Scrappy Saturday and FNSI Report

Last night was the final Friday Night Sew-In for 2012 and a lot was accomplished. I finished all of Step #4 for the Easy Street Mystery.  
Here are my 145  3.5" green squares, and  64 double flying geese blocks. Step #5 will have to wait now until after the holidays. 
**To see the mystery link up over at Quiltville, click here.
I also cut 56 1.5" bright green squares for my last Knot block. I enjoyed working with happy green scraps for most of the evening! 
A little holiday toasting went on!
Barb found some new glasses at great deals and added them to the "FNSI party equipment box". We tried them all out and they worked just perfectly!
But then we started to have a few issues. When "someone" was cutting fabric for the mystery, she started accidentally slicing through some of the little squares that she needed for the Knot block...yikes! 
Luckily the problem was discovered before all those meticulously cut squares were rendered useless!
To see what other scrappy quilters are up to today, hop over to SoScrappy.
"Keep Calm" all you last minute quilters!

Rainbow Scrap Challenge

Here is my second brown/black Knot block sewn together, which I like just as much as the first brown one. It just tickles me that I wasn't even going to make a brown block, and ended up making two of them! 


And here are all 11 Knot blocks from my 2012 Rainbow Scrap challenge on the design wall. I love 'em! One more block to go which will be a lime apple greenish Knot, and then it's layout decision time!

I am already planning my projects for 2013 and am looking forward to the new projects. Thanks to Angela for hosting the scrap project and link ups. If you haven't joined in before, why not join in next year and turn your scraps into colourful quilts?!

FNSI for Scrappy Saturday block

At FNSI last night, I finally got a brown Knot block sewn for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. Most scrappers were finished with their brown scraps last month, but I just got fired up about brown at the end of October.

Now that I see the block on the computer screen, I think that top left block got rotated 90 degrees at a crucial step in the construction process! Here's my favorite seam ripper...I will get to work unstitching what I accomplished last night!

Here are my Scrappy Rainbow goals for the remaining days of 2012: 

*sew one more brown block. I still have enough brown scraps left (thanks to Janet and Deanna). This second Knot block will use up the darker browns, into blacks.

*to round out a nice even dozen blocks for my Knot sampler, I need one more colour... maybe a bright, lime green Knot block?  I will gather up all the blocks and put them on the Monday design wall post.

*get volume 6 of the 100 Blocks magazine and pick a new challenge block for 2013.

To see what other scrap quilters are making today, hop over to SoScrappy.

Brown Scrappy Saturday

Friday night sew-in was a success! Some sewing did get accomplished - we had binding sewn on, binding stitched down, hand quilting, and machine piecing going on! Also lots of visiting, laughing, information sharing, and quite a bit of eating! Just look at these treats that Sandy got up early to make for us...YUM! 




The colour of the month at the Rainbow Scrap challenge is brown. YUCK!
I don't often sew with brown so I really don't have many brown scraps kicking around here. For sure I don't have enough variety to cut the 56 1.5" squares that I would need for a brown knot block, but I did have 14 brown scraps to make a palm branch (aka Red Herring) block last night. 

This was a great block to try out my new rolling seam presser that I bought last week when I attended a guild lecture by RaNae Merrill. It was a very interesting lecture, but I was so exhausted I could barely take in any information. However, I did get a new tool and found out that it works great... it presses a nice seam and doesn't stretch the fabric like a wooden presser stick does.

All of the blogposts about quilters sewing brown scraps reminded me of my brown quilt from last year. I got it out of the UFO vault and am thinking I might baste and quilt it this week. The pattern is called Chocolate Stars by Fat Cat patterns. 
Hop over to the Rainbow Scrap Challenge posting and see what other quilters are making with their brown scraps this week.

Orange is over!

This is the last Saturday of September...how did that happen?!?
It's been one heck of a month, topped off with a week where both kids were sick, and my son missed the whole week of school. Even the dog was sick and up 5 times during the night to go outside (if you get my drift!) I'm sure hoping for a good night's sleep sometime soon!
I was able to do a bit of sewing and met my monthly Rainbow Challenge goals. (I don't plan to mention that I didn't do a single thing on my UFO project this month or last month...*sigh*)

I sewed up some orange crumb blocks at the beginning of the month, and finished my orange Knot block last week. I posted the first 9 Knots blocks on my Design Wall Monday post if you missed seeing them. 

And this week, I finally finished up my orange paper pieced palm branch block (pattern is here). It was great to clear out so many scraps and play with the colour orange this month, while watching the leaves slowly turn orange at the beginning of my favorite season.
Check out the other projects being made with scraps over at SoScrappy.

Design Wall Monday #36

First I just have to tell you that I am pleased as punch to share that Bonnie Hunter posted a photo of my Friday Night Sew-In shenanigans on her blog!  We had such a great time on Friday and it was the perfect way to snap out of my funk from last week. And then to see ourselves on Bonnie's blog yesterday was just the icing on the cake! 
Today my Knot block collection is up on my design wall.

I have been sewing these blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge this year - one colour each month (well, blue month resulted in more than 1 block because I have so many blue scraps, and I didn't make one for the 'neutral' month).  This Knot block pattern is from Quiltmaker's 100 blocks magazine issue #3...LOVE those magazines! Each block has 56 scraps from my stash, cut into 1.5" squares, and sewn together with a background fabric to make a 12" block. I think this is one of the most fun quilts I have ever made! I wonder what the remaining colours will be for the challenge this year...what am I missing still...maybe brown? gold? What colour blocks do you think I should I add in?
Hop over to Patchwork Times to see what other quilters are cooking up this week. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge - Orange

I didn't have much time to make headway with the orange scraps this week. Well, that's not exactly true. Lots of cutting and sewing of orange scraps went on, but not much was finished.
I had in mind to try Beth's dump and sew idea. I dumped out a box of batik scraps and just started piecing the orangey ones together. This is what I accomplished before I decided I wasn't feeling it! 

So I moved on to cutting the orange squares for my monthly Knot block.  I am ready to cut the background and then start working on the value order.
To see what other quilters are sewing with their orange scraps, visit SoScrappy.

Orange you glad?!?

It's orange month at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, and I have had a great time playing in the orange scrap box! I made 11 more crumb blocks that are 6.5" for my rainbow scrap quilt. I must make a concerted effort to corral all the scrappy crumb blocks I've made over the last 2 years and put them up on the design wall one of these days...I have no idea how many I have made so far. Maybe I have sewn enough for a quilt or two!

But my really exciting news is that my sewing machine is back home! Only another quilter would understand how happy this makes me, and how much better I feel having finally had some relaxing sewing time on my favorite machine. 

It is running so smoothly and although it cost a pretty penny to be repaired, it was worth every cent. It's amazing how attached we get to our sewing machines...am I right?!?

Hop over to SoScrappy to see what other quilters are sewing this week with their orange scraps.

FNSI Report Scrappy Saturday

I don't know why I didn't take any photos at FNSI last night...the night went by way too fast! You will have to take my word for it that lots of projects were tackled. My sister worked on a baby quilt, Barb did some binding and beading, Joanne was getting creative with fleece projects, and I mostly putzed around with a variety of hand stitched projects. 
I started a new stitchery project from Violet and Clover's Garden Steps Quilt Along. Quick and easy blocks...fun!  I hope to have more to show next week on my Slow Sunday Stitching post.I also finished the hand quilting on my Bowls With Borders quilt, which I can post next Saturday. You can check out the other bowls posted today at Sew We Quilt. 

And now onto the Rainbow Scrap Challenge update. 
The colour this month is teal/aqua/turquoise. 
I finally got my palm tree branch block sewn and it used up 14 teal scraps. I love it as much as my first two blocks (purple from June, and blue from July).
You can get the free pattern designed by Kristi, and watch the tutorial. (And BTW, Kristi organized a paper piecing blog hop for the month of August, so you can hop over and get some more paper piecing ideas.)

If you don't totally love this block yet, hop over to Terri's blog and see her wonderful blocks!   Then hop over to SoScrappy and see what other quilters are sewing with their turquoise scraps.
Phew...after all that hoping around in blogland, it'll be time for a nap!

Scrappy Saturday - End of the Blues!

I cannot believe that July has gone by so fast!

This is the last week for blue scraps with the Rainbow Challenge, and I have finished my blue scrappy paper pieced leaf block. The pattern is called "Red Herring", but it looks like a palm leaf to me (I've never seen a real palm tree, so I'm guessing!).
***Hey...go look at Deb's blogpost today with a photo of her real palm tree! Don't you think it looks exactly like my block!??!
Each block takes 14 coloured strips and I am happy with how they are turning out.

Here are my purple and blue blocks together.  I think I will sew a border around each block using the light background fabric. I am already getting ideas for how to quilt this project, and I've only sewn 2 blocks so far!!
Hop over to SoScrappy and see what other blue blocks and quilts are being built!

Scrappy Saturday

I finished sewing my 3 blue Knot blocks this week for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge and can I tell you how much I love them?!?! These blocks cleared out a lot of little scraps and it was great fun arranging all the blue bits into 3 piles, and then working on the colour gradations. Once I sew next month's Knot block, I will have completed 9 Knots (you can see the first 4 Knots here) and I will show them all together on the design wall!
There is only one more blue Saturday Scrap posting (say what? we are almost done with blue?!?!) and I hope to finish a scrappy blue version of the "Red Herring" block.
Hop over to SoScrappy and see the other blue projects being made this week. 

Saturday Blue Scraps

It is BLUE month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (lots of inspiration on this page link!) What quilter doesn't have a ton of blue scraps?!?
Each month this year I have been sewing a Knot block from the 100 blocks magazine using the colour of the month from SoScrappy. This month, I have enough blue scraps to make THREE blocks. The dark blue block is finished!

Last night was Friday Night Sew-In and my friend Barb came to help me celebrate, I mean, help me sew, and I did make some progress on my Knots. 
Each block has 56 little 1.5" squares, so I have cut more than 170 different blue squares...WOW! The next two blocks (aqua and light/grey blue) are getting organized. 

What scrappy fun are you up to this weekend?!?
Hop over to SoScrappy to see other blue scrap posts, and to FNSI to see what over 100 quilters around the world were working on last night.

Scrappy Saturday - Blue

Blue is the Rainbow Scrap Challenge colour this month. It is one of my favorite colours and I have a wide range of scraps to organize. I decided to separate my blue scraps into three piles - light blues, dark blues and aquas.
This is as far as I got this week...still sorting into light blue and dark blue.
Check out the blue scrap posts at SoScrappy.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge - last purple

I am purpled out!
Seriously...I am so ready to move on and work play with another colour of scraps for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. 

I enjoyed painting some purple fabric to quilt for this month's FMQC and put it as my blog header photo.

These are some of the projects I worked on this month, and as much as I enjoyed them, I am done with purple for a while!
Hop over to SoScrappy to see the other postings for this last purple week. Wonder what the colour for July will be?!?!

Paper Piecing Craving!

Sometimes I just get a hankering to do some paper piecing.  I found a great blog with lots of original and free paper piecing patterns called Sew Hooked. In April Jennifer hosted a "paper pieced pattern a day garden party blog hop" and showed many cute patterns! She also has a series of blocks from The Hobbit, and many other themes series including Sesame Street, Blues Clues, Hunger Games, Start Trek, Harry Potter, etc.  So many unique patterns...check it out! 
If only there were more hours in the day! I just don't have time to start a new project and want to focus on finishing up my UFO's.
After seeing Connie's post showing a cute block she was sewing, I thought to myself "well, maybe I'll just quickly make up one teeny tiny, little block". I had to hop over to the Quilt Play blog's tutorial and print out the pattern to try. It was very fun and a great use of scraps! So now I apparently have started another project for my rainbow scrap challenge!

I did have a slight glitch and cut my pattern by mistake...not once, but twice, sewing that last light center strip! It was easy to fix using the Scotch Magic Tape (a trick I learned from a Carol Doak book).
It sure was fun to do some paper piecing again.
To see what other purple projects the rainbow scrappers are working on, click here.

FNSI Report

I spent a lot of time cutting fabric last night for FNSI. It's not my favorite job to do, but I needed to get my civil war quilt sorted out. I got all the remaining blocks cut out and will post them as they get sewn together. That was a big job finished!

Then I had a grand time playing with my purple scraps and made some scrappy 6.5" crumb blocks. It was very fun, and rewarding to create something useful out of piles of unorganized scraps. Hop over to SoScrappy to see other purple scrap projects.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge - Purple

My purple Knot block is sewn together and I think it's my favorite one so far! (To see my other Knot blocks - click here.)
There were not as many cute images to fussy cut out in my purple scraps, but I sure had a wide variety, from the light lilacs to the blueish purples to the deep violets. 

I also started sewing some purple crumb blocks. Sewing with small scraps can sure make a big mess in a hurry! It's raining today, so I hope to spend some time playing with my crumbs. Hop over to SoScrappy and see the other purple projects being created.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge

The colour of the month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge is purple. Here are the 56 squares cut out for my purple knot block.

I'm still working on the arrangement, and need to cut out the background pieces before I can start to sew. (To see my other knot blocks, click here.)
To see other purple projects visit Soscrappy.

UFO Report

May's UFO is finished!

I am very pleased about this finish for many reasons:
1) I loved working with yellow for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge,
2) I was able to finish a project that used up lots of scraps,
3) The hand quilting with perle cotton was very relaxing and I think I am addicted to it now,
4) I tried something new - binding a very irregular edge. I used a straight grain binding for the straight sides, and a bias binding for the zigzag edges and it turned out okay. 

5) I added a few embellishments - a beehive and a few bees.
Now I can't decide if this is a tablerunner or a wallhanging, and whether or not to sew on a hanging sleeve. 
To see other UFO's that were finished this month, hop over to Patchwork Times.

Scrappy Rainbow Saturday - Yellow

I finally got my yellow Knot block sewn! I just love digging around in the scrap bag and finding just the right little piece that I need. I love the school bus window, the ladybug, and the Dr. Seuss fish on this block. I had to really stretch the light background fabrics (which were difficult to find in my stash), but I think it turned out okay. 
Well...to be honest, there was one little mishap along the way. But the seam ripper was put into action, the brain was re-engaged, the pieces were rearranged, and eventually the block turned out okay. Some mistakes are easy to fix.
The Knot block pattern is from Quiltmaker's 100 blocks magazine issue #3. 

I skipped the Knot block last month since I just didn't have enough neutral squares to make the contrast work without going into the browns. So far I have sewn 4 Knot blocks for my 2012 rainbow scrap quilt. They are really fun blocks to sew and I have thoroughly enjoyed making each one. I am already wondering what next month's colour might be...blue? violet? aqua? orange?
I am thinking I might call the quilt "All Tied Up In Knots 2012"!
The weather forecast calls for a perfect day, so I plan to be basting and hand quilting my "Hexagon Honeycomb" from last year's yellow rainbow month, while I soak up a few golden rays of sun! 

And I found the newest 100 Blocks magazine (at my local Chapters). Can't wait to read through it and see what blocks I'd like to sew.  I picked up an extra copy for a blog giveaway, so leave a comment on this post and I'll pick the lucky winner at the same time as I pick the winner of the Shop Hop Treats.
Then hop over to the Rainbow Scrap Challenge yellow postings and check out what other quilters are making with their yellow scraps. Happy Sunny Saturday!