Firecracker reds

 Hello all! I am waving wildly, even if you can't see me. Welcome to mid-July! Yep, summer is going away super fast. A month from today we'll be ramping up for the fall semester. Yikes! I think I just had a moment of panic. Here's hoping it passes quickly, because I just don't have time for that right now.

What better color for a hot and wet July than red? As you may know, red is not my favorite color, and I haven't historically had a lot of red. But I do have some, and some of them are quite nice! Take a look at my four 9-inch blocks:

Okay, that is not the best picture. It's not entirely my fault-- the grass was too wet to lay the blocks out there. The stone patio was actually not wet, even though it looks it. Still, those reds really stand out, don't they?

Thankfully, I got some better pictures separately:

 

See? Cute reds. The red on the right is very old and I'm glad to see the last of it. And in my Judy Hopkins block book the block on the left is called Foxy Grandpa. Who could resist? 

And a closeup of the other two as well:

 

These red blocks were really easy and went together fast. I love the one on the right, with the red print. Such a great block. Jusy Hopkins calls it Christmas Star, but its historical name is Best of All.

Astonishingly, that's not the end of the reds! I also made two red 6-inch blocks for a separate project:

Or maybe I'll combine the two sizes of blocks! Not really sure at this point, just making blocks to make myself  happy. You know, it's the little things. (I swear that block on the left is made properly! It's just hanging weirdly on the flower pot.)

Finally for today, I never showed the green and light blue little blocks:

Last month I was very confused about the color, so I went with both pastel blue and lime green. If lime comes around again I'll sub in black or brown or something. Variety is good, right?

So that was a lot of blocks, but that's what I could manage after wrestling (literally) with some very active grandchildren. Where do they get all that energy? As my hubby always says, youth is wasted on the young. They eat like birds, too, so I really don't know where it comes from.

Have a great weekend everyone! I'm working on my Positivity quilts while it rains. I think there's also laundry to do, but that can always wait, right? 

Sharing at soscrappy for RSC23.

Hot and smoky

 Hi everyone, from my safe perch inside and away from the smoky air outside. Yes, it has rolled in again, though not as bad as last time around. While I like barbeque that is hot and smoky, I can't say I care for it in the air. Canadian friends who are feeling the brunt of the wildfires, I really feel your pain! I hope those fires are under control soon.

 

So here we are at the first of July, and I already have some red blocks to show off. Warning, I took all of these pictures just as it started to rain, so the colors are a bit off. The haze and smoke did not help, either, though these pretty blocks shine right through:

 

 

Yes, the red Peace and Plenty blocks. And look at those great red fabrics! I have no idea where those prints came from. I'm guessing they were something I got in a fat quarter sale somewhere, but they look great in these blocks. I don't have much red, but these are making me happy!

I also finished off June by making these fun lime green blocks:

And then, just because the blue basket was right there, I also made three light blue blocks:

 

You can see that I ran out of time and it had definitely started to rain by the time I got the blue blocks out. Those are raindrops on the blocks, not dirt! Plus, light blue is always hard to photograph, but I think you can see them okay against the grass.

Because it's the start of July and we're now more than halfway through the year, I also pulled out all the Peace and Plenty blocks and laid them out:

Somehow I have ended up with 24 blocks, but this is going to be a spectacular quilt. I only count yellow and aqua after this in terms of colors, but I must be missing one. Any thoughts?

And there we are! A good finish to June and a nice start to July. You can get the pattern and cutting directions for these blocks right HERE, if you're inclined to make a few. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend with breathable air, and a very nice holiday on the 4th. And happy Canada Day to our neighbors to the north, too!

Sharing at soscrappy for RSC23

Arabella has a garden

 Hello everyone! I hope you have been having a really good week. I'm still very down, but trying to work my way out of it. Our friend Preeti has released a new pattern, and she asked me to test it for her. I was going to say no, but some things happened, and I ended up saying yes. There is a story, but first, here is my version of Preeti's Arabella's Garden pattern:

Well, that's different, isn't it? But wait, there's more! Take a look:

Yes, I ended up making two. Preeti does not know about the second one, so she's probably said a few choice words by now, but they both have a story and both turned out well. I didn't get a chance to quilt the toddler size, but I think it turned out very cute and colorful and deserves some photos just the same.

 

Okay, I said there was a story, right? I was going to tell Preeti no, because I have a lot of work I'm doing and the family crisis is ongoing, as is the heartache. Well, then my brother called and wanted me to make a quilt for my sister in law, and could I please have it by their anniversary? Yikes! Does anyone say no to family? You are stronger than me. So it turned out that I could help two people in one go, testing Preeti's pattern and making a quilt for my brother at the same time. Win, win.

Okay, the quilt looks quite Christmassy, which was unintentional! My brother requested "cardinals" because my sister in law lost both her parents and has been very into cardinals lately. And then I had to add in the green because that was really the only color that would work for the corners. I guess I could have used more gray, but that might have been too depressing. You just have to listen to the fabric, you know?

 

 

I went looking for cardinals, but all of the cardinal fabric I found was Christmas fabric. I chose the least Christmassy one I could find (and there were not a lot), then combined it with a striped piece I already had which featured cardinals on a black background. I fussy cut that piece and only used the black stripes. I think they worked, and I'm glad they are out of here.

I quilted this in a crosshatch with pale gray thread in most of the quilt and black thread in the borders. The backing is the remaining cardinal fabric filled out with some gray to make the right width and length. And did you notice the mitered corners on those borders? The quilt is soft and cozy and ready to send off, and I really hope she likes it.

My quilt looks more traditional than Preeti's pattern, but that's me, you know? The pattern was very, very easy, and Preeti has this way of figuring out the least work-intensive way of making things. It's her genius, really, and many of those techniques are in the pattern, which is lavishly illustrated so you always know what to do. Some day I will figure out how to make illustrations that are that helpful!

So now we should talk about the toddler-sized, really colorful quilt. There is no real big story here, but I wanted to use fabrics that were much happier than the cardinals, and is there anything happier than a toddler quilt with yellow stars? I didn't notice until I was halfway through that the fabrics were mostly dots, but there we are!

This was a joy to work on and went together very easily. Most of this fabric, except for the background, came from the scrap bins, and even the yellow star fabric was a leftover from other projects. I think it worked out really well and I'm looking forward to quilting it. Since it's so dotty, I'm thinking bubbles for a quilting pattern.

And there we are! Run right over to Preeti's shop and grab yourself a pattern. This is a very easy pattern with great illustrations, directions for yardage and fat quarters, plus a fun coloring page. Plus it's on sale right now. You will not be sorry!

Hope everyone has a great weekend. The photo below has nothing to do with the quilts, but this friend was waiting for me right off our patio when I came home one day. Just hanging out, you know, like you do after a hard day in the trees.

 Sharing at Finished or not Friday, Brag About Your Beauties, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, and the Patchwork and Quilts linkup at Quilting Patchwork Applique.

Positively handsome

 Hi all! Every year I forget just how exhausting it is to get ready for a new academic year. How is this possible? I've done this a lot of times, so I should know by now, but somehow, I always leave things for the last minute. This is what I've been doing all week instead of sewing or literally any other fun stuff. I know you'll all understand when I say that I really need more summer. Come back, summer! We need more rest in the sunshine!

Ah, well. I've been trying to finish up the summer quilts, and today is the day for the beauty shots of this year's Positivity quilt. Here is the handsome fellow himself:

Pretty good looking, huh? I quilted this one in a nice meander in a medium beige thread and it is so, so soft. The very definition of a comfort quilt, really.

The hidden quilt holder in these pictures is Preeti, who came over one afternoon and held the quilt so I didn't have to pin it to a tree. The fabric is from an old line called Woodroses in Winter by Holly Taylor. (I think) Years ago, I fell into that spell that comes over you when you're with friends and you buy fabric you would never buy otherwise, so I had a bunch of it. I've been trying to use it up ever since. I'm happy to finally see it go into a quilt that will bring someone comfort at a hard time. 

The backing for this quilt is a vintage sheet, which is 100% cotton and very soft. It was perfect for this quilt, and it quilted up really nicely. The binding is just more of the red. Unbelievably, I still have about half a yard of the red left over! I think it was the right choice for binding this quilt.

I like how the twisty blocks turned out, with the secondary pattern, and I am really happy with how the panel pieces worked, too. I was afraid it would look weird, but now I think they really enhance the whole quilt.

 

Some of you may be wondering about the red and whether it would bleed. I actually washed it before I stitched it at all, and then I washed the quilt before I sent it off. It had dragged on the ground, after all. Miracle of miracles, there was no bleeding in the finished quilt! 

 

So it's off to Mercyful Quilts for this quilt, with a prayer for the eventual recipient. I hope someone finds this very red and very soft quilt very cozy and comforting. 

Hope you all have a great weekend. I'm going to try to work on some rainbow scrap challenge projects this weekend and rest my brain a bit. My niece is also stopping by on her way home from vacation, so that will be fun too. I'm thinking there will be ice cream, which is always good, isn't it? And I've finished up more of the summer quilts, too, so more fun finishes are coming!

Sharing at Finished or not Friday, the Patchwork and Quilts linkup at Quilting Patchwork Applique, and the Positivity linkup at Needle and Foot.

Handsome in red

 Hi everyone! How was your week? I'm happy to tell you that my head is a bit better. It helps to stay indoors, away from the nasty allergens outside. Thankfully, it is plenty warm and humid, so I don't mind it so much. But I do hate the treadmill! It's much better to walk outside. 

 

So, I would have shown off this quilt top much sooner today, but Google was acting very strange. It didn't want to upload photos or save things, which seem to be among its primary functions. Anybody else have that happen? Maybe it was messed up by our recent storms. It was frustrating, but I finally got everything put together correctly, just to show off this handsome red and twisty quilt top:

 

 

Hurray, it's together! This is the quilt I'm making for Preeti's Positivity quilt along, which benefits Mercyful Quilts. There is still time to jump in, and Preeti has a very easy and genius method for making the blocks. They go really fast, and even I could not mess them up.

I wanted to make my quilt gender neutral and good for anyone, and I also wanted to use up these fabrics that are not really my style. I think I succeeded on both counts. I think it looks kind of woodsy and cozy and good for people who like many different things. This quilt top finishes up at just about 60 by 76, which makes for a nice generous size.

You'll notice that I didn't make 80 blocks, as directed in the pattern. Yeah, I kind of ran out of the tan fabric. I made as many blocks as I could, then dug through a couple of bins and found these pieces that I had cut from a panel. Thank goodness I save everything, because I was able to piece them together into two large blocks to fill out the quilt top. I like how they look like puzzle pieces, too. I also added a narrow border all around the top just to corral all those seams and bring up the size a little bit.

I had to piece together the final three blocks from the leftover bits and pieces of the tan fabric. It wasn't that difficult, but I did sweat it out a bit. I did have a backup plan if I needed it, but thank goodness I didn't. As it turns out, the fabric in the picture above is literally all that's left of the tan fabric. I can't even say how happy it makes me to use all of that up. Unloved fabric turned into something cozy to comfort someone? Yes, please!

So, there is my finished quilt top! I was thinking about how to quilt this, and I think it's just going to get straight lines. I like cross hatching, so I might do that instead, but I think the straight lines would work really well for this. Open to other suggestions! I have enough of the red left for a binding, and I'm thinking about just a plain tan for the back. We'll see what I can find lurking in the stash. Before anybody asks, I did wash the red fabric before I used it, so I'm hoping it doesn't bleed. I'll wash it again before I send it off, too.

And there we are! It seems that Google is behaving now, so I'll get this posted. This weekend we are going to see my parents, which is always a treat. They now use their oven to store cookies, and have discovered the joys of takeout. I think that's the makings of a great visit! Everyone enjoy your weekend!

Sharing at Finished or not Friday, Brag About Your Beauties, the Patchwork and Quilts linkup at Quilting Patchwork Applique, and the Positivity linkup at Needle and Foot.

Twinkling in the snow

 Hi everyone, and happy weekend! I know last weekend was the first weekend of the year, but this really feels like the first one for me, maybe because I worked all week. As you'll see in today's pictures, it snowed and was cold here this week, with a couple of days that were cold and clear. No huge traffic backups, thankfully, so the snow and cold made me unreasonably happy. Something about the sunshine and the crisp air just made me feel good. What can I say? I am a Midwesterner at heart, and January needs some snow and cold. (But only the happy kind, please!)

 

Anyway. . .it's the beginning of another year of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge at soscrappy, and this year I have four projects I want to work on. Heaven knows there are enough scraps for all of them, you know? I only got a chance to work on two of them this week, but here is the first one:

 

Look how cute those stars are! These are Twinkle Stars from one of Angela's tutorials, and I have admired them for years. Why haven't I made them before now?

These stars are fast and easy to make, and I followed Angela's instructions, except that I used 3-1/2 inch units instead of 2-1/2, so that my blocks finish at 9 inches. For my quilt, I'm going to keep all the stars yellow and change the colors of the star points each month. I plan to make 42 total stars, which is four a month, with something else substituted when we get to yellow. I haven't figured out what color that will be yet, but I'm sure the stars will look great.

The second project I actually tried to start last year, but this year I actually have a plan, so I think it's going to go a lot better. I thought I would make Bonnie Hunter's Winter Blues in multicolors, but I just kind of randomly made some blocks for a few months and petered out. So, to restart:

 

Yes, having a plan helps! These are the red blocks for my unnamed rainbow quilt. This time, I sat down and drew everything out and figured out just how many blocks of each color I need, and how many connector units, and alternate blocks. (Raise your hand if you think all quilt patterns should have a coloring page. It would make planning so much easier!) These are all the reds I need, so I'm calling that a restart!

As I said, I have four total projects, but the other two are still in pieces, so they will have to wait for now. I hope to get them ready before the end of this month. I hope all of your new projects are going well, and I'm really looking forward to following them all this year. Happy stitching, all!

An incredibly beautiful day!

Sharing at soscrappy for RSC22 (gulp!)

Chain links

Hi everyone, and happy weekend! I hope you all had a lovely week. I was mostly inside, because it is hot and rainy, but I did get a lot of things done. After almost two years, the house is finally starting to feel like home. Once I get the hallway done, I think I'll be finished with home improvements for a while. Until I get sick of something else and absolutely have to change it or paint it, that is.

Since I wanted desperately to stay in the air conditioning, I made some progress on the Color Chain quilt that I'm working on for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. This month's color is a darker blue, which we all know is not my favorite color. How about some medium-ish blues instead? Here we go:

These blocks are super easy to make, but my real surprise was how many blue bits I actually have.  Since I cleaned up and sorted out the scraps that were in various baskets, I discovered quite a bit of blue. I'm going to need a plan for that, but for now these blocks will have to do.

 

For last month, I had made two lonely purples:

 

 

I don't know why there are only two instead of three, but I must have gotten distracted. That's easy to fix, though. I have a whole bunch of purple to use up.

Finally, I also finished up the red chain blocks that I also got too distracted to finish:

 

 

Very cheery, aren't they? Red is a perfect color for midsummer, and none of the flowers have dried up yet. I love having the pots up on the railing. I can see them from inside and they always make me happy.

In a crazy moment between rain showers, I took all of the blocks out to the rustic stone patio we have and laid them out:

 

It was very sweaty, but worth it. They look so great! It will be a cheerful quilt for sure. I only need ten more blocks to finish this up.. Not sure how I'll lay them out yet, but it will definitely emphasize the chain. (If you'd like to make these blocks, there are instructions right HERE.)

So, there is my progress for a colorful chain quilt! I hope you all are doing well and enjoying the weekend. Today (Saturday) is my dad's 81st birthday, so there are some shenanigans sure to ensue, involving everyone, including great grandchildren. Looking forward to quite the time!

Sharing at soscrappy for RSC21.

Positive progress

 Hi everyone! Yes, it's a very rare Sunday post! I'm usually busy doing family stuff-- or scrubbing something-- on the weekends, but I took some pictures of the progress I've made on my Positivity quilts to share today, so that's what I'm doing. Always good to have a plan, isn't it?

 You probably know by now that my friend Preeti of Sew Preeti Quilts is running the Positivity Quilt Along to benefit Mercyful Quilts, which is overseen by my friend Bernie.  How could I not jump in and support some friends and contribute to a good cause? And I get to make a quilt, too, which is one of my favorite things to do.

You may recall that I had a problem with the first quilt I started, so I started a second one in case I couldn't figure out the first one. Doesn't everyone do that? Here is a small section of the second quilt:

 

 

It doesn't photograph really well because the colors are so soft (and I'm not a great photographer), but I think you get the idea. Here's a little bit better picture without so many shadows-- or flowers:

 

 

I've started to call this the Whisper quilt, because it's so quiet. I have all of the plus blocks made, and many of the alternate blocks. Sharp-eyed readers will notice that I changed the alternate blocks. I had planned to use this block in the first quilt, but am not using it now, so why not use it here? I like the trail it makes better than the first alternate block I showed. 

As for the second quilt, which is the first one I started, I think I've worked out what to do with that problem child. Here is a small section of that quilt:

 

For this one, I abandoned the idea of alternate blocks and used a sashing and cornerstone instead. This meant I had to make more plus blocks, and that meant that I really had to squeeze the fabric and get every little bit out of it. I just have a few more blocks to stitch together, and I think we're going to make it-- but only by a little bit!

 

 

I really like the "block" formed by the corners of the blocks and the cornerstones, and I think it makes a nice overall look for the quilt.

If you'd like to make this layout, you'll need to make 30 blocks and then sash them with 20 cornerstones, then also add a border to make it the proper size. In my diagram above, all of the grid squares equal 2 inches finished, so I think you can figure out the rest of the cutting and whatnot from there.

So, that's the progress I've made so far on my Positivity quilts. The blocks are really easy, and there is plenty of time to jump in, so consider making a quilt and joining in the quilt along. There is a lot of information--including something like a dozen possible layouts-- over on Preeti's blog, so you can get started right away. And did I mention that there are prizes? Yep, Preeti has lined up some great sponsors, so you may get something more than a warm feeling from making this quilt!

Hope you all are making progress on your quilts,  and thanks to Preeti and Bernie for the fun quiltalong. Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Sharing with the Positivity linkup at Needle and Foot.

Brown plus red plus progress

 Hi everyone! How is the beginning of summer around your place? This weekend I stained the small deck off my bedroom. Only two cicadas landed on me, which means I only got huge wipes of stain where I screamed and swatted them away with the brush on one arm. I didn't even spill the stain, as freaked out as I was. This is a major win for me. I still have to do the floor, but the new planters have been screwed into the deck and there are flowers in there! It's very exciting.

You may have heard that my friend Preeti is hosting the Positivity Quilt Along, which is a nice and relaxed QAL that doesn't end until just before Labor Day. It is completely free and Preeti has already shared the patterns and more than a dozen different layouts and the fabric requirements for each. The goal is to create charity quilts, many of which will go to Mercyful Quilts, but all worthy causes are fine. (Jump over to Preeti's for more information and inspiration!) You knew I would jump in, so here are my starter blocks:

 

 

Why is that photo so weird? The blocks are brown, with a red print plus sign. I wanted to make a quilt that felt more neutral, for a man or for someone non-binary, or really anyone who would like something with some darker colors. I had some fabric that I wanted to use, but (as usual) I didn't have enough to make a whole quilt just from that fabric. I added the brown and drew myself up a new layout, moving some of the colors around, and I'm pretty happy with how it's starting to look. Here are the fabrics I'm using for the quilt:

 

 

I know what you're thinking-- those are too many fabrics for the quilt! Not to worry! I have a plan, and it's going to turn out pretty great. 

To make my blocks, I've been strip piecing, which has made it all go really quickly. If you're not using scraps, you can save yourself quite a lot of time by strip piecing:

 

 

The colors in the picture above are much closer to the real colors of the blocks. I think the green grass in the top picture threw everything off. I would have hung them on a tree for a better shot, but you know-- big ugly bugs.

So there's the beginning of my Positivity quilt! It doesn't look like much now, but it will soon. And in that same vein, here is my progress on the Edyta Sitar mystery quilt: 

 

I'm up to step 7 of 12, and it's starting to look like a real quilt top. I've really enjoyed working on this, and I hope to finish off the piecing really soon. Laying out the grid as it is in the pattern and filling it in as I go has been really motivating. I may do this with other patterns, because it really does keep me going to see all the progress. 

 

One last thing before I wrap this up: my friend Bernie is retiring and closing her Etsy fabric shop. Sadness for us, but great for Bernie, who will get a lot more Grammy-time. She is having a big sale on everything, so hop on over if you need some fabric, and who doesn't? 

 

 

Hope you all are having a wonderful and positive week and making lots of progress, and that you find some treasures over at Bernie's shop. Happy stitching!

Sharing at Midweek Makers.