What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

 It is no secret that I love to play with scraps.  And when I do, I like to keep the designs simple, versatile and I always love to play with color.

I always like to look back on the year and round up all the finished quilts in one spot. Last year I finished 14 quilts. That sounds like a lot, but many of them were waiting at Jackie's and just needed binding so I really didn't make 14 quilts from start to finish. I think we can all agree that 2020 was an unprecedented year, but I really didn't spend any more time in my sewing room than usual

Last fall I finished another old UFO, but life has directed me away from quilt-y endeavors and blog post writing has taken a back seat so today I'm playing catch up. Years ago, I saw this photo in an old quilting magazine and loved the design. There was no pattern, but it was a HST challenge so I sketched it out and pulled fabrics from my stash, drawing from the pillows on the bed:I chose 4"

With the start of the new year comes the start of the new Project QUILTING season. I'm hoping to participate in all six challenges this season. In 2020, I started my Improv Log Cabin Mini series with a couple of the Project QUILTING challenges. This year, just before the first challenge was announced I decided I would layer my own design challenge on top of the Project QUILTING challenge's again this year. I'll be using modern traditional design in my challenge quilts this season.

Modern Traditionalism in quilting refers to a design that is built on a ...

 I decided in early December, that I was going to take the last few of weeks of the month "off".  I was ready to call an end to the year.  So that meant I was able to spend quite a bit of time on my own projects.

So I am pleased to say, I already have a finish to share!

I think I shared the improv blocks I was making from some Kaffe Fassett scraps I had.  Each block started with a red square with blue, green and purple scraps added.

 Happy 2021!  Hopefully we all see nothing but improvements this year.

(I stayed up past midnight just to be sure 2020 left!)

 I hope all of you have been enjoying (the best you can) the holiday season.  I always spend the last few weeks of every year, reflecting on the past year and planning for the next.  Every year Cheryl (Meadow Mist Designs) holds the Best Of event.  I thought I would share some of my best finishes of 2020.

 I started noticing this summer that my blue scrap bin was nearing maximum capacity.  Of course I ignored it.  So when I got it out this fall, all of the scraps that I have been carefully tucking in would not go back into the bin.  I had to make a few quilts!

A lot of the scraps were fairly large and chunky - so I thought I would use my Well-Suited Scrap Mixology pattern to make a blue and white quilt.  I have been wanting to play with the "woven" layout with a flying geese center - I think it turned out ...

As I reached the end of my 100 Day Project (July - October 2020) I realized that my series of mini quilts was one color short of a rainbow. Therefore, I had no choice but to make my final improv log cabin purple. There weren't many days left, so I opted for quick and easy. I hadn't made a quarter log cabin yet, so that's what I created, alternating black and white prints with purple prints.

I chose two filler motifs for the free motion quilting.

In 100 days, I completed these five mini quilts, start to finish ...

 I have a quick little finish to share with you today.

I finished up my little pink and gray baby quilt made from some leftover bits filling up my scrap bins.  It measures about 40" square.

During my Summer 100 Day Project to make Improv Log Cabin mini quilts I stumbled upon the idea to made a spiral in my log cabin.

This log cabin was precisely pieced. I sketched on graph paper to make my plan. Then got to work.

I decided to combine my spiral plan with orange scrappy slab. (I think I had a piece of orange scrappy slab started that I was able to build on to).

First think was to cut up my scrappy slab. I used 2 1/2" strips, trimmed down to size for each log.

My palette was ...

There's a sentiment about how a first child's experience is different than a second child's. (We could talk about how my 8 year old doesn't have a baby book yet.) Apparently the same goes for niece and nephew. Within a couple months of my nephew's birth, he had a baby quilt. However, my niece just received her "baby" quilt for her 2nd birthday.

I started out with a different plan for her. My nephew's quilt had been inspired by the mural in his room and I wanted to do the same for her. But ...

I'm still playing catch up on showing you my finished improv log cabin mini quilts from my last 100 day project. You can see my green and yellow quilts in previous posts. Today, I'm sharing my red version! My main rules were to use black, white, and one color, and that my finished quilt would be 16 1/2" square, bound in black Kona.

In my red quilt, I chose to start with a traditional quilt block in the center of the log cabin. The sawtooth start block is one of my favorites, so I started with that ...

 Or, it can be called Kissing Pinwheels.  I think of both when I think of this quilt.

I had a bunch of trimmed or "bonus" triangles in blacks and whites so I decided to turn them into tiny pinwheels.  I knew they would be perfect for one of my Scrap Mixology designs.  Then I pulled one of my favorite color combinations of scraps.

There are so many ways to lay out these blocks - but I loved this one where the pinwheels "kiss".

I shared the first of my five mini quilts completed during my 100 day project a couple months back. The project I actually started piecing on day 1 back in July was this yellow quilt. Day 1 started with these first five pieces sewn together.

I'd started the project with a plan for the color palette (black, white, and shades of yellow) and the intent to make a log cabin that would finish at 16 1/2" square. I'd chosen the three black and white prints you see here, and before I started cutting or sewing I thought ...

The products featured in this post were given to me by Aurifil, OLFA, and Michael Miller.

I'm excited to share that I'm today's stop for the final 2020 installment of the Aurifil Slice and Stitch Challenge. Way back in November of 2019 I signed up as one of the Aurifil Artisans to participate. I was very excited about the Color Builder thread boxes that Aurifil had recently released. (They are such a feast of color!)

For the challenge I received the Florence Brown Aurifil Color Builder with three large spools of 50wt in Ermine (#2312), Toast (#6010 ...

You know those scraps that never seem to find a home?  I have been attempting to identify them and try and use them to make some quilts while I am waiting for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge to start up again in January 2021.

Today I'm sharing the 2nd quilt made from this print:I love HSTs for their versatility - they can be made into any number of quilt designs so I often fall back on this classic quilt block when I just want to sew I used the last of this pink Sketch print and a blue solid, both from my stash, for the binding and Jackie quilted a sweet pattern called Flower Spray across itAt 47" x 52" it will be a