Scrappy Strips of Sunshine

I had all kinds of plans for using my green scraps as part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge last month, but never managed to get much done with them. Our new color for June is yellow, and I have been sorting my yellow 3" strips from light to dark for this month's Scrappy Trips blocks. I need six different shades of yellow for each block, and I will make at least four blocks. I have plenty of choices here--I'll have to come up with some other ideas for using the leftover strips!

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 scrappy projects that everyone is sharing! 

Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 5/29/17

It seems like I have worked on several different quilting projects over the past week, but I don't have a lot to show for all that time. I already shared the strippy baby quilt that was finished earlier in the week (see it HERE.) I might have started a new quilt yesterday, but haven't figured out enough of a plan to have anything to show on that.

The blocks up on the design wall are my Glorious Hexagons with the navy print background triangles that are being added. I still have about 45 more hexagon blocks that need the triangles stitched on before I play with the placement and balancing the colors.

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 5/28/17

My stash usage for last week was not huge, but at least I'm still in stash reduction mode. I have gotten tons of emails about Memorial Day fabric sales, but have managed to resist ordering anything so far--that may change soon!

2017 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:             .875 yards

Used year to date:      46.625 yards

Added last week:             0.0 yards
Added year to date:        5.25 yards

Net used year to date:  41.375 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 am back on track with getting in my 15 minutes or more for stitching every day.

15 Minute Challenge:  
5/21 - 5/27               7 of 7 days

2017 Total          143 of 147 days

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

Julie in GA

One Fish, Two Fish baby quilt

Thank goodness for quick and easy quilt patterns! I was on vacation the week before last when I received an invitation to a baby shower for a co-worker. My first opportunity to make a baby quilt happened last weekend, only 5 days before the shower! I knew I had to keep it simple, so I went with a strippy quilt-as-you-go pattern, based on the technique shown HERE.

One Fish, Two Fish baby quilt
38" x 41.5" finished size

It wasn't planned that way, but when I started pulling fabrics from my stash, I discovered that I had a group of fish prints that worked together very nicely. Even the binding fabric has tiny fish on it! That led to the name One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish for the quilt. I also ordered a copy of the Dr. Seuss book of the same name to include in the gift.

For the back I used a cute alphabet print with many of the same colors as the fish fabrics. 

Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend the baby shower this afternoon because I have jury duty today. I left my gift with a friend to deliver to the shower--I need to send her a message to take photos of the mother-to-be holding it.

Julie in GA

Linking up to:  Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation
                      Whoop Whoop Friday at Confessions of a Fabric Addict
                      Finished or Not Friday at Busy Hands Quilts
                      Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts
                      Let's Make Baby Quilts at Michelle's Romantic Tangle
                      

Design Wall Monday 5/22/17

Linking up with Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times was one of the reasons I started my blog back in 2012. I loved seeing what other quilters were working on and sharing my projects with them. Starting this week, Design Wall Monday will be hosted by Judy Hansen at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts. Thanks so much to Judy Laquidara for the many years of hosting the link-up, and another thank you to Judy H. for keeping it going.

I have been enjoying a lovely, lazy four-day weekend at home. I had hoped to be very productive, but didn't really get that much quilting done. I did make a baby quilt, which I will show when the binding gets finished. I've also started sewing background triangles to my Glorious Hexagons blocks in preparation for sewing them together into rows.

I'm happy with the way the dark fabric makes the bright colors in the hexagons pop. This is less than a quarter of my blocks--I think there are over 80 blocks made. Once the dark triangles are sewn onto all of them, I will spend my time getting them arranged in a pleasing pattern. I'm sure there will be plenty of shifting blocks around to spread out the hotter colors and to keep blocks with matching fabrics from being too close together. I can hardly wait!

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 5/21/17

For almost 5-1/2 years, Sunday has been one of my most regular days for blog posts. That's because Sunday was the day to link up with the Stash Report at Patchwork Times. Earlier this week, Judy announced that she was discontinuing her hosting of the Stash Report because she is doing very little quilting these days.

Fortunately, I'm not the only one who enjoys tracking my fabric purchases and usage. Reporting those numbers on my blog keeps me aware and accountable. I'm very happy to learn that the stash reports will continue, at least for now, over at quiltpaintcreate.

I didn't file a stash report last week, so this one covers two weeks. I made six green Scrappy Trips blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, using 1.5 yards. You can see those blocks in yesterday's post. I also used 2.75 yards for a baby quilt. All that's left on that is to finish the binding.

For only the second time this year, I added some fabric to my stash (I'm still making up for my crazy shopping spree last December!) I bought 3.25 yards of this navy/teal print to use as the background and border for my Glorious Hexagons blocks. I've started cutting triangles from it and stitching them to two sides of each hexagon block.

Glorious Hexagons with background

2017 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:             4.25 yards

Used year to date:       45.75 yards

Added last week:           3.25 yards
Added year to date:       5.25 yards

Net used year to date:  40.5 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 was on vacation for one week and missed a couple of days, but have still managed to find that 15 minutes or more most days.

15 Minute Challenge:  
5/7 - 5/20              12 of 14 days

2017 Total          136 of 140 days

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

Julie in GA

RSC Scrappy Trips

This week I made two more green Scrappy Trips blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I put them up on my design wall along with the previous four green blocks. 

Scrappy Trips Around the World
pattern by Bonnie Hunter

The blocks looked so good together in that layout that I decided to try it with the rest of my blocks. Here's the whole collection of cool color blocks--I still have a pile of red blocks too and a few in orange. This is looking good!

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 scrappy projects that everyone is sharing! 

Julie in GA

Scrappy Green Squares

Time for quilting has been almost non-existent lately, but it was for very good reasons. First my mother came for a visit which included a couple of days in Savannah. When she returned to Wisconsin, I flew along with her and am enjoying a few days of spring in the Midwest. Family time is definitely a higher priority than quilting this week.

I did manage to make four Scrappy Trips blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. There are two more green blocks still 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 scrappy projects that everyone is sharing! 

Julie in GA

Stash Report Sunday 5/7/17

This week's good news for the stash report is that I used 1/2 yard making the setting triangles for the RSC Watercolor quilt. Those were the last components to be made for this quilt, now it needs to be assembled. No fabric added to the stash this week (but the batik sales at Hancock's are looking tempting!)

2017 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:              .50 yards

Used year to date:       41.50 yards

Added last week:           0.00 yards
Added year to date:       2.00 yards

Net used year to date:  39.5 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 missed one day last week, but my totals are still looking good..

15 Minute Challenge:  
4/30 - 5/6                 6 of 7 days

2017 Total          124 of 126 days

Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times.

Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 5/1/17

My design wall continues to be filled with the watercolor blocks that I have been making since early April as part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. The pattern that I am making is "Tranquil Treasures" by Evelyn Sloppy from her book Strips and Strings - 16 Sparkling Quilts. 

Unfortunately, I can't get all the blocks in one photo because I am shooting through a doorway. I think this will give you a good enough idea of the whole thing. The dark areas continue out a little further all the way around. 

I am linking up to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times, 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