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. 

Anticipating Spring

Swamp Inspired Mini Garden

I recently attended a session on miniature gardening at the local greenhouse.  We were learning about creatively planting little landscapes in containers.  There was a talk and demo involved and a couple of nice handouts.

After seeing that cute pink leaved spike plant, I brought one home.  I am keeping it in the kitchen until the weather is more mild outside.

Next session is to be held in May and it will possibly be a hands on workshop!  Hope it will fit in my schedule.

This was the sweetest little garden and it contains a parsley and a mini cyclamen with pink blossoms.  The plant in the front is a baby tears.  The wire gazebo has a mini chandelier.

Sow Along

Just wanted to share my 6 blocks for a sew along with Randi at Barrister's Block.  She will be letting us know what the next 3 blocks will be tomorrow.

I love the one in the bottom center best!  It was made with some of my leftover Prairie Paisley fabrics by Minick and Simpson.  The one in the lower right hand corner is my second favorite!  Must do more blocks with a bit of Cheddar!  It's brightness is quite attractive. 

I am challenging myself to use up bits of this and that and I am going to try to make all my blocks from what I happen to have on hand.  I'll be using up some Thimbleberries, and Moda fabrics and whatever coordinates with those that is in my large stash of leftover scraps and yardage that hasn't been cut.  Perhaps I will get something special for the sashing or look for some special prints for the back, but my plan is to use up what I already hoarded.

 

FNSI Results - A Coin Purse

I had a head start of Friday Night Sew In because last weekend I pieced these cute 5 inch blocks.  During the week I got the zippers prepared.

I did get home from school earlier than usual on Friday afternoon, because we had a teacher convention going on and it was held just a few blocks from my house.  I was able to convince my husband to drop me off in the morning on the way to his work and then I walked home after 2:30.

Here are the finished results of the cute little coin purse.

These are the pieces for the next version of a coin purse!  I thought it was really fun to put together.

Pink Lemonade Doll Quilt Along

I have been drawn in by the Humble Quilts blog that Lori writes. I especially have enjoyed seeing the enthusiasm for her quaint little doll quilts she has been designing to share with the blog world. Shown above are the tops for "Strawberry Fields" and the latest, "Pink Lemonade".

I used only fabrics from my stash to piece this cute little treasure.  Most of the parts are scraps leftover from my Thimbleberries club quilts.  I happened to have yardage for the pink background and the yellow setting squares.  Those 2 fabrics are patterned, but read as solids, since the print is so subtle.  I don't think I would have ever used the pink in anything else, but it was just the perfect hue for this little replica!

My Pink Lemonade Top

Cheddar Cheese and Crackers, in progress

 The piecing on the Cheddar and Crackers has been a fun challenge.  I need to keep looking back at a computer photo I saved for a reference.  I also have a pen and ink sketch I made to leave by my machine for a cheat sheet, because I'm finding it a bit tricky.

working on blocks

More blocks and corner pieces; Need more Candy!


Pink Lemonade has been such a breeze to piece.  There were no challenging parts to this, just simple, pleasurable sewing.  I could be very relaxed while stitching this one! LOVE IT!!!

I will take care of the quilting in the month of February  and hope to get a binding on it to use in my classroom for a decoration.  I have several 3rd - 6th grade students that admire new projects I bring in to share.

Wordless Wednesday

Jelly Roll 1600 Quilt

If you haven't had the experience to make a fast jelly roll quilt, you may want to take the opportunity to do one up at your next retreat or weekend sew in!  I found the directions on the Internet from the Great Jelly Roll Race!  The video was my introduction and then I went to the website to see more details on the process.  Check it out if you might be interested.

It was my plan to sew the 40 some jelly roll strips together during my holiday break and I did just that.  However, I never got around to posting in my blog about it.  The process sure was a lot of fun and one evening I could hardly help myself from staying up way too late into the night. 

The first evening I got all the strips ready.  I was using up odds and ends from a jelly roll, so I cut many of my own strips in the same yellow and blue color scheme.  That went along OK.  I counted them out and bundled them in groups of 10 strips each until I had 4 piles.  I threw in two extra to be sure it would be like a full pack. 

The next evening was reserved for piecing the strips end to end on the diagonal, just as for binding strips.  That went quickly enough. 



Flannel print for the reverse side

During a Sunday night after supper I started to piece the longest seam.  I thought I had a way to keep it from tangling, but it was not successful at all!  I had a wicked mess of the longest seam.  I am not sure how to do it differently to avoid such a tangle.  The only thing I can think of is to pre-measure and cut that long strip in half. 



Needs to be pin basted with safety pins

I'll be doing the quilting soon and getting it bound with some blue and yellow print.

Stretched out on the floor

When that is complete, I'll check back in on the blog with more photos.