Sunday is for Scraps -- and Almost a Finish

I've been trying to dedicate Sundays to finishing my Bonnie Hunter "Celtic Solstice" mystery quilt. Today I sewed together and added the second border, the orange and blue tri-rec squares.

Bonnie's  directions call for a 2.5" green border on this size quilt. That just seems too narrow to me. I'm curious to know, from others who've made this quilt: "What size did you make the last border?"

Linking up to Sew Darn Crafty at Sew Many Ways.

Tomorrow, those of us who are making A Quilt Block a Day should have 40 blocks completed. Are you keeping up? Come back tomorrow to see how I'm doing!

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Simple Sunday Scraps

Only five more days to comment for a chance to win all 12 of Sassafras Lane's patterns in the Grow Your Blog giveaway. Go here to comment.

When my mother moved into the nursing home, I was lucky enough to receive her Singer 401 slant needle sewing machine. It's the machine on which she sewed my clothes from birth through my wedding dress, so it's precious to me.

Unfortunately, she had placed houseplants on the cabinet top and water had leaked onto it, marring the finish. I should refinish it, and I will, eventually. But in the meanwhile, I wanted to make a quilted table topper to cover it.

I saw a design for placemats that used 2.5" squares. And boy howdy, I have lots of 2.5" squares! So today I started sewing them together with white 2.5" by 1.5" rectangles. I sewed the rows together with 1.5" by 26" white strips and here is the result:

If I add one more row of scrappy squares, it won't need a border. This design is so much fun, I may decide to make it my next "leaders and enders" project and make an entire quilt!

Linking up to Scrap Basket Sunday at Kim's Big Quilting Adventure.

I (finally!) have something new on the design wall for tomorrow. Hope you'll come back to see!

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Sunday is for Scraps

If you're looking for the "Grow Your Blog" giveaway, go here to comment and enter the giveaway.

I finally have all the blocks for my Celtic Solstice Mystery from Bonnie Hunter completed. I love how the secondary pattern emerges when they are hung on the design wall!

I thought about changing the border so the points of the blocks continue into the border, but decided that would take too much calculating. I have four rows put together, so I should be able to finish the top next Sunday.

Tomorrow is Block of the Month day -- should I fix the borders in my January UFO, or make the last block of my Twisted Amish quilt?

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Sunday is for Scraps -- and Football!

Big day in the States. Two football playoff games: one with the local team, one with the hometown team.

I live in Colorado:

But my heart is in Seattle!

In the meanwhile, I'm working on my Celtic Solstice mystery.

You know, those colors match my nails today!

Linking up to Kim's Big Quilting Adventure Scrap Basket Sunday.

I have something completely new on the design wall for tomorrow! 
I hope you'll come back and see.

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Scrap Basket Sunday

It's been awhile since I've dug through the scrap boxes on a Sunday.

Thanks to Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville, I spent an enjoyable afternoon digging through my scraps today looking for fabrics for Bonnie's next mystery quilt! Each autumn, Bonnie hosts a Mystery QAL  on her blog. I swore to myself I wouldn't start this year's scrappy mystery, as I have yet to complete last year's "Easy Street."

That was fine, until I saw the colors Bonnie has selected for this year!  All my favorites! Orange, yellow, green and blue. She's calling the quilt "Celtic Solstice."  Here are my fabrics for this project:

I think I was the first person at my local Lowe's picking through the Olympic paint chips. Here is Bonnie's photo of the paint chips:

Not surprisingly, I had enough of the blues and greens that I didn't need to buy any extra.

But I was short on orange, and I'm still not sure these are the best match to the color cards:

Bonnie recommends "shirtings" for the background. Hooray, I will have to shop for more of those!

Linking up to Kim's Big Quilting Adventure Scrap Basket Sunday.

The first clue for Celtic Solstice goes "live" on Friday, November 29. Good thing I don't shop that day, because I'll be busy cutting and sewing my "Celtic Solstice!"

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Sunday Scraps

Another rainy day in Colorado. The floodwaters are rising, but I am thankful my house is at the top of a hill. Sadly, one of my new windows is leaking -- luckily, I wanted to take a photo on the coffee table, and heard the "drip drip drip" of the leak!

Here is the project I was photographing:

It's a sailboat mug rug for My Little Sailor. There was an umbrella design in the pattern -- should have made that one!  The pattern is "Last Minute Mug Mat Extravaganza" from Doodle Time Designs by Faith Wellman. Mug rugs are such a perfect "scrappy project."

Linking up (at the last minute!) to Kim's "Scrap Basket Sunday."

I have a new quilt on the design wall -- come back tomorrow for Design Wall Monday!



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Sunday is for Baby Scraps

Today's "Sunday is for Scraps" quilt is really two -- baby quilts. I saw a great You-Tube video from Missouri Star Quilting Company and was inspired to quick! make some baby quilts!

Jenny calls it the "Falling Charms" quilt. I used scraps cut into 5" squares and Kona Cotton Snow for the background.  I didn't really plan how many blocks to makes, just sewed until I lost interest and made them into blocks. It turned out I made 70 blocks, enough for two baby-sized quilts. I thought about shopping for a border print, but I think they will turn out the right size without a border.  Plus, saving money for the trip to Japan, you know!

Click here for the link to Jenny's tutorial video. I'm sorry my BFF Holly is leaving Ohio, because I won't have a reason to visit the Missouri Star Quilt Co. when I drive to see her -- she'll be in Texas now!

One quilt will go to an IBMer who is having a baby in September, one is for the daughter of a Sailor on the USS George Washington.

Linking up to Scrap Basket Sunday at Kim's Big Quilting Adventure.

Don't you just love to make baby quilts? They are so fast, and so fun!


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Sunday is for (Disappearing) Scraps

When I was procrastinating on my Scrap Squad quilt, I spent an afternoon re-organizing the fabric collection. I came across this packet of 6.5" squares from Great American Quilts:

I'm not sure what I had in mind when I bought them, but somehow this morning "Disappearing Nine Patch" popped into my head. This is one of the easiest scraps quilts ever!

The technique I used requires one solid (in this case, white) square and eight print squares. Arrange in a nine patch with the white square in the center.  Sew squares together and press. I pressed away from the white square.
 

Cut across the center vertically, then horizontally.  Because I used 6.5" squares, I lined up the 3" line on my 24" ruler to cut. This is a time when it's handy to be able to get to both sides of your cutting table -- I just moved myself around the corner to make the horizontal cut:

Et voila! four 9" blocks:

Now the fun part -- experimenting with layouts! I made three nine patches, so I have 12 blocks to play with. An excellent size for a baby quilt.

First, white square in upper left corner of every block:

I would have to add a sashing strip to the right side for this layout, or it would bother me that there are no white squares on the right-hand side.

Maybe one row with the white square on the upper right, then one row with the white square in the upper left?

 This would be a pain because of all the matching corners -- and this is supposed to be an easy quilt!


How about upper-right/lower-left/upper-right? Then reverse for the next row: At least it isn't off-center.

 

 I was trying to make a zig-zag design when I lost interest!

There are dozens of Disappearing Nine Patch variations on Pinterest. Here is a link to my Pinterest page for scrappy quilts with a few of my favorites.

Linking up to Kim's Big Quilting Adventure for  "Scrap Basket Sunday."

Yesterday, we broke our record of 13 days in a row with rain -- so I'm trying to mow the lawn before it rains again! 

In between mowing sessions, I have been whipping out BOM Rehab blocks. Come back tomorrow to see what's on the design wall!

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Sunday is for Scraps: or Karen Snyder is So Clever!

Karen Snyder blogs at Anna Lena Land -- you've seen links to her blog for the seasonal Block-a-Day challenge.  Look what she came up with this week!

It's the fastest, easiest way to make scrappy four patches you've ever seen!

Because Karen has a whole tutorial on this method, I'm not going to repeat her instructions. Go here to see Karen's tutorial on "Magic Four Patches." I just had to try it out for myself. Here are my step-by-step photos, but again, to see the complete tutorial, you have to visit Anna Lena Land! Be sure to tell her Aunt Marti says "hi!"

By any chance, do you remember this quilt?

 

It was the May "Vintage Schnibbles" project, Gentle Art by Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. The fabric is a charm pack of "Ladies Sewing Club" from Moda.  This little quilt only required half a charm pack, so I have a pile of leftover 5" squares.  Just right for Karen's new technique!

Step 1:

Detail of Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 4:

Step 5 (this is the magic part!):

Step 6:

I think I'll use this technique to add a scrappy four-patch border to my May Schnibbles project!

You'll have to go here for the full instructions. While you're there, take a look around -- Anna Lena Land is one of my favorite places!

Linking up to another favorite, Scrap Basket Sunday.

And speaking of links, have you gone to this post to sign up for my Ho Ho Ho Blog Hop giveaway?

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Sunday Scraps: June UFO

Oh, my, only one week left in June! I'd better get to work on my June UFO.

Conveniently, this project also uses up a pile of my 3.5" scraps.

The quilt is "Country Sunshine," from a 2002 edition of "Quilting Ideas" magazine.  It requires 20 blocks, and 104 half-square triangles for the border. Thank you, Bonnie Hunter, for the idea to use the cut-offs from magic corners to make bonus HSTs. I already have more than half of them made!

Linking up to Kim's Big Quilting Adventure, Scrap Basket Sunday.

I'm missing out on Brown Bag Surprise today to finish up the "Heart of Colorado Shop Hop." Come back next Saturday for a full report, on Saturday Stash!

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Sunday Scraps: Quilts of Valor

I'm sure you've heard of the Quilts of Valor Foundation.

The mission of the Quilts of Valor Foundation is to cover all combat service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor.

The Wyoming State Quilt Guild, along with many, many other guilds across the country, is making blocks for Quilts of Valor. Today, my Sunday Scraps project is the block for the 10th Anniversary of the Quilts of Valor. The link with instructions is here,

The block requires fabrics in red, white or cream, and blue. The colors may be used in any position. I am listing the colors in the positions I used for my blocks.

Cutting
4 - 2.5" squares blue
2 - 3" squares blue
2 - 3" squares cream
4 - 2.5" X 4.5" rectangles red

Assembly
Using the cream and blue 3" squares, make four 2.5"  half square triangles.

Square up the HSTs to measure 2.5." If you have a Bloc Loc ruler, this is the time to use it!

Stitch the HST to the blue 2.5" squares.

Stitch the HST/square unit to the red 2.5" X 4.5" rectangle.

Arrange as shown and complete stitching.

Do not trim your blocks; assembled blocks should measure 8.5."

Here are my finished blocks:

The instructions request that blocks be signed with your first name and state. You may mail your blocks to Karen Demaree, Quilts of Valor Director, PO Box 628 Platteville, WI 53818.

Linking up to Scrap Basket Sunday at Kim's Big Quilting Adventure.

Or if you'd like, send your blocks to me and I'll take them to Quilt Wyoming with mine in July.



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