Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Brown

I've made good progress on my Bits and Bobs, even to the point of ironing them!

 Some cutie got a new outfit for her birthday.  Of course, she wanted to take the camera, so I took a number of blurries before we got a few nice ones.

I've made good, albeit slow process on my grandfather's quilt.  All those triangles are a bear.  Who wants to run a few hundred pairs of triangles through at once?  I'd fall asleep!  I did finish and trim them, so 12 of 48 are done.  I'm working on blue next, then green and red.  They'll be mixed up around the border, but I wanted to lay them out for the picture.  I'm excited that the final border is really coming together!

Last night, while the rest of the family watched the Royals vs. the Mets in the World Series, I hustled to finish the last border of my hand-pieced hexagon top.  Let me tell you a sickening story.  I put an empty, rinsed bottle of bleach in the recycling.  Miss G found it, I removed it from her possession, but one of us touched the quilt top before I washed our hands.  Oh, the horrors.  On the left border, you may be able to see the white spots.  There are also at least six hexis with bleach marks, and since each hexi is unique and some are several years old, I know I can't replace them all.  What to do, what to do, what to do?  Firstly, I will be more careful with bleach in the recycling.  (Stupid choice, Mom, and be glad she didn't ingest any.)

Anyway, I'm working on the backing next.  Below is the box of cut squares.  I may need to cut another 100 or so since the quilt is longer than I originally intended.  No worries.  I have more favorite fabrics!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Stash Report Week #42

I'm a bit glad I skipped last week's report, as now I have a finish to balance my purchases.

Last week, I learned of a quilter's garage sale in which the highest price for quilt shop quality fabric was $5.00.  Needless to say, the Assistant and I visited and stocked up.  The majority of my purchases were neutrals, to tide me over for another year of stitching.  The Assistant picked up some fabulous fat quarters that are already cut for a quilt!

To help make up for my purchases (I was supposed to be no-buy this year, but this was too delicious a deal to pass up), I finished a placemat for Miss G and my triangles quilt.

IN this week: 33 yards
OUT this week: 8 yards

IN YTD: 47 3/4 yards
OUT YTD: 130 1/4 yards
YTD Total: 82 1/2

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge: a Project Completed

Whew!  I'm in a bit of a brain fog, so I apologize for excessive typos.  One young man slept 12 hours one night and the next stayed up until 2 am.

I'm most pleased to share my version of Crazy Mom Quilt's "Up, Up, and Away."  While her finished on point, I opted for a straight set.  Remaining triangles made an appearance on the back of the quilt,  and I think one lonesome block of black triangles snuck into the orphan block box.  I quilted this on my friend's inherited long-arm.  I have plenty of learning to do, but I'm satisfied with the results. I love how much faster and how easier it is to quilt on a long arm, even if my stitches and movements need a little work!  This quilt finished up at 48"x60" and will be gifted to the Assistant's teacher (I think).  She has gotten a wild hair about stitching her own quilt, some it may go to a different teacher.   My bag of triangles is now satisfyingly empty, and I'm on to the next project!  (Boo!  I thought I'd snapped a square photo, but clearly not.  Just imagine with me, will you, as the quilt is square!)

I should add two notes.  There are two different backgrounds, so the reds didn't run, they simply have a darker background.  I started with a set of 10" wide strips, remaining from helping my sister make fabric covers for her bulletin boards.  When those were gone, I moved on to the next closest match, which was this cream.  Secondly, there are deliberately turned triangles.  I thought it would be interesting to have a triangle twisted here and there, swimming in its own style!

19 more 16-patches have joined the 16-patch box.  I originally thought I would be far short of my initial plsn, but I realized that plan included a twin-sized quilt.  I don't need it to be twin-sized, so I'll make a quilt out of whatever blocks I have at the end of next month.  I think I'll have a hard time giving this one away.

My Bits and Bobs are in an untidy heap awaiting a date with the iron, so more on them next week.

My grandpa's quilt is slow going.  I managed to cut all 48 blocks, including the 16 pairs of 1.5" triangles for each block!  Now I'm slogging away at the brown triangles.  Perhaps by the end of next week, I'll have a few finished blocks.

The hexagon quilt is now in three large chunks with one border applied.  This project is now at the point at which I can't carry it with me any long, so I've taken over the end of the dining room table and work on it in between morning chores and evening routines with the kids.  Obviously, I should have turned on more lights.

Be sure to check out other brown projects this Saturday!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Cocoa

I'm afraid I've stalled on my only-brown work.  Instead, I've been hustling along on this:

 I'm ever so grateful to have the flying geese on.  If you look at the top left and bottom right corners, you might notice there are some complicated joins.  It made my head hurt to puzzle how best to make use of the space when I had 6" blocks and a 7" space to fill.  I love the waving flying geese, however, so it was absolutely worth the brain stretching!  The last border will be Bear's Paw blocks, and the cutting of triangles will keep me busy for a week or two.  I'm regretting leaving such a fiddly block for the largest border, but I certainly hope the effort is smashing.

My brown triangles are already stitched into a lovely top, shown here with it backing and batting.  I'll be trying out the long-arm to quilt it, so this should be finished by next Saturday.  The Assistant's teacher, who is the intended recipient, favors the color yellow, and I have only one block of yellow in it, so the backing is an eye-searing shade of yellow, with leftover triangles.  I'm excited to see this one wrap up, and to have one more empty project bag!

 My 16-patches are moving along, although I've left the browns to the last, so I have nothing new to show.  The hexagons are coming together, but slowly.  I look forward to it being a top, as I finally feel this project is no longer beyond me.

Meanwhile, someone turned one this week.  She's quite a personality already.

Be sure to check out more brown projects this week!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Stash Report Week #40

IN this week: 0 yards
OUT this week: 14 3/4 yards

IN YTD: 14 3/4 yards
OUT YTD: 122 1/4 yards

YTD Total: 107 1/2 yards OUT

I finished a big quilt and a little project this week, so it was fabulous!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Muddy

We had a glorious rain Thursday night into Friday morning, so I'm quite happy with the mud outside.

Meanwhile, my design wall is a bit muddy.  There are a few 16 patches, none in brown yet.  I pulled out my 1.5" square bag and pulled together as many 16 patches as I could.  I think there are another 13 yet to stitch, including a handful in brown.  Maybe next week.

My triangle blocks are all done, so I've begun assembling the rows.  My goals for next week is to assemble the top and backing.  The backing will be bright yellow for the Assistant's teacher.

Finally, on my design wall, is my hexagon quilt.  In the bottom left corner of the quilt is the only remaining blank.  I think I have two more patches to baste and sew before I'm ready to work on assembling.  Last time, assembly is what overwhelmed me.  Some of my hexagons don't have enough seam allowance, but I didn't discover this until I had two many hexagons done to turn back.  It's tricky to keep the plastic templates in, but I'm going to persist this time.

 I finished the Assistant's scrappy Irish chain this week.  It's based of a quilt (Happily Scrappily Irish, I think) by Bonnie Hunter.  The Assistant assembled the block components, then I helped her out with assembly and quilting.  I love how it turned out (and how many scraps it ate!).  I can't say my quilting in the blank areas is all that classy, but I practiced and learned a bit, so it's all good.  This quilt is now washed and ready to give at Christmas.

I also completed another round of my grandpa's quilt.  Since it's coming entirely from stash and contains lots of brown, you might be interested in a peek at it.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

P.S. Be sure to check out other brown projects!

Moving Right Along

First, an apology: my camera lens is dirty, so the picture is blurry.  The top is square, but I don't have a free place to hang it, so I'm off to the side.  Erg.

Anyway, I've added the round of log cabins.  That was an adventure to be sure.  First, Miss G ran off with a block over the weekend.  DH returned one, but apparently she made off with another and I couldn't find it, so I had to whip up an extra block.

Then, I sewed the top and bottom on without realizing I had planned for a narrow coping strip before the log cabins.  Rip it, rip it, rip it.

Now we're all happy.  I'm on to the flying geese, whose formation is as yet undetermined.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Stash Report Week #39

2 3/4 yards out this week.  I made a denim skirt for a friend's daughter and another friend and I used two yards on a quilt sandwich to practice on her long arm.  It's not bound, but since I don't intend to bind it, this is as done as it's going to get!

 Since I have mislaid my notebook with yardage listed, I don't have the exact totals for incoming yardage.  I do know I'm up to 92 3/4 yards out for the year.  My queen sized quilt is bound on two edges, which means I still don't get to count it.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Brown

I'm surprised at how much brown is in my stash and in current projects.  My triangles, 16 patches, and Bits and Bobs are all bagged up and ready to stitch.

My scrappy Irish chain, in greens and browns, wiped out my 2" strips in those colors.  I had to raid the stash for more, and this was a great way to use up some unloved bits.  This is the quilt the Assistant stitched on all summer.  I've spent the last week quilting.  I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of my quilting plan for the open spaces, but by the time I realized this, I was too far gone to undo it all.  It's far from perfect, but once washed I hope it will be great on my FiL's bed.

My quilt for my grandpa is also moving along swimmingly.  I've completed the center and the first border blocks, log cabins.  Next will come flying geese, I think in a slightly staggered formation, and finally bear's paw blocks.  I may regret the bear's paw blocks as the final border as the fiddly bits will go on for ages!  This quilt is entirely from stash/scraps as well.  I was able to cut almost all of the logs from my scraps.  This color scheme is definitely not common for me, but since all the fabric is from my stash, I must like it well enough!

The long-neglected hexagon quilt has found new life.  I'm enjoying prepping the hexagons before speech therapy, and finding colors to finish off the edges is much more satisfying than the eternal "I don't know what's next," that was the previous life of this quilt.  I think I'll complete the edge units, then tackle stitching this whole thing together.  It will be messy, and I'm mentally preparing myself to want to give up, but I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.

Be sure to check out all the brown projects this week!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

October Goals

In September, I wanted to...
1.  Use orange scraps.  Done.

2.  Finish my Scraps to Treasures quilt. Done.

3. Finish my Irish Chain quilt.  So close... Not done.

4.  Start a quilt for my grandpa. The center is done.

5.  Make a round bag for the basket that sits at the bottom of the stairs. Done.

6.  Make a diaper pouch for my bag.  Done.

In October, I'd like to...
1. Use brown scraps.  I'd like to make my triangle blocks into a top, given time.  There are more 16 patches and Bits and Bobs to go.

2.  Make all the blocks for my grandpa's quilt.

3.  Cut the Tshirts for my sister's Tshirt quilt.

4.  Make progress on my hexi quilt.  It is my oldest (and one of only two) true UFO, so it's time.

5. Make a skirt for a friend.

6.  Finish my Irish Chain quilt.  I only have the binding to go!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

UFO Update: September edition:

I'm slowly but surely making progress!

UFOs September 1: 24

New projects started: 3

Projects finished: 3 

Projects trashed: 1

UFOs September 30: 23

I finished my Scraps to Treasures quilt, which was a great load off my mind.  I also started and finished a diaper pouch and a storage bag.  I added a spools quilt to my someday list, as I loved my last one and would like another.  I "trashed" my T&H quilt, for my brother, because they once mentioned something and haven't since.  If they're not interested, I've got other quilts to make!  Why burden my list with something that may never happen?

So my list...

UFOs
1. Irish chain
2. Triangles
3. 16-patch
4. Bits and Bobs
5.  Alzbe's tshirt quilt
6. Tell it to the Stars
7. ABC quilts
8. Placemat
9. Hand pieced hexis
10. Grandpa's quilt

The rest of the story
11. Twinkler star in pink and green
12. Purple and grey quilt
13. Mom's yellow and grey quilt
14.  Odd fellow
15. Appliqué
16. Scrappy DWR
17. Lime, Aqua, white
18. Embroidered pillows
19. Spools
20. Orphan blocks
21. Puzzle quilt
22. Stockings
23. Pillow

Now to finish that Irish chain!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.