Rainbow Scraps

 The first full week of school was much less adventuresome than the previous week.  No crises and no crazy schedules.  I survived my first day of work.

Last weekend, I showed a picture of the beginnings of a paper piecing project.  (On a side note, I want to like paper piecing, but the mental gymnastics and mess/waste it creates are not my favorites.). This quilt was just an idea in my head last Saturday, but here it is today:

I thought I’d start with the orange butterfly and work on the rest through the course of the year.  Think again!

The binding (not shown in this picture) is also machine stitched on and I’ll finish the hand stitching to the back today.  I originally thought I’d hang this above my cutting board, but it’s a few inches too long.  It was another “you must make me” urge, and while it’s been a little quieter about its demands than Jack in the Box, it still has strong opinions.  For example, I think my daughters and I tried 40+ fabrics for the binding.

My other scrappy sewing this week was finishing the binding on my project from the blue month, Split Stars.  It’s finished and ready for a bath before giving away.

In September, I need to better organize my sewing.  I’m out of leader and ender blocks (again) and have fulfilled most of my scrappy plans for the year, so my sewing has become a bit random.  I do want to make a tree skirt for my sister, but I haven’t noodled out the design quite yet.

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,

katie z.

Orange in August

What a week.  Meetings for me.  Three different start dates for six kids.  Our beloved dog Hope had to be euthanized.  BJ tipped out of a hammock and may have torn cartilage in his shoulder (he cried for hours last night.  We did have xrays done).  More peacefully, I did finish a quilt.

Strip piecing produced an incredible number of bow tie blocks.  I shudder to picture my overflowing scrap basket that also seemed to reproduce in the cutting and sewing of this week.  More bow ties appeared between the first masks I’ve sewn this year.  Eleven masks in August isn’t too bad, and one is even orange.

Produced from my blue and gray scraps, I have been quilting my split star.  Instead of last year’s default of wide backing dyed to match, I pulled a pleasant collection of blue and gray fabrics to piece the backing.  Quilting, after the agony of Jack in the Box, is incredibly simple straight lines.  I hope to finish quilting today and hunt down scraps for the binding.  A finish next week will be lovely.

My orange hexagon star is already done for the month, so I’ve rolled into a second one.

I did pull some orange from my stash for a new, small project, so there may be an orange butterfly to enjoy next week.  I’m eager to wrap up quilting and start on this!

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,

katie z.

Purple-icious? Purple-Lacking

 I ran out of purple scraps for bow ties this week, so please forgive my straying on the color wheel.

All my split star blocks are finished.  Correcting the one mistake block took even less time than I expected.  Now, it’s time for decisions. Which way do I want to arrange them?  Opinions welcome!

I currently most like this arrangement.

Option 2 is lovely, but I commonly arrange my blocks in this fashion, so perhaps it’s time for something different.

Option 3.  I was really excited about this arrangement when I found it in a google search, but in person it is distinctly lacking in appeal.  When I look at it in real life, the star pattern is much less distinct and it delivers more of a hot-mess feel.

I will be laying out the blocks in a 8x9 grid, so there were a few other possibilities I rejected because they wouldn’t end evenly.

It’s raining lightly today and the heat has finally/temporarily broken, so I hope to spend some time outside today!  Next month is orange for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, so I certainly need to find an orange project.

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,

katie z.

This, That, and the Other

 Last Saturday, we were 8 hours from home in a house with 12 children, so I didn’t have a chance to post.  Therefore, this is two weeks’ sewing.

Before the trip, I made a scrappy pillow cover to accompany my Valentine quilt.  It used up my unintended extra block.

This week, after returning home Tuesday, I made 10 of the 21 remaining split star blocks.  Definitely not purple, but my leader and ender bow ties are.  I have very few different purples, so the blocks repeat plenty.  They are all scrappy, which is the point.

I am at a temporary loss for another scrappy project.  It’s okay; there are many other things to do, but I do enjoy the passion for a project.  All in good time.

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,

katie z.

Perseverance

I’m still alive, but unfortunately the migraine is still haunting me.  It generally arrives late morning and ruins most of the afternoon.  Blerg.  I do see my neurologist in a few weeks, so we’ll discuss.

On a more positive note, I finished both the smelly (to me) tshirt quilt and washed it.  I also finished the triangle quilt.  It’s currently bathing, so I’ll be sure to post about it when it’s dry.  With the triangle quilt complete, my sewing room and time feels a little strange.  I feel like I’m forgetting to work on a project, or I should be cutting something.  All in good time with July almost here.

I also completed 10 more split star blocks as well as most of the components for the remaining 30 blocks.  I love the barn raising setting because it’s so symmetrical, but I plan to take some time to play with setting possibilities.  (ha!  I see a half square triangle turned the wrong way in one block.  I’m pleasantly surprised I only have one finished block with an error.). Googling log cabin settings has given me ideas.  Of course, we’ll change colors this week, so I won’t finish the blocks for a bit.

I have plenty of my bow ties piling up as well, but I need to collect them all in one place before I get a picture.

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,

katie z.

 

Delayed and Discombobulated

 I’m the delayed and discombobulated one of the title today.  I’m a week deep into a persistent migraine - wheat harvest has begun in the area, I’m allergic/sensitive to the detergent used on the current tshirt quilt, we’re having a heat wave, and the heat made butchering the meat chickens an immediate necessity.  Let’s just say I’ve had better weeks.  Fortunately, the butchering is done and the tshirt quilt just needs binding sewn down.  I’ve survived.

When the rescue medicine has relieved me, I quilted the tshirt quilt and made a few blocks.  I’m already one the second background for my bow ties.  I made need to branch out for even more backgrounds if I want these blocks to hang around for a while!

Ten more split star blocks are also finished, so I’m nearly to the halfway point.  I will be reluctant to put these away at the end of June.  They’ve definitely grown on me!

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,

katie z.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge:

The summer heat is creeping in, so I’ve already done my outside chores for the morning.  Fortunately, I haven’t had much watering due to the lovely rain; I will miss it when we renter the dry season in a few weeks.  Mostly, I have weeds to pull and chickens to tend.

My 6000+ triangles are all happily joined into a flimsy, and I’ve spent the last few days dyeing a backing. It’s currently soaking.  I used old dyes, so we’ll see what colors emerge, but it will be fine regardless.  I definitely love the red sashing for the triangles!

My new leader and ender is going to be bow ties made from my 2” scraps.  So far, I’m sticking to what is in my bag of squares, but then I’ll cut into the shortest strips and make quite a mess!

My main project is these split stars.  If I remember correctly, I saw them on Jo’s Country Junction, but when I went back to find a post to credit, I didn’t have much luck.  It doesn’t help that I don’t remember how long ago I saw them.  I know it was at the old house, so maybe 2+ years ago?  I need another 48 blocks, but had to pause to create more sub units.  I’m ready for next week with parts and pieces, and so far my variety of scraps is holding up well.  I have some neutrals set aside to use as needed, but I’ll have to use stash if I end up needing more medium/dark fabric.

 I am very pleased with the stars.  I suspect I’ll keep the center diamond arrangement, but we shall see when I have more blocks to play with.  I don’t intend to finish the blocks this month; any amount finished will be a win.

Angela is busy cleaning up at her new house in the mountains, which sounds exciting and exhausting.  She hosts the Rainbow Scrap Challenge each weekend.

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,

katie z.

Developments in Scraps

The first week of summer is over.  I’m not sure we’ve created the right structure for our days (always necessary with seven kids), but we’re definitely working outside, keeping the house clean, and limiting screen time more than my five year old would prefer!

Yesterday the oldest and I spent some sweaty, smelly time mucking out the barn.  The latest rain storm delivered multiple inches in a short time, causing water than normally drains around the barn to run through it. Between old chicken bedding and accumulated straw and dirt, the barn stank.  It should be better in a few days as the floor dries.

Inside, I’ve basted and begun quilting Oddments.  I love it so far.

For my blue scraps, the split star blocks have been resurrected.  I was delighted to discover I had more “parts and pieces” prepared than I expected, so I’m humming along splendidly.  My enthusiasm for these blocks has returned!  Let’s see if it survives the 72 or so blocks I need.

My glorious chaos of triangles that has served as leaders and enders for the last two years is quickly becoming a controlled rainbow.  These triangles finish at 1”, and each strip has 1024 triangles (background and color).  The final quilt will have over 6000.  Because the triangles are so petite and their color so riotous, I decided a little sashing would be good.  Fortunately, I’ve learned from my bleeding fabric sorrows of the past and chose to soak the fabric BEFORE assembling the quilt.  Three changes of water later, I’m hopeful that there won’t be any bleeding from the sashing.

My new “in between” project is going to be a variation on a bow tie block.  I’ll be using scrap 2” squares for the color part of the block and various light backgrounds for the 3.5” square.  I failed to get a picture, but I promise it will make sense when you see them!  It requires a little more planning than I would prefer, but as my 2” scraps block is full to bursting, I needed something that used plenty of them.  10 2” squares will go into each block, so I think this is a good beginning.  Realistically, there are multiple quilts hiding in this box, so I’m hoping for a decrease but certainly not an emptying of the box!

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,

katie z.

P.S. While I often forget to post a link, I do link up to the Rainbow Scrap Challenge most Saturdays!

 

Baby Steps

 Hey, I turned on my sewing machine!  I even finished two blocks.  They aren’t pressed, as my iron is heavy and I’m trying to behave myself on lifting restrictions.  Still, progress is being made.

I also finished my yellow hexagon star.  Yay!  Usually, these large stars take me well more than a month, but as I have more time in my chair and less time at my sewing machine, it was easily done.  I’ve even started a blue one (although I suspect I have too many blue flowers and need more green and purple).

I also did a silly but needful project of cleaning up some of my email.  I had dozens of comments I failed to reply to (my apologies) and hundreds of garbage emails.  I find that the last few months, with the crazy of finding a new house, moving, and then surgery, I’ve ignored far too many emails.

Today, I hope to spend a blissful hour or so sorting through a lovely box of scraps from Vicki.  They will certainly keep me sitting during my recovery!

Spunky’s birthday is suddenly 11 days away, and I haven’t ordered her a birthday present.  I think I need to get on that next!

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,

katie z.

P.S. Rainbow Scrap Challenge

Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Gone Astray

 I did work on my pink hexagons this week, but they change so little from week to week that it didn’t occur to me to take a picture.

Mostly I’ve been sewing and handling not-pink scraps, when I have time to sew!  I have plans for a split star quilt.  I want to cut lots and lots of “parts and pieces” so that when I have my lifting restrictions post-surgery next month, I won’t have to worry about the weight of the iron or the pressure of the rotary cutter for a while.  It’s currently a mess of piles.

I have gathered up pinks for my new scrappy quilt.  The magazine page calls the quilt “Modern Vintage,” so that’s what I’ve been calling it for now.  The blocks should be easy to make each month, requiring only one size of scrap, and I can stop whenever I feel like I have enough blocks (or keep going for a second quilt!).

I would really love to finish my temperature quilt from 2020 in the next week, and then I can focus on 2021. There will be no temperature quilt this year; I need to think about how I’d like to add more detail to the quilt in a future project... birthdays, major life events, etc.

DH is almost done building a wall in the basement, which will help us get the rest of the unpacking in process.  I’m happy the kitchen and sewing room are both unpacked, even if I will have to rearrange in time.

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,

katie z. 

P.S. I’m linking up to the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!