Scraptastic Tuesday

 It has certainly been scrappy around here lately! It all started two weeks ago when I had everything out to finish up my Farmer's Wife blocks. I needed a plan for tackling the scraps, and I finally feel like I'm making progress.

The top of my selvage log cabin has been assembled. (I highly recommend this pattern by Karen Griska!) I'm trying to decide if I want to add borders. It is already 45" square, which is a nice size for a wall hanging. If I make it much bigger, it limits where I can hang it. OK. No borders. How should I quilt it? Organic vertical lines or free motion swirls? I'm thinking about using red thread.

I had a couple of blocks leftover, so I made a pillow cover for the couch. (More about it here.)

I had not done much improv piecing in my 24 years of quilting. I fixed that yesterday! This little quilt top was made in about 4 hours! Twenty five 6.5" squares came directly out of my bin of cool (not warm) modern scraps. Why have I not done this before? Liberating is definitely the right word for it!

I wanted to see it on the wall, so I pinned it to the back of the wall hanging that was on display in the kitchen. We really like it with the pale yellow "borders." It pains me that I'll have to buy some fresh yellow to finish this.

It seems like this bin is still full, but I really did use a lot. 

 Wild & Goosey is coming along (pattern info here). I've been mostly using these as leaders/enders, but I do sit and sew a few units when I have a bit of free time.

Thirteen blocks to go...

I pulled some 2.5" strips of red and pink to make two of these mug mats. One will be a gift tonight at our guild meeting. This one is mine! Happy Valentine's Day to me! Looking back, the one I made for my mother last year has more quilting.

Mrs. Sew and Sow is hosting the Scraptastic Tuesday link up this month. Head on over for lots of scrappy inspiration!

Mini Valentine

 I had some scraps left over from the Be Mine/Big Love wall hanging, so I made a mug mat for my mom. I'd like to write a full tutorial but I don't have time today, and you might want to make one right away!

 I followed Beth's mini heart tutorial at Smazoochie using her dimensions for the 4" heart. Then I made 16 HST units that are 2.5" unfinished (2" finished). Bonnie Hunter and Marianne Hatton finally convinced me to use the Easy Angle ruler for half square triangles and I love it! You should use the method that works best for you.

A dusting of powder on top of 4" of  icy snow frozen solid.

 I had fun with the straight parallel lines of quilting. I love the area where they intersect under the heart. Let's ignore the fact that I chopped off the bottom point of the heart. I told a friend this week that there is a time and a place for perfectionism. This was not the time or the place!

Mini Valentine Mug Mat

8" X 10"

2/6/14

Be Mine

 This big heart wall hanging was my project for the 2nd Annual Super Bowl Sunday Craft-a-thon, hosted by a friend of mine on Facebook. It looks great in the snow, but I'm really getting tired of shoveling!

Photos of Dear Stella's Big Love were popping up all over in the past few days. The pattern was designed by Nicole from Modern Handcraft. I pulled my favorite reds and pinks from my stash and found a package of Big Thangles on my cutting table. Sweet! 

 

The tutorial calls for 10" squares and makes a large lap quilt. I wanted a wall hanging, so 4.5" HST units were just right. Thangles are the best invention for quilters since the rotary cutter!

I added an extra row on the right side and bottom to push the heart off-center. I finished the top shortly before the game ended, just in time to watch Sherlock!

 

I got started layering and quilting on Monday. I had some issues with puckering with this concentric heart design. It's fine for what it is- a fun Valentine decoration for my home.

 

I found a sweet red on white calico for the back and used a tiny red dot for binding.

 

Be Mine

Pattern: Dear Stella Big Love

31" X 36"

Started 2/2/14

Completed 2/3/14

Valentines and Fabric

 Need a last minute Valentine idea?  Julia found this tutorial for an origami Valentine.

She grabbed a selection of scrapbook paper and some markers and went to town!

So cute and crafty and personal!  Exactly what her friends expect from her.

I ran to JoAnn's last week for some specific supplies and thought I would just swing through the designer fabric section.  I couldn't resist the DS (Denyse Schmidt) prints at 30% off!

They were all mixed in with other fabrics and I completely missed the oranges, so I ordered them online when I got home.  I hope to get back to my tangerine challenge piece as soon as they arrive.

Have a happy week!