End of second month of the year - how time flies!

Very cool here in Arizona...winter weather has arrived in late February.  Crazy! But, I get to dig out some sweaters and warmer clothes to wear though I must admit that wearing long pants feels strange.  However, it is more like quilting weather than hot temperatures are, so that is a good thing and the mountains are getting some much needed snow in northern Arizona.

I finished pressing my brown half square (Cornerstone pattern from Etsy) quilt top and you can compare it to the quilt in my last post that was blues and yellows that I didn't stitch together the way the pattern intended.

Quite a different effect!This might need a border to get to the correct size for Quilts of Valour but a great way to use a package of 10" squares.  Sews up quickly and if you have a package of squares on hand, an excellent way to make a donation quilt. (hmmm... I see an error in block placement that I can easily fix - how did that happen?)

I dug out my blue bag of scraps and made some blocks.  Blue was the colour for January for Oh Scrap and I cut some 3" strips from odd fat quarters that were good for rail fence blocks and then I used my strings for some really scrappy blocks.

My 7 - L quilt blocks are still the same on the design wall but the strips are getting sewn together as leaders and enders and I do have a bunch of blocks to take to the next step.

Then I dug into my lavender and purple scraps and it didn't seem like I had many?

So, I took out my scrap bin that "was" crammed full of odds and ends of fabrics and started sorting the fabric by colour.  At first, I was just looking for purples but figured if I was making a mess, I might as well sort.

The small pile of purple went from small to much larger! There were a few that I moved into the red bag but otherwise, had a decent amount to choose from. 

And then I went through a bin of 3.5" strips and found some lavender in there so had enough to cut strips for rail fence blocks and did use up some strange fat quarters that probably arrived here in a Free Spirit fat quarter surprise box from Etsy a few years ago.  I had more than enough to make rail fence blocks and then a large pile of strips for foundation piecing some scrappy blocks. Working on the blocks created total chaos and a bit of a disaster zone but in the end, I used up a lot of fabric.

I ended up with almost 50 rail fence blocks so a few more and I will be able to  make a donation quilt or may mix them up with other colours to create a rainbow effect.
I also got my Pow Wow quilt put together and added the outer borders.

Now, I am determined to cut fabric for two projects.  The plus block quilt has been waiting for me since this time last year and the Moda stars block is a new project resulting from a picture on Instagram that I just loved when I saw it.  So, off to cut and to work on my L 7 blocks. Less than a month left to get projects finished that are on my to-do list. 

Olympics and quilting

It amazes me how some bloggers find the time to blog daily?  I find it takes me at least 20 -30 minutes to post a blog including uploading my pictures.  Today, blogger is really slow at uploading? 

This is my current design wall.  I am, as always, working on three projects at once.  The Pow Wow quilt by Cluck Sew now has all the blocks made and am stitching on a sashing between the vertical rows and, hopefully, by this evening, the top will be a finished flimsy, ready to send back to my summer home.

I have made 40 eye spy happy blocks from a set of 10" squares plus some of my own fabrics added in.  When I get back 'home', I have a lot of kids fabrics that are perfect for adding to these blocks.
The L-7 blocks are my leaders and enders for the other projects!
I have my stack of finished happy blocks... 50 of them!

And I have cut some blue 3.5" strips for the Scrap Happy blocks for February.  I am thinking that some rail fence blocks will work.  I haven't made January's blocks yet.  The colour is lavender and purple and I do have the fat quarters and scraps pulled for those.  My vague plan is to make rail fence blocks and create some diagonal rows sort of like a rainbow?  Will see what actually happens at the end of the year! I was surprised that I don't have many purple scraps and fat quarters or small pieces of yardage here... IF I was home, that would be a different story!

Last week, I finished up my leftover daisy fabric into the Colour weave blocks but those will get put together into a top later this spring or summer.

My blue/yellow blocks got assembled, totally incorrectly but I carried on and put the blocks together into a top.  How did I  misread the directions?  So, the result is totally scrappy which is ok but not what the pattern intended.

Since I wanted to make the block correctly, I chose another stack of 10' squares and cut them up as per the pattern, (which I did with the above quilt) but took the time to read the instructions and assembled the pieces in the order which the pattern instructed me to do.

This top is put together but needs pressing so you will have to wait for the next post to see the finished project.  Looks very different and a lot more organized than the chaotic blue one!

So, have been busy with tennis and quilting and watching the Olympics.  I try to save my ripping out, drawing lines on the back of squares for half square triangles or snow ball corners for my tv time.  And can also trim blocks with my portable cutting board on my lap. 

Rooting for Canada of course but it is hard when watching US television!  The CBC Olympics app on my phone helps a bit but we are at the mercy of NBC here as to what they choose to televise. 

New Month: February projects

Even though it was a crummy start to 2018, I spent quite a few hours in my sewing room and managed to complete a short list of projects.
1. Flannel squares are now a quilt top
2. Quilter's planner block one completed
3. Happy blocks made (70+) and 5 preemie quilt tops ready plus more blocks left over
4. Blocks for California fire victims completed (enough for a quilt top)
5. Field day (surrounded 16 patches) quilt top made.
6. Daisy prints split 9 patch 10" squares top completed.

I have the Field Day quilt ready to take home and finish:

And the happy blocks got sorted into those suitable for preemie quilts.  I had to do a wee bit of math.  A finished preemie is 30" x 36" but my blocks were going to finish at 10" which would have meant quilts measuring 30 x 40 - ooops!  So I put the blocks on the design wall and took ¼" off the top and bottom edges of each block making them 9.5" finished in one direction and still 10" in the other direction.  Problem solved!

And 5 of them ready for the next step:

Under the ironing board are some surrounded 16 patches but they were too dull to include in the kit I made, my plus block and fabric and pattern for a star block quilt.  Lots of ideas, not enough time!

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This is the split 9 patch made from 10" squares.

Block for January from the Quilter's Planner and even better, a block also completed for February!

I started a project from 10" squares called L7 - are they L's or 7's?  Well, sad to say, I stitched a bunch of blocks incorrectly.

So, will be unstitching or frogstitching during tv time.  They are supposed to look like this!

My kit from Connecting Threads fall sale is almost ready to put the blocks together.

And I though that the leftover daisy fabrics could be used in a color block quilt - pattern from Moda Bake shop.

And I pulled this project out from the UFO stack - two years old so time to start cutting.

And, there are still the projects from January that I didn't get started on or started but never finished!
- 9 patch surrounded
- plus quilt
- Sunland stitchers mystery Xmas quilt
- batik table runner that needs quilting
- Welcome hangings from Patchabilities need finishing.. blanket stitch and binding

But, off to decorate for Valentine's day.