Dog Days: Finished

At the beginning of the month, I participated in the Cloud 9 New Block Blog Hop and created the block Dog Days.  At the time of the blocks creation I was in the midst of those dog days of summer. Now with fall in full swing, how I wish to go back to those lazy summer days. 

Instead, I will enjoy pumpkin spice everything! 

Block Tutorial

While visiting my parents last weekend, I got in a quick photo shoot of a couple recent finishes. More on the other one later. The backing from this quilt came in the mail and I spared no time getting the quilt finished! 

Mike and I had drove North to attend my Uncle's auction. He had some cool thread displays for J & P Coats and John Clark from before they became Coats & Clark! Both displays sold way over my budget. So disappointing. Although I did get an old quilt made from feed sack prints, it's in rough shape. I just loved the pattern and colors. Any advice on repairs and washing? 

Details:

Finished Size: 48 inches x 60 inches, Pattern: Dog Days Fabric: Scraps, Batting: 80/20 blend, Thread: Connecting Threads - Sky, Quilting: Swirling Wind

... and just because I love that tractor :) 

On the Bandwagon: Flimsy Finish

Ok, confession time.  I am obsessed with the show "Fixer Upper." On the first season of the show Joanna had the quote "Today is a Good Day for a Good Day" cut from metal to put on a clients wall. I wanted it so bad!

Instead of joining along with the same quilt put out by Lella Boutique, with the quote "When Life is Scrappy >>> Make a Quilt." I decided to switch it up with the quote above. The link above goes to the pattern for each letter. 

I love Vanessa's stars and arrows, pattern found at Moda Bake Shop, to use as filler between words. I also used a Ohio Star from Moda, a Granny Square, A Thimble Blossoms "Dwell" House, and Heart blocks by Cluck Cluck Sew.

With it being summer vacation and all it was only fitting that every day is a good day :) 

Another Dig in the Scrap Bin

Back dealing with my scraps!

In my post On the Issue of Scraps, I had mentioned leaving behind many oranges, navy, and greens. When I saw the mark up for Glass Snail Crawling Do. Good. Stitches quilt this month, it was the perfect fit for what I had in my bin.

The original was designed using these vary colors I need to use and works well with a scrappy theme. 

I started cutting immediately. Nothing like another project! 

I absolutely love how this one turned out. I adore scraps.

Now just how to quilt this one?

Fabric Used: - 4 yards

Net Loss: - 89 yards YTD

Best Wishes Quilt

Earlier I had asked my Aunt if she wanted a quilt for a chairty event she was hosing for Make a Wish New Hampshire. I was so honored when she said yes! I can proudly say this quilt is going towards fulfilling children's wishes in the community. Hence the name Best Wishes.

Absolutely delighted.

Overflowing scrap bin? No problem!  

I started pulling pieces to make this quilt top in attempt to close the lid on my scrap pail. Check my "On the Issue of Scraps" post to learn more about how I pulled the color scheme for this top. Mostly I pulled pinks, purples, teals, blues, and low volumes and kept pulling and cutting.

Eventually I had enough for a twin sized top. I can now close the lid on my scrap pail but this quilt didn't put as many scraps to rest as I hoped.

The backing of this quilt is a light gray flannel, super soft and snuggly. Once it get's washed it's going to be hard to part with! Every scrappy quilt I make becomes another favorite, I just love them.

QUILT DETAILS: 

• Finished Size: 64 inches by 88 inches 

• Pattern: Boxes by Cluck Cluck Sew

• Fabric: Small pieces from Stash

• Batting: 80/20 blend

• Thread: Connecting Threads - Blush

• Quilting: Free Motion - Loops and Hearts

Fingers crossed this makes some money!! 

Fabric Used: - 15 yards

Net Loss: - 87 yards YTD

Farmer's Wife 1920's: Finished

Oh tears of joy are being shed.

This finish has been a long time coming. My 1920's Farmer's Wife quilt got started in 2014, last year I purchased the super cute and fitting chicken fabric for the back. Then it sat for a whole year longer.

Pathetic completion rate, I know.

As I sat and bound this quilt, I was reminiscing that these blocks were created in 1922. It's almost one hundred years ago! How awesome is that? So long ago and still relevant.

poor detail shot of my little chicken fabric

Here are some links about the progress of this quilt ...

Farmer's Wife Quilt Sampler, Farmer's Wife, Farmer's Wife Sampler, Farmer's Wife Quilt Sampler,  Farmer's Wife, Farmer's Wife, Final Stretch, Farmer's Wife: Quilt Progress

A little more reminiscing to add.

While compiling all the links for this post I sat and read the comments for each post. Crazy how much time has gone by and friendships that had just started two years ago have turned into so much more. Friends who have continually inspired me through their blogs, and for some of them now in person friends! These two years have been such a wonderful adventure into the quilt world. 

Net: - 4 yards (backing + binding), YTD: - 19.5 yards

Outlined Plus is Complete

It's done, it's done! I was able to finish my Outlined Plus quilt over vacation. Celebrating with a little jig over here.

The blocks started as part of the Outline Plus quilt along hosted by Cindy at Hyacinths Quilt Designs. I got hooked and couldn't stop.

More process posts are here, here, and here.

Although this winter has been pretty mild here in the Northeast, the day I decided to back this quilt it was a record breaking low. 

So, I used flannel. It creates a nice heavy winter weight to the quilt. 

• Finished Size: 60 inches x 72 inches 

• Pattern: Outlined Plus by Meadow Mist Designs

• Fabric: Small pieces from Stash

• Batting: 80/20 blend

• Thread: Connecting Threads - Lavender

• Quilting: Wavy Lines

Light blue flannel backing

Quilting detail

I also won some free patterns from Meadow Mist Designs, thank you Cheryl! And, thank you to Cindy from Hyacinth Quilt Designs who hosted the quilt along. Check out #outlinedplusquilt on Instagram to see what everyone came up with, it's pretty impressive.

Sew Your Scraps: Part III

Well, I am a little late on the peak foliage but you can still see all the essence and beauty of Fall in New England. These were actually photographed last week, so now most of the leaves have fallen and have been attacked and displaced by Dad's turbo rake. 

Dad actually has been very helpful with the quilt photoshoots, he actually came back from helping his friend wire a street lamp to help conquer the fall winds. So thanks Dad for your help! We had a few (so many!) snafus along the way. First off, my camera died after a couple pictures.  So Plan B, use the cell phone. These shots are not bad considering. Lesson learned, always bring an extra battery or charger.

We moved wood cages to new spots, those didn't work and with the phone for the camera I was limited in what I could overlook. Used clothes pins to pin the quilts to the wood cages those went flying in the wind with the quilts. Lets say nothing was right. Good thing the sky was super blue and everything was pretty so I can announce something did look good.

Then Dad brought out the old Jeep for me to display the quilts on. Well, we are now moving in the right direction. I can't drive it, but he will let me drape a couple quilts over it! 

This weekend I am actually enjoying some time away at quilt retreat with the New Hampshire Modern Quilt Guild. There will be more information to follow once I get some pictures taken and sort through all the shenanigans! 

Net Zero Update: 

Quilt One: One block is equal to one jelly roll strip x 64  - 4.5 yards, 0.5 for binding, and 3.5 yards for backing. Total of 8.5 yards. Quilt Two: The quilt top is 2.75 yards, 0.5 for the binding, and 3.5 yards for the pieced backing. Total 6.75 yards. Now I am at a monthly total of -34.75. I did purchase 4.5 yards of Cotton & Steel on sale at Fat Quarter Shop so that's a grand total of -30.25 yards!

Hope you enjoyed leaf peeping around my parent's house!  

- Patch & Chels

Sew Your Scraps: Part II

Happy scrappy sewing!

Lately, I have been working through my scraps.  The last project (check back to Monday's post) used both 2.5" squares and 6.5" x 2.5" rectangles, and I cut too many rectangles.  Way to many!  From the extras I was able to create a second quilt. This actually worked out perfectly because I never have a blanket or quilt when I go to my boyfriend's place. He has a comforter or the cat's blanket to snuggle with, which is complete nonsense! 

Materials: 
240 - 6.5" x 2.5" rectangles

Sew the rectangles into columns of 15 rectangles, make 8 columns. Then sew the columns together. The quilt top should finish about 48" by 60". This second quilt was super quick and easy to sew up!

Piecing Tip: Just like last quit, when sewing your rows together always grab different colors to place next to one another. Make sure you include a good variety of lights, mediums and darks every 5 rectangles of the row. This will spread out the colors so the quilt will look balance when all the columns are sewn together. For this one you may want to lay out your columns so no two fabrics or similar colors are touching one another. 

This quilt could also be made from one jelly roll (42 strips) by cutting each strip into 6 - 6.5" x 2.5" rectangles. You will have 12 extra parts to play with or you can remove 2 of the strips before cutting.

Check back this weekend to see these two quilts finished up. I'm planning on photographing them up at my parent's house with the foliage :) Should look amazing with all the bold colors in the quilts.

-Patch & Chels

Sew Your Scraps: Part I

Ah, Fall. The leaves are in full display, the pumpkin flavored everything is out, and the crisp air has moved in for the season.  Last night my sister and I showed two little girls how to make pillow cases. It was so much fun. The oldest was able to make hers all by herself, 8 years. Both to her Mom's and my surprise! She had asked about making a quilt.  Any pointers? I was thinking it would be another fun project for us all to do together. I shamefully forgot to take pictures of the experience they were so stinking cute too!

Ok, away from soliciting free information, and onto giving free information! Are you like me with too many scraps you don't know what to do with them all? It got me thinking about a quilt pattern that uses a lot of small scraps.  Typically I cut down scraps to 2.5 inch squares for easy use later so the bulk of this design uses 2.5 inch squares. Over last couple of months I have also been cutting scraps down to 6.5 inch x 2.5 inch rectangles.

Here is what I came up with ...

Piecing Tip: When sewing your blocks together always grab different colors to place next to one another, so you have a good variety of colors in each blocks. Don't worry about matching or if the colors "go" together. Make sure you include a good variety of lights, mediums and darks in each block as well so there is always something bold in each block. This will spread out the colors so the quilt will look balance when all the block are sewn together. I never lay out a scrappy quilt I just go for it :)

The Blocks:

Materials: 
640 - 2.5" squares
128 - 6.5" x 2.5" rectangles

Layout: 
Each row will have the following block layout, make 8 rows in total.

A   -   C   -   B   -   C   -   B   -   C   -   B   -   C   -   A

Sew each of the rows together to create the quilt top, should finish about 64" by 64" inches. 

The "Sew Your Scraps" series will have a total of 3 parts over the next week, well because I had cut too many 6.5" x 2.5" rectangles and the whole point of scraps is to not be wasteful. So, there was actually enough to make 2 separate quilts. The tutorial for the right quilt will be coming out later this week!  Check back for another scrap de-stash idea.

- Patch & Chels