October's RSC block

 October's RSC color is yellow! 

This is the last color of the challenge. Angela @SoScrappy leaves November & December for catch-up, adding other colors to round out and balance the quilt, and finish. Here is my yellow column.

Also, I ran out of the gray fabric and actually had to piece 2 of the 2 1/2" squares. 

Here are all the columns together in random order. I will play with the colors to make sure they balance out. I also was debating whether I should add a very narrow 1/2" sashing between each column. I decided against it.

How do you balance your quilts?

I like to turn my pictures to black and white and see the color balance. It really shows darks and lights. Here is this quilt in black and white and you can see that it is heavy on the darks on the right side and lights on the left.

I moved around just 2 columns and the balance if much better.

Here is a look at my process for this quilt. Each month I would randomly draw a column of squares and HST. Then I would figure how many 2 1/2" squares and 3" squares (HST) I would need of each color. Lastly, I would pull scraps from my scrap bin, cut and sew.

Now to sew the columns together and decide if it need borders or not!

Linking up to Scrap Happy Saturday @ SoScrappy and Can I Get A Whoop, Whoop @Confessions of a Fabric Addict

What have I been doing?

 It has been a while since I have had time to update you on what I've been doing? In between time spent with my grandson and some time away with my DH, I have been quilting. I finished the apple table runner I previously shared and started 4 apple place mats that still need to be quilted.

I picked the quarter apple pattern from SewFresh Quilts for the placemats.

I also completed the top from the QAL from the National Quilters Circle, Starlight Mountains. This was a 5 week QAL with week 5 ~ the quilt assembly. Even though it is called Starlight Mountains, I wanted to use fabric from my stash. The watermelon fabrics were donated to me several years ago.

I'm not sure what I'll call this quilt as Starlight Mountains doesn't seem to fit. Any suggestions welcome.

I was able to sandwich my 2019 Quiet Play Pattern Club quilt! It is ready to be quilted! Soon!

Finally, I finished the 2nd step in the Morewood Mystery Quilt. Here are Steps 1 & 2!

Hope you are able to get out and enjoy the lovely Fall weather. DH and I were able to take a few days in Fond du Lac, WI and biking in Freeport, IL on the Jane Addams Trail. 

Beautiful colors in WI!

Rail to Trail ~ a wonderful time biking!
And because I can't resist...my grandson and I did a little craft making binoculars and then went on a walk in the neighborhood where he was having fun 'spying' all kinds of things! 

Thanks for hanging in on this rather long post! Stay safe!

Sew What's New?

 Although school has officially started here, kids are remote learning. There have been few opportunities to sub but I have been trained (sort of). The process is quite complicated and hasn't be tested enough. Technology is great but there seems to be glitches every step of the way. 

The good news is that I do get a bit more time in my sewing room when I'm not watching my grandson!

eating cucumbers from the garden

Sew what have I been doing? 

I purchased the A is for Apple pattern from SewFresh Quilts when she was having a 50% off sale. I started making the apples to use as a new table runner. 

I got a little bit interrupted as a friend of mine @megillicutti on Instagram commissioned me to make a drawstring bag for her. She loves vintage and has a booth at an antique mall. She is headed to an Extravaganza this weekend to shop to restock her booth. She dropped off this cart and a vintage linen tablecloth at my house. I measured the cart and started working on a drawstring bag. 

As you can see, it didn't quite fit around the cart. Realizing my mistake, 

I started again. 

Here is the 2nd bigger version! 

Isn't it cute made from the vintage tablecloth?

I had some orange ribbon that I added for a pop of color! She loved it!

I also finished the baby quilt that will go to a charity. The pattern is Traffic Jam by Pat Sloan but I am calling mine True Blue.

It was made from my overflowing box of blue scraps except for the gray dotted fabric for the sashing and borders.

The backing is a yardage piece that has been in my stash for some time!

The finished size is 31" x 45" 

The quilting is a straight-line outlining the squares and a X through the corner squares. 

All labeled and ready!

Monday was the release of Week 2 in the National Quilters Circle Starlight Mountains challenge. 

I managed to finish and here are both week 1 and week 2 blocks together!

(It looks like Christmas at first glance but the center blocks are watermelons on a blue plaid backing. Picking up the reds and greens of the watermelons.)

I'm linking to Midweek Makers @QuiltFabrication 

Design Wall and Challenges

On September 1st, Kat released the new block for the Covered in Love blocks. These blocks are called Fiddlesticks! The tutorial is found at Zippy Quilts. Kat made a few adjustments to the tutorial so that the blocks would be cut to 12.5" The background fabrics are to be solid or textured solids. I used some cottons from my stash and the sticks are from my scraps. 

On September 3rd, Cheryl released the next step in the Morewood Mystery Quilt. 90 HST ~ 60 3" size and 30 5 1/2" size. 

Here are my HST!

Cheryl also did a Facebook video that was a very helpful tip in trimming the HST without stretching. Why have I not heard of this technique before? 

The corners are perfect! 

I also started the quilt challenge from the National Quilters Circle called Starlight Mountains. Week 1 instructions were released on Monday. 

6 stars! 

This is what is on my design wall!

Linking up to Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts.

Another finish! Wahoo!

I saw this pattern, Wrap Up Some Love, on Quilt Fabrication a while back and knew it would be the purrfect quilt for my kitten loving friend. My friend, Marylyn, takes in abandoned kittens and cares for them. Many are just days old and need to be bottle fed around the clock. Sometimes she has a whole litter with their momma. This is her ministry!

SHE ❤️ KITTENS! 

So I bought the pattern but as usual, it sat for a while. 

I finally got around to picking out fabrics from my stash...each kitten a different fabric as well as the hearts. I used Kona Snow as the background. 

I made the pattern without the sashing. 

I found the purrfect backing fabric of cat whiskers from The Fabric Shack.

It finished at 35" x 40" 

I quilted it in straight diagonal lines in 3/4" and 1/2" intervals and made a cute kitten label. 

 

I hope my friend likes it! It was her birthday last weekend and we will get together today!

Linking up to Midweek Makers over at Quilt Fabrication. Thanks Susan for this cute pattern! I'm also linking to Can I get a Whoop, Whoop @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Beauties Pageant @ From Bolt to Beauty, Foto Fun Friday @Powered by Quilting, and Finished or Not Friday @ Alycia Quilts.

I also finished my column of this months So Scrappy color of red!

Here are all the months together! Only one month left to go!

Linking up to Scrap Happy Saturday at So Scrappy tomorrow. 

I Spy a Finish!

 I was able to work on my I Spy quilt. The top was finished for quite some time but it needed to be sandwiched, quilted and the binding added. I found some time these past few weeks to get this done!

The photo shoot was quite fun as my husband and I were babysitting our grandson while his parents and aunt visited our youngest to celebrate her 30th birthday! We took the quilt on our morning walk to the park and let him 'spy' the many things

 on the quilt. There are over 100 things to 'spy'. 

He loved it and had so much fun!

Spying flags!

Spying watermelon!

Spying the mouse!

Spying stars!

He was very proud of himself!

I straight lined quilted around the houses and trees. I also quilted straight lines across the banner of the raw-edged appliquéd letters. In the center of each house I FMQ a heart. 

I found the backing fabric at JoAnn's on clearance. It was the perfect color of blue and it says 'The Adventure Begins'.

The quilt finished size is approx. 65" x 75" Linking to Meadow Mist Designs Monthly Link Up and April 2020 Scrappy House Challenge.

In the meantime, I started on a hexie project. I found the modern hexie movement on Instagram @modernhandcraft. I have had this mini charm pack in my stash waiting for inspiration for something to do with it. A modern hexie pillow would be a great solution!

I read about these cute 1" Happy Hexies by Mollie Johanson of Wild Olive on The Night Quilter's blog post. She gave the link to these printable hexagons. 

After finishing 30 hexies, I laid them out on a piece of linen from my stash. 

Following the Modern Hexie method, here is my finished pillow. In plenty of time for winter snow!

A fun little project!