Design Wall Monday 4/24/2023

Our recent meeting for the Common Threads Quilt Guild included a new challenge issued by our president, Martha. She had discovered a stash of blocks made from charm squares and challenged us to make donation quilts from them. The blocks had been packed together into kits for us to take home, with the challenge to bring back a finished quilt next month.

These are the blocks that were in my kit. It is an extremely random mix of fabrics. Each block measures around 13.5", although the sizes do vary by as much as 1/2". The first thing I will need to do when I am ready to start sewing will be to press them all very well, and they will probably all get trimmed down to a consistent size.

Because of the differences in block sizes, I thought it would work best to add sashing and give the blocks a little separation. My first thought was to use a medium blue, and I found a fabric right away in my stash. I even have enough that I could use it on the back of the quilt.

The sashing strips in the photo above are different sizes because they came from my pre-cut strips drawers. I haven't decided yet which size I will use in the quilt. I added some squares of a possible cornerstone fabric and ended up with the combination shown below.

My favorite block from this group.

Check out what other quilters are working on this week at Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts and at Monday Musings at Songbird Designs. 

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA 

Playing with Little Purple Scraps

The past week was one of those times that an unplanned quilt project (squirrel!) snuck into the sewing room and wouldn't let go until it was done with me, or rather, I was done with it. This is my Pretty in Purple quilt top.

Pretty in Purple, 36.5" x 48.5"

It all started with a collection of 1.5" purple squares sent to me in 2017 by Jennifer who blogs at Life's Little Adventures. Here's what she sent me way back then.

I sorted all the little squares into matching stacks, then started making 9-Patch blocks with no plan for how I would use them. Every once in a while, I would run across the box with all the pieces and make a few more blocks, but there were still lots of squares to use.

One day last weekend I was having a hard time deciding what to work on after finishing the top of another quilt (see that one HERE), and ran across the box of purple squares while doing a little cleaning up in the sewing room. It was the perfect mindless project--no cutting to do, no planning needed, just sit down and sew 9-patches.

After a couple days of making blocks, I had used up most of the pile of purple squares and had made about 100 blocks. The photo above shows the squares that were left over at the end. The blocks measure only 3.5" unfinished, so I worked up a design adding HSTs to make a bigger quilt.

This photo gives a closer view of some of the fabrics. It's so hard to get a good photo of these purples! I did discover in the process of making this quilt that most of the squares I was sent were purples that lean more towards blue, and the purples in my stash tend to be more on the reddish side. However, I think they all worked together just fine, and it sure feels good to have emptied out that box of little purple squares! 

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.

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

Volcano Nine-Patch Quilt is Finished!

The quilting on my Volcano Nine-Patch quilt was completed almost two weeks ago, but we have had so many grey, rainy days that it has been difficult to get outside for photos. The weather has finally cleared, and it's time to share my most recent finish!

Volcano Nine-Patch

42.25" x 52.75" after washing

This quilt started from a Zip-loc bag of 9-patch blocks, strip sets, and fabric scraps, all left over from my original Volcano Island quilt, made in 2000-2001. I got inspired to see what I could make from the leftovers and ended up with a lovely baby quilt. Here are both quilts together, hanging off the railing of our back deck.

The big quilt measures about 85" x 95". It is a Blooming 9-Patch design, made from alternating 9-patch blocks and large squares of the same fabrics. The baby quilt is all 9-patches, with no plain squares in between. Almost all of the same fabrics were used, although I added one orange print at the center, had to substitute one fabric, and didn't have any left of the outer border fabric from the big quilt.

The quilting on the baby quilt is stitch in the ditch done diagonally around all the blocks, plus rectangular boxes the run through the centers of the blocks. The back of the quilt, shown below, is a flannel fabric from Joann's. 

Finishing this quilt was my One Monthly Goal for September. It feels so good to have another finish, and I look forward to gifting it soon.

Linking up with:

Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

One Monthly Goal at Elm Street Quilts

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA 

Volcano Quilt Top Finished!

Some refer to them as "squirrels." Sandra at mmm quilts came up with the acronym "DrEAMi" which stands for "Drop Everything And Make It." Whichever name you like, it refers to a totally unplanned project that completely takes over your time and your brain, leaving you unable to focus on anything else. That's what happened with my recent squirrel, the Volcano 9-Patch quilt. I shared the beginning of this quilt two weeks ago in this post, and now I have a finished quilt top to share!

Volcano 9-Patch, 42.75" x 54"

This quilt was made from the leftovers of a Blooming 9-Patch quilt that I made in 2000-2001. I had run across a Zip-loc bag of scraps, strips and strip sets, and couldn't resist playing with them again. I was lucky to have extra of most of the same fabrics and added in a couple of others to complete the flow of colors. Instead of the Blooming 9-Patch layout that alternates 9P blocks with larger squares, this quilt is made up entirely of 9-patches, 111 of them total. Here's a closer look at the fabrics and some of the piecing.

I decided to use this crazy tie-dye style flannel for the quilt backing. It only needed one seam to make it big enough. I'm hoping to get this little quilt finished sooner rather than later.

Linking up with:

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

DrEAMi #55 at mmm quilts

Favorite Finish at Meadow Mist Designs

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA 

Design Wall Monday 8/16/2021

Last week was one of those times when I had multiple quilting projects that I'd planned to work on, but I got totally distracted by something unplanned. Squirrel! I was digging through a box of leftover pieces and parts from previous quilt projects, and I came across a bag of scraps and partial strip sets from one of my all-time favorite quilts.

This is the Blooming Nine-Patch quilt that I started in a class back in 2000. The quilt was finished in 2001. I call it Volcano Island, envisioning the hot pink and orange fabrics as the center of the volcano, blending out to the cooler colors of the water. I love the way the fabrics blend together and hide the piecing seams. You should be able to click on the photo to enlarge it.

The bag I'd found had some leftover strips of these fabrics, and even a few partial strip sets and several blocks. When I checked my stash, I discovered that I had extra yardage of most of the same fabrics. I knew there wasn't enough to make a big quilt, but I started making more nine-patch blocks with what I had, substituting similar fabrics where necessary. Instead of the usual Blooming Nine-Patch layout, which alternates nine-patch blocks with larger squares, this quilt will be made up of just the nine-patches.

I started at the center of the quilt, but decided to add an extra orange fabric to punch up the color. I tried two different options, shown above, and decided to go with the second choice because it blended in better with the other fabrics. I'm continuing to make more nine-patch blocks, working my way out from that center. It looks like I should be able to make a largish baby quilt from the fabrics I've got here, and I hope to have it all together by the end of the week.

Check out what other quilters are working on this week:

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA 

Rainbow Disappearing 9-Patch Quilt Finished!

While sorting through quilt photos recently, I discovered that I had not shared a recent finish. This is my Rainbow Gradations Disappearing 9-Patch baby quilt!

The top for this quilt was made as part of the Disappearing 9-Patch quilt-along at The Crafty Quilter back in June. The fabrics I used were the "Inner Light Gradations" line by Debra Lunn & Michael Mrowka for Timeless Treasures. I've had this collection of fabrics sitting on my shelf for many years--time to use some of it up!

The quilt top came together very quickly. I love using a simple pattern that really shows off the beautiful fabric. I found the perfect tie-dye flannel to use for the backing. Flannel is always my first choice for backing a baby quilt.

I kept the quilting very simple, just stitch-in-the-ditch along all the seams. It was bound in the same black fabric as the contrast in the piecing. The quilt measured 39.5" x 48" before washing, then shrank up to 38.75" x 46.5" after it was washed and dried.

The reason I hadn't shared photos of the quilt earlier is because it was a gift for my niece's new baby boy, and I wanted to wait until they had received the quilt before posting. Here is Lucas enjoying his new quilt!

I'm  linking up with Let's Make Baby Quilts at Michelle's Romantic Tangle, Whoop Whoop Friday at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts, and the Rainbow Scrap Challenge at soscrappy (even though this quilt isn't scrappy.)

Julie in GA

Plenty of Purple

When it was announced that the February color assignment for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge is purple and lavender, I wasn't sure I would find many scraps to use in my current RSC projects. I went digging through my boxes, bins and drawers and found all sorts of purple goodies!

The first place I looked was my drawer of 3" strips (the same strips that were used for my Scrappy Trips blocks last year.) I found several strips of purple, a few 3" squares, and a couple dozen four-patches.

3" strips and squares

4-patches made from 3" squares

The 3" purple strips have been cut up into squares to make more 4P blocks. There may be enough in that pile for a small quilt.

Miscellaneous scraps

There was a small pile of miscellaneous purple scraps. Some of these were used to make a few more sampler blocks to add to the Squared Away blocks. The pattern for these is from the 2017 Fat Quarter Shop Patchwork Quilt Along.

FQS Sampler blocks

After all the favorable comments on my Baby Blue Boxes top last month, I thought I might make a block or two each month in the RSC colors. Here is the first one in purple and lavender scraps. I love how the block looks on point! Now to come up with a name for this block pattern--maybe Spinning Boxes or Boxed In? Other suggestions would be appreciated. 

Spinning Boxes block

The final source of purple scraps was this bag of little 1.5" squares that was sent to me a few months ago by Jennifer in PA, a fellow RSC participant. There must be hundreds, maybe even a thousand or more squares in there! 

Bag of 1.5" squares

I sorted out a couple handfuls of the squares, then started making little nine-patch blocks from them. These are my current leader/ender project. So cute! Thanks for the scraps Jennifer! 

3" nine-patch blocks

Wow, that's a lot of purple scrappy projects in the works! 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 11/6/17

I got totally sidetracked by an unplanned project last week. I had been going through my UFO's and boxes of scraps from previous quilts. I found a bag that contained the leftovers from a Blooming 9Patch quilt that I made in 2004. There were 9-patch blocks, strip sets for more blocks, and extra fabrics. I also knew that I still have yardage of many of the fabrics in my stash.

I spent many hours making 9Patch blocks from the leftover strip sets, plus cutting more strips for additional strip sets that became even more blocks. I played with several possible arrangements of the blocks on my design wall, and I think this is the final choice. All that's missing are the setting triangles around the outside edges and an outer border or two.

I've started joining the 9Patch blocks together at the center of the layout and will work my way out toward the outer edges from there. If you would like to read more about how I join the blocks in an on-point setting like this, check out THIS POST. My method does not involve sewing the blocks together into long diagonal rows.

I'm 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

Hands2Help Challenge

For the past several years, Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict has hosted the Hands 2 Help Challenge. Last year, the participants donated a total of 147 quilts to three different charities. This week is the time for everyone to show off the wonderful finished quilts that are being donated for 2016.

I had big plans to make at least one quilt, maybe more, to donate this year. Unfortunately, life got in the way this spring, with a crazy work schedule in March and April, plus occasional knee and hip pain that greatly limited my sewing time. Since I don't have a finished quilt to donate, I contacted Sarah about sending a quilt top and backing. She very generously offered to do the quilting for me, on top of everything else she has done in putting together the H2H Challenge. Thanks, Sarah--you are amazing!

The quilt top I have decided to donate is one that I finished last year. It is mostly made from 9-patch blocks that were left over from earlier projects. The top measures 59" x 69.5", and the muted colors would work well for a man's quilt.

For the back I tried to use up the rest of the 9-patch blocks (but there are probably still a few hiding around here!)

Check out all of the gorgeous quilts that have been made for the 2016 Hands 2 Help Challenge. Thanks again to Sarah for all the hard work she does in putting together this wonderful charity quilt drive!

Julie in GA

Stash Report Sunday 5/8/16

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there, especially my wonderful mother in Wisconsin. I hope to be there to see her soon.

Over the past week I finished putting together the top for the second Pinwheels baby quilt. That used up some fabric for the last 10 blocks, plus the sashing and border. I also made 25 nine-patch blocks from 2" strips of the 30's fabrics. I keep cutting and stitching up those fabrics, but there's still plenty more in the box!

30's Nine-patches

No fabric was added to the stash this week, and I am feeling a little better about my usage for the year. I haven't had any big finishes lately, but I keep chipping away at using a little bit each week.

STASH TOTALS: 
Used this week:             2.50 yards     

Used year to date:      30.375 yards

Stashed this week:           0.0 yards

Stashed year to date:    19.25 yards 

 Net year to date:   11.125 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. The more days  I quilt, the more quilts I can get done and the more fabric used. 

15 Minute Challenge:  

May 1 - 7                 7 of 7 days

May total                 7 of 7 days

Year to date        122 of 128 days


350 Block Challenge at Prairie Moon Quilts: 

Blocks made this week:  42

Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times.  

Julie in GA

A Mess of Greens

While digging through my project boxes looking for a kit I bought several years ago, I found one box full of miscellaneous scraps. There were lots of bits of green in there, so I pulled them out to see what I had that might be useful for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. Our color for May is green, and here is the pile of green scraps that I got out of that box. 

Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict has been hosting "I May Have a Scrap Problem" link-ups for the past few months. My scrap-busting goal for the month of May is to sort through these green scraps, trim them to useful sizes, and get them all filed away. Maybe I can even get some blocks pieced from them!

One of my favorite things about making scrap quilts is playing with a wide assortment of fabrics and remembering their original uses. The line of fabrics across the bottom of the above photo were some that were used in a quilt that my sister and I made together for our mother in 2011. Here is another shot from when we were auditioning and choosing the fabrics, followed by a photo of the finished quilt top. Unfortunately, I don't seem to have any photos of the quilt after it was quilted. I will have to be sure to take some next time I visit.

"Radiant Sunshine and Shadow" quilt for Mom, 2011
from the book by Helen Frost
 and Catherine Skow

I have been cutting green fabrics for my next set of Folded Box blocks, but haven't gotten any of them pieced yet. I think I pulled out enough green strips to make about a dozen blocks instead of the 5-6 that I need. Lots of beautiful green scraps around here!

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'm also sharing my scrap-busting goal with "I May Have a Scrap Problem" at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

Julie in GA

Stash Report Sunday 8/30/15

My stash report had another good week with a decent amount of usage and a little added too. I finished two sets of blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge and also finished another quilt back. (You can see the blocks and the quilt top HERE.)

Rainbow Bowties--50 black/grey blocks        1.125 yd.

RSC Circles--13 indigo blocks                        .375 yd

9Patch quilt back                                          4.75 yd

Hidden 9Patch back
71" x 84"

My addition for the week was another giveaway win, this one from the sponsors for Scraptastic Tuesday. I have been very lucky at winning fabric lately!

TOTALS: 

Used this week:                    6.25 yards     

Used year to date:              120.0 yards

Stashed this week:                  2.0 yards

Stashed year to date:          97.75 yards 

Net year to date:              22.25 yards used

Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times.  

Indigo and Black

This week I finished making the rest of my August blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. Our color for the month is indigo (purplish blue), with black and grey as alternate choices. I tried to pull out blues that tend toward purple for my appliqued circle blocks. Here they are on the design wall along with all the other blue circles from an earlier month, plus 50 bowtie blocks in blacks and greys.

I also finished the top for my UFO of the month which has quite a bit of black in it. Last week I talked a bit about my method for joining the diagonally set blocks together in this quilt. Check out my post from Monday if you would like more detailed information on that technique. I am almost done piecing the back for this quilt.

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


Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 8/24/15--A Finished Top!

Those of you who have read my blog over the past couple of weeks have witnessed the trials and frustrations of my latest UFO. This project started with a box of 9-patch blocks left over from a couple of quilts made 12 -15 years ago. It took me a whole week of playing in EQ7 and auditioning about a hundred different fabrics to figure out a plan for how to use the blocks.

Once I had a plan, it took me just over a week to make more blocks to complete the rings of color and to get them all joined together. On Saturday I shared a little about how I assemble a quilt top like this, and there were so many interested responses that I would like to explain it further.

My quilt is laid out like the "Blooming Nine-Patch" pattern, which originated in the 1996 book Tradition with a Twist by Blanche Young and Dalene Young Stone. This is a fabulous book that I would highly recommend, and it has been in publication for almost 20 years. My only problem with the book is that this quilt is assembled by joining the blocks into diagonal rows, then sewing all of the long rows together. I find it much easier to join the blocks into groups, then sew those groups together.

The following diagram shows the EQ7 layout for my entire quilt. You can see where I drew black diagonal lines dividing the blocks into groups of 9. I started at the very center of the quilt and worked out from there. The photo after the diagram shows my blocks joined into these groups.

The next step is to join those groups into even bigger sections. Again I started at the center and made a giant 9-patch. There are two partial corner sections that attached to the center and two bigger corner sections that got joined on last.

Yes, I realize that my seam lines go the opposite way in the diagram than they do in my quilt sections. It doesn't really matter, but I hope you can see how the parts fit together. Doesn't this look easier than sewing all those long diagonal rows together? All that's left is to share the finished quilt top.

9Patch Leftovers
59" x 69.5"

It feels great to get another batch of blocks stitched up into a quilt top. Even after all of this, I still have some blocks left, and they will definitely get used in the back of the quilt. If anyone has a good idea of a name for this quilt, I am drawing a blank and welcome all suggestions.

I am linking up to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times and to Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt. Check them both out for lots of amazing quilting inspiration!

Julie in GA

Scrappy Circles and UFO 9Patches

My current projects for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge have been moving forward this week. I have been working on bowtie blocks and plan to have them all ready to show next weekend. I appliqued a couple more indigo circles, bringing my collection up to a dozen.

My main focus for the week has been my 9Patch UFO. After my frustrations from the previous week, it felt good to get down to sewing. I finished making the needed 9P blocks, then started joining them together.

I took a Blooming 9Patch class many years ago and learned a very useful trick for joining blocks together, and it works especially well for this design. Instead of sewing the blocks into long rows, then joining the rows together, I start by stitching the blocks into large 9Patch units. Then the bigger units get joined to one another. You can get a better idea what I mean from my photo.

The trickiest part of this is keeping the blocks in the correct positions. The next step will be to make a giant 9Patch from the blocks at the center of this layout, then join the rest of the units into sections that finish it off. I am hoping to get it all put together this weekend.

Be sure to check out all of the wonderful scrappy projects at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.


Julie in GA