Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Bits and Bobs

Y'all, something crazy happened this week.  I made the very LAST blocks required for my Bits and Bobs quilt!  Here are the last six.  Now to wait for an opportunity to lay out all the blocks and stack up the rows.  It's been a quilt at least four years in the making, maybe longer.  This finishing of the blocks has created a dilemma, as these were my leaders and enders for that many years!  I have pulled a bag of matched triangles from the UFO box, so I'll be sewing those for then next little while, until I decide on another epic quilt journey.

Friday, since DH left with two kids to go to a Royals game, I had a sewing room day with the other kids. We watched the Great British Baking Show, My Little Pony (shudder), and youtube videos.  This is after we survived a six month checkup and shots for Sneaky Pete.

During my sewing opportunities, I made excellent progress on two projects on my list.  Now, I have a certain little boy's name letters ready to back and zigzag around to hand in his room, and I've struggled through 3/4 of my paper piecing for a few table mats for my mom.  I wondered, earlier in the week, if I could finish these two projects in July, but now I'm confident they'll be complete.

My flying geese are already pieced, basted, and awaiting quilting.  I'm going to finish my paper piecing before I change out the needle to quilt this, but I do believe I have a quilting plan already!

I'm itching for a new color announcement.  I already trimmed my basket of scraps, so I'm ready to dive in.  (Ooh, I see it's blue.  I have no shortage of blue scraps!)

Be sure to visit our scrappy hostess this weekend!

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

July UFO List

June 1: 17
Started: 0
Finished: 3
May 31: 14

Project List:
1. Tell it to the Stars
2. Rose appliqué
3. Bits and Bobs
4. Mini 9s
5. Hourglass
6. Garden Party
7. Barn Dance
8. Flying geese
9. Orphan blocks
10. Pillow
11. Scrappy DWR
12. ABC appliqué
13. P's letters
14. Placemats

In June, I managed not to find any new projects, and made significant progress on several others.  First, I finished my older sister's long-awaited Tshirt quilt, then I made a weighted blanket for my younger sister and another for a sister-in-law.  Good times.

In July, the big project to finish is the Flying Geese Remix, #8.  Then, we'll see what happens with Tell it to the Stars, numbers 13 and 14, and, if it's really crazy calm, Bits and Bobs.  I can see the list getting shorter already!
from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

June 350 Block Count

This month I have 86 new blocks, which brings me to a total of 627 for the year!

24 flying geese strips
8 appliquéd roses
4 Barn Dance blocks
20 mini 9s
19 hourglasses
5 Garden Party blocks
and 6 Bits and Bobs (the last six!)

It's crazy to think that, after so many years (at least as far back as 2013), I have no more blocks to make for my Bits and Bobs quilt.  In July, if the stars, moon, and sun align, I may lay it out and label the rows so I can start piecing it.  This will be tricky, as there are over 400 blocks (I think), and that's a lot to keep in order.

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

Stash Report Week #25

This week, I finished my second weighted blanket.  I'm so grateful to have them done; I was happy to make them, but they are hard.  Hard to measure, hard to sew, hard to measure, hard to fill.  But, done, for this season!

IN this week: 0 yards
OUT this week: 4 yards

IN YTD: 10 yards
OUT YTD: 66 yards
YTD Total: 56 yards OUT!

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

Absence of Amber

Seriously... Next year, I need plans for a ridiculously yellow quilt so I can make more yellow scraps!

My hourglass blocks were done as leader-enders for my flying geese quilt, so they went quickly.  In fact, they went so quickly I started on my Barn Dance blocks, and knocked those out in no time.

 That left me with nothing to sew in between sewing together pieces of my quilt.  I pulled out my Bits and Bobs strips, puzzled together what 9-patches I already had, and cut down 2" strips to make the last of my 9-patches.

See this puzzle above?  I can only sew a seam at a time before I need to stop and press, so there are lots and lots of leader-ender opportunities!  I have the left half assembled and am working on the right half.  My hope is to have it to flimsy stage by the end of the month, but since we have a trip to Kansas City next week for three days, I'm not sure I'll make it.  (The pattern is Remixed Flying Geese by Robert Kauffman.)  I used a lovely new triangles ruler for lefties.  If you're a leftie, you should get one!

Yes, yes, it's not yellow.  I told you I have a problem with a dearth of yellow scraps.  (I did use all stash and scraps, so that counts for something.) I am almost finished with a weighted blanket for my sister, out of yellow fabric, so that will contribute a few scraps.  I'll try to do better in July at matching the color.  I won't be traveling, but the big kids will be going to Ireland with my husband, so I will have a week of sewing my brains out with the littles!

Check out the yellow scraps this weekend!

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

Stash Report Week #24

I finished a Tshirt quilt for my sister, and since the backing and binding came from my stash, I get to claim it!

IN this week: 0 yards
OUT this week: 3 1/2 yards

IN YTD: 10 yards
OUT YTD: 62 yards
YTD Total: 52 yards OUT!

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

Citrine and Champagne

My mini nines are finished for the month!  I didn't have much yellow, so I pulled blues, purples, and greys to round out my desired 20.  I do hunt for yellow fabrics, as my younger sister loves them, but they never seem to leave many scraps behind.

The garden is so well weeded its shocking.  We usually get behind and never catch up, but we are actually in quite a happy place.  Spunky has been eating all the blackberries as they ripen, which makes me so happy.

Off to sew some more.  I have a Tshirt quilt I want to finish ASAP.

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

Stash Report Week #23

IN this week:  0 yards
OUT this week: 4 yards

IN YTD: 10 yards
OUT YTD: 58 1/2 yards
YTD Total: 48 1/2 yards OUT!

In the past week, I hustled to finish a weighted blanket for my sister-in-law in time to send it back with my in-laws.  I managed, but only by a few hours!

In the coming week, I sincerely hope to finish a Tshirt quilt for my older sister.  Then I'll only have one more quilt to finish before family vacay in two weeks!

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

Sunshine, Daisy, Butter Mellow

Five yellow blocks...

I'm happy to see this project moving along so splendidly.  For July, if we do a progress roundup, I will definitely enjoy laying out all these lovely pieces and seeing how the quilt is developing.

I've been sewing, but with hours in the garden and working on weighted blankets and Tshirt quilts, my "fun" sewing has been a little lacking.  I have two quilts I would love to finish before my siblings arrive in state for vacation, so it will be another few scarce weeks before I get back to my scraps.

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

P.S. Check out all the yellow this week!

Stash Report Week #22

No changes for last week!

Goldenrod and Sunshine

Alas, the photos are nonexistent this Saturday.  I'm still away with four of the kids.  Happily, I will return home tonight, so I will finally get to play with my yellow scraps.

My Bits and Bobs, Garden Party blocks, mini 9s, hourglass units, and Barn Dance blocks will probably be quick work this month.  Honestly, that's great news, since I have a Tshirt quilt and two weighted blankets to finish, as well as two family trips.  I know there are some golden triangles hiding in my orphan box with blues and creams, but they may linger another day.

I'm looking forward to being home again with my sewing machine, fabric, and no homework!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.

June Goals

In May, I wanted to...

1.  Manage the (as yet, undeclared color of) scraps.  Trimming, Bits and Bobs, Garden Party, Mini 9s, hourglass, Barn Dance, and orphan blocks.  Done, done, and done!  They were green, by the way.

2.  Tell it to the Stars UFO Progress, #10 which is all the chains running through the middle of the quilt.  Yes!  I also managed to quilt an extra block.  Now the center blocks are done, so I won't need to have the quilt bulk on me in the heat of the summer.

3.  Progress on the rose appliqué.  Over halfway!

4.  Spunky's quilt finished.  Yes!

Optional, if I finish the other goals, pillow cases, a new quilt for a teacher, and my sister's Tshirt quilt.  I did finish the pillow cases, started a new quilt for a teacher, and cut all the blocks for my sister's Tshirt quilts.  I also started pieces for two weighted blankets.

In June, my goals are...
1.  To tame the scraps: trimming, Bits and Bobs, Garden Party, Mini Nines, hourglass, Barn Dance, orphan blocks.

2.  Tell it to the Stars hand quilting, for whatever number is called.

3. Rose appliqué.  I think I can have it ready for basting by the end of the month.  High hopes?  Maybe, but I think I can.

4.  Have my flying geese quilt to flimsy stage by the end of the month,

5.  Finish my big sister's quilt.

6.  Make two weighted blankets.  One of these can wait, but I'd really like to get the other one done and to my sister-in-law.

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