Scrappy Saturday

I'm not done playing with scraps! I will be taking a workshop in April for a spool quilt. The supply list calls for (48) 4.5" squares for the "thread" on the spools. Why use a plain square when you can string piece one?!

Here's a peek at my workstation at the kitchen table.

I have been piecing on the Featherweight almost exclusively. She's so cute and purrs like a kitten! I like to use painter's masking paper from the hardware store for string piecing foundations. This roll is about 9" wide, so it is easy to cut 4.5" squares. 

 I'm still using the Wild & Goosey units as leaders/enders. It's a good plan, but I do need to pay attention to my warm/cool color plan, or there will be ripping. The top 2 units are correct; the bottom 2 are not. (The cool geese are supposed to have warm side triangles and vice versa.)

That's better!

I've always wanted one of these tray table ironing boards. I finally picked up a $9 table at Walmart a few days ago. I already had some Insul-brite batting. This Amy Butler print is so pretty and looks perfect in the kitchen. Sometimes, a 15 minute project can make me so happy!

 These strip blocks stitch up so quickly. I was able to complete all 48 on Valentine's Day. I had to make one spool of rainbow variegated thread!

Now I need to clean up this mess! I'll cut down the bigger pieces into useful sizes before stuffing the rest back into the giant tote bag it came out of. That should keep me busy through another snow day.

Linking up to Scrap-A-Palooza!

Thirty-six Sixties

I think I'm finished making 60 degree scrappy triangles.

There are thirty-six of them, which is enough for a generous lap quilt if I add white corners to square them up. This was the original plan.

They are really fun all up next to each other like this, though.

What do you think? White or no white?

Strippy Sixties

When it was time to put away my scrap fabrics last Friday, I just had to sort them by color first. (Sorry, I forgot to take a pic of the pretty piles on the floor.) Once that was done, I was itching to use them, instead of just packing them up. I've been wanting to play with 60 degree triangles, so I started making these string pieced babies.

I think I've shown you this 9" roll of masking paper before. I found it in the hardware store, and it is nice and thin for foundation piecing (tears off easily). I cut the paper into triangles with my handy ruler. I had to add a horizontal line to my ruler to mark the bottom edge of the paper. When I'm done with this project, I can easily remove that line with some rubbing alcohol. 

Next, I take the paper over to the machine and pull some strips from the pile.

 

Sew together the first two strips, using a small stitch length.

Flip it open and press. It helps to have your iron within reach of your sewing machine.

Repeat with the remaining strips until the paper is covered and you have something that looks like a birthday cake.

Trim into a neat triangle. (I gave myself permission to throw away the bits that get cut off!)

 

Add it to the design board.

 

When I have more triangles pieced, I'll decide on a layout. I'm not sure if I'll add some white to break up the colors.

Random Blocks

 Last week, I printed out one of these cute project lists by From Pixels to Patchwork and started filling it in. I was shocked to see eighteen (18!) projects on the list. With some free time this weekend, I got to work crossing things off the list.

First up: Jill's blocks for the April Modern Stash Bee. I hope they aren't too bright.

I'm coordinating a nine-patch swap with my traditional guild starting in May. I finished my stack of 16 blocks this morning.

 This little string block will be part of a secret project that I will reveal in June.

Three down, fifteen to go!

Swap Top is Done!

 The top of Swap Soup is done! Well, I'm actually thinking about adding one more border to bring it up to twin size and to control the bias edges on those string blocks. Boy, do they stretch!

I listed the swaps and WIPs that are included in this quilt yesterday. Yes, I added the polka dot blocks, too! Those borders were a bit too long. What to do? Chop the ends off! Did I lose the points? Yes. Do I care? Nope!

 My husband and son really like this quilt. My mother knew I did a lot of swapping, but had no idea how many other quilters were involved. The whole family enjoyed reading the names and cities on the siggy blocks.

I'm hoping to get this puppy quilted next weekend at an all day sew-in. It's actually a craft weekend at a local hotel, but I can only make it on Sunday. I'll bring this and my unfinished scrapbook of Italy vacation photos. Think I can get both done in one day?

Scrappy Fun is now Swap Soup

 I'm back to my sewing machine after three days without power. It's nice to be creating again!

I joined Threadbias recently and immediately joined a UFO group. One of the projects I hope to finish was originally titled Scrappy Fun. I was hoping to use up stacks of random swap blocks from several different swaps.

The project was on hold temporarily while I waited for round 2 of the siggy swap blocks to come home. They arrived this week and I started playing!

Last night, I had this arrangement. 

 

After adding borders to each paper pieced block, I now have this! And a new name:

Swap Soup!

 

Blocks included (center out):

Teeny Weeny Paper Piecing Bee (3 months)

Basket Weave string blocks (Bonnie Hunter workshop- not swaps)

Crafty Blackbird's Siggy Swap (2 rounds)

Mini Scrap Basket swap (2 rounds)

This will get four (count 'em, 4!) items off my WIP list. Woohoo!!

I love how this is coming together! I'm compiling a list of all the quilters who made blocks for the label. Unfortunately, the TWPP group has been taken down from Flickr, and not everyone labeled their string blocks.

I just remembered that I have a box full of hourglass blocks that I made from polka dot charms that I swapped for. I wonder if there are enough to go all the way around the outside border.  Hmmm...

Monday Modern Mug Mats

 Happy Monday!  I just spent that last four hours making these super cute mug mats with a little help from my mother.  Julia graduated* from high school on Friday, and she wants to give gifts to a few teachers and her guidance counselor.  The underclassmen have a couple more days of final exams, so she's hoping to deliver these tomorrow.

When I was in Christmas Tree Shop a few weeks ago, I picked up a few mugs for $1 each with the thought that I could make matching mats for last minute gifts.  Now I need to buy more!

I dug through my scrap bin of modern prints and pulled all the blues for this one.  Pretty!

 

I'm not crazy about this green one, but it'll do.

 

I really like this bright one!  I think it will go to the Environmental Biology teacher.

 

I'm excited to be linking up to Sew Modern Monday again!  It's been a while.  I hope to see you all again soon.

* I'll need to do a graduation post tomorrow.

String Color

If the flaming bagel in the microwave wasn't enough to wake me up this morning, all this color surely will do the trick!  Julia intended to defrost her frozen bagel for 30 seconds, but set the microwave for 3 minutes!  Who knew you could set a bagel on fire that quickly?

On to the color!  I was able to complete 12 basket weave string blocks in the workshop with Bonnie on Wednesday.   I used phone book pages as foundations and cut them to 6.5". 

 I'm thinking about somehow combining them with the swap blocks below.  Maybe I'll chop up the basket weave blocks to create a border.  These are 30 of the 32 blocks I received through 2 rounds of Mini Scrap Basket swapping.

Here are the 16 blocks I sent for round 2...

and the 16 blocks I received...

I was actually kind of excited to get one of my own blocks back.  It was like seeing an old friend!  You can pick out the red with giant polka dots.

I'm loving this string business!  I can't wait for Bonnie's next book (due out in July!) with lots of string projects.  We got to see some of the samples this week and they were amazing!

I'm off for day 2 of MQX with Karen.  We're sure to run into Diane, our MQX buddy!

WIP Wednesday

 It's so nice to be back for WIP Wednesday!  It's taking me soooo long to get back into a quilting and blogging routine.  You know my primary source of motivation is a looming deadline.  With none on the horizon, I'll need to set some goals for myself.  Wish me luck!

SWAPS:

The 4X5 bee blocks are turning into a nice little collection!  Hive 13 was awesome!  I decided to sit out the next round, but am making myself available if someone drops out.  Click the mosaic to go to flickr and see who made which blocks.

These are the blocks I sent out for this round.  I'm calling it a circle of geese variation.  Three-quarters of the block is paper pieced from the pattern by Piece by Number.  The small block in the corner is 1/2 the size of the original.

 I pulled these fabrics from a Kate Spain charm pack and some yardage.  They worked perfectly with Amber's happy colors.

I made a bonus string x for myself yesterday.  I will be making lots and lots of these when Bonnie Hunter visits our guild in April!  Wee!

I am also participating in the Mini Scrap Basket Swap.  These are the blocks I received in the mail this week.  It is amazing to me that such a variety of fabric looks so great together!  We are doing one more round of these string blocks.  I'm trying to decide how many I want to make/receive.

 

Stats:

I can't bring myself to count up my UFOs today.  I will need to find some time to update my project pages.

As always, head over to freshly pieced to see what everyone else is working on.

 

Random Tuesday

I started sewing again!  I made this string X block today to fill in a hole in my 4x5 swap blocks.  

Sadly, one of our bee mates needed to drop out for health reasons.  Happily, she is feeling much better now.

You can find the original tutorial here at Quiltville.  There is a modern variation here.  For my blocks to finish at 12", I used a 3" pieced strip, plus 1" strips of white, then 5" squares cut on the diagonal for the corner triangles.  That Meadowsweet print still makes me so happy!

Karen Griska recently asked for help reproducing this quilt.  I pieced together my contribution on Sunday before the big football games.  At 6" x 55", it could be backed with a cuddly fleece to make a scarf!  I just happened to have a box of 1.25" strips leftover from my lapel pin-making.  It is the perfect width for their little borders.  There is something to be said for keeping your scraps organized.

We finally got a measurable snow fall!  Quilting rulers are so handy for measuring snow!

My mother-in-law sends us an amaryllis bulb every year.  This is a lovely coral color that was difficult to capture in the photo.  This one will be a double-bloomer!

 

 I just realized that I completely missed my 3rd Blogiversary.  (That is a ridiculous word and I apologize for using it!)  I blame my friend Karen for the oversight.  She started her blog a few days before me.  When she mentions her anniversary, I know mine is soon to follow.  Well, she missed hers, too!  We will need to remedy this soon with a giveaway!

String-spiration?

Last weekend, my mother and I attended a local quilt show of a neighboring guild, Narragansett Bay Quilters' Association. (Julia had other plans and lots of quilters asked about her.)
I thought I'd share with you some String-spiration!


These quilts were started during a guild workshop with Barbara Persing and Mary Hoover called "Stratavarious." Visit their website 4th and 6th Designs.

My favorite! My love for orange started a few years ago when my color consultant suggested orange accents for my pretty green bathroom. Then when Pat Sloan ran an orange challenge last year, I realized I didn't actually have much orange in my stash. I'm happy that shops and designers are providing us with more of this yummy color!

Lets go sew some strings!