Snowy but still green

 Hey all! So here we are in this wintry less than wonderland, where we have been for several days now. I have to say I'm a little tired of it. Everything was closed yesterday because of the weather, and I once again had to shovel snow. Once was a fun novelty, but I'm over it now. Like, really over it.

I've been getting ready for the coming semester, which hopefully will start on Monday if all the students can manage to get to campus and move in, but I did find time to start in on my second RSC project for this year. Here are the two blocks, photographed in the snow this morning:

Those are different, aren't they? I've seen several people in RSC-land who have made quilts with tons of pieces and they have turned out amazing. The pattern I chose doesn't have a ton of pieces but I think it will look cool in rainbow colors. It's called Granny Long Legs, by our sweet friend Preeti. (Surprise, Preeti!) 

This pattern is not complicated, but I'm making mine scrappy so I had to figure out how to make just one block since the pattern is strip pieceed. Once I did that it went together really quickly. It's much less complicated than it looks!

I almost didn't make the bright green block, but I was able to dig out enough of these fabrics to cobble one together. I think the dark green one could have used a little more contrast, but I'm sticking to the scraps I have, not making more. I'm really, really pleased with how the bright green turned out. Better scraps in that bin!

The pattern has 25 blocks, but I'm going to go for 16 blocks and see how things turn out. I know for sure that there are a few colors that won't make it into a quilt (no light green! maybe no dark blue!) but I'm confident there are enough scraps in most bins to make a block each month. 

Okay, back to my reading list! Must write some more assignments to be ready for Monday.  Everybody stay warm and dry. If the snow is going to melt in a few days, why shovel it now? :) (And hey--do you like the larger print? I'm on the fence.)

Sharing at soscrappy for RSC24.

Centered and quilty

 Hello all! How many quilts are you sitting under right now? It is seriously cold here in Maryland right now and I'm just sitting here crossing my fingers that someone moves our upcoming big work meeting to Zoom. Too much to hope for? Well, today I shoveled snow for the first time in literally two years, so I'm feeling entitled to hope for that.

I just have a couple of updates today. I know I told you about the Stay at Home Round Robin by Quilting Gail and Friends, and it starts this week! You can get more information about the whole project right HERE if staying at home and sewing sounds pretty good to you. The first step is to choose a center block to start with, and here is mine:

Okay, that's more of a center panel than a block, but I'm using it anyway. I made this a long time ago and I had so many ideas for it, but none of them ever got done. So why not use it now? And can you tell I was really, really motivated to take an outdoor picture? Look at that snow! This block measures about 19-1/2 by 28-1/2, which is kind of big to start with. The rounds don't have to go all the way around, though, so I expect I'll be putting a few on the top and bottom and not all around. Some will go all around, though, don't worry!

The other thing I've started working on is the Dot to Dot Quilting Challenge from Angela Walters at Quilting is My Therapy. Unbelievably, the videos and some of the extras are free, and you can get all the information right HERE. 

Angela is selling a couple of practice panels, but I have a ton of medical bills to pay from this past year, so I pulled these two pieces out of the closet:

 

 

These have a lot of the same shapes as her panel and are good sizes for me to handle (the bigger one is about 36 inches square) so I think they'll work out.  I basted them and was brave enough to quilt in a couple of triangles so far, and I'm pretty pleased. I figure I'll get some practice and learn a few new things, and get a couple of pieces out of the closet as well.

That's life in the sewing room around here right now. We're going to get more snow, so I had better locate that heating pad and be ready to shovel again! Stay warm, wherever you are!

It's a little windy as well as snowy!

Sharing at the SAHRR linkup at Quilting Gail.

Stormy pink January

 Hello all, and happy weekend! Are you having a storm this weekend? We had one last week and it looks like there is another one coming. I'm happy to report that the roof did not leak again. Hurray! The industrial dryers are gone and it is much, much quieter in the house now. The storm left a ton of debris on the lawn, though, and you'll see some of it in a couple pictures in this post. I really need to get those old trees cut down. . .

This week, I sewed! It was great, especially because I put the binding on a bright, happy pink quilt. Check it out:

Does that not shine in the dreary, weak January sun? I am so thrilled that it's finished and that I actually got a picture of it--it's been a bit windy here. We had a huge storm with all kinds of rain and wind and it really did a number on some of our trees. Debris everywhere!

With some of the many limbs that came down!

 

This quilt was made from leftover parts from another quilt-- really!-- and you can read the whole story HERE. If not for the rainbow scrap challenge last year, I'm not sure that those parts would ever have gotten used. They kicked around here for quite a while.

 

 

 The front of this quilt turned out great, but I love, love, love the back! A while ago I mentioned that this could be my favorite fabric ever, and a kind soul gifted me a big piece of yardage. I love it so much. It worked great on the back of this quilt, and I have a nice big piece left over to use in another quilt, too. I am already dreaming of what I can do with it.

This little quilt was quilted for me by Alycia, who hosts Finished or Not Friday, too. The texture is perfect on the quilt, just enough of the swoopy and swirly stuff to complement but not overwhelm. She did a fantastic job! Once this was washed , it turned out even better, all nice and crinkly. 

I am so happy to have this done and to see those weird leftovers turn into something soft and cozy. Maybe this is why I have such a hard time letting go of all the bits and pieces and weird chunks and mistakes. Look what they can turn into! Spoiler alert: I sent Alycia another quilt made from still more leftovers from that same quilt, and it turned out equally awesome.

 

 

 

Everyone have a wonderful and safe weekend! I have to try to get more of those sticks and limbs and stuff cleared off the lawn before the next storm, then I'm planning on cozying up with a nice book in my newly quiet and dry house. Highly recommend that you all do the same!

 

 Sharing at Finished or not Friday, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Brag About Your Beauties,TGIFF,  and the Patchwork and Quilts linkup at Quilting, Patchwork, Applique. And soscrappy for RSC24, too!

New year, new rainbow

 Hi everyone! How's 2024 in your corner of the world? I'll tell you about ours at the end of this post, but so far it's been a real trip. Over the holiday I did almost no sewing! Can you believe it? I just needed the break from everything so much. My brain needed a massive rest. It was lovely, and now I'm back to my regularly scheduled life. Classes don't start for a bit yet, but the getting ready is definitely in full swing. 

For the rainbow scrap challenge this year I've decided on. . . Drunkard's Path blocks! Giant ones, too. Take a look:

In December, AccuQuilt had a 'buy one, get one' sale on their cutting dies. This was huge, because those things are really pricey and I generally can't afford them, so I treated myself to two new dies. One that I got was the 7-inch finished Drunkard's Path block. It's a departure for me, that's true, but it makes the cutting so, so much easier and means that my blocks will actually turn out.

In comparison to the blocks that I usually make, these blocks are enormous. This makes the curves so much easier to sew, too. As a bonus, I figure that by the time I make 80 or 90 of these I'll be an expert at piecing curves.

I'm pretty cleaned out of dark green, but I do have some bright greens, and I think they made lovely blocks. Each cut makes two blocks in opposite colors, and I did manage to find a piece of dark green that works. You need those darks for good color balance, you know.

Trying to be artsy! Failing!

So that's one RSC project begun! I have another one in mind and I may join in on some of Angela's tiny blocks, too. We'll see.

Here's why 2024 so far has been a trip and a half:

Our brand new roof leaked, and those are the industrial dryers that are drying out the wood rafters after everything on the roof got fixed again. They've been here a week.They are seriously loud and are making me crazy but are doing the job. I don't care so much about the drywall in the ceiling, but I can't even think about the damage to the wood floor without choking up. The insurance guys said they'll make us 'whole,' but gosh, what a way to get there!

Okay, we're keeping a good thought, right? Nothing to do but break out the rainbows and get stitching!

Sharing at soscrappy for RSC24 (can you believe it?)