Saturday, July 11, 2020

Mixed blues

Hi everyone, and happy Saturday!  I hope you're all doing well. Is is just absolutely sweltering near you? It is so incredibly warm here right now, and humid as all get out, and it looks like we're about to have . . .a tropical storm? What? Yeah, I don't know either. I just know it's slowing down my renovations yet again.

Today I just have a very short post to show this little bit of progress for the rainbow scrap challenge this year. This month's color is dark blue, and here's my progress so far:


A mixed blues basket! Much like the mixed greens, actually. Blue fabric and I are not good friends, so I made one basket to hold all the blue scraps.  I don't know why I don't use a lot of blue fabrics, really, because I don't have anything against blue. It's a perfectly lovely color! And I do have some blue yardage, I just don't use it very often.


This basket is made entirely from 2-1/2 inch squares, only 3 of which I had to cut to finish the basket. Really, only three. I pulled these out of my handy 2-1/2 inch squares bin, and I used all of the blues in there. Some of these are very old, but now they've been used up, and that is a happy fact indeed.


The quilting here is a simple crosshatch. It's boring, but efficient, and really easy. It only took something like 10 minutes to quilt this. The binding is also a leftover bit from the binding basket, and I'm thrilled that it got used up.

I was looking ahead to the other baskets I need to make, and I have the usual colors, but I also have a scrap bin full of miscellaneous fabrics:


You know, various dots, stripes, multicolors, brights on white, novelties. . .fabrics that really have no other home. I think I'm going to make a basket just for them as well, because homeless fabric is just sad, you know?

That's my update for now. Today is my father's 80th birthday. Yes, eight decades of awesome! In the before time, before the virus, we had planned a really big celebration for him, with family and friends, and all of us kids and grandkids showing up, even all of the great grandchildren. That is not happening now. We'll still get together, some of us over the Internet via various platforms, but it will not be the same. I'm a little sad about that, because if ever anyone deserved a celebration of life, it's my dad, but at least he will still know he's loved and appreciated. Perhaps we'll be able to have a blowout for 81? Let us pray.

Have a lovely, if warm, weekend everyone, with lots of happy moments and a stitch or two if possible. Hug your parents if you're able. Lots of people wish they could do that, especially right now. And don't forget to stay safe and healthy!

Sharing at soscrappy for RSC20

20 comments:

The Joyful Quilter said...

Nice job on using up SEW many of those really old Dark BLUE scraps, Mari! Your basket is really pretty. OLD fabrics included!

Preeti said...

Love the hot pink flower against the bright blue. I noticed that a turquoise blue square sneaked into the blues party. So naughty. Stripes, dots and multicolors on white are my favorites - they can never be homeless!!! We visit Paul's parents once a year, every year since we have been married, usually for Thanksgiving (sometimes on Christmas). But not this year, Paul was rueful but firm. As far as my travel to India is concerned, I don't see that happening until we have a vaccine. Wishing your dad a very happy and healthy birthday.

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

nice use of color!! I love those baskets and after you have been showing them I was thinking of making some too but then I realized I don't have anyplace to put them!! I don't have a storage place to put out baskets of fabric and need to keep in the canvas boxes - other way would be to replace the canvas boxes with boxes of patch work

Quilter Kathy said...

So fun to look at your fabrics and see which ones I have or have had in the past! Great basket!

piecefulwendy said...

That's a pretty little fabric bin. I'm with you on blue; not opposed ot it, it's just not my go-to color. Happy Birthday to your dad - so sad that he won't be able to have a big 80th birthday bash, but I will join you in praying that his 81st can be a big celebration.

MissPat said...

Happy 80th Birthday to your Dad. Hope Faye breezed through without too much damage. Looks like the hot weather will continue for most of July. We're sweltering here (no AC) so I'm not getting much of anything done but reading.
Pat

scraphappy said...

I hope we will all be having giant parties next year. We all need something to look forward to right now. Lovely blue basket. Funny that you don't have much. I'm drowning in blues.

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

I like your mixed blues basket, Mari! That was a great idea! Happy Birthday to your dad, too. I'll miss seeing my mom on her birthday this year, too, and I feel terrible about that. We'll definitely hope to be having a better year next year! It is also sweltering here in Colorado - stay cool!

Bernie Kringel said...

Sweltering in Northern CA as well but at least not humid. Happy 80th birthday to your father. It is astounding how many celebrations have been cancelled in this nightmare of a year. Weddings, birthdays, graduations and on and on. Really sad. But soon as we can get back to normal, we will be so grateful.
Yes on the multicolor basket - that will be a fun one to make. Question though - where do you plant to put the baskets. I love the idea but don't have a way to use them. I have scraps in this clear shoebox size plastic bins and they are stacked under a desk. Not pretty but it works.

JanineMarie said...

Such a cute blue bin, even if you might not have much to put in it? I’m drooling over your multicolored scraps. They go together so well, I can almost see a quilt there. I think my multicolor bin is the most jam packed, but I’m stumped about what to do with them because they don’t Play well together. I’ll be thinking of you on your physically distanced birthday celebration for your dad. I think there will be some big pull-out-all-the-stops (archaic pipe organ reference? Yikes, I’m getting old) partying when this pandemic is over to make up for lost time. In the meantime, stay safe and close through technology, and hope that everyone else does, too, so that we truly can get to the other side of it someday.

Louise said...

A "miscellaneous fabric" basket is a good idea! Those pieces are fun but always a bit tricky to use. My batch looks a lot like yours! :)

Cathy said...

What a nice basket for all the blues. I have a big pile of multicolor too. I like them but they just don't seem to work in a lot of blocks with other fabrics.

My Dad turned 90 in May and we missed a party too which was especially sad because he is not doing very well health wise.

Cathy said...

Mari, your blue basket turned out perfectly! Like you, I am combining all my blues into one basket - and for the same reason. I believe (in looking at the RSC page on Angela’s blog) that November will be devoted to light neutrals and multi-colored fabrics. I’ll probably make my multi-colored basket then. Happy Awesome Birthday to your Dad! How blessed you are to have him still here with you!

Jenny said...

Such a pretty blue basket for your scraps. Yes, I think you do need to make one for those miscelaneous white and coloured fabrics, something pretty to give them a home. Do say Happy Birthday to your Dad from your blog readers, we come from right around the world, you know! I'm from New Zealand way down in the Pacific Ocean.

grammajudyb said...

Loving your blue basket. I ended up with a light blue one and a dark blue one! I’ll need a multi one also.
Happy Birthday to your Dad! My Dad’ birthday is today too! He would have been 100 years old today! I lost him when I was 23 and he was 49.

We did have a Zoom birthday for 4 year old Bella on Tuesday! She thought it was great fun! We watched her eat a Unicorn cake , “with sprinkles” and my diet wasn’t compromised! Heehee!

It’s warm here in Wyoming today too! Not humid,though!

Quiltdivajulie said...

Oh, you absolutely. need a MISC bucket for those brights on whites / multicolor pieces. Your blues are lovely!!

Sara said...

After a hot humid week, today it’s only 83 degrees and not sticky. A lovely change. Your baskets are so cute. My scrap bins are out of control again.

Kate said...

Happy birthday to your father. So sorry you can't do the big celebration this year.

Love your blue basket and looking forward to seeing the one from your brights on white. That will be one bright basket!

Deb A said...

Happy birthday to your Dad! I hope he had a great day. Your blue basket is so charming and I agree, those fabrics deserve their own special basket to reside in. Stay cool and safe this weekend.

Sandra Walker said...

I was scrolling back through Angela's last couple of posts, since I've had my head down sewing, and I spied your blue basket, so I had to come see! Sadly my dark blue one didn't quite get finished by the end of the month, and it was my OMG... Ah well all five panels are done, ready to quilt. I like the cross-hatching and yay for using up all the 2.5" squares in your bin! I still have some left after making my blocks for both my RSC projects, which is why I'm going to make a light and bright blues basket as well. Good idea on the multi-coloured fabric basket - I may do that as well.