arrange them so that the darker indigo HST units point to the center along with the flip and sew corners.

Here is your sampler square.  It should measure 6.5 inches unfinished.

Now add your star points and you are ready to add this block to your finished quilt.  

Rainbow Scrap Challenge Sampler - Bullseye

Log Cabin blocks are easier to do on an odd grid than on an even grid. It works with a 6 inch square though, if you start with a larger center square.  This one is a log cabin variation called Bullseye.

All you will need is 1.5 inch strips of indigo and background along with a 2 inch square of indigo.  The indigos can be the same or different.  

Here are the pieces you will need:

1 - 2 inch square of indigo

2 - 1.5 by 2 inch strips of background

2 - 1.5 by 4 inch strips of background (notice that it looks shorter in the picture, I figured it out as I sewed the first round)

2 - 1.75 by 4 inch strips of indigo

2 - 1.75 by 6.5 inch strips of indigo

Sew the shorter strips of background onto either side of your center square.  Press away from the center square.

Next sew the longer strips of background onto the top and bottom of the pieced unit.  Press away from the center.

Next sew a short strip of blue to the pieced edge of the center square.  Press away from the center.

Finally sew the long blue square onto the left and right sides.  Your block should be 6.5 inches unfinished.

Add your star points and your first sampler block of the month is ready to go.  

Postage Stamp Flimsy

I just finished sewing the blocks together for the small postage stamp blocks that were left over from the big postage stamp quilt.  The blocks were done quite a while ago, but I just left them sitting next to the machine thinking that I would add some sashing.  So instead, eventually, I just sewed them together as is.  Done!  This will be a small quilt.  I might keep it small or maybe I should just add a wide border to frame it out?
I went into school this afternoon to work on my sub plans, they are so close to being done.  I still need to finish sewing the homeroom flags and fill out a form for out of county travel.  I should put up some posters too so that my classroom is a little more cheerful.  Mostly I am getting closer to being ready to go though.  

And Then There Were Three

I remember putting this quilt away hurriedly because I was out of time.  Maybe winter break?  I was smart enough to leave a note though that said I had pieced a back but it was too narrow and that extra fabric was included to enlarge it.  

 So I pressed the back and inserted an extra strip slightly off center to make the back large enough.

 Here is the front which was a motley collection of strings and crumbs that had been collected over time.  This will go in the stack.  Actually I think that I will quilt it first and I will use it to try out the Baptist Fans that I am thinking about for Hawaiian Sunset.  Not tonight though.  Tonight I am done! I think I will settle in with some handwork or maybe a good book.

Progress

 On the way home from school this morning I stopped by Boutique 4 Quilters and picked up two Row by Row kits and license plates, one for me and one for Deb.  I went in to try to finish off my sub plans but realized that I didn't have the right thumb drive.  I was planning on going back again tomorrow, hopefully that will be enough to get everything done.  We have a new schedule next year and lots of changes in staff and programs, so getting everything planned out has been interesting.

When I got home from that I finished putting the top together for Anna's T-shirt quilt.  She wanted these owls for the back.  

 Of course there wasn't nearly enough, so I will frame it with some pink flannel.  If I can just get this one ready to go I can relax for a bit and finish my packing.  Sounds like a plan.

August Color Annoucement

The color for August is indigo.  Vicki Welsh and I worked on colors earlier this year, and I usually do a black month, but she didn't think that she could get enough variation in shades of black, and suggested indigo as an alternative.  Indigo lives between blue and violet on the rainbow, though its position on the electromagnetic spectrum is controversial.  My sampler blocks this month will be made with fabrics from this hand dyed bundle that Vicki Welsh made for the RSC15.  You can enter in a drawing to win this bundle by leaving a comment on this post with the one color you still want to see this year.  I will also be tackling the black and grey scraps in my stash this month.  I think that the very dark blues will work nicely with the blacks, as none of these represents a large volume of scraps for me.  So, start clearing out the reds and see if you have any dark purply blues, blacks, or grays to play with this month.  

Row by Row

 So Deb was going to be in town on vacation with her family.  Her plan was to visit a few quilt shops to participate in the Row by Row Experience.   She had everything planned out ahead of time, so I just popped up to meet her at the first shop.  They had a sailboat row which was super cute.  Mrs. Gates was there, she has never made a quilt but just likes to buy fabric.  She is going to be my sub while I am gone to Costa Rica.
The next shop was right around the corner and they had really adorable duckies, already laser cut and ready to fuse.  Next it was down to my neck of the woods.  They didn't have any license plates, but their block was really pretty with rows of batik waves and beading.  Finally, the last quilt shop had a somewhat odd thermometer with Olaf fabric, so I just got the pattern, I can change out the fabrics on that one I think.  Deb even brought me some scraps in indigo and brown.  So sweet!  Thanks Deb.  I really meant to get a picture of the two of us together.  Oops, maybe next time.

I promised Anna that I would not start on a new quilt until hers was done.  I did start sewing the rows together when we got home from and made good progress.  Maybe tomorrow?  The days are getting shorter.  Tomorrow I will meet Mrs. Gates at school to go over sub plans, then Sydney has a dentist appointment on Wednesday and a piano lesson on Thursday.  

Design Wall Monday July 27, 2015

Since I sewed the top together for Hawaii Sunset and finished the borders and backing yesterday, I was ready for what's next.  Because the missing fabric for Anna's T-Shirt quilt came while I was working on my last quilt, I decided to go ahead and bite the bullet.  This is my third t-shirt quilt since May and I am looking forward to finishing this one off.  As much as these quilts are full of fun memories, the sewing is a little bit tedious.  I'm in the middle of a Bones marathon though, and that will get me through.

Slow Stitch Sunday - Basket Blocks

After finishing the border for Hawaii Sunset this morning, I spent most of the afternoon puttering around the sewing room.  I will need to extend the frame a bit to quilt a queen sized top, and things are a bit cluttered at the moment.  It felt so good to settle down after dinner with some nice quiet handwork.  These little basket blocks turned up in my organization.  I was surprised to find out that there were only three more blocks to be appliquéd.  So I am about ready to take the last stitches on the last block and then I will put these away until I am ready to put another top together.  I had a small wall hanging in mind with these baskets, something to hang in the entryway. 

Hawaii Sunset Top Done

I just finished putting the pieced border on Hawaii Sunset.  TaDa!  I always want to skip the pieced border.  By the time the top is done I just want to get it finished and quilted.  But I am always glad that I completed the pieced borders. It is nicely pressed now and ready for finishing.  

 I have this nice grey and blue floral for the back.  I have picked up bits and pieces on sale but never had a good use for it.  Though it will take a bit of puzzling, I think there is plenty.

 These giant tumbler block were my leaders and enders.  I'm not sure where they are headed yet, but They are coming together nonetheless.

 The tumblers weren't out long before Lizzie came to check them out.  I think she approves.  I want to get Hawaii Sunset up and loaded on the frame so that I can work some more on Anna's T-shirt quilt.  She is pretty anxious for it to get finished up now that the missing fabric has arrived.