SCRAP BURNING

I mentions over the last several months that I have been on a mission to do some de-stashing of older fabrics and my scrap bins.  A few weeks ago I saw a post for a Rainbow Scrap Challenge. 

I laid out three fabrics in several colors in order to make nine blocks in each color.  

I packaged them up once cut and finally completed nine different color packages.

So this is the block.  I must admit it took a bit of time to get the hang of getting these together.  On the first strip you can only sew the first rectangle half way across the center square.  Then complete that seam after all the rest on sewn to the square. 

 All the pink color way are done.

Green next.

Blue and so forth.  Lots of scraps used, no dent in the stash what so ever.  But aren't they fun.  

OK, after lots of messages and other requests for ducks.  Here is another photo of ducks in the swimming pool with my yougnest grandson.  Mrs. Duck really enjoys the pool, especially flooding along on a pool raft.  One get tired of swimming so she likes to take a rest.   

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PLACEMAT UPDATES AND GIFTS

This week I have decided I need to add a couple new placemats to use for husband and my dinners.  In the past I purchased placemats, but they have become really pricey in the stores and the fabrics are not always very nice quality.

All I need is two.  So a bit less than a half a yard gives me two nice placemats that are 14 by 18 inches.  They are bound in just two strips WOF.  I quilted them with a serpentine stitch one inch apart.  

And done really quickly with a purple binding.  I even sew the binding down, stitch in the ditch, on the machine.  

And a second set of two, ready to machine sew that binding down too.  

And a new runner for my daughter.  Goes with her gang of pets.

Her ducks and.

The chickens.

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WELCOME SUMMER BAG

I love Tilda fabric.  I have a pretty significant stash of it and I keep every little scrap.  I happened on a free pattern at Tilda World in their Blog section for just the perfect large bag.

So lots of cutting out of pieces.  Blocks consisted of one each of  3.5 by 5; 6 by 9; 7.5 by 3.5 and 6 by 3.5 times 12.  

All the block put together and quilted onto a simple muslin backing.

My quilting consisted of a serpentine stitch sewn 1.5 inches apart down the long side of the piece.  I used Frixon pens to keep lines straight.  

Two 26 inch straps made with 4 inch wide pieces.  I love how the handles came out.  You just lay a 3 inch piece of batting, I use Warm and Natural pin, press, and fold in half.

I used a straight stitch down each side and in the middle using 28 wt thread in a blue variegated thread, which was what I used to also quilt the bag.  There is a lining put into it so it has a pretty lining and a pretty Tilda front.   

I have to make another one of these.  A perfect gift for some special person.  

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CHRISTMAS IN JULY

I decided to make a second Hot August Night mini quilt this past week.  My first is shown in my Featured Post.

I had to seek help from the local Office Depot store to increase my appliqué pattern to a size that would fit nicely on a 16 inch square mini quilt.  

I got these little guys all fused on and ready to appliqué them down.

Now to quilt the background.  I searched several ideas and finally just decided to go with this simple snowflake idea.  

A few different sizes to fit and I am ready to quilt it.  

I added the button in three different sizes and it is ready to go.

This whole idea came of realizing I needed a Christmas runner for our neighbors.  She brings over some really wonderful gifts every year for the last two and I have been left feeling a bit surprised so do not want to have a repeat this year.  I need two more of these blocks and then will quilt them with a spiral quilting on each.  

Last week I posted my oldest grandson relaxing in the pool with his dog and mentioned that their ducks often join in the fun too.  One of my blog watchers wanted to see the ducks.  Thus, here is Ben our youngest grandson in the pool with the lady duck.

And her handsome mate that often joins in as well.

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DRUMMER BOY

I have an addiction to Dresden blocks.  When I saw Rachel's Drummer Boy pattern I had to have it.  

I do not intend to make a bed size quilt.  I am aiming for  42 by 42 inches, which will require 49 blocks.  

Now these blades are only 4 inches long, so I can get two out of 5 inch charm squares.  I stopped into our Tuesday Morning store and found a number of charm packs with the funky fabric I desired.  Not my normal fabric taste, but every once an a while one has to cut loose.  

So cutting blades begins.  I love the crazy fabrics.  

Enough for row one.  Five blades per block, 49 blocks, 245 blades. Let the fun begin.  Believe me this will take some time.  

Her we are, just have to get this set onto a 6.5 inch square.

And the first block is done.  I appliquéd the blades down with invisible thread literally 1/16 from the edge.  Almost invisible.  One done and 244 to go!

It is summer here, about 102 today.  My oldest grandson has taken to the pool for the afternoon.  What can be better than a loved pet floating away the day in the pool with you.  The only thing that may be missing is my daughter's two ducks floating around in there with them.   

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CLEAR VINYL FRONT ZIPPER BAGS

I happened onto a tutorial on the Fat Quarter Shop last weekend and thought this is one of the projects that I really need to store project that are in process.

I selected this fabric for the back of the bag, sandwiched it with a lining and a medium weight Pellon stabilizer.  Then proceeded to quilt it with diagonal straight lines. 

 This lime green lining matched the little green dots on the main fabric.  

I sewed strips on three sides of my vinyl and the fourth side put a zipper between two strips.  I used 2.5 inch strips.  Do not pin, use  clips.

Here it is ready to bind.

I decided to bind it in the green fabric.  The bag measures 18 by 18 inches and the vinyl 13 by 13.  Plenty of room for the larger blocks.

For those who remember that my daughter lives out in the country and keeps a flock of chickens, Ginny hens, ducks, and peacocks this is her new chicken addition.  She is a rescue from a busy country highway one afternoon.  We are all wondering what color her eggs will be.  Unfortunately she has already discovered by daughter's flower beds, but doesn't she look lovely in that setting. 

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LET'S STAY HOME

I have hoarded a pretty good stack of Tilda fabric from several different lines.  

I noticed a cute pattern at the Fat Quarter Shop by Melissa Mortenson called Let's Stay Home.  It has these cute little houses, which caught my eye and seemed a nice idea to use those fabric.

The Star in the bottom row are easy and one of my favorite go to blocks.  However, the pattern called for making the star point with half square triangles.  I prefer to do them with flying geese.  I love using this Bloc Loc ruler.  Perfect every time.  

And in no time at all I have a star complete.

Now the house are paper pieced.  It had been a bit of time since I had done this, so fortunately the pattern really has excellent directions.  So, one large house, one tall, house, and one small house were quickly finished up.    

However, I decided that the large house needed windows, it seems a bit plain.  So I spent a bit of time adding them to the pattern.  I think it worked!!!!!

They are a bit small, but maybe next house I will try enlarging them a bit. 

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HOT AUGUST NIGHT CHALLENGE

My guild has a challenge that is done every August called Hot August Nights.  This year the challenge is to do a seasonal wall hanging 17 by 17 inches, which will be used for our Blocks on the Move project.  This project has two large wooden display racks that are taken to a different venue each month.  Venues are hospitals, libraries, senior citizen housing, and other such establishments.  
I decided to start early since I didn't have any thing in mind to do.  So, I spent a good deal of time going through quilting books and magazines in my stash.  Finally I came upon an idea I liked.  

I am particularly fond of fall, so decided to do something with pumpkins and leaves.  Rather than square off the lower section of my piece I thought rounding it was a nice idea.  

So I have all my leaves on it and I was ready to spray baste it onto my back ground and begin the quilting process.  I knew that I would quilt curved lines in the pumpkin to shape it and veins in the leaves, but I was not sure what to do in the blank areas.  My husband suggested quilting acorns.  So I search through a number of quilting idea books I have and happened on to just what I needed.  

 Here was what I found.  I traced it onto gold paper and sewed right through the paper on the traced lines.  Worked great!  However, this particular acorn worked good for some of the large space, but not the smaller.  You do have to admit a great computer printer/copier with the ability to shrink or enlarge is a wonderful tool.  I just copied the acorn at 80%.

And here it is all done.  Hopefully you can see the quilting on the leaves and pumpkin, plus those cute acorns.    

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