Finishing up a quilt & decorating for fall

This spools and bobbin quilt is about done...quilting is done and now I'm stitching down the binding.This is my FIRST Rainbow Scrap Quilt finish! I have a few other orange blocks to make for two more rainbow quilts. Linking to Angela at http://superscrappy.blogspot.com/2017/09/scraphappy-saturday-orange-you-glad.html?m=1

The fall decorating is also finished up....all except a table runner. I have an old one but would like a new one.

This we put up just for Henry...it has spooky ghost noises, lights that flicker, chains that rattle and every so often a scary scream. He loves it of course!

So this is the start of the table runner. I designed a new pattern and will be giving it a try. All cut out, now off to sew.....

A little sewing, lots of beach time

There has been very little stitching around here the last few days. Al and I biked around town and relaxed at the beach.

Today we hit a new park on a large lake north of us...very pretty. Until a storm popped up.

Babysitting tonight and tomorrow...then maybe a little sewing. 

Summer :)

Making my July scrap blocks

Four blue unnamed blocks have been added to my pile of Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks. Sixteen more of these and I'll call it done. I need pink, orange, brown and a few of colors already made.

This quilt needs 12 blocks in total so an orange, pink, brown, black, and tan? Maybe? 

Today these SPOOLS blocks will be put together and will be added to the pile. There will be twenty of these.

But first Al and I are enjoying brunch at Red Spire. If you're ever looking for a great little breakfast/brunch restaurant in Traverse City, check out this one in the Commons (the old insane asylmn!) The Commons is a fun area to shop and eat.

Yum!

My breakfast is here!

Scrappy block tutorial

These are more Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks that I made for one of my rainbow quilts. I've a feeling there are going to be quite a few quilts coming out of this SCRAP CHALLENGE! My scraps are overflowing so I'm happy to be working on them but my UFO list is growing and that's not good! It's probably up to 38 or 39...I KNOW, shocking! But when you consider that I've been quilting since the 80's (and collecting fabric since the 60's), I have a HUGE pile of scraps.


And another good thing is...family members are getting quilts... multiple quilts. Plus plenty for donations and auctions. I think a few will go to the hospital up north here. They have a program where a child that has to stay overnight at the hospital for the first time, gets a teddy bear and a quilt.
This is a wonderful thing...just thinking of my grandson....well, if he ever had to stay he would be really scared. So yes, a few will go there.

These are two of my "sea green/ aqua" blocks that I made for the SO SCRAPPY

RSC17. Some I made today and some yesterday. Al and I have a large painting job that is taking most of everyday so I've been getting up an hour early so that I can have a relaxing cup of coffee and do some stitching. My vision isn't the greatest anymore so stitching in the evening just doesn't work.... plus I'm tired by time we get home and make dinner...etc.

I thought some of you might want to try this block...It's really simple but not very large. It's only 7"...7-1/2" before adding to a quilt. It uses up some of those 1-1/2" strips many of you have collected.

I try to find blocks that use up what I have and my pile of 1-1/2" strips is high and falling over...

I place dark 1-1/2" squares in the four corners and the center...This seems to bring the block alive. The background works with low volume fabrics, white, creams, light grays,...etc.

Pick medium volume fabrics for the 3-1/2" and 2-1/2" color pieces. They need to stand out from the background but be lighter than the dark squares.

I hope you can read this photo of my block...I took a picture of my eq7 printout. If you can't let me know and I'll print off a sheet then photograph that.

TO PUT THE BLOCK TOGETHER, I made 4 little log cabins...start with the darkest 1-1/2" squares. Attach the little white square. Then the white 2-1/2", then the color 2-1/2" and finally the color 3-1/2".

Press those 4 small log cabins then place them like the block shows. It'll be like sewing up a 9 patch now. If anyone wants a picture of how it goes together...I will gladly take photos of the next one I make as I do it.

So to put this quilt together, I was planning on turning them on point and cut 7-1/2" squares of white scraps...using them as the alternate block. BUT, my daughter likes how they look in the picture above, place on the bed with a little white sashing. So that's probably how I'll do them. I might use a 3" sashing and put PLUS sign blocks as cornerstones...sort of the way I did my purple and gray quilt. OR I might just keep it all white.

Januarys purple blocks are becoming a quilt!!

Here's my purple Scrap Jar blocks with the setting I decided on. This decision took FOREVER! 

Last night I played with my EQ program trying out different colors and setting blocks but they were all too traditional or too bright or too white. I wanted to bring in a little gray or black to tone everything down but still let the purples shine. 

So I brought out all my little pieces of low volumes and black or grays on white. Loved it!

Then I had to decide if I still wanted setting blocks or just sashing. Since I wanted this quilt to be a lap size, the sashing made sense.. Now the cornerstones....I wanted something modern but something that used up more scraps so I played with the little leftover pieces from the star centers. 

The plus signs were more modern than a regular nine patch and if I added a different purple center then I would get the design I wanted AND use up lots of purple pieces. Added bonus...when I cut the sashing I had lots of little black on white scraps to use in making the cornerstone background. 

With any luck I'll have the top done tomorrow!

Cutting up scraps

If you want to join in the fun and clear out some scraps --> RSC17 LINK!

It was another really snowy day up here in northern Michigan so SCRAP CUTTING was the job for the day. I'm doing the Rainbow Scrap Challenge #RSC17 with SOSCRAPPY on blogspot.

Job #1...open those overstuffed bins...YIKES! 

I put all my magazines and books together...all my patterns together, unless they belonged to a UFO. Dumped a ton of scraps on the floor and started pressing.

See that bin to the left of the ironing board? ALL SCRAPS!!

Job #2....  cut 1-1/2, 2, 2-1/2, 3, 4-1/2 and 5" strips....plus my usual 1/2 inch pieces for crocheting my rag rug.

Job #3 ...start another Rainbow quilt (there are going to be at least 3 with all the scraps I have), I made a tester block for a spools quilt that I designed on EQ last night. I had a large piece of navy backing...almost 2 yards...leftover from something (?) so this will be the background.

Not sure what kind of border I will do ...just tried this one out.

These are 12" blocks. I have enough of the gray spool top and bottoms to do 20 blocks so I think I'll need borders to make this a good sized lap quilt.

JOB WELL DONE!!

My shelves look so much better...there's actually some room to spare! Didn't expect that!