Let's Book It, March Progress

Pictured is progress on my "Full House" wall hanging for "Let's Book It 2014" hosted by Vrooman's Quilts. In this sew along we looked through our books, magazines, and patterns and chose something to make! I bought this pattern a year or two ago and it languished until Sharon's challenge. I'm going through my batik scrap box and having a good time building houses. My plan is to finish piecing the top next month. To learn more about this sew along, click the button on the side of my blog.

2014 RSC March, Aqua, Teal, Turquoise, Week 5 and Celtic Solstice Finish

This week I'll add two scrappy string triangles, two 6.5" sampler blocks, a hot pad/pot holder and a cotton knitted dishcloth. To see what others made with their scraps, go here Saturday.

This morning I finished my Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt by Bonnie Hunter. Yah! Bound with strips of blue fabrics, quilted with a loose free motion meander, and a go in the washer and dryer, it finished a 77" square. I'm pleased with this soft, beautiful quilt, glad it's no longer a UFO.

Triangle Sew Along and Something Cool

This is the first week of The Sassy Quilter's Triangle Sew Along. Her button is on the side of my blog. Click the button link for more information. This week we sign up and show a picture of fabrics we have chosen to use for this challenge. I've had these S&M Fabrics from Australia for a year or two. I think they will make a pretty triangle quilt.

This is a picture of my "Bee In My Bonnet Row Along Quilt" hanging in the Wilkes County Library. I made it during Lori Holt's Row Quilt Sew Along last year. It won a ribbon in September's Wilkes County Quilt Show and will be on on display in the Library for a month. I'm doing a little happy dance.

2014 RSC, March Week 4, Goodnight Irene Progress, A RSC Finish

After a busy week in the sewing room, I'll add four 7" string teal blocks, a hot pad/pot holder and two cotton knitted dishcloths to my collections. I used two blocks pieced during last year's RSC to make the hot pad.
To see what others made with their teal scraps this week, go here Saturday morning.

Last year I made 9" crossroads blocks each month during the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. Week before last I pieced them together and added a couple borders. This week I quilted them with a loose free motion meander. After a go in the washer and dryer it finished at about 40" x 40". This is a donation baby quilt.
Thank you Connie for sharing the crossroads block pattern last year.

This month I added three rows to my Goodnight Irene quilt top. I'll add another row or two and a border next month. That will make it approximately 72" x 88" or a nice twin size. It's not too late to join the fun. You can find our host, Terry, by clicking the Goodnight Irene button on the side of my blog.

During the February Wilkes Quilters Guild meeting Clue 1, instructions for a Scrappy Mystery Quilt, was passed out to members. I'm making the 50" x 60" version. First clue is to cut 120 pieces of fabric from scraps. We get the second clue during our March meeting. When finished, I'll donate this quilt to the guild.

It's H2H time again! YAH! Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, is collecting quilts for three charities. To find out more about this quilt drive, click the button on the side of my blog. Please take a moment to visit her blog and think about making a donation quilt.

2014 RSC March, Aqua, Teal, Turquoise, Week 3 and QOV Blocks for Kevin the Quilter

After playing with my aqua, teal and turquoise scraps, I'll add three 8.5" blocks, four 6.5' sampler blocks and four cocoa mugs blocks to my collections. A cotton knitted dishcloth made it into the picture. Love the little soul searching type block.
Yesterday I pulled the colorful, scrappy crossroads blocks I pieced last year during the Rainbow Scrap Challenge and sewed them together. I added a couple borders and pieced a backing from stash. The quilt top and backing is sandwiched with batting and ready to quilt with a loose free motion meander. Hopefully I'll finish this donation baby quilt next week and post a picture next Saturday.
To see what other's made with their scraps this week go here Saturday morning.

Kevin the Quilter is hosting a QOV block drive. You can read about it here. These five 12.5" QOV blocks didn't take long to make and they are on the way to Kevin in Missouri.

2014 Rainbow Scrap Challenge March, Aqua, Teal, Turquoise, Week 2

After playing with my aqua, teal and turquoise scraps I'll add five 8.5" blocks and one 6.5" sampler block to my collections. A couple knitted dishcloths made it into the picture. The 8.5" cat block is made with this pattern.. I like this site. Lots of free quilt block patterns and good instructions.
To see what others made with their scraps this week, visit our Rainbow Scrap Challenge host Angela as Soscrappy here.

Local Quilt Shop 2013 BOM Quilt Finish

Because we have a thick layer of ice outside with ice and rain still coming down, pictures of my Sewingly Yours 2013 BOM batik quilt finish were taken indoors. It's quilted with a loose free motion meander. The binding is a a colorful leaf print.
Instructions were to piece the blocks on point. If I had bought the finishing kit, the quilt would have been much larger. A BIG quilt. However, I opted to sash the blocks and make a lap quilt.

I used some green and blue batik fabrics from my stash and a row of 8.5" tulips pieced from my batik scraps to make the backing. After a go in the washer and dryer, it finished at 45"x 58".
It feels good to have a UFO from last year finished.

Sewingly Yours Quilt Shop 2013 BOM Bird of Paradise Blocks by Lynn G. Hopeman, Quilt Top

Last year, 2013, my sewing buddy and I signed up to do a "Block of the Month" at our local quilt shop, Sewingly Yours. The blocks were called "My Favorite Flowers" by Lynn G. Hopeman. Basically one bought the first block, attended monthly meetings to show the previous month's completed 12.5" block and receive fabric and pattern for a new quilt block. The meeting was a 15 minute demonstration and some announcements.
There were two colorways, batiks or Kaffe Fassett prints. We chose batiks. A finished quilting kit could be purchased at the end of the year. The suggested finished quilt, 89""x 110",  had blocks on point and borders. There was an option to buy additional blocks by Lynn Hopeman.
I decided to simply sash my blocks and make a lap quilt. My sewing buddy wants to sew her blocks into pillows for gifts. The names of the blocks in my lap top quilt from left to right and top to bottom are: Bird of Paradise, Pansy, Rose Buds, Rose, Prairie Flower, Amaryllis, Double Tulip, Double Aster, Daffodil (paper pieced block), Clover Blossom, Chrysanthemum and then another Double Tulip. Actually the 12'th month was an APPLIQUE DAISY. Beautiful, but I didn't want to make it so I chose to make another Double Tulip. I used the green fabric and light blue background fabric meant for the Daisy and pulled some purple scraps left over when I made the Pansy block.
My lap top flimsy is about 47.5"x 61". The blue batik sashing was in my stash. I think the flowers blocks appear to be floating in water. Hopefully I can piece a backing from my batik stash and later free motion meander quilt it with cream thread and bind it with a colorful leaf print batik from my stash. I'll post a picture when it's finished.
This is a lengthy post, but I wanted to write about my local quilt shop BOM experience. It was a chance to meet other quilters in the area. I got to better know the nice people at the quilt shop and learn some new techniques. It was a positive experience.

2014 Rainbow Scrap Challenge March, Aqua/Teal/Turquoise, Week 1

I had two aqua/teal/turquoise Scrappy Happy houses from previous RSC years. Today I pieced two more, pictured on the left, and sewed wonky borders on all four. They are now 10" blocks. As soon as I have 42 happy house blocks, I'll sew them into a quilt top.
To see what others made with their scraps, go here.