Design Wall Monday 7/31/17

Over the weekend I was able to spend some time working on my Shirt Stripe Boxes blocks. Here is a group of blocks that will finish at 6" each. They all need to be trimmed down yet. I find these blocks easier to make if I cut the triangles slightly oversized and trim the blocks down to the right size after stitching and pressing them.

Shirt Stripe Boxes, 6" blocks
based on the pattern by Kaffe Fassett
from his book Passionate Patchwork

I have many more blocks in the works, some of them partially stitched together, others still waiting to be constructed. Matching up the stripes requires lots of pinning, so progress is slow, but they look so great that the time is worth it!

I am linking up to Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt, and Moving It Forward at Em's Scrapbag. Check out all of them for tons of amazing quilting inspiration! 

Julie in GA

Stash Report Sunday 7/30/17

I didn't file a weekly stash report last week because there really wasn't anything to write about. I have managed keep up with getting at least 15 minutes of quilting time every day, but didn't have any usage or additions to report. The past week was a little better, with .75 yards used for the binding and hanging sleeve for a small quilt (more on that in a future post) and 1.25 yards used for my blue Ribbon Stars blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. You can see those blocks in yesterday's post. No additions!

2017 STASH TOTALS

Used last 2 weeks:            2.0 yards

Used year to date:          62.00 yards

Added last 2 weeks:           0.0 yards
Added year to date:          8.25 yards

Net used year to date:  53.75 yards

I am continuing to join Kate at Life in Pieces in tracking how many days each week I manage to get in at least 15 minutes of quilting time. I'm trying to keep on track with some quilting time every single day.

15 Minute Challenge:  
7/16 - 7/29              14 of 14 days

2017 Total            205 of 210 days

Check out more stash reports at quiltpaintcreate, and add your own report so we can keep this linky going.

Julie in GA

RSC Ribbon Stars

Thanks to all who commented on my Rainbow Scrap Challenge post last week with your opinions on my Scrappy Trips blocks. I appreciate everyone's input. Unfortunately, you weren't very much help. The comments were almost evenly split between preferring the red blocks alone, the red and blue together, or no preference on the two choices. I have set the blocks aside for now until I am ready to make a decision on them.

In the meantime, I have been trying to catch up on my Ribbon Stars in blue. I've had all the triangles pieced for a couple weeks, but didn't get around to assembling the blocks until last night and this morning. I ended up with 17 blue Ribbon Star blocks for July.

Ribbon Stars, 7.5" blocks (finished size)

Since we are more than halfway through the year, I decided it was time to take a look at my different colors of Ribbon Stars together. I haven't made these blocks every month (no red or multi-color stars.) Apparently I started out using white/cream/beige background fabrics with the teal/turquoise blocks and the purples, then switched to the white-on-whites later. I'm not sure if I will combine the different type of backgrounds in one quilt or keep them separate. This photo shows approximately half of the blocks I have finished.

I am linking up with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge on Saturday and at Oh Scrap! over at Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday. Be sure to check out all of the wonderful projects that everyone is sharing! 

Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 7/24/17

Instead of finishing up one of the many on-going quilt projects in my sewing room, I couldn't resist pulling out my box of recycled shirt parts. A few years ago I was inspired by Kaffe Fassett's "Shirt Stripe Boxes" pattern in his book Passionate Patchwork. I was able to acquire a large number of shirts from rummage sales and thrift shops, and I set about de-constructing them similar to the method Bonnie Hunter demonstrates in THIS VIDEO.

I spent a large portion of the last two weekends fussy cutting stripes into triangles and piecing them back together again. These photos show only the first batch of blocks to be made. My blocks will finish at 3", 6", and 9". There's no telling how big the quilt will end up!

The first photo includes a couple of blocks with very dark blue triangles. I wasn't sure they would work with the rest of the lighter colors. When I compare the two photos, I definitely prefer the softness of the second version without the darker blocks. (My apologies for the lousy lighting.)

I have a couple hundred striped triangles sitting around my sewing room, just waiting to be pieced into more blocks. I love the look of the single-fabric blocks, but it's so much easier with two fabrics because I don't have to worry about matching stripes! I will continue to make both types of block.

I am linking up to Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt, and Moving It Forward at Em's Scrapbag. Check out all of them for tons of amazing quilting inspiration! 

Julie in GA

Scrappy Dilemma

After finishing the 10 blue Scrappy Trips blocks last weekend, I put them up on the design wall along with 10 of the red blocks I made in March for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I tried a couple of different layouts, but this one seemed to work the best (although there is one blue block turned the wrong way.

Scrappy Trips Around the World
15" blocks made from 3" strips
pattern by Bonnie Hunter

My plan was to use the red and the blue blocks together to make a Quilt of Valor, but I'm not convinced that they look right combined in the same quilt. The reds are so bright and intense, making the blues look rather washed out. I'm thinking that I might save the blue blocks for another quilt, maybe combining them with some softer greens and purples. I can still make a QOV from all the red blocks I made earlier. Here's the whole group of red.

I haven't committed to either plan just yet and would be happy to hear your opinions or other ideas. One of the best things about blogging is getting feedback and inspiration from so many other wonderful quilters!

I am linking up with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge on Saturday and at Oh Scrap! over at Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday. Be sure to check out all of the wonderful projects that everyone is sharing! 

Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 7/17/17

The last of the blue Scrappy Trips blocks were finished over the weekend, and they are now up on the design wall along with some red blocks. Oops, I see in the photo that one of the blue blocks is turned the wrong way--better get that fixed! As usual, my through-the-bathroom-doorway photo position has cut off some of the squares along the sides, but you get the idea.

Scrappy Trips Around the World
15" blocks made from 3" strips
pattern by Bonnie Hunter

Setting the blocks together 4 x 5 as shown will produce a quilt top that measures 60" x 75", the perfect size for a Quilt of Valor. I still have 10 more red blocks left, but haven't decided what to do with them. I'm thinking of combining them with a set of black and grey blocks for something a little different.

I am linking up to Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt, and Moving It Forward at Em's Scrapbag. Check out all of them for tons of amazing quilting inspiration! 

Julie in GA

Stash Report Sunday 7/16/17

My stashbusting efforts hit a milestone yesterday--60 yards used for the year! I know it's not a huge amount for many people, but for me it is a very good total after 6-1/2 months. My usage goal for the year is 100 yards, and I have made an excellent start at reaching that goal.

My usage for the week was 2.25 yards for a set of Scrappy Trips blocks. I'm planning to combine these blue blocks with some red ones I made earlier in the year for a Quilt of Valor.

Scrappy Trips Around the World
15" blocks made from 3" strips
pattern by Bonnie Hunter

This photo shows a few of the fabrics from these blocks. Some I remember so clearly, others I have no idea where or when I got them. The cream print with teapots and cups on it is at least 20 years old. I used it to make a little wallhanging for a friend who collected blue & white china.

2017 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:            2.25 yards

Used year to date:       60.00 yards

Added last week:             0.0 yards
Added year to date:        8.25 yards

Net used year to date:  51.75 yards

I am continuing to join Kate at Life in Pieces in tracking how many days each week I manage to get in at least 15 minutes of quilting time. I'm trying to keep on track with some quilting time every single day.

15 Minute Challenge:  
7/15 - 7/21                 7 of 7 days

2017 Total          191 of 196 days

Check out more stash reports at quiltpaintcreate, and add your own report so we can keep this linky going.

Julie in GA

Got the Blues?

We have been singing the blues around here this weekend. After a week of increasingly sluggish cooling performance by our air conditioner, it quit working altogether yesterday. Fortunately, we were able to get a technician out to look at it this morning--a new fan motor got us up and running again. As I write this, the temp in the house has come down from a high of 85 yesterday afternoon to 78 today. We were lucky to endure only one day of discomfort.

There have been many blue scraps getting cut and stitched together this week, but I don't seem to have many finished blocks to share today. I've been stitching triangles to make blue Ribbon Star blocks, but I'm waiting until I finish making all of the HST's before starting to join them together. I did finish six of the Scrappy Trips blocks that I'm making to combine with the red blocks I made in March. I have 20 red blocks and plan to end up with 10 in blue.

I am linking up with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge on Saturday and at Oh Scrap! over at Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday. Be sure to check out all of the wonderful projects that everyone is sharing! 

Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 7/10/17

It's still red, white and blue on my design wall, even though July 4th has passed. I have finished three more RWB blocks to add to the blocks I showed HERE. The larger block pattern is Snow Crystals, and the block finishes at 12" I like the way the block turned out, but wish I'd been more careful with that print in the center star--the bottom right star point has a white area at the outer tip that makes it blend in with the background. It bothers me, but probably not enough for me to take it apart and fix it.

The two small blocks (6" finished) are for the Moda Blockheads project. The upper block is one of the alternate blocks posted by Lisa Bongean. I'm not sure if I will combine the large and small blocks into one quilt or not; for now I'm just enjoying piecing with my RWB fabrics.

I am linking up to Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt, and Moving It Forward at Em's Scrapbag. Check out all of them for tons of amazing quilting inspiration! 

Julie in GA

Stash Report Sunday 7/9/17

All year I have been making Scrappy Trip Around the World blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. My goal is to make at least four blocks each month in our assigned color. Last week I finished my four blue blocks, using 1 yard of fabric. That's a lot of fabric to use for only four blocks, but each block uses 6 strips that are cut 3" x 19", and the blocks finish at 15" square. You can see my blue blocks in YESTERDAY'S POST. There were no fabric additions last week.

2017 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:            1.00 yards

Used year to date:       57.75 yards

Added last week:             0.0 yards
Added year to date:        8.25 yards

Net used year to date:  49.5 yards

I am continuing to join Kate at Life in Pieces in tracking how many days each week I manage to get in at least 15 minutes of quilting time. I'm trying to keep on track with some quilting time every single day.

15 Minute Challenge:  
7/8 - 7/14                 7 of 7 days

2017 Total          184 of 189 days

Check out more stash reports at quiltpaintcreate, and add your own report so we can keep this linky going.

Julie in GA

Scrappy Trips Saturday

There are so many reasons that I love making Scrappy Trip Around the World blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge! Choosing fabrics to get a good gradation from light to dark is always a fun challenge. The pattern (find instructions by Bonnie Hunter HERE) goes together quickly and eats up a good amount of scraps. Here are my blue blocks for July, which used up almost a yard of fabric.

Scrappy Trips Around the World
15" blocks
pattern by Bonnie Hunter

The best thing about these Scrappy Trips blocks is playing with different layouts of the blocks. Back in February I thought I was going to join four blocks of each color together as shown above, but now I'm not so sure. There are just too many different options. I could do a big barn raising setting (but if I do this, I would use a more random mix of the colors.) 

Another possibility is an off-center zig-zag layout.

I still have a few more colors to add to my Scrappy Trips collection. My blocks are made from 3" strips and will finish at 15". If I make four blocks of nine different colors and put them all together in one quilt, it would measure 90" square. I have already made extra blocks of some colors and might end up making two throw quilts instead. There's plenty of time to figure it out all out!

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

Julie in GA

Stash Report Sunday 7/2/17

It's Sunday, which means it is time for the weekly stash report. It's also the beginning of July. Six months of the year gone already! My stash numbers for the year are okay, especially the fact that there have been very few additions. I have been steadily using smallish amounts of fabric with very few big finishes so far this year. For the past week, I used 3/8 yard to make six little red,white & blue Moda Blockheads blocks. You can see them in here along with some larger RWB blocks that I made last year.

2017 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:            .375 yards

Used year to date:       56.75 yards

Added last week:             0.0 yards
Added year to date:        8.25 yards

Net used year to date:  48.5 yards

I am continuing to join Kate at Life in Pieces in tracking how many days each week I manage to get in at least 15 minutes of quilting time. I'm trying to keep on track with some quilting time every single day.

15 Minute Challenge:  
6/25 - 7/1                 7 of 7 days

2017 Total          177 of 182 days

Check out more stash reports at quiltpaintcreate, and add your own report so we can keep this linky going.

Julie in GA

Moda Blockheads

I discovered last night just before going to bed that our color for the month of July at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge is blue. I will be pulling out my blue 3" strips to make some more Scrappy Trip blocks and some Ribbon Stars, but I haven't had a chance to do that yet. I do have some other scrappy blocks that include blue that are ready for sharing.

Beginning in early March, the Moda Fabrics blog has been hosting the Moda Blockheads. There are six designers, and they take turns posting a new 6" block every week. There is a blog post with some preliminary information HERE, and THIS POST shows all the blocks up to this point. Seventeen blocks have been shared so far, and there will be a total of 48 blocks. 

I have been saving the block patterns since the beginning, but didn't start making the blocks until early June. Red, white and blue seemed like the perfect combination at this time of year. I've finished six blocks so far and have the pieces cut out for a few more. Here's my first batch of blocks.

I am linking up with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge on Saturday and at Oh Scrap! over at Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday.  Be sure to check out all of the wonderful projects that everyone is sharing! 

Julie in GA