Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Pink

I'm back with some more string style blocks to build my collection that I started making last year.

It was so fun to work on these over the weekend and make a dent in my pink scraps.  There were pieces from pajamas that I made a few years ago and from some recently made raggy jackets and even
a few treasured pink pieces from a Hollyhock Quilt I made for an exchange. 

There's plenty of pinkness left in my scrap bag, so I'll be dreaming something else to continue sewing something else before the end of March.

Check out the blog to find out more about the Scrappy Saturdays over at SoScrappy. 

Using Red, White, and Blue Scraps

I've got to get back in the swing of things with the Colorful Scrappy monthly challenge.  I need to sew a couple of my string blocks to catch up on several months of color.  Summer vacation days are dwindling away and I want to get a few finishes within the next 2 weeks. 

I totally missed out on making blocks in pink, purple and yellow, but if I put it on the very BIG

To Do List, I think I can get something done before the end of August.

My mom pieced this pretty table topper and I did the quilting on it last week.  I did meandering in the background and over the center motif I did a combination of diagonal lines and curves from corner to corner.  It got the binding on pretty quickly because I used a machine button hole stitch to stitch it down.

I've been at school running the smaller tumbler cutter through the accucut machine.  I decided my throw for the white wicker sofa must be increased by several rows.  I want it to be nice and cozy and cover my toes when I use it.  I cut quite an assortment of red and white fabrics and a Bliss charm pack was used already.  Now I'll be adding a Strawberry Fields charm pack and I was lucky to find an early released pack of Ruby Charms, so they will be mixed in among those that are in my charm basket.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ~ 3 months ~ 3 Blocks Done

Blue was sewn in January.  Green was made most recently in March.  I made the red one in February.

It sure would be nice if the snow would melt.  I am anxious to see my tulips go into bloom.  I planted a few new groupings of them last fall. 

Green Fabric for This Garden Loving Quilter

Green has to be important to a quilting gardener!

Since that is what I proclaim to be I have plenty of green in my scrap box and stash that I'm all set for the month of March in soscrappy's challenge.  Pay a visit to her blog to see how other quilters have unique ideas to eat up their fabric scraps.

So far I've located my smallest and most forgotten about green scraps, ironed them, and organized them for a photo. 

Now I need to get some plans in place.  I know I will make a set of 4 string pieced blocks.  I love doing it on recycled computer paper so that they finish at 8 inches.  I am on a roll with those fun to make string blocks for each monthly color so I must get sewing with my green bits.

Red Scrap Sewing

Trimming Up String Blocks

This is technically not scrappy, but it was the block for February and I forgot to take a photo of it when I finished it.  We have 10 more to go for the center of the Thimbleberries Club quilt.  These finish at 14 inches and they are quite easy to piece this year. 

It was easy enough to make a second one so I may do it yet in assorted reds, whites, and creams.  It is a nice size for a pillow front.

This little red spool of thread made as an art trading card is on its way over the ocean to AngelCat.  She and I have arranged a little trade of sorts.  She has been working with the red theme too and had 2 very cool woven fabric cards. 

Set of 4 Red String Blocks

I love, love, love these red strings together!  It is a fun way to piece.  I really feel like I'm using up scraps, rather than creating new scraps with this method!  I am sticking with this for all the months in SoScrappy's challenge this whole year!  I want these to be assembled to each other and represent all 12 colors. 

Red Scrappy Tumblers

This quilt doesn't know what size it wants to be!  When sewing with these a quilter really needs to pick a size and determine that choice by the time the first row is sewn.   It was much smaller last week, but I have cut some more tumblers and now it's telling me to make it larger.   With the angled seam on the left and right side of the block, that is the best way of doing the quilt.  I guess it will be about 50 or 60 inches square so that it works as a throw for a white wicker settee. 

Red Scrappy Report

Cutting up a red charm pack

This week was my first chance to try a new die for the Accu-Cut machine.  It happens to be the machine that is made to cut paper, but I am giving it a trial run with fabric today.  It worked pretty well.  The only difference being that I don't use the template plastic over the fabric.   So sometimes the top layer of the fabric traveled with the roller.  For the smaller dies I don't think this is a problem, only an annoyance.  However, it might be a problem if the die was bigger and it could miss-cut the fabric that got stuck to the roller.  I am giving it the thumbs up because it worked well for what I needed cut today!

When I got home from school I whacked apart the trimmings from the tumbler block and used them to piece these crazy wedged style pieces.  I am using them for a pair of mug rugs.



Box of trimmed red pieces that I have to work with this weekend.

This little white basket contains my die cut pieces for a little tumbler pattern.  I really don't know what kind of quilterly project it will turn into, but I do know that I like to keep the edges untrimmed and then add a bias binding to gently accomodate the rippled edge.


The tumbler charms that I cut on the school accu-cut machine

 I was looking for something to back these cute little red mug rugs and realized that I was ready to trim up a backing for my Hazel Ilene Diary quilt and the left over edge just happened to be the correct size. 

A bit of stitching with some red embroidery thead has added the perfect finish.



Mug Rugs Ready for Service

It has been a fun Scrappy Saturday.  I'm off to check out the other participants blogs to see what they've sewn up with their RED scraps.  If you'd enjoy seeing some creative solutions for bits and pieces of red jump on over to the So Scrappy blog and start clicking on the links.  There is so much creativity to see.

Red Scraps for February Sewing

This week hasn't had too much free time in it, so I have only located and started to iron my red scraps.  I'll be getting ready for a new month of scrap sewing and I'll be trying to use up my red leftovers.

For some reason, I feel very well prepared for a scrappy month of RED projects!!!

I think it is because I have been collecting red fabrics for a long, long time.  I've always liked red and white quilts, especially redwork embroidery ones.  When we are on a trip I usually bring back a shopping bag of red and white prints.  Some day I hope to make a redwork quilt.   

For almost a year now, I've had a plan to get a white wicker patio set and it just happens to come with red and white cushions.  I think this spring I should actually purchase it instead of dream about it.  I am sure I will need some table pieces and a throw or two to go with the settee.  Perhaps I should even get the rocking chair and that might need a throw pillow!

Getting back to the ironing.  Many of these scraps came from my biggest box of oddly shaped scraps.  You know, the one where you throw any old pieces that you cannot seem to throw out.  These kinds make the best crazy patches, because they are already so chopped up.  I like using any of the strip ones for the string quilting and the bits and pieces for crumb style blocks. 

I must get busy sewing now.  To check out what other sewers are doing with their red scraps hop on over to Soscrapy's "Scrap Happy" blog and visit the other blogs to see what they have already done with the red theme. 

Blue Scrappy Challenge



Basket of Blue Fat Quarters




sewing seams on crazy patch with the flip and sew method

I just love the random and carefree way of piecing crazy patch blocks.  I haven't done it for many years and I am realizing that I miss doing this style of work.  As of this week I now have 3 blue crazy blocks.  I think I'd like to do something special in a crazy block for each color of the month in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  Wouldn't it be fabulous to have a set of blocks at the end of the year in a dozen different color ways?


Squares and bricks in blue dishes & Testing out snowflakes

I've been gathering up any Accu-Cut snowflake dies I can find around my school and at my friends  home and school.  Next I will check with my quilting neighbor.  Yes, two lucky people I know happen to have the studio cutter by Accu-Quilt.  I also have access to the smaller model at my school.  I have cut about 7 wool snowflakes using 3 different dies.  I don't think I'm done yet!  Every place I look they have a slightly different cutter, so I'm getting plenty of variety.

I've got a busy weekend of sewing planned.  I will also sew during the Packers - Bears game on Sunday.  GO PACKERS!

I will make posts to update you on my blue scrap progress.

Scrappy Challenge in Blue



Un-Embellished Crazy Patch Block in Blue

I am participating in Andrea's Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  Blue scraps have been designated for the month of January and here is what I've been developing.


I've been wanting to get back into crazy quilting.  So the blue scrap challenge came along and this block is the first thing I pieced. 

I have some ideas of a direction I'd like to go and hope to extend the block into a longer rectangle.  Perhaps it will develop into some kind of winter wall hanging.

Ready to sort one box!



Choice Blue Pieces for the Challenge this Month

The string blocks I made so far are a fine start, but I think I'll make another set and join them up into a larger shape.  It was a good way to recycle some of our old computer paper. 

papers trimmed to square for the string blocks



Working at ripping out foundation paper.

 I may try phone book papers next and see if the paper rips away a little easier.  It really is not my favorite part of the process.  I did not want to piece on muslin and leave it in, because that gets to be too heavy to quilt through.



Completing the crossing seams for joining 4 string blocks





More to Do!

 I'm glad it's only the second weekend in January, because now I have more ideas to keep going for the rest of the month.  This is going to be a fun challenge.