Sorting Scraps – Discovered Orphans

     I pulled out a couple of 2.5 gallon bags stuffed with batik scraps 

and started sorting by color. In the pile I found a few completed blocks plus more parts. I have 3 birds and 3 fish blocks in the “piece no curves” technique of Annette Ornelas of Southwinds Designs. You fold a square into a triangle then fold back the bias to create a curve which you top-stitch down. On these blocks the curve has not been stitched down. That can be done with the quilting. I have no idea what I will do with these blocks. They may find a new home. 

    In the bags I also found a stack of units left over from a large lap quilt about 10 years ago. I was able to cut more rectangles, squares and piece some small squares enough for a 48 by 60” lap quilt. That will be good for a church sew day. 

  

    In some regular cotton stash I found one butterfly block and parts so I pieced and now have 2 butterfly blocks that need a plan for use. Antennae need embroidery or marking.

I pulled out some sewn strip sets, sewed more and have at least the center of a small quilt.  It could be finished for a baby; however, I am thinking of adding some borders for a larger child's quilt. 

There are still lots of scraps left to deal with another time. 

     I supervised my 7 year old GD while she embroidered and sewed a pillowcase for her sister's birthday. We both were learning on the machine embroidery.

I am happy ( “Whoop Whoop”) with progress made with the scraps this week and found blocks.

Have a great week and enjoy some time sewing and quilting.

Linking up with Whoop Whoop Friday.

This and That

     I'm not in my home sewing room this week so I am having to work on what I can. This corner is my little condo sewing space. 

     I searched through scraps on hand and pieced 4 large (18” finished) “Have Faith” blocks. I loved the quilt when Jamie shared her pattern for 12” blocks on Confessions of a Fabric Addict blog. You can find the original pattern by Jamie Elfert, who blogs at L’FairQuilts.   I made one comfort quilt and decided to try one with larger blocks. Here are 4 blocks.

I don't think this quilt is on my list for 2020. (I need to put my list on my computer and try to stick with the plan.) I need at least 7 more blocks for a good size comfort quilt.

     Still wanting to sew, I pulled out a kit I cut a couple of years ago for a sampler quilt and finished piecing the 12 blocks. 

 Not sure whether I will add more blocks or how I will put them in a quilt. I don't have any more of the light yellow but would like more blocks with the light green. This project is not on my list for 2020; however, I just wanted something to piece.

     Carole of From My Carolina Home blog has started another of her mystery quilts. I have enjoyed a few and think some of you will. She offers the pattern in a variety of sizes from small to large so you can choose. 

The 2020Scrap Dance Mystery – The Twist will post the third Friday of each month for 7 months, then reveal in August.

Have a great week and enjoy some time sewing and quilting.

A Finish Then Some Clearing

    Here is my first finish for 2020. The top was pieced a couple of months ago from scraps. 

For the quilting I wanted a watery motif. This is the first time I have done this motif and not sure how watery it looks.

    On my list of projects for 2020 is a quilt top pieced 7 years ago as a local guild bee mystery. I decided it would be a priority to finish. Years ago I did not quilt it because I did not think my machine quilting was good enough. Now I am more confident with my free-motion quilting. I plan to quilt free-form feathers in the large border. This is the top.

    I spent a couple of days clearing off my craft table of scraps so that I can prepare for marking and basting. It is not often that it is so clear. While cleaning I also finished a baby growth chart from a panel that has been waiting around for years. It will probably be a gift.

Have a great weekend and maybe enjoy some time sewing and quilting. 

I'm linking up with Finished or Not Friday with Alycia Quilts.  Hope you check it out to see what others are doing. 

Starting off 2020

    As the new year began I took time to make a list of projects I want to complete. It is a mix with some WIP (works in progress), a few are long time UFOs, a couple of dream quilts, and some charity/comfort quilts and QOV (quilts of valor). I have 20 quilts so far on my list. There will surely be some added and some pushed on to the back burner but at least I have a guide for the year.

     Wednesday at church sew day, I sandwiched a top for quilting and gathered backing pieces for a child's comfort quilt. At home I decided to catch up on piecing for the Seeing Stars Sew Along. I like Diane's concept of piecing panels made from a variety of blocks.  

You make the number of panels for the size quilt you want. I am working on a twin size quilt which needs 12 panels. Thursday I finished piecing the geese units for step 5. She gives you options, but I did not get creative for this step and only made geese units.

     Next I pulled units of a WIP and this is how far I got yesterday. About half the big blocks were left over from my Rainbow Scrap quilts year before last. Instead of making a lap quilt, I made some more blocks so they will make a full size bed quilt with borders. The first border will finish the stars.  

Have a great weekend and maybe enjoy some time sewing and quilting.

I have linked up with Whoop Whoop Friday so stop by and see what others are doing.