Rainbow Scrap Challenge - Teal Treats

It's been a busy week.  However, there was some quality time spent in the sewing room.  The hour between 8 and 9 PM has become my sewing room hour.  Even if I don't think I want to sew, I've been moving myself up the stairs and into my sewing room.  Once I get there, it's hard to see all the pieces just lying on the machine and not do something with them.  I've managed to get in at least 30 minutes of machine time each night this week.  

For my efforts, there are a few teal Rainbow Scrap Challenge Sampler blocks to show this week.

The last two teal blocks of the sampler haven't been cut out yet.  But I'm happy that at least three of the sampler blocks got finished before the end of the month. 

I mixed these three in with the blue and pink blocks made earlier.  

I played around with position just a bit.  I'm sure it will look completely different when all the blocks are done, but it's fun to see the new colors show up with what's already up on the design wall.  

Check out more fun scrappy rainbow projects posted over at Soscrappy.  

Let's Book It Challenge- March 2014

This is my first time linking up with Vrooman's Quilt's for her Let's Book It Challenge. 

The intent of the challenge is to get you to actually make something from one of the quilting books or magazines we all seem to accumulate.  I never realized how many of my projects came from quilt alongs and patterns published on the Internet, it comes to almost half.  But back in February I started a project based on the cover pattern from the December 2013 issue of American Patchwork and Quilting. 

This pattern, Poinsettia Allure by Jody Bock, was just perfect to use up some favored yardage that had was sitting in the stash waiting for the just the right project to come along.  I've not gotten very far with it as I'm trying to finish up Drama Teen's Jigsaw quilt before she graduates from high school.  That's three years away, but she asked for that quilt more than 2 years ago.  Any way, I finally finished up the last star for my Scrappy Stars quilt which is what had been my leaders and enders project for the last couple of years.  So in it's place, I've started piecing the first blocks for Poinsettia Allure.

As you can see, I've not gotten very far on this project.  But some progress is better then none.  It will take a while to finish this as a leaders and enders project, so I'll just enjoy the process.  

Monday Design Wall - Still Puzzling

The trip to Kansas was fun and relaxing.  Drama Teen was able to meet in person one of the girls from her on line writing group.  This group of 5 girls met in an on line creative writing class almost two years ago.  They hit it off so well, that they still meet on line weekly to work on a novel they are all writing together.  

After meeting up with DT's writing buddy, we did a lot of just hanging out and messing around.  Drama Teen especially. 

Thankfully no bail was required to get her out of that fix.  

Between spring break and work, not a lot of time has been spent in the sewing room.  It's taken two weeks to finish another row of blocks for the Jigsaw quilt.

Jigsaw
pattern by Alyssa Clancy for Lehmann Quilting

I'm still not certain that block number 4 in the last row is going to work out.  It may be too light.  But I'm going to wait till I get the next row of blocks all finished and get DT's opinion before I pull it out and look for a replacement.  I may just need to cut some pieces from a darker part of the fabric.  

That's about all that's changed on the design wall.  Some progress is being made with the Rainbow Challenge Sampler blocks, so hopefully I'll have some of those to show off in Saturday's post.  For more design wall fun, check out the links over at Patchwork Times. 

Stash Report - Week 12 of 2014

It's been a nice weekend.  My Guy, Drama Teen and I decided that maybe a long weekend in Kansas was just the thing to round out spring break week.  So I'm typing this report from the lobby of the B&B we are staying in.  It's a converted barn, out in the middle of nowhere - literally.  But it's been great, there are some fun historic towns close by (which include quilt shops) as well as coffee shops and fun restaurants.  We are heading home after breakfast, so I still have some hope of getting a bit of laundry done and maybe sneaking into the sewing room for a bit before bed time tonight.  

With all the spring break activities and extra work stuff this week, there hasn't been much time spent in the sewing room.  I managed a bit before we left the house last Thursday.  But there is more coming in than going out this week that's for sure.

Used last week:  0.20 yards
Added last week:  11.55 yards

Used in 2014:  5.19 yards
Added in 2014:  45.05 yards

Net stashed for 2014:  39.14 yards

My stash has no teal and very little brown, so I decided that some strategic stash additions were needed.  The order from Connecting Threads showed up Tuesday.  Here's the teals.  

And here's the browns.

While we were in Oklahoma City, I was able to sneak in a visit to Oklahoma Quilt Works before we did our really serious shopping. A few more teals had to come home with me.  

A few more browns, bright greens, grays, plus some blacks also made it into the trunk.  

These are all colors that I'm a bit short on in the stash.  I've not done a good job of buying miscellaneous fat quarters to use in scrappy projects, it's an area I often overlook when I buy fabrics.  I'm sure these will get put to good use as part of some Rainbow Scrap Challenge block this year.  

I did acquire a few more pieces this weekend, but they are tucked into the trunk of the car and it's too cold this morning to go dig them out.  They'll just have to wait to be reported next week.   

That's it for my stash report this week.  Check out Patchwork Times for more on the state of stashes.  

Rainbow Scrap Challenge - Just enough Teal

From the stitching standpoint, it's not been a great week.  On the other hand, I did get to hang out with my family last Sunday, then spend Monday shopping with Drama Teen.  That was a lot of fun.  Going back to work wasn't.  I'm working on a project (for My Guy's group) that has a fixed end of the month deadline.  So that meant overtime for a couple of days.  Consequently not much time has been spent in the sewing room.  Drama Teen is on spring break, but due to "the" project, we didn't get to do anything as a family during the week.  To compensate, we do have some stuff planned for this weekend so DT doesn't feel completely abandoned during her week off. 

The only progress this week has been to finish all the HSTs for the Inverted Star block and decide on a layout. 

 Inverted Star
by Jessica Boschem of Common Threads
available from Craftsy as a free download

I had to use pieces from the Keepsake Quilting layer cake that arrived last week to make 3 of the 2.5 inch squares needed for the block.  There wasn't any other teals in my stash to use.  With all the stuff going on at work, there has been no time to work on any on the sampler blocks, but I hope to get a couple of those made this week.  

That's it for my scrappy adventures with teal.  To check out more on the ball scrappy adventurers, check out the links over at Soscrappy.  

Design Wall Monday - A Finish

This week is spring break.  Drama Teen and I took the opportunity to visit my family yesterday and have a mega shopping expedition planned for today.  Today's schedule includes breakfast at Krispy Kreme donuts (something we can't get at home), major wardrobe shopping for DT, a stop at a quilt shop for me, lunch with my mom and capping it all off with a search for new volleyball shoes for DT before we drive back home to a very lonely My Guy.  He's not used to his girls taking off without him.  Poor guy had to be at work today, so he couldn't come along. 

I got a bit of stitching done on Saturday but not enough for there to be something new up on the design wall. However we finally had a sunshine on a day I was home with time to get the camera out and take a picture of Mon Ami.

Modified from Mon Ami
by Miss Rosie's Quilt Company

Mon Ami was started back in 2012 as a quilt of valor.  The last stitches were made on the binding back at the end of January.  Between the bad weather and volleyball tournaments, there's not been a chance get it photographed before it gets washed and shipped off.  Since I'm not keeping this one, I really wanted a chance to get some good photographs.  

Modified from Mon Ami
by Miss Rosie's Quilt Company

  
The back was pieced from left over yardage, plus a red and white stripe that didn't make it into the blocks on the front of the quilt.    

Trudy Lindemann did the quilting, which is simple loops interspersed with the occasional star. It works really well with the rest of the quilt.  

It turned out nicely.  In fact it's a bit hard to say goodbye to this one as I really like the finished quilt.  But it's easier to let go knowing it's going to a really good home.  

That's it for my design wall this week.  I'm linking up with Judy's Design Wall Monday.  I hope to have some time to check out all the other links and finish a cup of coffee before I have to get Drama Teen up and moving.  

Stash Report - Week 11 of 2014

It's raining this morning, which is a welcome change from all the recent snow.  The forecast says we may get some snow mixed in with the rain this afternoon.  All the snow storms this year have definitely made for some fun bird watching from the comfort of the dining room table. 

This female cardinal seemed to be interested in the rose hips.  Her mate or maybe brother was the subject of a recent Wordless Wednesday post.   Last year there was a pair of cardinals that built a nest and raised a single baby in the rose bush just outside the office windows. We've been wondering if its the same pair doing some recon for this year's nest.  

I'm rattling on about the wild life because there hasn't been much life in the sewing room lately.  Last week's schedule was a bit brutal, so there wasn't energy left over for stitching.  I did spend some quality time there yesterday and did finish up a few blocks. So there is at least a bit showing up in the out column.  

Used last week:  0.84 yards
Added last week:  1.8 yards

Used in 2014:  5.71 yards
Added in 2014:  35.3 yards

Net stashed for 2014:  29.59 yards

The incoming is from a layer cake of teal and brown squares.  Since I'm so short on teal scraps (and on brown scraps as well) that seemed to be a good way to get a few bits of fabric for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge Sampler without racking up a lot of incoming yardage.  I completely forgot to take a picture of the set before I broke it up and started snipping.  

That's it for me this week.  For more stash stuff, check out Patchwork Times.  

Rainbow Scrap Challenge - Not Enough Teal

Some weeks just wear you out, this last one was one of those.  I'm glad to see Saturday get here.  Plus it's spring break week.  Unfortunately, there is too much going on at work for me to take off the whole week, but Drama Teen and I do have plans to spend one day together just shopping. The other up side to spring break week is that my morning routine gets a bit easier since we won't have to get DT headed out the door for school.  

Not much sewing happened this last week.  Spending all day in vendor evaluations coupled with entertaining out of town guests just wasn't conductive to having the energy to spend on stitching.  Plus I've discovered that my teal scraps are just not sufficient to make any of the sampler blocks.  There is not much that would work as background fabrics (the pieces are really small), most of the large teal scraps are really busy prints.  That would make for some unattractive sampler blocks.  So I broke down and ordered a few fat quarters of teal from Connecting Threads. Those aren't here yet.  My only progress has been to make some of the half square triangles for this month's Inverted Star block.

I really had to scrounge to find 12 different scraps form which I could cut the triangles.  I still need 4 2.5 inch squares cut from different fabrics so I don't repeat any in the block.  I don't think I've got those last 4, so this one may have to wait till the Connecting Threads order comes in before I can finish it.  

I did finally get the last month's pink Inverted Star block all sewn together and up on the design wall with January's block. 

Inverted Star
by Jessica Boschem of Common Threads
available from Craftsy as a free download

I'm really happy with how they look together.  It's going to be a fun scrappy quilt when it's all done.  

I'm linking up with Soscrappy.  Cruse over to her blog and check out all the fun scrappy projects in the works.  

Monday Design Wall - March 10, 2014

What a difference week makes.  Last Monday we had snow on the ground and it was below freezing.  This Monday the projected high is 78 F.   We had sleet just Saturday, so it's hard to believe that we'll actually see some spring today.  Not that I'll get a chance to enjoy much of it.  Between helping out with the educational outreach program this morning and an all afternoon meeting, I won't be outside much.  

The design wall has been a busy place this weekend.  Four more blocks were added to Jigsaw. 

Jigsaw
pattern by Alyssa Clancy for Lehmann Quilting

I might just make my goal of getting this to the finished flimsy stage before the end of the month.  Drama Teen hasn't seen the new additions yet, so they don't have her seal of approval.  Maybe she'll come visit me in the sewing room tonight before she heads to bed. 

All the pink blocks are pieced for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge Sampler. 

 Rainbow Scrap Challenge Sampler
By Angela Feldbush of Soscrappy

I decided not to make the basket block.  There's not a lot of pink scraps in my stash.  Pretty much every one of the fabrics that was in the pink pile made it into a block.   I redid the design wall and mixed the pink blocks in with January's blue blocks.

 Rainbow Scrap Challenge Sampler
By Angela Feldbush of Soscrappy

It's going to be a bright quilt.  I've not started on any of the teal blocks yet.  Not sure how I'll set these just yet, but as we still have 9 months of blocks to make, there's no hurry to make that decision. 

That's what's up on my design wall this week.  Check out more design walls over at Patchwork Times.  

Stash Report - Week 10

Yesterday was a nice relaxing day.  Drama Teen showed up about noon yesterday after spending a few days at State Science Fair.

She was a bit down, she didn't place again this year.  This was the third time she had qualified to attend the state competition.  Which is an achievement in itself.  She really wants a state medal, so she's already plotting next year's strategy.  

With Drama Teen out of the house for a few nights, I had a bit more time than normal and managed to make it into the sewing room a couple of evenings.  Plus I claimed yesterday as a "personal sewing retreat".  So there is a bit going out this week. 

Used last week:  0.69 yards
Added last week:  0 yards

Used in 2014:  4.87 yards
Added in 2014:  33.5 yards

Net stashed for 2014: 28.63 yards

Nothing in for the week, which is always a good thing.  I did push a few buttons yesterday and ordered a few fat quarters of teal and brown, both are colors that I just don't have much of in the stash. That will probably show up in the stash report next week.  

For more on the ins and outs of stash fabrics, check out Patchwork Times.  

Rainbow Scrap Challenge - Teal Scraps

It was a long week.  Work has been absolute madness, with meetings galore.  I was so glad that to finally make it to Friday yesterday.  Drama Teen has been away at State Science Fair the last couple of days, she'll be home sometime today.  It's been a bit strange not having her around, but I did manage to get in some good sewing time the evenings she wasn't here as I wasn't on homework assistance duty.  

I've searched the nooks and crannies of the sewing room and this is all the teal scraps I was able to pull out of hiding. 

It's one of those colors that I just don't have much of in the stash.  I really should fix that one of these days when I'm not on a fabric diet.  

The first scrappy project I tackled was this month's scrappy butterfly block. 

Scrappy Butterflies
Block is available in EQ 7 Block Library

I've wanted to make this quilt for a while, so it's good that I'm happy with how the blocks are turning out.  Here's the set so far.

That's all that got finished this week.  All the pieces are cut out for the pink scrappy sampler blocks. They are sitting over by the sewing machine in various stages of assembly.  I should have them all done next week. I've not started on the teal blocks yet, so that will probably happen this week too.  

You can see more fun scrap projects over at Soscrappy.    

Design Wall Monday - More Puzzle Pieces

After a day of freezing rain, sleet, and snow there is no school today and we have a delayed start to the work day.  So I get another hour and a half at home before I have to head in this morning.  The text blast from work also instructed everyone to wear jeans and sensible shoes due to the cold and slick streets.  

We didn't go anyplace due to the weather, so you think I'd have gotten quite a bit of stitching done.  I did spend quite a bit of time in the sewing room, but a lot of that was searching for teal scraps for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  In the process I did a bit of organizing of the scrap bins.  I spent more time on that than I intended.  

Three more Jigsaw blocks are finished, so the flimsy is more than half way done now.

There are two more blocks partially assembled at the sewing machine. I'm pretty happy with how it's coming along. The color graduations aren't perfect, but the flow is there.  Drama Teen loves it and since it's for her, that's really all that matters.  

What little progress there has been on other projects has been posted.  So that's it for my design wall today.  If you are in the path of this most recent winter storm, stay dry, stay warm, and stay home to stitch.  The roads here are really treacherous.  

I'm linking up with Judy over at Patchwork Times.  I hope to get to check out a few posts before I have to brave the cold and head into work this morning.  

Stash Report - Week 9

I'm already on my second cup of coffee, laundry has been started and it's snowing outside.  Other than the snow, it's a pretty typical Sunday morning in March.  I hope to spend what's supposed to be a pretty snowy afternoon up in the sewing room.  Recent weekends have been taken up with Drama Teen's volleyball tournaments, so not much stitching has been going on the last three weeks.  

I'm engaged in an ongoing struggle to get my stash organized.
Tweaks here and there have made some big improvements in making my stash more accessible. The hope is once I can see what's in the stash, it will get used.  Those efforts paid some dividends this last week.  I have a stash of Hollywood and Vine by Three Sisters for Moda that I fell in love with a while ago. (More than 8 years ago by my estimates, some places on eBay call it "vintage").

The right-most fabric on the bottom is Paris Flea Market (no idea if this is from the same time frame or if it just got put with the rest). This stash wasn't pressed and folded, but it was out on the shelves where I could see it. So when I came across a pattern while recycling my quilting magazines, I knew the absolute perfect fabrics for the project were in my stash.  None of this "vintage" stash is in this week's report, but I'm sure it will be making it's debut there soon.  

Used last week:  0.31 yards
Added last week:  0 yards

Used in 2014:  4.18 yards
Added in 2014: 33.5 yards

Net stashed for 2014:  29.32 yards

Check out Patchwork Times for more stash talk.  

Something Old, Something New - March Update

It's cold and it's icy with more of the same projected for the rest of today.  And then there's the possibility of snow on top of that for later today.  It's a good thing we have no place to go.  I'm looking forward to just staying home.  There's some laundry that needs to be done, but I'm hoping to spend this afternoon stitching.  Yesterday we were in Tulsa cheering Drama Teen on in a volleyball tournament.  The third in as many weeks.  Thankfully we have a three week break before her team plays again.  

It's the second day in a new month, so it's time to follow up on my efforts to finish the old and start something new along with Lynn over at Never Too Hot to Stitch.  

My "something old" goal for February was to get Jigsaw to the finished flimsy stage. I didn't get all the way there, but I did make good progress. 

pattern by Alyssa Clancy for Lehmann Quilting

The "something new" goal was to start this Tonga Atlantis Kit.  

I pulled the kit out, stuck the pattern up on the design wall and stared at it most of the month.  Now I'm not sure I like it.  So the whole thing went back in the NewFO drawer for now.  Instead, I opted for a pattern that would use up some of my oldest stash fabrics. 

The pattern is called Poinsettia Allure by by Judy Bloc from the December 2013 issue of American Patchwork and Quilting.  In going along with Lynn's theme of learning new techniques, I'll have to learn how to use templates to make this pattern.  

So I pretty much blew both the "something old" and the "something new" goals set at the beginning of February.  I'm hoping I can do better with my March goals.

1.  Get Jigsaw to the finished flimsy stage
2.  Don't start anything new

Goal one is probably attainable now that almost half the Jigsaw blocks are made.  It may be harder to not start anything new this month, but I've got 21 projects on my WIP/UFO list and I'd like to get it back down closer to 15. 

Check out all the other something old/something new progress over at Lynn's Never Too Hot to Stitch.     

Rainbow Scrap Challenge - No Teal Yet

It was a long and busy week.  I had hoped to get in more stitching time than I did, but some weeks that just doesn't happen.  I can only hope that March will be better.  

I've been working on the Rainbow Scrap Challenge Sampler blocks in between the Jigsaw blocks.  Only one of the pink sampler blocks got finished.

I think this one is called 4 corners.  There are two others in the assembly stage over at the machine.

So progress, it's just been slow going.  I did finally finish up all the blue sampler blocks this week. 

I'm happy with how all of these turned out.  It will be fun to mix in all the pink blocks when those get done.  

That's about all I've managed in terms of scrap sewing.  The sampler is helping be get my scraps better organized.  I had pretty much just dumped scraps into a drawer.  I've been cutting up and sorting the smaller pieces into zip lock bags by size.  The larger pieces are getting folded up and put back in the drawer neatly, sorted by color.  
No teal blocks yet.  I'm going to have to dig deep to find any much teal.   Hopefully tomorrow I'll have some time to dig out what's there. 

Check out all the cool ways you can play with scraps over at Soscrappy.