Design Wall Monday 6/14/2021

My stash report in yesterday's post included a photo of several new red, white & blue print fabrics that I bought recently to replenish my collection for patriotic quilts and Quilts of Valor. I was hoping that one of those new fabrics would work as the outer border on the Moda Blockheads quilt top I shared two weeks ago.

Here is what I'm considering for the borders. I would do a narrow (5/8 - 3/4") border in bright red, followed by a 3-4" border of the deep blue with stars print. I like the way they frame the quilt center. Maybe I can get those borders on the quilt this week.

I also pulled out a few RWB blocks that I've made in recent years for the regular summer block drive that Kat hosts at Covered in Love. These blocks will all finish at 12". I'm sending them along to Kat early for this summer's drive (although I did decide to hang on to the top right block for a future project of my own.)

Linking up with:

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA 

Stitching and Stashing--Week 24, 2021

My stash report for the past week shows fabric moving both in and out of my stash. The fabric going out was 5 yards for the backing of a Scrappy Trips top that is going to Kat for Covered in Love as part of the 2021 Hands 2 Help Challenge.

Here is a closer look at the fabrics in this backing. Both have been in my stash for many years, and it was time to move them out.

The additions to the stash have a definite red, white & blue theme. A recent burst of QOV quilt backs left my RWB stash greatly depleted. The mint green on the left end is for my 30's Kaleidoscope blocks.

2021 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                                 5.0 yards

Used year to date:                      107.375 yards

Added last week:                             8.25 yards

Added year to date:                        56.25 yards

Net used year to date              51.125 yards

Kate's 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces has us tracking how many days each week we get in at least 15 minutes of quilting time. Our house is a bit chaotic with renovation work happening. I haven't been able to spend as much time quilting lately, but I have still managed at least 15 minutes every day.

15 Minute Challenge for 2021: 

6/6 - 6/12                  7 of 7 days

2021 Total           162 of 163 days

Check out more stash reports at quiltpaintcreate and join the 15 Minutes to Stitch challenge at Life in Pieces. 

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

Hands 2 Help 2021

I'm cutting it close, but it's time for me to share the photos of my quilts for the 2021 Hands 2 Help Comfort Quilt Challenge. This wonderful event is hosted each year by Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, and it is so heartwarming to see how many quilters have been inspired to donate quilts to a variety of groups providing comfort to those in need. Last year there were over 500 quilts donated, and I wouldn't be surprised if the number was much higher this year.

My donations are going to Kat in Texas for Covered in Love. This first one is the Beveled Blocks quilt top that I finished in March. I am also sending the backing and binding with this quilt top. The backing includes a few extra blocks from making the top.

Beveled Blocks, 60.5" x 72.5"

Beveled Blocks backing

The other quilt top that I will be sending to Kat is a Scrappy Trips design, based on Bonnie Hunter's instructions. I used 3" strips to make the blocks, rather than the 2.5" used in Bonnie's version.

Scrappy Trips, 60.5" x 75.5"

I pulled out some fabrics as possibilities to back this quilt, either the two turquoise and purple fabrics together or the two greens. I don't have enough of any of them for the whole back. I'm hoping to get that done this weekend, plus make a binding, and send everything off on Monday.

Many thanks once again to Sarah for all the hard work she puts in to make this event a success. This is the 11th year of the Hands 2 Help Challenge, and almost 3000 quilts were donated in the first ten years. I can't wait to see the final total for 2021. You can see photos of many of the quilts that have been donated this year at Sarah's blog, Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

Happy quilting to all! 

Julie in GA  

String Pinwheel blocks

There are a couple of Christmas projects in the works that I can't show here yet. In between those I spent some time last week making String Pinwheel blocks to send to Kat for her Covered in Love block drive. Each month Kat chooses a block design and color palette, then takes all the blocks she receives and makes them into quilts for the families of patients who pass away in the hospital where she works as a nurse.

Here are the 9 String Pinwheel blocks that I will be sending to Kat soon. Her requested color scheme this month was peacock colors of green, sky blue and purple for the string section, and browns for the corner triangles. It's not a color combination I would have put together, but the finished blocks look terrific as a group. They are also a greay way to use up scraps. Kat, these blocks will be on their way to you soon.

I am linking up with Scraptastic Tuesday at Mrs Sew and Sow and with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

Julie in GA

Stash Report Sunday 12/6/15

Only a few more stash reports left for 2015. There's a good chance I will finish the year in the black for the first time since I started tracking my stash usage in 2012. I just need to stop buying fabric from the many holiday deals going on this month, but that's easier said than done. It's so hard to resist fabric when it's on sale!

This week I used 3/8 yard on String Pinwheel blocks as part of Kat's block drive for Covered in Love. I also added 7 yards of a patriotic print that will become the back for a Quilt of Valor.

String Pinwheels
Block drive for Covered in Love

"Patriotic Patchwork" from Connecting Threads

TOTALS: 

Used this week:                   .375 yards     

Used year to date:         160.375 yards

Stashed this week:                7.0  yards

Stashed year to date:        147.0 yards 

Net year to date:           13.375 yards used

Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times.  

Julie in GA

Design Wall Assortment

My design wall is covered in all sorts of different blocks today, showing the range of projects that I have been working on lately. The one thing they have in common is that they are all scrappy, as are most of my quilts lately. I just love playing with a wide variety of fabrics, the more the better!

At the top right are some of the bowties I have been making all year for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. At the bottom left are three groupings of circle applique blocks, my other RSC quilt for 2015. I have all the blocks for this quilt joined into groups like those shown and hope to finish assembling the top this week.

The hexagon star and snowflakes were one of my earlier RSC projects, begun in August, 2013. I have started joining the stars and snowflakes together, but it is a very slow process for me. I have a total of 10 large stars and 20 snowflakes to stitch together.

At the upper left are four Falling Leaves blocks. These were made for the Covered in Love block drive over at Kat and Cat Quilts. Kat is a nurse, and she has started a charity making quilts to give to the families of patients who have died at the hospital where she works. You can find the block pattern HERE and read more about Covered in Love HERE. 

Those sure are some big leaves, aren't they?! They make quite the contrast to my other blocks. The leaf blocks finish at 12", the bowties and the circle blocks all finish at 4".

Besides working on all these projects last week, I also made the back for a quilt. I am hoping to get the back for the circle quilt made in the next few days so I can take it to my long-arm quilter over the weekend.

I will be sharing with the following linky parties.:

Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times

Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt
WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

Julie in GA