Decorating with quilts... Yes, they ARE art

When I created this mini it was as a challenge   ..... I never considered where I would use it afterwards. The colors weren't ones I normally would choose for a quilt but once it was finished I realized it would be a perfect accent in my master bath. This is a temporary location for it...I'm going to find a frame with glass on the front and back to sandwich it between....then hang it above my towel rack.

As I was cleaning the house today...and my sewing room especially ... I tried to come up with a better container for my many scraps. My sweet hubby suggested the bin under the kitchen sink...very funny.

Digging through the basement for plastic totes, this old seed bin almost fell on my head! A Newton moment :) It's a bit rustic on the outside but spotless inside... Fits perfectly with my rustic modern house. And after dumping in my scraps....well... TONS more space! 

October color and UFO

The scrappy color for this month is PINK 💕

I have a good amount of pink scraps to use but I also have this beautiful hunk of Kona Flamingo(this was a birthday gift from my daughter Lisa)..the color of the year😍. I've been waiting to cut into it... just might be the month. Id like to make a two color quilt, Flamingo and a slightly off-white. I haven't decided on a pattern yet though.

So the UFO for October is #6. For me that would be my Vintage Farm Girl blocks, which have been done for 3+ years.. yeah... not holding out hope of getting that done though. I have 2 quilts that HAVE to be done first ...and a table runner. Plus I have company coming to stay for a week, some canning to do, birthday cookies to bake for two family members AND I'll be working two jobs😩. 

Sure is going to be a busy month here....

Making a mini Log Cabin quilt

Have you seen CURATED QUILTS? Well, for Issue 2 they are asking for mini quilts made with the colors I used below in a "log cabin" to be submitted to them for possible inclusion. I love a challenge and also love log cabins. 

This is my mini...it's about 14" square. It's two-sided because I had leftover fabric and I just LOVE interesting backs. And, yes, the back is a log cabin too.

#curatedquilts

Curated Quilts

Tomatoes and sleepless nights

It's canning season! The temps finally dipped from 90+ to mid 60's so I decided to give quilting a break for a day and get these tomatoes done.

Two pots of sauce later .... Off to the sewing room while that cooks down a bit

I started a new quilt at 2am the other night...couldn't sleep so I thought, why not.

This is the results of that sleepless night... I started these blocks with scraps and stash fabric. There are now 18 out of 25 blocks finished. Time to stir the sauce :)

Planning my next scrappy quilt

I've completed the ORANGE scrappy blocks for September and thought it's probably time to plan a layout of these smaller UNNAMED scrap blocks. 

I have about 50 blocks made but not necessarily the RIGHT colors for what I'm planning.

So below is what I have in mind... This is an EQ7 drawing of it:

I have some gray and tan which I've decided to work in where I don't have enough of a particular color....like the second row of purple...that will be gray instead.

I made a list of what I need and will start stitching those up...any odd, leftover blocks will go on the back.

My quilt will be 72x82". Now to get cutting!

Blogger Quilt Festival QUILT

This is my entry into the Amy's Creative Side BLOGGER QUILT FESTIVAL. This was a quilt made using up colorful scraps through Angela's RAINBOW SCRAP CHALLENGE. Link to ANGELAS BLOG

Each month she chooses a color for us to make blocks of our choice out of. I skipped ahead and made the orange and pink blocks so that I could get this finished up. It'll be a sewing room quilt for...ME :)

I had one leftover bobbin block that I made by altering a Cotton Way pattern. The leftover made a great quilt label.

This Spools and Bobbins quilt was a fun quilt to make and a great way to use up some scraps...although nowhere NEAR making a dent in my huge pile. 

I took a final picture of it downtown as Al and I went out to breakfast. The weather has been amazing for September.

I am also linking to OH SCRAP ... button on the left side of my blog.

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.....

Double Nine Patch w/ Snowballs is a top

The top is finished! I really didn't want to have another 1/2 finished quilt in the sewing room so I pushed to get this done.

The quilt top measures 63"x 81" so it's a nice twin. There won't be any borders on this....I wanted it to look like a 30's or 40s quilt. I should hand quilt it....well, after I quilt Lisa's wedding quilt I'll see how I feel. 

Tutorial to make the Double Nine patch quilt

I'm more than 1/2 way done with my Double Nine Patch and Snowball quilt.

I decided to add snowball blocks to give it a little added interest. 

Some people have written to me asking about the pattern....there isn't one. I saw something similar at an antique shop a few years ago and have always had this in the back of my mind to make.

Start with a little 9 patch block...cut 1-1/2" strips of shirtings, dots, and vintage scraps. 

Sub cut into 1-1/2" squares. Make LOADS of these little nine patches. I used darker pieces in the corners, red centers and light and mediums in between. These mini 9 patches should measure 3-1/2" ....also cut solid 3-1/2" squares of a background fabric. Using the mini 9 patches and the solids, make the large double 9 patch shown above. This block should measure 9-1/2" (or 9" finished).

Now cut the alternating blocks out of the background fabric...9-1/2" square.

I wanted these to be snowball blocks so I chopped the corners and stitched on plaid shirting.

Cut 3-1/2" strips of shirting...one XXL men's shirt was enough for my quilt (or buy about 3/4 yard)

Using my EASY ANGLE ruler, I cut my plaid triangles. What size? Well, I cut a cardboard 3-1/2" square, lined up the dotted 1/4" line with the corners and sliced. This gave me the small triangle to cut corners off my background squares and a template to cut my plaid corners. (See below)

Here's my corner piece...

  Snips the corner perfectly!

Now I can lay my triangle plaid pieces, lining up the one straight edge the acrylic template give me...and stitch.

Just be sure you don't put the piece on the wrong side...if it looks too big like above, turn it and place it on the next edge!!!

Well I hope this helps some of you that want to make this quilt

Took a trip to the U.P. of Michigan

As Al drove up to my brothers farm, I was able to get some hand stitching done. These 1930 reproduction fabrics are becoming hexie flowers for a medallion quilt. 

I packed plenty of fabrics but forgot to grab extra hexagon papers so I had to resort to cutting up flyers and magazine covers... Not pretty but it works!

My brothers farm needs LOTS of work to get it producing like he wants. He's still in the process of repairing outbuildings and planning fields. 

Potatoes were planted in the spring, then neglected till now because he works full time in Detroit. This will become a retirement farm for him. In the meantime, my sister and I will harvest, can and freeze some of the fruits and veggies. 

I worked on one long row and two short rows to get these beauties. The plants could REALLY use more growing time so we'll be back in a month to dig the rest.

These are just a small amount of the potatoes....we wanted to try all the varieties. Purple potatoes are a new thing for me... I haven't ever had a chance to try these and was very surprised at how creamy and good they were.

After we came home I had a chance to work on my Double Nine patch blocks. As of today, I have eight blocks left to make :)  seeing a light at the end of the tunnel!

September UFO & color of the month

Can you believe it's September already?! Where did the summer go? Well, with a new month we have  a new UFO to work on... this month it's #4 according to Patchwork Times. My hubby is excited because this is HIS quilt. He's hoping to see it finished up.

And the color for September is ORANGE 🍊... perfect! This will be a nice bright change from beige. Time to dig out my scraps of orange and make some blocks.

Summer is almost gone so we are enjoying these last warm days. We spent some time walking around the Common (the old insane asylum) here in Traverse City. There's some wonderful old architecture here.

I love this old metal arch over this doorway.

And of course, we've taken Henry downtown, to the beach and on some hikes.

I'm making progress on Double Nine Patch quilt... 20 of the 32 nine patches are done so more than halfway.

Today Al and I are road tripping to the U.P. to visit my brother Karl's house. He's up for the holiday weekend along with my sister. I'm finished with my EPP stars and needed another hand project so I'm making hexie flowers that will border a 30's style medallion quilt.. I'll appliqué these onto a white (?) square to create a border....probably need about 25-30 of these.