Happy to be Scrappy

Happy to be Scrappy

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Not a Block of the Month

It is already Wednesday, August 29th and I need to have two of my three block of the month blocks done by Saturday morning at 8:00.  I have made one.  It's the block for Baldwin City.  The center was supposed to have an anvil type pattern but I didn't care for that at all.  So I turned the black blocks around to give a friendship star pattern.  I don't think that's the first time I've done that.


This one has pretty wild colors but it will fit in with the rest of them.  As for the block for Overbrook.  Well, I have found the bag with the pieces but I got sidetracked. 


I've been going through old magazines.  This issue is from May of 1996.  Usually the patterns and colors are not something I would work with.  But this particular magazine had a block in it I just had to sit down and make.


It looks super simple and basically is.  But I decided to make it with 1 1/2" scrap blocks.  So it is a lot of little pieces.  If you click on the picture you can see that I used several different background whites and several dark purples. Just don't look at where my seams don't match up.  Using the 1 1/2" squares they should finish at 1" and the block should finish at 8" x 10".  The (old) magazine gave templates to use.  The templates don't show sizes on them.  But laying my ruler on the picture shows a 2 1/4" piece.  I used my Easy Angle ruler to make the 1/2 square triangle blocks. 

The last thing I need is another project to start.  But I will probably try making this again using 2" squares.  Sometimes you just have to jump into something or risk forgetting about it.

My bow tie top is done.  I got the back made and pinned it yesterday.  So I need to get my B.O.M. blocks done so I can switch my machine over to quilting mode.  And get in that mind set.  Maybe that's why it was so easy to talk myself into the Iris block.

Since the bow tie top is done I needed a new leader/ender project.  So I've decided to make scrappy nine patch blocks.



I started by just putting a light with a dark.  After getting a pile of them I added a light to the other end for the center strip or a dark to it for the outer strip.  Which should eventually end up being a pile of 9 patch blocks that will finish at 3".  Evidently, I am a glutton for punishment and just can't seem to steer myself away from the little pieces.

Happy quilting.

Julie
 

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Wedding Gift



This is a table runner that I made as a wedding gift for a friend of my daughter Jennifer.  She and Jen have been friends since the second grade they are now 28.   Amanda spent as much time at our house as Jen did at her house, so her wedding was a special occasion for all of us.




I used the bright colors to go with this Fiesta Ware carafe.  It is bound in dark purple.  I showed this before with a scrappy border.  It looks better without it though.

In a previous post Kathleen asked me what issue of Quiltmaker the Monkey Quilt came out of.  It is the May/June issue of 2012.  You can check out a post on the Quiltmaker blog to see all of the different animal quilts they have come up with.  And I'm still trying to figure out my being able to respond to comments problem.


Have a great day.

Julie

Monday, August 13, 2012

Design Wall Monday

First of all I'd like to thank everyone who commented on my last post.  I would love to respond to each of you but I still can't figure out how to change my blog settings to let me see your email addresses.  This is my fault for not having my settings right.  If anyone can share how to fix this I would appreciate it.  Blogger tells me that the "default mail client is not properly installed".  So I will again love your comments but if I don't respond now you'll know why.


Once again I am working on my bow tie blocks.  The 12" blocks are all finished and I am mulling over yet another layout.

                                            
                                                  On Point

This layout is having the blocks set on point and creating another block to fill in the side triangle areas.  I thought this was the one I was going with since I already gave it a name (as yet to be mentioned)  but when I went to make the small triangle setting blocks it didn't look the way I wanted it to.  I made a couple of string blocks and cut them apart for the triangles.  If they had been in a larger area it would have been great but as they were a 5 1/2" block cut into four sections they were just too small and unnoticeable. 


This picture shows it with the string setting triangles.  I could also use plain setting triangles from the dark quilt fabrics?  But they also would be the same size and quite small for the size of the quilt.

This post shows the other setting options .   So after messing with the setting triangles I am leaning toward the barn raising option??????  Too many choices and I've just given myself three of the enormous options available. 

Happy Quilting

Julie


Monday, August 6, 2012

Design Wall Monday

Taking up the challenge given out by Bonnie Hunter, I have been using 3" bow tie blocks as my leader/ender project.  This month they have been my only project. (Other than 3 b.o.m. and a sew along.)  I make a bunch of 3" blocks while putting together a few (16) to make a 12" block.  So they have become a leader ender for themselves. 

Now comes the time to make a layout decision.  I am leaning toward the diagonal rows and not the barn raising.  The lighter blocks get lost in the barn raising layout.  And it seems really busy.  Almost hurts to look at it.

                                              Diagonal layout.

                                             Close up view.

                                           Barn Raising layout.

                                            Close up view.

I only have half of the 12" blocks done.  And still need to make 170 3" blocks. But as of now I am able to see it all coming together.  But I will need to make a decision.  The barn raising would need a border put on it.  If I go with the diagonal it won't have a border.  Hmmmmmm.

Be sure to check out all of the great design walls at Patchwork Times .

Happy Sewing.

Julie