Catch up day after a night of rain in Arizona

 I have been stitching in my spare time and have accomplished a more quilt tops to the flimsy stage.  However, I have put off pressing the finished tops, my most least favourite activity!  Yesterday, I told myself that I wasn't going to sit at my sewing machine until I got the pile of tops pressed nicely.  

Job done! 

I started making some framed 9 patches with my fat quarter challenge for the Heartstrings group. I pulled out odd pieces of both long quarters as well as fat quarters in browns, reds and beige fabrics. And I started another 3 yard (with more than that of each fabric) using the Picture Perfect pattern.

The Heartstrings challenge is completed using the fat quarters and Carolyn's block.  This is a super simple block that uses most of the fat quarters without much waste.  The blocks are 15" finished so a large block that goes together quickly.     

The blocks for the Picture Perfect pattern got made and put together and pressed! 

Here is the framed 9 patch that also used fat quarters and it is ready for quilting and binding. 

The Bento box quilt for Quilts of Valour is a UFO that is now done.  I had some blocks on a hanger and had to make more and put them together and now have a flimsy.

Two Puzzle Me This tops are finished and pressed.  I like this One yard pattern.  Super easy to make. 

 

The Spinning Blocks top is finished for Quilts for Survivors.  I had to make four St. Louis 16 patch blocks for the corners but it works and now a second quilt for this worthy cause in Canada. 

The current project on the go is another Illusions Three yard pattern but am using 4 fabrics instead of the original 3 called for in the instructions. 

Yet again, a Three Yard Quilt pattern called Pretty Please by Fabric Cafe.  Of course, I am using more than the 1 yard cuts called for in the pattern and in this case alternated two different fabrics for the solid squares so technically a 4 yard quilt? 

I have been feeling quite successful in the number of quilt tops I have made in February but really need to work on some scrappy blocks to use up the piles of strings that are accumulating.  Enjoy the second half of the month and hoping that wherever you live, you are seeing some signs of Spring with sunshine and warmer temperatures and maybe some flowers poking their way out of the ground?  

February: seniors enjoying sunshine.

 We are so glad to be snowbirds and not stuck at home in miserable rain, cold weather and now snow predicted for this week.  Tennis takes up a lot of our time with games, practices, skills sessions plus a group for 75+ which we both fit into this year.  

While I am in Arizona, for those that are new to the blog, I work on quilt tops.  Since we fly back and forth, I am restricted by the weight of our suitcases and flimsys weigh less and take up less room when packing so, I quilt very little here.  It doesn't help with my UFO's though I do still have a few row by row kits calling my name. 

This month, I did well with piecing a variety of projects. I worked on more 3 yard quilts.  Topsy turvy was one of them and because I made more blocks and lots of the red and black but not enough of the gray print, I had to make a few more blocks substituting a fabric.  I think it works out ok because quilters of the past always 'made do'. So, this top is ready to be folded and taken home. 

After a modern guild presentation on the Survivor quilts, I decided to use these blocks for two more quilts.  I had enough to make one from the spinning blocks but needed to add in some blocks for the second one.  I made some St. Louis 16 patch blocks for the four corners and two more tops are waiting for pressing and the suitcase trip home.

Puzzle me this is a 3 yard quilt made from an orange print plus background and brown.  I did have enough of the three fabrics to make extra blocks to increase the size of the quilt.  This one is now stitched together and waiting for the job I detest the most, pressing the finished top.

A second Puzzle me this quilt is on the design wall and was hoping to have it pieced by the end of January but life got in the way.  Too much time on the courts and not enough time sitting at my sewing machine. 

I pulled out twenty fat quarters in red, brown, and beige fabrics for the Heartstrings February challenge.  I think I will make some Carolyn's blocks and will end up with a nice sized quilt top for Quilts of Valour.

I also put together some groups of three fabrics to work my way through some more one yard quilt patterns.  This seems to be my go to project for 2022 in Arizona.  My goal is reduce the amount of yardage I have on hand. 

The bento box Quilt of Valour top is now finished and is another project waiting for me to give it the final pressing. 

In the Stashbusters online quilting group they do a January Reckoning and thought I would do one on here. 

1. Finished a mug rug

2. Finished a missouri star wall hanging that came in the Xmas box

3. Finished a Christmas Table runner

4. Made flimsy from Red and Beige strips using half square triangles

5. One yard quilt: Dash from browns and beige fabrics

6. Butterfly fabric with rails #1  40x 50

7. Butterfly rails #2

8. Thomas the Train Happy blocks (Heartstrings Jan challenge) #1

9. Thomas #2

10. Thomas #3 and that used up the last of the 10" squares I purchased

11. PBJ Saffron Spice January challenge blocks (2)

12. Every Day quilt using 5 yards from Connecting Threads 

13. Jigsaw one yard quilt using batiks

14. Strips of Fun, Cool Water pattern using blues/purples and whites

15. Illusions 3 yd quilt using a red, lt gray and dark gray

16. Seventeen Bento Box blocks made to add to those from 2019 for a quilt top

17. Topsy Turvy 3 yard quilt - Downton Abby fabric for centers with red and black

18. Puzzle me This 3 yard quilt in orange/brown

19. Puzzle me This 3 yard quilt in red/gray (not quite finished in Jan)

20: Survivor quilt #1 made from spin blocks

21: Survivor quilt #2 spin blocks plus 4 St. Louis Sixteen patch blocks 

A fairly productive January and I have stacks of fabrics in bundles of 3 waiting for more 3 yard quilts.  The Rainbow scrap challenge was red for January and I worked with reds in a few of my quilt tops including the bento box blocks so will consider that good enough? 

On to February!!