RSC26 - Week #25

Because I cut lots of block "kits" ahead of time and stack them out on my design boards, I can whip up a whole lot of different blocks in just a couple of hours of sewing.  And I love having multiple block sets going on all at once.  I currently have 3 design boards with block kits - one has QOV Ticker Tape pieces in red, white, and blue, one has various scrappy RSC block pieces, and the other has some test block pieces for the Pizza Box challenge block - that must remain a secret here until August. 

I finished making all of the string blocks needed to finish up the top for the String Stars. I just needed a couple light blue ones, and a couple of neutral ones.  Now I can add that last 2 rows onto the others, and a new scrappy flimsy will be born.  

A couple of the Mardi Gras blocks came off the assembly line.  I have a whole stack of the black and white pieces cut already and only have to cut ONE 7.5" square of a color, cut it in half - and 5 minutes later there are 2 new blocks. They end up slightly oversize, so once I've trimmed to size they are all very exact.  I can picture these blocks in Christmas or Halloween fabrics - some day.  Or in patriotic prints for a Quilt of Valor.  I can also visualize these blocks coming together for placemats.  HMMM . . . 

A few more Ticker Tape blocks happened, also thinking about a lap quilt using these.  I looked back at previous month's RSC colors, and dug into the scraps for reds (not in the picture), blues, and greens.  Side note: I have so many blue scraps I think I could make all-blue quilts forever and ever.  LOL

This is one way these Ticker Tape blocks can be layed out.  I have a start on the patriotic ones I've been making as Leaders/Enders.  This direction it makes me think of confetti, but turned sideways they look kind of like waves. 

A minor squirrel distracted me this week too.  Bonnie Hunter released a new pattern this past month, and I bought the digital download right away.  It's called Crackers and Jam, and it's paper pieced with 2 alternating blocks.  I made just the one block so far, but couldn't resist.  This is only 6.5" square, which means each little quadrant finishes at 3".  So cute!  I've made several quilts using the big version of this block which is an old signature block pattern. But this tiny version just called to me.  And it uses really small scraps!!! 

Two of the most fun blocks I'm making this year for RSC are the Honey Bee blocks and the Catnip blocks (3 cats).  I've kept up with them each month so far, and have decided I'm not going to add pastel versions.  I plan to keep them in brighter more saturated shades. But this is a good month to play with all of these other blocks.  I'll never run out of scraps in this lifetime but I sure can have fun playing with them.  

Let's go check out more Rainbow fun . . .

https://superscrappy.blogspot.com/

Finished (or not) Friday

I'm really excited to report 3 finishes this week.  That's right - 3 things are totally finished!!  Two of these projects are not terribly big, but still, they are done.

Marching Stars was a sew-along this past winter designed and hosted by Alycia.  She is very involved with Quilts of Valor in her own state, but also generously shares her designs for QOV with her blog readers.  I just love this one!!  This is the second QOV that I've finished this month - made by me - from my stash.  Another one is currently in the hands of a long arm quilter.  Plus 4 "group" quilts just came back from another long armer, so we're finally getting caught up with what we'll need in coming weeks and months.  It's so important to have a quilt ready whenever we get a veteran nominated. 

This is Summer Getaway.  It's only 45" square so it should make a good lap quilt.  I plan to donate it locally.  One of our guild members is collecting lap quilts for a local agency housing disabled adults.  It was a kit from a long past Sew Sampler box (Fat Quarter Shop). Background and backing, borders and binding had to be added - some came from my stash and some was purchased to finish the project.   

Beach Bums fought hard to NOT be finished this week.  But I overcame.  This is applique, all done with fusible and no stitching around the edges of the pieces.  The whole thing is only 30 by 45, and a lot of those pieces are TINY.  So I just ironed them on - with the plan that dense quilting would take care of holding things down.  That would have been a good plan if some of those pieces would have stayed on long enough to actually be quilted.  Carol (the quilter) has the patience of a saint, as I dropped it off, then had to pick up back up for some fixing, then dropped it off again. This will hang somewhere in my house, but I haven't decided yet just where that will be. 

On a side note I finished 5 mug rugs too.

For more finishes, please visit:  https://alyciaquilts.blogspot.com/

Working through the list

I always have a list, for quilting and for household things to do.  List making is just a fact of life for me, and has been for decades.  My kids might remember my sticky notes with things crossed off as I got them done.  Or maybe they never noticed it.  LOL

My list for this week is on a sticky note on my desk, and there are a few things checked off.  On the top right, by the pen - that's another list, with a couple of meetings and appointments that I don't want to forget this week.

On Monday's post I had a list of quilt-y things I wanted to accomplish this week.  I can check off the pizza box challenge, because I have both the RWB and 30s versions of this month's block done.  And, I've chosen the block to share at our next Sew Vintage group meeting.  In fact I've made a couple of samples of the block and prepped the handout with the pattern.  Check!!

For Saturday Sampler this month we're doing several Dresden Plate blocks, in a couple of sizes.  I have the first one sewn, except for the center.  I just haven't decided what color to use for the center.  And I have not sewn it onto the background yet.  But it's a good start.

The bad stitching on the 60 degree runner has all been picked out.  Now I need to redo the quilting that was removed.  No more pleats in the backing is the goal.

One more Garden Star block has been made, with a fourth one started.  However there is very little Rainbow Scrap sewing to report.  Today there are some pastels on the design board and hopefully I'll get to those things before leaving for an eye appointment this afternoon. 

Not on my To Do list for this week was binding.  I'll have a couple of actual finishes to report tomorrow because I've been binding 2 projects in the evenings this week.  Plus I need to cut some binding for 3 more Quilts of Valor today.  These 2 quilts arrived back from our state coordinator on Tuesday.  She did the long arm quilting on them, plus on a couple others she dropped off over the weekend. 

Stash enhancement

With the stash I already have accumulated, I couldn't possibly live long enough to sew it all up. But of course that doesn't stop me from adding to the stash.  I have been trying for a couple of years to be more deliberate about fabric purchases - mostly buying things to finish projects, like backing, backgrounds/borders, or binding.  This year I'm also tracking my fabric purchases again to stay a little bit accountable.

However there is a big statewide shop hop coming up this summer - AND sometimes there is something just too pretty to pass up.  The pink plaid is a fat quarter that I won at Saturday Sampler last weekend.  But the gorgeous batik strip set was something I just couldn't resist.  The colors are so beautiful.  I'm thinking it will need to be used with a dark background no matter what pattern I choose. 

This was an impulse purchase - online.  Fat Quarter Shop does their Liberty Box each summer with the focus being on patriotic projects, suitable for Quilts of Valor.  I think I've bought 2 previous Liberty Boxes in the past.  I splurged on it again this year.  They are a surprise, so you don't know exactly what the project will look like until you open the box.  So, in this year's Liberty Box is a beautiful pattern and the 12 fat quarters needed to make it.  I already have enough white background for it, in the stash of course.  The box also contained beautiful book ends, and a "ruler stand".  All in all, it was a good purchase.

And yes, I've added these all to the stash tracking spreadsheet.  I'll try to share my stash report at the end of this month as we're halfway through the year.  

Shooting Stars

Oops!  I totally forgot to hit the Publish button for today's post.  

I had this image in my head of how different this Shooting Star block might look with the lights and darks reversed.

And the finished blocks met my expectations!  The block was designed by Stacy Hsu for the Blockheads 5 series.  It's a free pattern on the Blockheads site.  Missy picked this star to add to our pizza box challenge. 

My 30s version is cute too, although it might have been prettier with the background more colorful.  Who knows, maybe I'll make another one. 

Design Wall Monday - June 15

Wow - halfway through another month!!  I just have to make a list of things to work on this week, because I have so many things I want to work on including a bunch of new things.  So in order to focus my attention on Works In Progress, I really need that list.

** Saturday Sampler
** Sew Vintage pizza box challenge
**  fix the 60 degree runner
** Rainbow Scrap Challenge
** Garden Star 

We are doing Dresden Plate blocks for Saturday Sampler this time, and there are 3 different sizes to make.  So this week I hope to get the biggest one sewn, but get the backgrounds and blades colors selected for all of the plates. 

I have a couple of tasks for the pizza box challenge, and even though we aren't meeting again until August I want them done and ready to go.  Each month a different member is sharing a pattern for a 12" finished star block with the group.  This is the pattern that Missy shared with us, pulled from Blockheads 5 patterns.  I love it. We're doing a RWB version to donate to Quilts of Valor, but some of us are doing an extra block for ourselves in various different fabric options.  I'm doing my extra one in 30s prints.  For the RWB version I want to do 2 - one with dark stars and light background, and the other reversed.  August will be my turn to share a block pattern with the group, so I need to narrow down my choice and make my sample.

The pieces are cut for 2 more of the paper pieced Garden Star blocks. Even though we have all year to get these 12 alternate blocks done, I'm planning to add 2 more this month to the 2 already done. 

For the Rainbow Scrap Challenge this month we're doing pastels, plus any "catch up" we might need to do from previous month colors. I had good intentions last week to get the pastel Salt Water Taffy blocks layed out into rows, but that didn't happen.  Maybe this will be the week to get it them organized. 

I'm linking up today with:

https://smallquiltsanddollquilts.blogspot.com/ 

https://songbirddesigns.blog 

Deck progress

There has been steady progress on our new deck, thankfully.

One young man was the whole demolition crew, and by the end of Day 1 he had removed all of the vertical metal bars from the railing, and nearly all of the flooring.  All the parts and pieces had been put into the trailer in our driveway for the trash and any mess was cleaned up. 

At the end of Day 2 (Friday) he had everything torn out and the space all ready for the building crew to arrive on Monday morning.

By the end of Day 3 (Monday) the 2 guys doing the building had fill dirt added along the house where things had been sinking.  All of the bracing was attached to the house, and the wood was cut for the underneath framing.

Day 4 (Tuesday) saw all the floor stringers done and the beginning of the actual floor of the deck.  

Day 5 (Wednesday) ended with the flooring completely done and the steps partially done.  One of the black posts for the railing is laying near the step area in this photo.  

Thursday was Day 6, and began with a light drizzle of rain.  I wondered if the crew would show up to work on the deck, but they did.  And the rain stopped.  The steps you can't see, but they are done.  And the railings began to go up.  The one lying by the house will actually be the gate.  We put a gate on the old deck to corral the little kids and the dogs, but found it also kept deer and other big critters off the deck.  The raccoons just go over the gate unfortunately.  LOL

Day 7 (Friday) has it all done except for some of the skirting.  The black railings look nice with the warm brown of the floor.  And there are lights on the post caps. The hardware for that gate, and the skirting should all arrive by the end of this coming week so they'll install that when it comes in.  

Now to get everything moved back onto the deck - the grill, the table and chairs, and the flower pots.  Yesterday morning Dave scrubbed the table and chairs so they are ready to replace.  He hasn't decided if he's going to replace all the bird feeders that used to hang just outside the railings.