Scrappy Saturday (on Sunday)

9-patches cut for blocks

I have been working on a disappearing 9-patch in black and white scraps. I started it at the end of 2024 when the rainbow-scrap-challenge color was "darks." It is coming together nicely. 

I am really liking this pattern. I can see it working really well as a formula for charity quilts. If you have squares of any consistent size (3.5", nickels, etc.) in 2 contrasting colors you sew up nine-patch blocks with the colors placed consistently (in my current one all the corners and centers are black and the other patches are white). 

It doesn't matter at all how the fabrics are mixed in the 9-patches, only where the colors are placed. The only exception is that if you have a directional fabric it MUST be in the upper left corner of the 9-patch so it comes out the correct direction in the finished quilt. 

A finished block

What ever color is in the corners of the 9-patch becomes the focus blocks, the side pieces become sashing, and the centers of the 9-patch blocks (which could be a 3rd color) become the cornerstones. 

Once you make all the 9-patches you cut them into 4 pieces (measured equally from the center of the center block) and then sew those together to make the quilt top.

Linking up with Scrap Happy Saturday and Oh Scrap!

Scrappy Saturday

 

black scraps becoming 9-patches

I dove into my black scrap bins and have been making 9-patches (which will disappear into the quilt) and I have strip sets ready to go into a set of blocks for the QiMFtH block drive. 

I have also been keeping an eye out for more cute scrappy quilt ideas and really liked the patchwork with the stars set into it that was in the recent batch of finishes at QiMFtH.

Linking up with Scrap Happy Saturday.

Scrappy Saturday

Black scraps ready to sew

I decided that I don't really want black in either my rainbow log cabin project or my heart quilt so I decided to do the disappearing nine-patch that Treadlestitches posted about earlier this year as a quilt top. I cut a lot of black scraps into squares and will sew them up at my quilt retreat at the end of the month. 

The current block drive at QIMFTH uses black and white 4-patches as part of the block so I am also going to make up some of those. 

In other news I am almost finished quilting my green scrap quilt from January.

I am linking up with Scrappy Saturday at So Scrappy and Oh Scrap! 

Scrappy Saturday

RSC Heart Quilt as of Aug. 2024

We are coming into the home-stretch with the RSC -- this month the color is black and next month is dark brown. Colors on a black background will probably be my go-to for both my log cabin blocks and my heart block projects. I'm not sure that either of these colors are what I want in my log cabin project so I may not do those in these colors. 

I laid out my heart and alternate blocks last month and they are coming along well. Looking at the picture I see that I should turn all the alternates the other way so the secondary design is stronger. 

I am linking up with Scrappy Saturday at So Scrappy and Oh Scrap! 

Scrappy Saturday

Log cabin blocks in progress

I have not done a lot of sewing this month, but I did do some work on orange scraps for the RSC. I cut a bunch of scraps from my orange basket into usable shapes and finished my orange heart block. I am almost done with the 6 orange log cabin blocks I have been making with each month's color. 

I am linking up with Scrappy Saturday at So Scrappy and Oh Scrap! 

Scrappy Saturday

Heart block and alternate

July turned out to be a whirlwind (some good, some bad, ultimately all ok) and very little sewing got done. I did manage to sew teal log cabin blocks (though I forgot to take a picture of the finished blocks before I put them away) and to make my blocks for the rainbow heart quilt. 

Log Cabins in Progress

The RSC color for August is orange which I am excited about as it is a favorite. 

By the end of this week I hope to have a scrappy quilt finish.

I am linking up with Scrappy Saturday at So Scrappy and Oh Scrap! 

Scrappy Saturday

Log Cabin Blocks - Blue

I finished my blue RSC log cabin blocks for June last weekend. I didn't do any scrappy sewing this past week as I have been focusing on quilting some tops that I want to get finished up this summer. 

The RSC color for July is aqua so it may be time to do another set of pickle-dish blocks as I think aqua will go well with the red and purple I already made. 

I am linking up with Scrappy Saturday at So Scrappy and Oh Scrap! 

Scrappy Saturday

A Dozen Two-Step Blocks

My scrappy sewing this week has been making two-step blocks for Cynthia's current block drive at QIMFTH. I went through my 5" square box and my scraps and found enough in fall colors to make a dozen blocks. 

I really like this block. It made up very easily and I like the woven look of the blocks set together. I may use this block in the future for a scrappy baby quilt. I think a bright multi-colored novelty print for the 5" squares and then scraps in related colors for the strips would be very cute.

It is grey and rainy here in New Hampshire today and my plan is to stay in my sewing room and make blue log cabin blocks for the RSC.

I am linking up with Oh Scrap! this week.

Scrappy Sunday

Scrappy Blue Blocks for June

The RSC color for June is blue and I got my heart block and alternate made. I did a Scrappy blue Irish chain quilt last year (which needs basting so it can get quilted) which put a BIG dent in my blue scraps. I do have plenty of blue 1" strips though so will be able to make my log cabin blocks for the month. 

I am linking up with Scrappy Saturday at So Scrappy and Oh Scrap! 

Scrappy Saturday

Pink scrap blocks

I finished my log cabin blocks and my heart/alternate blocks in pink for the month. I have some other projects I am working on so am probably done with pink scraps for the month. Will see what color June brings.

Treadlestiches posted about a disappearing 9-patch recently. I had seen quilts with this block but never understood how it came out of a 9-patch. Now I get it! Seems like a great scrap-buster block. Sane, Crazy, Crumby Quilting also had a some good scrap-busters a while back: checkerboards in RSC colors with a constant background (green in her case) and Cheerio blocks which are adorable. I am really enjoying doing the RSC so am trying to keep track of blocks I might want to make from scraps going forward. 

 I am linking up with Scrappy Saturday at So Scrappy and Oh Scrap! 

Scrappy Saturday

The blocks for the pink and green quilt are done and my co-conspirator is sewing them together (the top will come back to me for quilting). 

I sorted out pink scraps and have begun working on my 6 pink log cabin blocks for the month. They are coming along well so far. 

 I am linking up with Scrappy Saturday at So Scrappy and Oh Scrap! 

Scrappy Saturday

The RSC24 color for May is pink which works out great because the last week of April I started working on a collaborative quilt for a friend who is dealing with medical stuff and we decided that pink and green scrappy was what we wanted to use.  

I went through my pinks (and greens) and pulled a bunch which we cut into strips to use in our planned quilt. So far I half of the blocks for the top are pieced and the other half are almost done. 

I plan to do 6 pink log cabin blocks and the heart/alternate block in pink later this month.

I am linking up with Scrappy Saturday at So Scrappy and Oh Scrap! 

One Monthly Goal: May 2024

Green scrap quilt in progress

My March goal was to machine quilt a cheater for the dog, which I  completed. By the time I was done my swirl meanders were looking pretty good. I started quilting a top with the same pattern for my Guild's charity project and my swirl meander continues to improve. I didn't set an April goal--the whole month somehow got away from me. 

In May I want to finish the green scrap quilt I pieced for the RSC. I need to finish the quilting (which I started but haven't gotten far with) and then bind it. It is a present for my sister and her birthday is at the end of the month.  

Scrappy Saturday

Yellow blocks with accidental shadow

I got my 6 log-cabin blocks done for the month. I think this is it for me for yellow scraps. 

I went to my guild's quilt show this weekend which was fabulous. So many gorgeous quilts. I took lots of pictures of great scrap quilts that I might want to draw inspiration from for future projects. 

I am linking up with Scrappy Saturday at So Scrappy and Oh Scrap! 

Scrappy Saturday

 

Heart block and alternate in yellow

I finished the heart block in this month's RSC24 color and have gotten a good start on the log-cabin blocks. I decided they needed to be a little bit bigger so I am adding another round to the previous month's blocks as well as doing the yellow ones. 

I am linking up with Scrappy Saturday at So Scrappy and Oh Scrap! 

Scrappy Saturday

ALL my yellow scraps

I knew it would happen eventually, and now it has. The RSC24 color for this month is yellow. Decidedly NOT my favorite color.

This week I went through my orange/yellow bin and pulled out all the yellows. Most of them were in a jumbled-up bag of very little pieces (what my ex-husband called scrippy-scraps). Now all the yellows I have are cut into usable pieces (or thrown into the dog-bed-bag). I have a few pieces of yellow yardage (most pieces are 1/2-yard-ish), but mostly just squares and strips now.

I will make the heart block and alternate in yellow, and the 6 log-cabin blocks. Not sure if I will do anything else with yellow this month, but I do have a lot of it, so I should probably figure out a design for a charity quilt that will use up a lot of 2" squares. Design suggestions welcome!

I am linking up with Scrappy Saturday at So Scrappy and Oh Scrap! 

Scrappy Saturday

Purple Pickle Dish Blocks

This week I finished my 4 purple pickle-dish blocks. These went together easier than the red ones did. I discovered that it works better for me to sew with the background pieces on the top when I attach them to the curves. The directions I am using (from a 1998 issue of American Patchwork and Quilting Magazine) say to do this the other way, but I found that led me to a lot of unsewing when the background pieces got caught in the seams. I made notes on the directions so when I get back to these blocks I will know how it worked best. Not sure which color will be best for the 3rd set of these blocks, but will see what choices come up.  

I am linking up with Scrappy Saturday at So Scrappy and Oh Scrap! 

Scrappy Saturday

Scrappy purple blocks

I finished my 6 log cabin blocks in purple, I still need to put together the 4 pickle dish blocks I have cut pieces for. 

Last week I visited Little Penguin Quilts, another RSC participant, and was inspired by the adorable heart blocks she is making with her rainbow scraps to do the same. Several years ago I started cutting scraps into standard sizes when I am cutting fabric for projects and I have a box full of 2" squares. I am going to start making heart blocks and filler blocks with my squares in each month's color. I made purple, red, and green blocks for this so I am caught up and ready for next month's color. 

I am linking up with Scrappy Saturday at So Scrappy and Oh Scrap! 

Scrappy Saturday

Purple scraps ready to sew

The March color for the RSC is purple. I sorted through my purple basket and cut the pieces for 4 pickle-dish blocks. I also pulled out all the purple 1" strips in my basket to do 6 log-cabin blocks this month.

I had expected to make a purple pieced border for the round-robin quilt I did with my bee, but when I pulled it out and looked at it again I decided it needed a simple purple border so that is what it got. I didn't have quite enough of the fabric I had used for an inner border so I went to the quilt shop in search of more of the same. I didn't find any more, but I found another fabric that looked good with the original. Border is now done. 

I am linking up with Scrappy Saturday at So Scrappy and Oh Scrap! 

Scrappy Saturday

I finished the top for the Green Scrap Quilt and am very pleased with how it came out.  I ended up making a dozen blocks and will add a single-fabric border to "frame" everything. I will post a picture when I get the borders on. 

An additional benefit of the January RSC is that my greens bin is now very nicely sorted and folded. If I can get that done with every month's color that will be wonderful. 

...became log cabin blocks

I have started working on reds by completing six log-cabin blocks. 

Lots of red 1" strips...

I have also decided to do a pickle-dish wall hanging as part of the RSC this year. I was inspired by the pickle-dish quilt I saw at Quilts, etc.  which uses colored bits and white in the wedges and then a black background. I found a pattern for the block, printed off the paper-piecing templates, and bought a very nice black tone-on-tone for the background. My plan is to make 4 blocks in each of 3 colors during the year (starting with red and using whatever other 2 inspire me). The finished and arranged pickle-dish blocks that Karen made for her quilt are pictured in a post on progress on several quilts. My pattern is smaller than what she did, but will be a good opportunity for me to make a block I have been wanting to try for years. 

I am linking up with Scrappy Saturday at So Scrappy and Oh Scrap!