Rainbow Hearts for Orlando

This may be one of my fastest quilt finishes ever. After learning of the Orlando Modern Quilt Guild's drive to gather quilts for the survivors and the families of the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting, I kept wanting to join in but resisted for a few days thinking I had too many other projects already. It was my sweet husband saying "Hell yes, you should definitely make them a quilt!" that finally got me going. It was eight days from start to finished quilt top and back (followed by several days of waiting to get some photos.)

The Orlando guild's goal is to collect at least 102 quilts, enough for each of the survivors and for the families of the victims. If they end up with more, those will go to the first responders who were on the scene. The design theme is rainbow hearts, and there are several links for patterns and design ideas. You can find more info HERE and HERE. 

I made a total of 53 heart blocks using all the rainbow colored fabrics I could find in my stash. The quilt top consists of 48 of the hearts plus a 3" border. Finished size is 66" x 86". 

Here is a closer view of some of the blocks at the center of the quilt top, so you can get a better look at the fabrics.

I didn't have anything appropriate for the back in my stash (unless I wanted to do lots more piecing, which I wasn't up for.) I found a great multi-colored print on black background at Joann's, but I couldn't use my 60% off coupon for it, and the price was just too high without that discount. The next stop was a local quilt shop that is going out of business, and I found a black and white print I liked which had almost enough on the bolt. The five blocks that were leftover after the top was assembled were joined into a row to make the backing long enough.

I will be sharing with lots of link-ups including Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework, Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times, Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt, Moving It Forward at Em's Scrapbag and Scraptastic Tuesday at Mrs. Sew and Sow.

Julie in GA

Stash Report Sunday 6/26/16

The past week was one of those times when I was totally obsessed with a quilt project. Fortunately, my sweet husband was very supportive of all the time I spent cutting and sewing, and he even took me to two stores yesterday to find fabric for the back of the quilt.

The quilt that was filling all my time was the Rainbow Hearts quilt that will be going to Orlando for the survivors or families of victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting. I made a total of 53 blocks, got 48 of them all joined together, and added borders to the quilt top. The remaining 5 blocks were pieced into the quilt back. Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of the whole quilt yet, but I hope to get some later today and post them soon. Here are a few of the blocks from the center of the quilt.

STASH TOTALS: 

     Used this week:           10.5 yards     

Used year to date:       47.25 yards

Stashed this week:          5.0 yards

Stashed year to date:    40.25 yards 

 Net year to date:   7 yards used

I am joining Kate at Life in Pieces in tracking the number of days each week that I spend at least 15 minutes quilting. It was a good week for getting time in the sewing room every single day.

15 Minute Challenge:  
June 19 - 25              7 of 7 days

Year to date          164 of 177 days

350 Block Challenge at Prairie Moon Quilts: 

Blocks made this week: 46

Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times.  

Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 6/20/16

The last thing I should have done this weekend was to start a new quilt project, but that's exactly what has happened. I received an email last week about a quilt drive being held by the Orlando Modern Quilt Guild to collect quilts for those affected by the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, and I haven't been able to get it out of my head ever since.

Their goal is to get at least 102 quilts, enough for each of the survivors and for the families of the victims. If they end up with more, those will go to the first responders who were on the scene. The design theme is rainbow hearts, and there are several links for patterns and design ideas. You can find lots more info HERE and HERE.

I knew I had several rainbow colored fabrics in my stash, but I was surprised at just how many I found. Some may not include every color of the rainbow, but I think they come close enough. I am making 10" heart blocks, half of them with black background and half with bright backgrounds. There are 18 blocks finished so far, and I need either 35 or 48 of them for a good sized throw quilt. 

I am sharing with Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times, Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt, and Moving It Forward at Em's Scrapbag.

Julie in GA

Stash Report Sunday 6/19/16

If I had set goals this week for quilt activities NOT to do, they would have been these:
1. Don't start any new projects.
2. Don't buy any more fabric.

Well guess what, I did both! The new project is for a very good cause (more on that tomorrow.) The new fabrics came from the going-out-of-business sale at Hancock Fabrics. They are both flannels, intended to be used as backings for baby quilts--so soft and cuddly!

Fortunately, I did use just enough fabric to keep my numbers in the black. I made lots of teal blocks for two different Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects. 

STASH TOTALS: 

     Used this week:          2.625 yards     

Used year to date:       36.75 yards

Stashed this week:          5.0 yards

Stashed year to date:    35.25 yards 

 Net year to date:   1.5 yards used

I am joining Kate at Life in Pieces in tracking the number of days each week that I spend at least 15 minutes quilting. It was a good week for getting time in the sewing room every single day.

15 Minute Challenge:  

June 12 - 18           7 of 7 days

Year to date          157 of 170 days

350 Block Challenge at Prairie Moon Quilts: 

Blocks made this week: 34

Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times.  

Julie in GA

A Scrappy Happy Week of Teal

There were teal scraps all over the place in my sewing room this week, all being used for my Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects. I made all of my Split Pinwheel blocks for the RSC 2016 Sampler, including one rebel block that wanted to spin in the opposite direction of all the others.

Split Pinwheels for the RSC 2016 Sampler

There are four more Folded Box blocks added to the two from last week. This has been a great learning experience in choosing fabrics that work together to produce the 3-D effect in these blocks. 

Folded Box blocks, pattern by Donna Lynn Thomas

Be sure to check out all of the wonderful scrappy projects at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge every Saturday and at Oh Scrap! over at Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday.

Julie in GA

Stash Report Sunday 6/12/16

There was very little quilting done over the past week because I spent most of it in Wisconsin visiting family and helping my mother move. However, I did order some fabric from the Memorial Day sale at Connecting Threads, which was waiting for me when I got home. It's definitely time to start a new Quilt of Valor with this collection. 

STASH TOTALS: 

   Used this week:             1.0 yards     

Used year to date:      34.125 yards

Stashed this week:         11.0 yards

Stashed year to date:    30.25 yards 

 Net year to date:   3.875 yards used

I am joining Kate at Life in Pieces in tracking the number of days each week that I spend at least 15 minutes quilting. There was no quilting at all on the five days that I was in Wisconsin. I had my hand stitching project along, but had no energy for working on it at night. I did get in some good stitching time on the flights up and back, and I've enjoyed getting back into my sewing room since my return.

15 Minute Challenge:  

May 29 - June 11        9 of 14 days

Year to date          150 of 163 days

350 Block Challenge at Prairie Moon Quilts: 

Blocks made--two weeks: 11

Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times.  

Julie in GA

Scrappy Teal Saturday

My projects for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge haven't seen much change this week, but I hope to make significant progress in the week ahead. Our color assignment for June is teal/aqua/turquoise with lime green accents, and I did make two Folded Box blocks in those colors. I also have the pieces cut for four
blocks, plus fabrics pulled out for a couple more. The photo includes two purple blocks that I made a week or so ago, trying to catch up on the colors from past months.

Folded Box blocks, pattern by Donna Lynn Thomas

I also completed one more block for the Glorious Hexagons group. This block isn't from scraps, but it is made in teal with lime green! I'm very excited by how well the block turned out. Fussy cutting is a slow process, but gives such great results! The block is English paper pieced, and will measure 3" along each finished side.

Be sure to check out all of the wonderful scrappy projects at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge every Saturday and at Oh Scrap! over at Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday. I am also linking up to Scraptastic Tuesday at Mrs. Sew & Sow.

Julie in GA

Stash Report Sunday 6/5/16

My biggest quilting news for last week was a Bonnie Hunter sighting at the Atlanta airport. On Friday I was flying to Wisconsin to visit family. After I finally got through the TSA screening, I headed down to the train level, but decided to walk to my concourse and get a little exercise. Just as I was heading down the walkway, I saw a blonde woman in a bright pink t-shirt powerwalking the other way, and I thought "that looks like Bonnie Hunter." Then she reached the end and turned back around towards me, and sure enough it was Bonnie! I felt like a quilt groupie, but she was as nice as could be. We walked together all the way to my concourse and had wonderful chat the whole way.

We both took selfies of the two of us, but hers turned out much better than mine. She even mentioned our encounter and included the photo in her blog post yesterday. It was such a treat to meet you Bonnie!

There was only a small change to my stash report this week. I made two more of the Folded Box blocks in purples, but I don't have a photo of them to show. No new fabric added to the stash, but that will not be true next week because I did place an order on a Memorial Day sale.

STASH TOTALS: 
Used this week:              .125 yards     

Used year to date:        33.25 yards

Stashed this week:           0.0 yards

Stashed year to date:    19.25 yards 

 Net year to date:   14.0 yards used

I am joining Kate at Life in Pieces in tracking the number of days each week that I spend at least 15 minutes quilting. Most of my stitching time last week and for the coming week will be hand stitching hexie blocks.

15 Minute Challenge:  

May 29 - June 4        6 of 7 days

June total                 3 of 4 days

Year to date       147 of 156 days


350 Block Challenge at Prairie Moon Quilts: 

Blocks made this week: 2

Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times.  

Julie in GA