Stars on the Design Wall

I've been working away over the weekend on more parts for the Granny's Stars blocks. The corner units for all of the blocks have been pieced, and I was able to finish two more blocks yesterday.

That brings my number of finished blocks up to four. The blocks are large, finishing at 16", so the quilt only requires a total of twelve blocks. I'm a third of the way done making blocks!

The next thing I need to do before I can assemble any more blocks is to piece some more of the fussy cut centers. That is a slow and tedious process, especially cutting the pieces. Despite that, I like the way they are looking, which will encourage me to keep going.

Check out what other quilters are working on this week at Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts and Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt.

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA 

Stash Report and Stitching Time 7/24/2022

Last week was an especially satisfying one for quilting, even though I don't have a whole lot to show for it today. I was able to attend the monthly meeting for a local quilt guild that I had just become aware of recently. They were very friendly and welcoming, and I look forward to getting to know the members better and to becoming involved in the guild.

The meeting included a talk and a wonderful trunk show of scrap quilts by quilt designer and author Nancy Mahoney. It was especially interesting to see the quilts from her latest book, A New Twist. The book features asymmetrical block designs that create strikingly different quilts when you change the coloring and rotate the blocks in different settings. Believe it or not, these two quilts are both made with the same block.

There was also a workshop with Nancy after lunch making her "Granny's Stars" pattern. I was able to finish one block during the class, plus made most of the units for a second block. That block was completed the next day.

Block #1

Block #2

The blocks finish at 16", so it only takes twelve blocks for a twin-sized quilt. I have most of the pieces cut for the remaining blocks and have been chain piecing to make the various units for them.

There were no changes to my stash report last week. I spent plenty of time cutting and stitching fabric, most of it on the Granny's Stars blocks, but I didn't get far enough to report any of it as used. The good news is that no new fabric was added to the stash last week either! 

2022 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:               0.0 yards

Used year to date:          75.0 yards

Added last week:              0.0 yards

Added year to date:      80.25 yards

Net stashed in 2022       5.25 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 stitching time. Kate hasn't been able to blog lately because of computer issues, but I'm going to continue posting my numbers here. The early part of the week was spent prepping for the workshop, and the past couple days I've continued working on those blocks. I put in plenty of quilting time every day!

15 Minute Challenge for 2022: 

7/17 - 7/23           7 of 7 days

2022 Total      199 of 204 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

Design Wall Monday 7/18/2022

Once I finished making the purple Charm Basket blocks last week, my attention shifted to prepping for an upcoming quilt class. I have signed up for a class called "Granny's Stars" that is being held on Thursday, taught by designer Nancy Mahoney. Here's a photo of Nancy's quilt.

It took me a couple of days of pondering options before I settled on the color palette for my quilt. I'm basing it on this fabric that I've had for several years. I love the combination of colors in this fabric.

We need to have the pieces precut to make four blocks in the class. I cut the pieces for one block and tried them out together on the design wall. The center of the block was made from four fussy-cut squares of the original fabric pieced together. 

I wasn't sure about the intensity of the yellow squares and switched them out for a lime green and yellow batik. There's also a different version of the center square for this one.

I think I'll go back to yellow, but a less intense version. I'll need to make those decisions soon and get the pieces precut for class. I also need to pull out my featherweight machine and make sure it is working well. It has been quite awhile since that machine got used, at least a couple of years.

Check out what other quilters are working on this week at Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts and Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt.

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA 

Stash Report and Stitching Time 7/17/2022

It was fun to have my stash report showing more used than added for the past few weeks after I gave over 30 yards to the quilt guild. Unfortunately, my numbers have flip-flopped back to showing more added than used again. I placed two orders this week, both of them mostly replenishing background fabrics. I bought 3 yards of the cream Tula Pink fabric (2nd from the left) because it is my all-time favorite background for Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects. The other background fabric, the light grey on white that is 2nd from the right, is for a class that I am taking next week. The other fabrics are 1/2 - 1 yard pieces that were all on sale.

There is a little usage to report as well. I used 1 yard to make 28 Charm Basket blocks in purples for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (see them in yesterday's post), and I sent almost 2 yards to Cathy K. in Utah for her Quilts for Kids projects.

2022 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:            2.875 yards

Used year to date:          75.0 yards

Added last week:            12.0 yards

Added year to date:      80.25 yards

Net stashed in 2022       5.25 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 stitching time. Kate hasn't been able to blog lately because of computer issues, but I'm going to continue posting my numbers here. My main projects for the week were the purple basket blocks plus choosing fabrics and getting ready for next week's class.

15 Minute Challenge for 2022: 

7/10 - 7/16           7 of 7 days

2022 Total      192 of 197 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

Charming Purple Baskets

The main quilting project for the week has been finishing up my Charm Basket blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. We are working with our purple scraps this month, and I managed to make 28 purple basket blocks.

Charm Baskets, pattern by Laundry Baskets Quilts

I'm still having fun picking fabrics for these blocks, although I always seem to have more choices than I can use. One challenge that keeps coming up is dealing with a directional or striped fabric for the background. Sometimes the block turns out with the background pattern all running the same way, like the top row in the next photo. In other blocks, my background pattern ends up running both horizontally and vertically. It figures that the block with the boldest background design, the black-on-white print in the bottom right block, is one that runs both ways. Whichever way they turn out, they stay. It doesn't bother me enough to remake them.

There have been a few questions about the handles on the basket blocks in previous months. They are made from bias strips cut 3/4" wide. I use a 3/8" bias tape maker to fold under the edges. The pattern suggested using a bias tape maker that can also apply a narrow strip of fusible web, but I found it difficult to get them to curve nicely with the fusible on the back. Starching the background rectangle helps keep it from getting too misshapen and distorted during the stitching. I pin the curved handle onto the background, then topstitch close to both folded edges. It is not a quick process, but I'm very happy with the results.

Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts, the designer of the Charm Baskets pattern, had a Quilting Window Live episode yesterday all about her basket quilts. She includes a demonstration of how she makes the bias handles for her basket patterns. Check it out 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. 

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA 

Stash Report & Stitching Time 7/10/2022

I was afraid there would be very little to share for my stash report this week, but then remembered that I had added the borders to my Stack & Whack Triangle Squares quilt top. I also made this Feathered Star block, which was shared in yesterday's post, but I like it so much that it's getting posted again!

My total usage for the week came to 1.375 yards, and there was no new fabric added to the stash!

2022 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:            1.375 yards

Used year to date:      72.125 yards

Added last week:              0.0 yards

Added year to date:      68.25 yards

Net used in 2022      3.875 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 stitching time. Kate hasn't been able to blog lately because of computer issues, but I'm going to continue posting my numbers here. I didn't make huge progress on any of my projects, but I did spend time stitching every single day. The Feathered Star block was especially intense and time consuming!

15 Minute Challenge for 2022: 

7/3 - 7/9               7 of 7 days

2022 Total      185 of 190 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

Purple UFO's Revisited

One of my goals for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge this year, besides making my chosen blocks in the assigned color each month, was to also make progress on some of my old UFOs. My plan was to pick a UFO each month based on our color for the RSC.

This month we are working with purple for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I didn't have many UFOs with purple in them, especially scrappy UFOs. However, I did find a couple of oldies that were still appealing.

The first project I pulled out was a set of Hawaiian applique blocks that I made between 2001 and 2003. There are three blocks completed, and the purple block at the bottom right is about 2/3 done.

Here is a closer shot of that unfinished block. I've been working on the applique this week and am making good progress on it. The unfinished area goes from the upper right down the right side to near center at the bottom. I hope to get the block done before the end of the month.

The other purple UFO that got pulled out was originally planned to be an Amish-inspired Sawtooth Diamond similar to the quilt below.

Mine was going to be made with prints, not solids, in fuchsia and purple. I made lots of small (1" finished) half-square triangles with my two fabrics, and that's where it stalled out. I realize now that this design is not a good choice for me because it is a great way to display some fancy quilting, and that is not my strong suit. 

I looked around for other ways to use some of the many HSTs, and decided to try a feathered star block. I have finished one block so far and am considering whether or not to make a few more.

Above was my first attempt at the block. I decided that I didn't like the HSTs near the base of the star points, so I reworked the block and replaced them with purple squares. Below is version #2. I wish I knew how to circle the area that got changed on my photos, but I'm not that technologically savvy.

I'm planning to get back to my regular RSC projects next week, probably starting with the Charm Baskets. I will try to get some more stitching done on the applique block, plus maybe figure out where I'm going with the feathered star block.

Be sure to check out all of the wonderful scrappy projects at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge every Saturday. I'm also linking up with Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts, Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts and Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt.

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA 

Stack & Whack Triangle Squares

My time for quilting seems to be limited lately, but I did manage to finish the borders on this quilt top the other day. This is my Stack & Whack Triangle Squares quilt.

Stack & Whack Triangle Squares

53.5" x 66"

That first photo was taken outdoors and the colors are a little washed out. Here's an indoor shot, that's goes the other way into a bit too dark, especially the lower half. The reality is somewhere between the two photos.

The bright print in this quilt is an old Hoffman fabric that I bought in 1998! I used the Stack-n-Whack technique to cut that print into triangles that spin around in kaleidoscoping designs. The blocks were very easy to piece, just four half-square triangles joined together into each block. The blocks finish at 6.25" each.

I found some blocks that were already pieced from several years ago when I dug this project out. I had to pull a few new green and blue fabrics for the background because the ones that had been used originally were long gone from my stash. It was fun to piece the blocks from this wonderful bright print and see how the designs change on each block. 

If you aren't familiar with the Stack-n-Whack technique, you can find out more at Bethany Reynolds website HERE. Her first book on the technique was published in 1998 and is still available from American Quilter's Society, Amazon or other sources. I made many quilts using her technique back in the day!

Linking up with:

Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at Inquiring Quilter

Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA 

Stash Report and Stitching Time 7/3/2022

Last week my stash report finally reached the point of showing more fabric going out than coming in for the year, and I hope to keep it heading in that direction. When I was digging through my stash for fabrics to donate to the guild, I ran across a group of different berry prints, all quite old (probably late 1990's.) I decided they would make the perfect set of fabric napkins for the summer. I made two napkins from each fabric, using a total of 2 yards. 

I also used 1/4 yard in the Scrappy Heart block shared in yesterday's post. No new fabric was added to the stash last week.

2022 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:              2.25 yards

Used year to date:        70.75 yards

Added last week:              0.0 yards

Added year to date:      68.25 yards

Net used in 2022         2.50 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 stitching time. I did get some piecing done, but I'm still working on reconfiguring my sewing room to accommodate my new machine. 

15 Minute Challenge for 2022: 

6/26 - 7/2             7 of 7 days

2022 Total      178 of 183 days

I picked up a couple of storage pieces at Ikea this week and spent more time than expected assembling and getting them put into place. One thing I needed was a storage cabinet that could also hold the TV and DVR. Ed spotted this one first thing when we got into Ikea, and it seems like it should work out great. We had to put a couple of big books under the TV to lift it up enough to be able to turn it and clear the sides. The hardest part was getting the doors to hang semi-straight!

 

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

Scrappy Purple Saturday

It's hard to believe that we are already into July and that half the year has slipped by. The weather certainly feels like summer here, and our garden has been flourishing in the hot weather. This may be our best year for tomatoes ever!

A new month also means a new color for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. We are using our purple scraps this month, and I finished my Scrappy Heart block earlier today.

It's so much fun to see the collection of blocks growing. I will need four more blocks for this quilt. I'm planning on orange, bright/lime green, light blue, and grey or brown.

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