Progress is gradual

 

Sunday afternoon and Monday morning were spent working on my Saturday Sampler quilt. The pieced borders are nearly done. The top and bottom ones (with corners) are done and the sides ones are nearly done with only 3 colors left to add to each end.  The burgundy squares sit in the center of each side and in the 4 corners. Then the colors push out from the square.

 

I also started working on the center area of the quilt. The 12 pieced "star" blocks are set on point and separated by squares and setting triangles.  The left corner 2 rows are assembled. I'm hoping that this afternoon I can finished the side borders and get another row or 2 onto the center.

Sew Sampler Box

Getting packages in the mail is always exciting, but getting "quilty" packages is even more fun.  For the past few months I've been subscribing to the monthly sampler box from The Fat Quarter Shop and it's always a treat to open those turquoise boxes. Just like getting a big birthday present every month. 

This month there is a "Jolly Bar" - 5" X 10" pre-cuts. There are 42 pieces in the grouping that is a yummy blue and peachy fabric line. This is like having 2 matching charm packs, or half of a layer cake. I'll tell you more about this Jolly Bar when I decide what I want to make with it.  And I suppose I'll have to be honest with myself and add it to my stash count as an addition.

There is always some type of pre-cut fabrics and a selection of notions and patterns. This box has the best group of notions since I began subscribing: wonder clips, a thread wax cube, purple Thang, and a seam ripper.  The pattern this month is very cute, although I have one very similar so I may share it forward.  Last but not least there is a pattern on a recipe card for a block each month. 

Piecing and cutting and piecing . . .

This morning has been spent piecing and cutting, and piecing. But LOTS of cutting!

 

This was the final pieced 12" block for the quilt.  The fabric is an over-dyed muslin and sews like a dream! It has that hand-dyed look that gives each piece look like it has some texture.

 

Then I pulled out the setting kit that we received a couple of months ago. I will admit that I've been a bit afraid to cut into this. The background was the scariest part, because it has very specific cutting instructions in terms of which big pieces get cut from which location on the fabric. But like any other project, once I had read through the instructions more carefully and actually started cutting it wasn't so bad.  

 

 

This quilt has an elaborate (for me) pieced border and those pieces are cut, labeled, and ready to sew.  The pieced blocks will be set on point with squares of the cream background separating them. And there are setting triangles for the edges and corners. Then the pieced borders will go on, followed by multiple solid borders. 

 

My pieces are all cut now except for a grey border and burgundy binding.  And I began to piece the center of one of the colored borders, which is laying on top of the setting squares in the second photo.  Not so scary after all - as long as I pay close attention to the instructions for color placement.

Water Turn - Farm Girl Vintage

 

This is the last of the main blocks from the Farm Girl Vintage book.  So I have a 12" and a 6" version of all of the blocks finished.  Now I need to decide if I'm going to make the tractor or one of the other barn blocks. And I still have a couple of downloaded blocks that I want to make.

 

I still am not sure exactly how these will all be used. The little blocks are my favorite and I think I want to put them all into 1 completed quilt for ME.  But those big blocks really could make 2 big quilts, or maybe 3 kid sized quilts. But the good thing is, there is plenty of time for inspiration to hit because I have no deadlines.

Crown of Thorns

 

It's very interesting that these 2 baby quilt tops look different sizes in this photo. They are exactly the same size. Must be the perspective of where I was standing.

 

A few days ago a reader told me that she knew this block as English Wedding Ring, which is much more romantic than Crown of Thorns. Since they are going to be baby quilts I may need to rethink the name a bit. LOL

 

These blocks were all part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge for 2016 and carried into 2017.  And now they are headed to the long arm quilter as soon as I pick out some appropriate backing fabrics. I'm kind of thinking different colored backs and bindings so they are easy to tell apart after they've been washed a bunch. 

RSC17 continued

My RSC17 (Rainbow Scrap Challenge) is actually a continuation of my RSC16 blocks - 15" Crown of Thorns blocks.  My original plan was to make a large quilt, but then I decided to make 2 baby quilts instead.  There were 8 dark/bright blocks and 6 lighter more pastel blocks already made. I added a purple one for January and put together a flimsy using the brighter blocks.

So now I've added a sea green/aqua block for February, along with a light lime green and a soft rose block.  Over the weekend I'm hoping to get the pastel flimsy put together too so that next week I can find backing and binding for both quilts. They will be gifts for twin baby girls due late spring.  The mom is a dear friend of one of my own girls.

 

Now I can figure out what I want to keep making to follow along with the RSC17 for the rest of the year - because I like the idea of playing with my stash, one color at a time, with no huge project hanging over my head.  

Farm Girl Vintage - cow block

 

I still need to embroider a tail on both of the adorable cow blocks, but these are SO CUTE!  I have to admit that I've been tempted by the additional blocks available for download from Lori Holt (on the Fat Quarter Shop site). The cow was one of several that I've purchased and downloaded since the book came out.