Design Wall Monday 11/2/2020

My blocks for the Alaska Quilt Along have been accumulating on my main design wall. I made the last set of blocks a couple days ago.

Without any borders, these blocks would make a quilt measuring 63" square. That doesn't seem like a very useful size, so I have been playing with ideas for how to add a row of blocks at the top and bottom to make it rectangular. That would take the finished size up to 63" x 81". The top row in the next photo is my first attempt at adding a row, and I'm still planning to change some of the fabrics around.

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 DeStashing--Week 44, 2020

It has been an interesting week around here, not all in a good way. Hurricane Zeta was down to a tropical storm by the time it passed through our area early Thursday morning. Fortunately, we had made coffee before the storm knocked out the power. At least we didn't have to face the day without our caffeine fix! We didn't have any damage, but there were many trees down all over the area. We were without electricity for 16 hours on Thursday, and about 4 hours again on Friday. Just another couple of crazy days in 2020, but I know we were much luckier than many people.

My quilting time was productive for the week, with two sets of blocks being completed. I used 1.5 yards in the remaining blocks for the Alaska QAL, and also used 1.75 yards in Step 3 of Alycia's mystery. Here are some of the blocks from Steps 1 and 3.

2020 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                             3.25 yards

Used year to date:                      176.50 yards

Added last week:                              0.0 yards

Added year to date:                        53.0 yards

Net used year to date             123.50 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. I managed to get my 15 minutes every day last week, even the day we were without electricity due to Zeta. I couldn't use my sewing machine or iron, but I was able to sort through and cut up some scraps from the Alaska QAL, plus I played with some design ideas for how to make that quilt longer.

15 Minute Challenge:  

10/25 - 10/31            7 of 7 days

2020 Total          296 of 305 days

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

Happy quilting and stay safe everyone!

Julie in GA

Scrappy Rainbow Saturday--Week 44, 2020

Happy Halloween to all of my quilt blog readers and friends. Halloween tends to be a huge deal in our neighborhood, with houses decorated at least as much as they do for Christmas, and there are overwhelming numbers of children out trick or treating. I've been glad to see signs in front of many houses nearby saying that they won't be doing trick or treating this year. I'm sorry that the kids are missing out on the fun, but it certainly seems like the right thing to do this year.

After many positive responses to the setting ideas for my Scrappy Bear Paw blocks last week, I spent some time moving forward with that project. The most popular setting choice by far, which is also my favorite, was the on-point setting with a single bear paw in each of the side setting triangles. 

I rearranged the blocks for the center of the quilt, then took apart my dark green and dark blue blocks to use them in the setting. The next decision is what to add to those single paws to finish off the side triangles. I wanted to keep the quilt from turning too dark, so I cut pieces from the same layer cake as the block backgrounds, "On the Lighter Side" from Robert Kaufman Fabrics. The shapes are meant to mimic the piecing in the blocks.

Since I am working with 10" squares, I had to include several different fabrics in this setting idea. I'm not thrilled with how busy and jumbled it looks. My next attempt will be to look for a single light fabric in my stash that could finish off those side triangles. I might even end up with a light beige or grey because I like the way the setting looks in the first photo against my taupey design wall fabric. Another question that hasn't been answered yet is whether or not to add sashing. To be continued...

I am linking up with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge on Saturday and with Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday. I hope you are all staying well and getting lots of quilting done!

Julie in GA 

Stitching and DeStashing--Week 43, 2020

The majority of my quilting time over the past week was spent on making more blocks for the Alaska Quilt-Along, hosted by Edyta Sitar at Laundry Basket Quilts. I've been trying out different fabric combinations and finally settled on my choices. That made it possible to start mass producing my blocks. I made 20 blocks for that quilt last week, using 2.5 yards of fabric. I also used 1/4 yard for my latest Scrappy Bear Paw block, shown in yesterday's post.

2020 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                             2.75 yards

Used year to date:                      173.25 yards

Added last week:                              0.0 yards

Added year to date:                        53.0 yards

Net used year to date             120.25 yards

Here are some of the blocks I've been making for the Alaska quilt. This would be the top right corner of the quilt. I need to make three more blocks like the 8-pointed star in the second row toward the right, then there are the final five blocks still to be made for the center of the quilt.

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. I have been pushing hard on those Alaska blocks and spent much more than 15 minutes on them every day last week.

15 Minute Challenge:  

10/18 - 10/24            7 of 7 days

2020 Total          289 of 298 days

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

Happy quilting and stay safe everyone!

Julie in GA

Scrappy Rainbow Saturday--Week 43. 2020

October is the last month of the year that gets an official color assigned for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, and this year it is yellow. Once we get to November and December, we can either make blocks in neutral colors, or we can catch up on any colors that are unfinished, or we can start joining our rainbow blocks into quilts!

Here is my yellow Scrappy Bear Paw block for October. I love working with yellow--so bright and cheery!

Scrappy Bear Paw, 14" block

Soon I will need to figure out how to set these blocks together. I keep looking at them set on-point, but that means figuring out what to do for the side triangles. I could do half blocks around the outside like this photo shows (the two side blocks are full blocks folded in half.) To do this version would require remaking the blocks for the side triangles, unless I just want to slice them in half and end up losing a bit in the seam allowances. I would also need to make two more blocks for this setting.

Another on-point option would be to use single paws in the setting triangles. I wouldn't need to make any more blocks for this one, but I'd need another fabric to fill out those setting triangles.

Option number 3 is a straight setting, which would need two more blocks made. I could easily add a tan/brown block and a black/grey block to the collection.

As usual, decision making is hard for me. That's why so many of my quilt projects get bogged down at this point. I need to just make a choice and go with it! I will keep you posted when that happens.

I am linking up with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge on Saturday and with Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday. I hope you are all staying well and getting lots of quilting done!

Julie in GA 

To-Do Tuesday 10/20/2020

Good morning on this beautiful October day! It is time once again for the To-Do Tuesday Weekly Progress Update and Link-up hosted by Roseanne and Sue at Home Sewn By Us. Last week was a good one, with check marks next to all of my goals for the week. I hope I can do as well again this week!

To-do list for 10/13 - 10/19:

1.  Square Dance blocks--finish yellow/green blocks                    ✔ done

I made the last set of yellow/light green blocks. All of my blocks for October were shared in this post.

2.  Alaska QAL--make next set of blocks                                     ✔ done

This week's blocks are done, and I have figured out my final fabric decisions. This block was finished yesterday.

3.  Glorified 9Patch--finish at least one block                               ✔ done

 Glorified 9Patch block #2

4.  Cleaning/organization--spend one hour or more                 ✔ done

I have been concentrating on going through some of the piles of paperwork that are sitting around the sewing room.

Once again, next week's goals are mostly continuing to make progress on the same projects as last week.

To-do list for 10/20 - 10/26:

1. Scrappy Bear Paw--make yellow block

2. Square Dance blocks--complete any colors that need more blocks

3. Alaska QAL--make next set of blocks

4. Glorified 9-Patch--make yellow block #3

5. Alycia's QOV Mystery--do the next step

That should be more than enough to keep me busy for the next week. I'll report on my progress and post a new set of goals next Tuesday. I'm linking up with other To-Do Tuesday lists at Home Sewn by Us .

Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 10/19/2020

Most of my quilting time over the weekend was spent working on more blocks for the Alaska Quilt Along at Laundry Basket Quilts. I'm still uncertain about a couple of my fabric choices and have been looking at switching them around a bit. 

Because I wanted to make sure my fabrics would work well together, I jumped ahead on the order of blocks and made one of the eight-pointed stars. The pattern called for a single fabric for the star points, but I thought it would be more interesting with two. My first attempt was the block on the left. It seemed rather dark, so I switched both of the star fabrics for the second block. 

Here are each of those blocks on the wall with some of the other blocks that were already made.

I cut some extra pieces of the star points and played with a couple of different combinations, laying the cut pieces on top of the already made blocks.. The geometric print from the first block worked nicely with either of the fabrics in the second block.

I realized that there is another version of the star block in the pattern, and it uses a different fabric for the small wedges next to the star points in my blocks. That fabric seems too similar to the brightest fabric in the second and fourth blocks below.

I'm still undecided about which combination of fabrics to use for these blocks. Until I make a choice, this project will be stalled out. I don't want to lose my  momentum with this quilt, so I need to just make a decision and go forward with it. It's only fabric, right?

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 DeStashing--Week 42, 2020

It was a bit of a surprise when I sat down to figure out my stash report this morning. I knew I had been doing lots of cutting this week, but I also got more blocks stitched up than I'd realized. I made the last eight yellow and green blocks for my Square Dance quilt. That's a total of 3/4 yard used for all 32 of those blocks, which you can see in yesterday's post. I also made 16 more blocks for the Alaska quilt along, using 1.875 yards. There's also one completely new project joining the list--Alycia's latest QOV mystery #A11 started, and I have already finished the first step, using 1.5 yards. Grand total for the week--4.125 yards used! No new fabric was added to the stash.

2020 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                            4.125 yards

Used year to date:                       170.50 yards

Added last week:                              0.0 yards

Added year to date:                         53.0 yards

Net used year to date              117.50 yards

One of the best things about Alycia's mysteries is that they tend to go together quickly with fairly large pieces. We've just started, so it's not too late to join in. You can learn more HERE at Alycia's blog. I found a fun patriotic background fabric and used scrappy blue squares with it for the first step. Here's twelve of the 17 blocks I made this week. The blue squares finish at 3", and the blocks will be 9".

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. My time spent quilting over the last week tended toward hours rather than minutes each day. That would explain the larger than normal stash usage for the week.

15 Minute Challenge:  

10/11 - 10/17            7 of 7 days

2020 Total          282 of 291 days

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

Happy quilting and stay safe everyone!

Julie in GA

Scrappy Rainbow Saturday--Week 42, 2020

My latest batch of Stashbuster Square Dance blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge was completed this week. Our color for October is yellow, and my blocks combine that with light/bright greens, which makes for a set of blocks that practically glow on the design wall!

This is the tenth and last group of blocks to be made for this quilt. I should have a total of 320 of these 4" blocks. My next step will be to decide whether to make one 64" x 80" throw quilt using all of the blocks or maybe two smaller kid's quilts. Once that decision is made, it will be time to play with layout options.

I am linking up with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge on Saturday and with Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday. I hope you are all staying well and getting lots of quilting done!

Julie in GA 

To-Do Tuesday 10/13/2020

I'm getting this posted later than usual, but at least it is still Tuesday, which means it is time once again for the To-Do Tuesday Weekly Progress Update and Link-up hosted by Roseanne and Sue at Home Sewn By Us. I did well with last week's list, completing three out of four of my goals, and I hope for the same or better this week.

To-do list for 10/6 - 10/12:

1. Glorious Hexagons--take photos and write blog post           ✔ done

You can see that blog post HERE.

2. Square Dance blocks--continue with yellow/green blocks        ✔ done

Twelve more blocks done, only eight left to make!

3. Cleaning sewing room--spend at least one hour cleaning up     not done

No cleaning/organization of the sewing room happened last week.

4. Alaska QAL--make first set of blocks.  ✔ done

You can see those blocks in yesterday's post.

My goals for the next week include most of the same projects, plus a new one has been added to the list.

To-do list for 10/13 - 10/19:

1.  Square Dance blocks--finish yellow/green blocks

2.  Alaska QAL--make next set of blocks

3.  Glorified 9Patch--finish at least one block

This was my first Glorified 9Patch block.

4.  Cleaning/organization--spend one hour or more

That should be more than enough to keep me busy for the next week. I'll report on my progress and post a new set of goals next Tuesday. I'm linking up with other To-Do Tuesday lists at Home Sewn by Us .

Julie in GA