To Do Tuesday - clean up

I have a haircut and manicure appointment this afternoon, but hope to get some sewing and organizing done this morning before I go.  Yesterday's organizing actually ended up making a bigger mess than I began with. 

This canvas cube held Quilt of Valor fabrics - some yardage and some scraps.  But it had overflowed onto the floor recently.  Why do I allow that to happen?

In that cube were a few orphan blocks too, including a few 9-patch blocks.  When the sorting began it made sense to kit up a few new Split Back Star blocks using some of those larger scraps, and some additional 9-patch blocks using smaller scraps.  I think these 9-patch blocks would make excellent centers for star blocks in the future. 

There are now 3 stacks of yardage all folded up neatly - one stack for reds, one blues, and one is light neutrals.  Today's task needs to be finishing the sort of these and to put all the yardage into a larger bin with a lid, and just use this cube for QOV scraps.  Wish me luck!!

Design Wall Monday - Feb 19 - Getting organized

 OK - I'm not really organizing my whole sewing room, but I am trying to get the projects and supplies organized that I want to take to the retreat later in the week.

Since the box of random 5" charms was a BIG mess, and because I made it even worse looking for some to use for Windmill Blades - this is where I'm starting to organize.

The box is all neat again, and I pulled out a few good neutrals to use with those Windmill Blade blocks next month.  See what I might be doing with them HERE. 

Retreat Project #1 - Shamrock 20" pillow cover. 
I wanted everything prepped for this St Patrick's Day pillow before going to the retreat so I can quilt the front and assemble the pillow at the retreat.  I cut and ironed on the applique, and will finish the blanket stitching this week.  My small machine that I take to retreats doesn't have as nice of a blanket stitch so it makes sense to do it ahead of time.  

Retreat Project #2 - Bargello Tree Skirt

This is a kit that I purchased last fall and is actually on my PHD list for 2024.  I really want this done to replace the 30 year old tree skirt I've been using at Christmas.

The pieces are all cut and organized so I can just begin to sew.  The kit actually has printed batting to do a "quilt as you go" process after the wedges are made.  

There are several more things set aside to take to the retreat.  Plus it's hard telling what else I might find that I want to work on while I have the chance.

* baby quilt begun at my daughter's house

* Easter bench pillow

* 2 seasonal mini quilts (12")

* Indigo Way (Bonnie Hunter mystery)

I'm linking up with Design Wall Monday . . .
https://smallquiltsanddollquilts.blogspot.com/

Windmills galore

 Since the collection of Windmill blocks had grown too big for the hanger, I've been sewing them into "two-sies", and some "three-sies".  

It was time to lay them out on the floor and see things are looking.  Currently there are enough for a kid sized quilt, but if I want a twin sized quilt a lot more will be needed.  These are great scrappy blocks, and I do love making them.  The blocks are 8" unfinished.

And with Windmills on my mind I've been looking on Pinterest lately for new ideas.  I think I've mentioned lately that too many ideas have been spinning my brain into a tizzy!  I'm so easily distracted lately. 

If memory serves me correctly this was called Tilt when I saw it on Pinterest.  It appears to be made using slightly wonky Windmill quarter units.  I'll call them Blades.  The Windmill blade units could be done using lots of different colors with a common background color (grey?) or scrappy backgrounds - and NOT sewn into the Windmill shape.  This picture from Pinterest appears to use those units to create the zig zags.  And it could be done using larger squares, such as a layer cake.  What a fun idea!!

And I found another variation from Pinterest, and this one is called Fractured.  Same basic idea, but layed out differently and staying within one color family.  So many options out there for playing with scraps!!  

https://imquilternity.blogspot.com/2013/10/fractured-qal-week-6.html

So - you knew I would have to play with these a little bit, right?  

RSC24 - Week #7

 I think today will be a fun day, including taking some grandkids to the Jackrabbit basketball game with us this afternoon.  The boys love to see "dunks" but this is a women's game so they'll have to just enjoy the fun atmosphere - and the snacks.

With the 2 new red Brighten blocks from this week there are now 20 of them.  Since these are just 10" blocks I'll need a lot more. 

There was a good sized chunk of this fun red polka dot in the Red stash drawer, so I had some fun with it.  A Stashbuster block and another Windmill block happened.   

I also used a piece of that dot for the front of a new zippered pouch.  The rest of that fabric went back into the stash.  I think this pouch will be used as a door prize at a retreat next weekend.

String Bead blocks in red . . .

I've been using pages from old phone books for the foundation of these.  So far there are 6 green ones, 4 red ones, 1 pink, and 1 aqua.  Lots and lots more will be needed. 

I imagine there are a lot of great inspiration to be found at RSC today . . .

https://superscrappy.blogspot.com/

Some mindless sewing

 Added NOTE - now that it's light outside I can see it's snowing hard.  Last night it was snowing as we drove home from the Jackrabbit game.  The drive home was a bit slower, but not slippery.  This morning I'm betting the roads are slick.  Snow day means more sew day time, right?

Some days I begin working on something, and then just need to take a break and give it more thought before continuing.  That was the case yesterday with the Better Together project I started quilting.

Outlining the love birds in the middle was the first task.  I think the bird bodies need a heart quilted into the middle.  Now I'm outline stitching along the bottoms of the heart border.  And I'm considering random hearts in between the border and the birds.  I'm not good at stippling which was my first plan in between, so I'm thinking hearts will work. 

The kit for Better Together contained a layer cake of these beautiful valentine prints in reds and pinks, and after sewing the mini together I wondered what to do with all the leftover layer cake squares and parts and pieces.  Then I saw the pattern (Villa Rosa) for a table runner, and sewed this up quickly on Tuesday afternoon.  It didn't use up everything, but it's a start, right?  I think I'm going to add a narrow border of the black dot to make this slightly wider, and because it looks unfinished. 

That brings me to the mindless sewing . . . it's a good way to reboot my brain.

When I got out the bin holding most of my Valentine prints, there were all kinds of leftover charms and strips.  And here I was adding more leftovers to the bin.  So I pulled out a couple of pieces and sewed small versions of the the Split Hearts.  Same size as the Small Heart blocks in that recent crib quilt, so I can make these in my sleep.  Two mug rugs were born.  Leftover binding got used too.

And then I worked on a doll quilt from a small bin full of 4-patches made as Leaders/Enders over a long time period.  Sewing those white strips on to separate them was definitely mindless.  And I'm liking how this is coming together. 

There have been way too many ideas floating around in my head lately.  Lack of focus is attacking me daily.  I need to refocus and get that quilting DONE on Better Together.

Another license plate

One more of the Row By Row license plates has become a bag.

My current plan for this one is to take it to next week's retreat as a door prize.  I think it needs some kind of zipper pull - even some ribbon would dress it up. 

My husband discovered this gorgeous plant at the flower shop on Valentine's Day.  It is a Bromeliad according to the little label.  It stands about 30" tall, so I need to find a better spot for it than the kitchen counter where it is currently living.  Very dramatic!!

SAHRR and more

The lighting isn't the best, but I'm quite pleased with my Round #4 on the SAHRR.

The prompt was "square-in-a-square" and I decided to keep it simple this time.  That turned out to be a good decision as I've been struggling with balance.  The simple strips with only 1 square-in-a-square each is keeping this project from being too visually busy.  

 One other good thing that happened on Tuesday morning was fixing that Dutchman's Puzzle block. 

The geese are now ALL flying out, rather than in.  I've been making 2 of these each month - with aqua paired with the RSC color.  So there are 2 green and 2 red so far, along with 1 orange one that was a test block last fall.  I'm using batiks for the colors and scrappy white-on-white for the backgrounds. 

 The Valentine project is sandwiched and I'm hoping to begin quilting it today.