2015 RSC August Black Gray White, Week 5 and a Scrappy Log Cabin Quilt Finish

It's been a busy week and all I have to show for the black, gray and white scrappy sewing is this pot holder.  Oops. I forgot to add a hanging loop. Where's my seam ripper.
To see what others made with their scraps go here.

Quilt guild meeting was last week. I made four 8.5" patriotic blocks to donate. I also made a small child size Laurel Burch cat print tote to sell in the quilt show's boutique. Money collected will help buy supplies for charity projects.

My "Let's Book It" scrappy log cabin quilt is finished and I love it. The white sashing and solid borders calms the scrappy blocks. The binding is red with small white flowers. Their tiny centers are blue, turquoise, red, yellow, pink, and orange.

The backing is a happy yellow print. To make two vertical widths of fabric to work, I added a row of blocks for extra length. The yellow sashing between the blocks make them look like they are floating. After quilting and a go in the washer and dryer it finished at 66" x 85.5". Shrunk quite a bit. It will be difficult to part with this one : )
This quilt is a "Let's Book It Project" that I started last month. This post showing the finished quilt will be linked to Sharon Vrooman's "Let's Book It" blog post this month.

2015 RSC August Black and Gray Week 4, Scrappy Log Cabin Flimsy

This week I sashed 48 scrappy log cabin blocks with 2" strips of Kona White and 2" squares cut from scraps. The inner border is a 2" wide Kona White. The second border is a 2" wide yellow print. The outer border is a 4" wide turquoise dragonfly print. The flimsy is 68.5" x 86.5". It will shrink some during quilting and after go in the washer and dryer. I'll work on the backing next week.
The colorful strips and squares used to make the blocks for this quilt flimsy were cut from scraps during this year's rainbow scrap challenge. I'm slowly working through all my scraps this year, cutting them into usable units. The blocks in this flimsy went together fast since everything was already cut. I used a piece of black print or gray print in each log cabin block. I had hoped to do more with my black, gray and white scraps, but I ran out of time. Luckily, we have a fifth Saturday in August.
To see what other made with their RSC scraps, go here.

2015 RSC August, Black, Gray, Week Week 3, Dresden Forest Finish

After playing with black, gray and white crumbs and strings, I'll add one 8.5" Eye of God block to my collection. That makes four so I apparently missed making this block every month. Since this is a FIVE Saturday month, I'll have time to sort that out and make a few more of them in colors I missed. Two crumb blocks made it into the picture. They will become a hot pad this week. A red cotton knitted dish cloth started last month and finished this month is in the first row. Twenty-four of scrappy log cabin blocks are in the picture. They are addictive. I have forty-nine blocks now. Since I need forty-eight blocks, I'll start sashing them together this week.
To see what others made with their scraps this week, go here Saturday morning.

I finished my Dresden Forest this week. The trees were made with my newly acquired Dresden Ruler. This piece was quilted using my domestic sewing machine's walking foot. Five of the sun's rays have some hand stitched silver metallic thread over then.

Using silver metallic thread, I sewed a few tiny white glass beads on the trees and here and there beside the trees. I didn't want this to be a Christmas only wall hanging, so I gave it a modern, snowy, winter look. I could then leave it hanging on the wall year around. It finished at 23.5" x 33.5". I'm calling it finished after I sew a label on the back. My inspiration was a cute place mat made by Karen Jordan that I saw here.

2015 RSC August Black Gray and White

After using all my 16 patch blocks in last week's RSC quilt finish, I've started making them again. If I make FOUR 16 patch blocks each month of the RSC year, I'll have 48 rainbow blocks for a quilt next year. Pictured are four 8.5" blocks in black, gray and white.
The scrappy log cabin blocks are addictive. I made 12 more this week. They found their way into the picture. To see what others made with their scraps, go here.

I'm working on a challenge piece for the annual quilt show. This is my work in progress. The opened ended theme is "Tree". Nothing more. No rules except it can't exceed 36" x 36" in size. This one will be about 23" x 35". After much thought, I decided to use my newly acquired Dresden Ruler and make a framed Dresden Forest. I used this cute little place mat as my inspiration. I'm auditioned frame borders. Add some beads? Buttons? Birds? When it's finished, if I don't think it will work for the show, I'll just hang it in my house.

Let's Book It, Red Pepper Quilts Log Cabin Tutorial

For July's "Let's Book It" project I looked through my computer's bookmarks and found a bookmark that I had saved in 2011, Red Pepper Quilts Log Cabin tutorial. Here is a link to that post. If I had a nickel for every time I have looked at this post over the years I would have a LOT of nickels. My plastic tubs of scrappy 2' strips and 2.5" squares are almost full and this project will make dents in both. I sketched the block on graph paper and penciled in the measurements of each piece of the block. Then I got to cutting and sewing.

And this is what I have so far. I'm having a blast and plan to work on several blocks a week until I have enough for a busy, scrappy, colorful quilt or two.
Today I'm linking up to Sharon Vrooman's "Let's Book It" July 2015 post.

2015 RSC August Indigo, Black, Gray Week 1 and a RSC 8.5" Blocks Quilt Finish

Quilting my RSC 8.5" Blocks Quilt didn't leave much time to sew scraps into blocks. I did finish four 6.5" scrappy string blocks and sew them together to make a 12.5" "Eye of God" block to add to my collection. That makes eight of these blocks this year. When I have twelve, I'll sash them and make a quilt.

I sashed forth-eight of my 8.5" RSC blocks with 2" wide Kona white strips and 2" square cornerstones. The inner white border is 2" wide and the outer green border is 3" wide. It's quilted with a loose free motion meander and bound with a purple print.

The backing is a yellow print and a row of scrappy RSC 8.5" blocks. After a go in the washer and dryer it finished at 63" x  82.5". Feels good to have another RSC quilt finish.