February RSC/ABC Scraps Challenge

It is amazing to me how quickly the month of February has flown by! I know it's a short month, but this one really went quickly. I guess that means we've been busy.

One thing I was busy with this week was finishing my project for the 2023 ABC Table Scraps Challenge. My plan for the year is to continue making at least one placemat each month using the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color of the month along with the letters for this challenge. This month our letters were M and V. I'd hoped to use colors that start with those letters, and had no trouble coming up with M colors: magenta, mauve, medium pink. I didn't have as much luck with V letters, but since this placemat was made in February, I'm going to consider it a late Valentine.

I started by pulling out my bag of pink crumbs and strings. That was where I discovered all the little bits that were pieced together for the center strip. Those were leftovers from a layer cake I'd used for two different baby quilts in the past (see them HERE and HERE.) I added a variety of strips and strings to get the placemat to the right size, about 14" x 18".

I used the same fabric on the back as the outermost strips on the front. The quilting is very simple, stitch-in-the-ditch along the horizontal seams.

One reason I don't have much to show of my own quilting is because we spent the day at QuiltCon yesterday. It was a great day with many amazing and inspiring quilts to see. Here are a couple of favorites that feature pink.

Forward X Quilt by Jessica Plunkett, Waukee, Iowa

This quilt was part of the Modern X Challenge.

River Gone Green by Paola Machetta, Trieste, Italy

This quilt was in the Improvisation category.

Be sure to check out all of the wonderful scrappy projects at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge every Saturday, the ABC Table Scraps Challenge at The Joyful Quilter, and at Oh Scrap! over at Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday.

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

 

To-Do Tuesday 2/21/2023

It's time  to share how I did on last Tuesday's to-do list, then figure out what I'd like to get done in the week ahead. The To-Do Tuesday link-up is hosted by Carol at Quilt Schmilt: For the Love of Fabric.

I finished three out of five tasks from last week's list, which feels pretty good because I was home for only three days before going out of town.

To-Do List for 2/14 - 2/20/23

1. Dust Off a Quilt Book--continue making blocks    ✔done 

I've finished making all of the blocks for this project, but can't show anything yet.

2. Rainbow Scrap Challenge--finish Jabberwocky blocks in pink  ✔done 

These blocks were shared in Saturday's post.

3. Stay at Home Round Robin--add flying geese blocks  not done

4. Prep a new hand stitching project for an upcoming trip   not done

I pulled out my appliqued hearts blocks instead.  

5. Project Quilting 14.4 "A Novel Project"   ✔done 

I made a placemat inspired by the novel The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb.

I'm returning home today after being away for a long weekend, but I will be jumping right back into my to-do list tomorrow.

To-Do List for 2/21 - 2/27/23

1. Dust Off a Quilt Book--finish quilt top and prep for quilting

I found a great flannel fabric for the backing of this quilt. You can see the fabrics for the quilt top in THIS POST.

2. ABC Table Scraps Challenge and Rainbow Scrap Challenge--make a placemat from pink scraps and featuring something with the letters M and V

3. Stay at Home Round Robin--add flying geese blocks  

4. Quilt guild BOM--start on border #4

5. Free-Motion Quilting Sampler--begin quilting

That's the plan for the week ahead. I'll report on my progress next Tuesday, and post a new set of goals too. I'm linking up with other To-Do Tuesday lists at Quilt Schmilt.

 

Happy quilting!

Julie in GA 

Stash Report and Stitching Time 2/19/2023

It has been a busy week, including a variety of quilting projects. One of them was my Stay at Home Round Robin (SAHRR) quilt. The prompt for the next border to be added is flying geese. I haven't figured out a plan for that border yet, but I did finish off the corners of my hourglass border with spinning striped squares.

My stash usage for the week came to a total of 1.125 yards. That included fabric used in 3 pink Jabberwocky blocks, the corners of the SAHRR quilt shown above, and the violin placemat made for Project Quilting 14.4: A Novel Project.

2023 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                  1.125 yards

Used year to date:            15.375 yards

Added last week:                   0.0 yards

Added year to date:               2.0 yards

Net used in 2023          13.375 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 missed one day this week (unless you count the time I spent fabric shopping that day!) That puts an end to my 100% record for 2023.

15 Minute Challenge for 2023: 

2/12 - 2/18        6  of 7 days

2023 Total        48 of 49 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

Pink Jabberwocky Blocks

I was able to find time this week to make one set of pink blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

The block design is called "Jabberwocky." It is a Judy Martin pattern from The Block Book. I believe the book is out of print, but available at a variety of on-line sources. 

That brings me up to six blocks made so far this year. My plan for the year is to make at least 20 of these blocks, maybe 30. The finished size of the blocks is 10.25".

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

Project Quilting 14.4 - "A Novel Project"

This week's Project Quilting Challenge 14.4 got off to a very slow start for me. The theme this week is "A Novel Project,"  and the primary rule was that our project must be inspired by a book we've read. I looked through shelves of books plus my reading lists from the past few years, but nothing jumped out at me. 

That all changed when I started looking through my fabric stash for inspiration. I rediscovered my bin of music-themed fabrics and realized that they were the perfect starting point.

One of my favorite books from last year was The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb. It is the story of a young African American violinist who discovers that his beat-up fiddle is actually a priceless Stradivarius. On the eve of the renowned Tchaikovsky Competition, his violin is stolen and held for ransom. 

The Violin Conspiracy placemat

12.5" x 18"

I had a fabric panel of different musical instruments, and chose the violin for the center of this week's placemat. I bordered it with other music prints, and used a large-scale print of many instruments for the back.

This placemat will join the others I've been making since the beginning of the year to be donated to Meals on Wheels through our quilt guild.

Linking up with:

Project Quilting 14.4 at Persimon Dreams

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

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

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA 

To-Do Tuesday 2/14/2023

Happy Valentine's Day to all of the list makers out there, and to everyone else too!

It's time  to share how I did on last Tuesday's to-do list, then figure out what I'd like to get done in the week ahead. The To-Do Tuesday link-up is hosted by Carol at Quilt Schmilt: For the Love of Fabric.

I finished almost everything from last week's list, and am hoping for another good week ahead.

To-Do List for 2/7 - 2/13/23

1. Storm at Sea Heart--finish quilting, add binding so it can go up before Valentine's Day    ✔done  (shown at the top of this post)

2. Dust Off a Quilt Book--finalize plan and get started   ✔done 

My pattern has been chosen, fabrics are cut, and blocks are being made (but I can't share anything yet)

3. Rainbow Scrap Challenge--start Jabberwocky blocks in pink  ✔done

Pieces for 3 pink blocks have been cut out and piecing has begun. One block is nearing completion, and the other two are barely started.

4. Stay at Home Round Robin--add hourglass blocks  ✔done

The SAHRR progress was shared HERE.

5. Clean both machines, oil Singer      ✔done

6. Prep a new hand stitching project for an upcoming trip  not done

There's more going on here this week, so the list is a little shorter.

To-Do List for 2/14 - 2/20/23

1. Dust Off a Quilt Book--continue making blocks

2. Rainbow Scrap Challenge--finish Jabberwocky blocks in pink  

3. Stay at Home Round Robin--add flying geese blocks  

4. Prep a new hand stitching project for an upcoming trip

? Project Quilting 14.4 "A Novel Project"--make something inspired by a book I've read; must be done by noon on Sunday. I've been hoping to participate in all of the Project Quilting challenges this year, but I have to admit that I am struggling to come up with any ideas for this one. Maybe something will inspire me in the next couple of days.

That's the plan for the week ahead. I'll report on my progress next Tuesday, and post a new set of goals too. I'm linking up with other To-Do Tuesday lists at Quilt Schmilt.

 

Happy quilting!

Julie in GA 

Design Wall Monday 2/13/2023

Both of my design walls have multiple projects on them, but most of them have been shown in previous posts. The other blocks up on the wall are for a blog hop next month and need to stay hidden a little longer.

What I am able to share today are the pieces that were cut yesterday for three pink Jabberwocky blocks. This is a pattern by Judy Martin from The Block Book. I am making these blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, where our color for February is pink.

The triangles for one block have been sewn into pairs and are waiting for the addition of the background pieces before they get joined to the center.

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

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA 

Weekly Updates 2/12/2023

Before I get into my regular weekly numbers (Stash Report and 15 Minutes to Stitch,) I'd like to share the most recent addition to my Stay at Home Round Robin (SAHRR) project. Our prompt this week came from Chris, and her choice was Hourglass.

I started by adding hourglass blocks to the top and bottom of my piece, but it didn't seem complete. I made another batch of blocks for the sides. They haven't been stitched to the center yet because I'm waiting to see what the next prompt will be before I finish off the corners.

Making those hourglass blocks used about 3/8 yard of fabric. I also used another yard for the backing and binding on the Storm at Sea Heart that was shared in yesterday's post. No new fabric was added this week.

2023 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                 1.375 yards

Used year to date:              14.25 yards

Added last week:                   0.0 yards

Added year to date:               2.0 yards

Net used in 2023            12.25 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. I spent the majority of the week working on a new project that I can't share yet, plus I finished the heart quilt and made the hourglass blocks for my SAHRR. There was definitely more than 15 minutes of quilting time every day!

15 Minute Challenge for 2023: 

2/5 - 2/11           7 of 7 days

2023 Total        42 of 42 days

Check out more stash reports at quiltpaintcreate and join the 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces. You can also see more SAHRR quilts this week at Chris Knits Sews.

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

Heart Quilt Finished!

Just in time for Valentine's Day, my Storm at Sea Heart quilt is finished! I know that the color for February at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge is pink, and my quilt is mostly red with just a few pieces of pink included, but it seemed like the perfect time to share it.

Storm at Sea Heart, 30" x 27"

This project was one of the oldest UFOs in my sewing room. The heart at the center was pieced in 2001, based on design ideas from Doreen Speckmann's book Pattern Play. I've been fascinated for many years by the appearance of curves possible with the Storm at Sea pattern. In January of 2022, I added the borders. It took another year before I did the quilting, but now it is finally finished and ready to be displayed!

This is the fabric I used for the back. There's no info along the selvage, but I believe I purchased it around the time the quilt top was made.

One thing I have learned as I've done more free-motion quilting in recent months is how helpful it can be to have some contrast in the thread color. Yes, the quilting is more visible, making any irregularities more obvious. However, that improved visibility means I can see my stitching more easily and keep track of where I'm going/where I've been. Instead of using red thread to quilt the heart and the outer border, I quilted those areas with a hot pink thread. The heart is quilted with echoed hearts that flow in every direction.

The quilting in the border is mirrored double scallops with hearts in between, also stitched in the same hot pink thread.

The background is quilted with a lighter pink thread in a meandering hearts design.

This is my first UFO finish of the year, and I hope to have many more! I've been starting an awful lot of new projects lately and need to include more of the UFOs on my to-do list too.

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 and Happy Valentine's Day!

Julie in GA

To-Do Tuesday 2/7/2023

The Tuesday to-do list has definitely been a big help in keeping me focused on my many projects that are in the works. It's time now to share how I did on last week's list, then figure out what I'd like to get done in the week ahead. The To-Do Tuesday link-up is hosted by Carol at Quilt Schmilt: For the Love of Fabric.

I was pleasantly surprised to get through most of the items on my extremely long list from last week.

To-Do List for 1/31 - 2/6/23

1. Project Quilting 14.3: make something with the "54-40 or Fight" block  ✔done 

 54-40 or Fight placemat

2. Stay at Home Round Robin--add star blocks  ✔done

I ended up making the star blocks twice before I was happy with them. To see the previous version, check out this blog post.

3. Rainbow Scrap Challenge--start one set of pink blocks  ✔done 

Two pink 16-Patch Stars blocks made, blog post HERE.

4. Ring Around the Stars--add hanging sleeve and label  not done

5. Quilt guild BOM--add next step   ✔done 

You can read more about this in my Design Wall Monday post.

6. Pickle Dish--piece 8 arcs  ✔done 

7. Storm at Sea Heart--prep for quilting    ✔done

The layers are spray basted together and have been stitched-in-the-ditch next to the border and the heart.

8. Clean and oil both machines   not done

9. Dust Off a Quilt Book blog hop--start looking for ideas   ✔done

I've chosen a pattern and pulled some possible fabrics.

10. One Monthly Goal--figure out my goal for February ✔done

I shared my February goal in this blog post.

By my count, that was 8 out of 10 items on last week's list completed. If only every week could be so productive!

To-Do List for 2/7 - 2/13/23

1. Dust Off a Quilt Book--finalize plan and get started

2. Rainbow Scrap Challenge--start Jabberwocky blocks in pink

3. Stay at Home Round Robin--add hourglass blocks

4. Storm at Sea Heart--finish quilting, add binding so it can go up before Valentine's Day

5. Clean both machines, oil Singer

6. Prep a new hand stitching project for an upcoming trip

I'm trying to be a little more reasonable in my goals this week. I'll report on my progress next Tuesday, and post a new set of goals too. I'm linking up with other To-Do Tuesday lists at Quilt Schmilt.

 

Happy quilting!

Julie in GA