Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Flimsy, Sandwich, and Quilt

The flimsy of the week is my orphan block creation.  I started with the dresden plate in the middle, pulled scraps and fat quarters to go (including two of my new oranges!), and I was off to the races.  The green with lawn chairs is a little dark, but I decided it was close enough, and it was time to cut into it.  A good pressing was still needed at the corners, as everything is the right size but wonky.  Now to ponder quilting...

 Once the flimsy was finished, the quilting began on my hourglass quilt.  I hoped the quilting would be more apparent in the picture, but I'm quilting on each side of the diagonal lines in both directions.  While I'm wobbly, as always, in places, I love the look of it.  This quilt will be a gift for one of the kid's teachers for Christmas, so I'm feeling good that I've made this much progress.

The quilt of the title is my finished Bits and Bobs quilt.  I wrote its own blog post over here.

I'm pleased my orphan blocks are now a mere handful rather than a box full!  In October, I'll be using up teal blocks for a body pillow cover, and then in October or November my plan is to use up or throw away the rest!

Be sure to visit all the orange inspiration this weekend!

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

Finished Quilt: Bits and Bobs

Inspired by the tiny pieces of the late Sue Garman's Omigosh quilt as well as the progress of other quilty bloggers, I set out on my journey of tiny pieces at least four years ago.  The 1" pile was totally exhausted, so recuperation is necessary for a few years before it will be ready for another epic journey.  I even have ideas, but they will be patient.

I enjoyed using up those tiny squares in little nine-patches, then matching the nine-patches into sets of five.  Until most of the blocks were made, I had no idea what the color balance was.  As usual, there are so many blue, but it all looks lovely in the end!

I was quite sure I had basted a large crease into the backing, but apparently most of it was a trick of the eye or a pulling in of the batting, as now I only see a few puckers.  My DH likes the wool batting. I sleep warm, so until it's properly cold at night, it's too heavy for me.  I may try it again for a smaller hand quilting project, but as a project that was already large to baste, I won't repeat the wool batting (for now).  I do think it's user error; I have a method of basting that works for me, my time and space constraints, and my lack of basting helper.  It doesn't work well for the wool batting since it's fluffier and doesn't cling.  (I am aware there is a method using boards; it's not for me, not right now.)

Eleven color changes accompanied me in the diagonal quilting.  The backing, oh, I love it so very much that I wish I'd bought a bolt of it.  Alas, Connecting Threads no longer carries it, so I must content myself with the remnants. The binding was cut from two gradients by Vicki Welsh. Maybe it doesn't "go" with the backing, but it makes me happy too.

At a finish of 90" square, it's a good size for the entire bed and even a child or two when they wake up at 5 am (like this morning!).

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

Clementine, Carrot, and Flame

(We found one key, in case you were wondering... after we called the locksmith.)

The focus of my scant sewing time this week was quilting Bits and Bobs.  All the quilting is complete, and Friday morning I settled on the binding fabric, but I won't be finishing it this week.  Hopefully next week!

Thursday and Friday, after quilting was complete, I worked on my Barn Dance blocks.  These are the last ones, so the next time I see them, I'll be laying out the entire quilt.  I'm excited, as I haven't put all the blocks together on the wall at all!

The next scraps of orange found their way into my orphan block quilt.  I finished the round with bricks.  Next, I think, will be narrow white and orange strips, and then... I'll have to see what it wants next.  Right now it's on the small side for a baby quilt, so it probably needs at least one more set of something or other.

I'm looking forward to more orange inspiration this weekend!

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

Stash Report Week #37

Again, no changes.  I'm almost halfway through quilting Bits and Bobs, so hopefully I'll finish it by my goal of September 30!

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

Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Faded

In a week pockmarked (like the moon) with emotional highs and lows, I find myself exhausted at the week's end.  Thank God that all is well, as it was difficult in the moment.  But I did sew, in harried and not so harried moments.  (In case you're curious: one emotional high was Miss G going full-blown potty training.  We had three great days.  Then, we had a low in which she had accidents on everything, including curtains, for a day.  Let's just leave it there.  Then we lost both sets of keys to one of our cars, so it's currently undriveable.)

I worked on Bits and Bobs all week.  My original goal was to quilt at least three colors of thread.  (I think I picked out 11 different spools to use).  Of course, I started with the short rows in one corner, and breezed through grey, black, and green, so I took on the mighty teal section and made it partway through blue before... Friday, I looked at the machine repeatedly, but never turned it on.  I have plenty of time to quilt more next week!  What would you use for binding?  I have no rainbow stripes or rainbow fabric.   I do have a few lovely gradients from Vicki Welsh, and I'm considering putting them to work.

The hourglass flimsy is basted.  It was a breeze to piece the backing and batting, but lack of basting pins caught me.  I have a backup box, but didn't want to haul it out and have to fit the pins back in it later, so I basted as much as I could, then quilted a few rows of Bits and Bobs to free up pins, then basted more.  Whether I finish hourglasses this month or next is a mystery to me, but at least I've made progress!

Additionally, I have my orphan block hanging on the design wall.  I've cut a few things, sewn a border, and am ready to move on to the next once I finish quilting and change feet again.  Although it just now occurs to me that when I cut pieces for the next border, I didn't use any of the green on the design wall.  Blergh.

Be sure to check out other orange progress this Saturday. I love seeing all the projects, as I gather way too many ideas for sewing up my own scraps! 

Stash Report Week #36

No changes, for good or ill.  I've basted Bits and Bobs, so a large outgoing number looms on the horizon.  I see it, though not yet!

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

Blue Alphabet Quilt

I finished this quilt a week or two ago, but I lost the camera and didn't have the photos to upload!  PK enthusiastically helped with the photo shoot, and I figured all of you wouldn't mind his assistance.

 All of the fabrics start with a letter of the alphabet.  I do wish I could find a better "X" fabric, since it fades into most of the backgrounds I have tried, but it is what it is.  One of my favorite fabrics is the fruit in F.  It's bright, happy, and perfect for this quilt.  I have several more sets of these letters still do sew up, so I'll have to think about what I want to use for the next set!

 The quilt is about 45" wide, so I had to piece a backing.  (How did I forget to take a picture of the back?)  I chose a lovely blue ABC fabric.  I tried some wavy quilting with my walking foot.  Let's just say it had a rough start, but I opted not to rip it all out.  Now that it's washed, the distortion isn't too bad.

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

P.S. Here's another quilt in brown.

Orange You Glad It's September?

As we're nowhere near the fires or rains or hurricanes, I must declare our weather simply splendid.  For my quilty acquaintances near danger, may God keep you and yours safe.  The idea of evacuating is mind-boggling to me, as I can't imagine how we could transport our chickens, turkeys, and guineas anywhere.

In the meantime, I'm plodding through a haze of sleepiness and a too-long to do list. (Mine never gets shorter.  Does yours?). I finished a few important ones and made progress on others, so I shouldn't be disappointed.

Even sewing time has been challenging, so it's a good thing that I'm to the tail end of several sets of blocks.  Since I only had a few seams left, it was no problem to finish my hourglass top.  I pulled the fabric for the backing, but since it requires piecing, that will be on next week's list.

Five little Garden Party blocks work up in no time, and I even managed to find orange!

There were less mini nines blocks than I expected, so I completed these in between other seams.  I still haven't settled on a new leader-ender project, so everything is filling the gap.

Now basting my Bits and Bobs was a challenge.  It requires a dedicated amount of time to baste a quilt this large, and I didn't have much of that kind of time this week.  Finally, I laid out the backing and wool batting on Thursday and spent nap time (and then some) on Friday basting.  My initial thought on the wool batting is I don't like its behavior in basting.  I couldn't get it flat, and it didn't cling to the backing at all, so my usual basting method didn't work well.  I have several large creases in the backing, despite all my attempts to keep things straight, and it's due to the batting.  Since it's for me, I'm trying really hard not to stress about the creases.  I'm certainly not removing several hundred pins to try again.

My orphan Dresden plate saw a bit of attention this week.  It's now sewn down and an initial border attached. I've pulled the leftover coordinating fabrics as well as a few others (including Christmas present fat quarters) that go well enough, and now I'm having fun puzzling away.

What is your favorite orange fabric this week?  I find my favorite orange hue leans slightly to pink.  Be sure to check out other favorite orange bits this weekend!

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

September UFO List

August 1: 12
Started: 2
Finished: 1
August 31: 13

Project List:
1. Teal Swap
2. Rose appliqué
3. Bits and Bobs
4. Mini 9s
5. Hourglass
6. Garden Party
7. Barn Dance
8. Placemats
9. Orphan blocks
10. Pillow
11. Scrappy DWR
12. ABC appliqué
13. Meadow Mist Mystery

I finished the rail fence in August as well as an ABC appliqué quilt.  Unfortunately for the numbers, I won't be counting the ABC appliqué project off my list until all the sets of blocks are done, and it's going to be a while.

I joined a swap to raise money and awareness for ovarian cancer research.  It's my second year, and I've stretched my abilities this time with another foray into paper piecing, inspired by Kate.  It didn't go too badly.  I'll need to finish it this month.

I also decided to do the Meadow Mist Mystery.  It's only a clue a month, and I'm ready for another side project in between my Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilts.

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

September Goals

In August, I wanted to...
1.  Sew up the neutral scraps: trim, Garden Party, mini 9s, hourglass, orphans, and Barn Dance.  Also, get Bits and Bobs to the flimsy stage.  Done, done, done!  There were no orphans, so that helped.

2.  Rose appliqué: two threads a week, quilting.  I will admit I didn't do as well here.  This project is too big to fit in my bag conveniently, but I've struggled to find hand quilting time in the current rhythm of the day.  I've decided on a recipient, so I wish I could knuckle down.  Some hand/wrist pain hasn't helped.  I know I'll finish, that I need to be patient with myself, and that this current crazy is only another season.

3.  Rail fence: done, preferably by August 18.  Done!

4.  ABC appliqué quilt. As time allows after the above goals, maybe finish this one?  The letters are glue-prepped and ready for stitching.  All the sashing, etc., is cut.  Done!

I added a few new things: the Meadow Mist Mystery and the Teal Swap.

In September, I'd like to...
1.  Sew scraps like mad: finish Bits and Bobs, finished my hourglass quilt, finish my mini 9s blocks, sew 5 more Garden Party blocks, sew 4 more Barn Dance blocks, and use up a few more orphans.  The pile is so small, the end is in sight!

2. Rose appliqué: progress.  Always onward, right?

3.  Finish my Teal Mini Swap and mail it.

4.  Complete the next step for the Meadow Mist Mystery.

5.  I need a UFO goal.  I think it will go with the orphan blocks in orange, since I finished my hand quilting of Tell it to the Stars in July.  The next UFO was the alphabet quilt in blue, which I finished in August, so now it's time to wrap up the orphan blocks!

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

August Block Count

83 new blocks this month
... 3 for my Teal swap
... 26 letters for my alphabet quilt
... 4 Barn Dance blocks
... 20 mini 9s
... 25 hourglass blocks
... 5 Garden Party blocks

That makes a grand total of 958 blocks for the year.  (This post is my tally for the 350 Block Challenge!)

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

Stash Report Week #35

I finished the alphabet quilt last week and deleted any and all sales emails, so I'm inching closer to busting stash this year.  And, no worries, I am happy with my purchases and so I won't mind if I don't decrease stash this year.  It's just a good goal to keep things balanced.  I only have one storage unit and feel that's probably really enough fabric space.

IN this week: 0 yards
OUT this week: 5 3/4 yards

IN YTD: 167 yards
OUT YTD: 108 1/2 yards
YTD Total: 58 1/2 yards IN

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

Full Rainbows!

I was looking for clever rainbow quotes when this one really caught my fancy: And as he spoke of understanding, I looked up and saw the rainbow leap with flames of many colors over me. Black Elk

It was a busy week for rainbows at our house!  Bits and Bobs is officially a pressed flimsy, with backing and batting already waiting.  Wool batting will be in the mix for the first time, and I have a lovely extra wide backing so I don't add any more seams to this seam-strewn quilt.  I'm a little hung up on a quilting pattern, so any and all advice would be considered.  I may just use my walking food and follow the diagonal of the rainbow layout, but is that too simple?

The second rainbow is a trifle more chaotic.  I firmly forbade myself even so much as to attempt a colorwash, so I matched all the blues with the warm colors and subsequently paired off the rest.  Everything is in four patches, and I've begun row assembly.  Once I laid out the blocks, I had five extra, and decided to make three more to fill out another row rather than have leftovers.  I am, after all, on a mission to use up my orphan blocks and pieces this year, not add to them!

I haven't rootled through the aforementioned orphan collection for a month or two, but I know for certain there is an orange and green Dresden plate longing for a home.  After all the other blocks this month, I will thoroughly enjoy problem solving some scraps to join it!

Oranges are sadly lacking in my stash, so I did buy a fat quarter bundle of oranges last year for my Christmas present.  They may need to see the light of day this month!  Let's see what others find this weekend!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.