What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

I have had a roadblock working on this quilt. I stop and start alot. Last week, I was half way through this section 2, and, I was able to finish it in one evening. It was a great feeling. I am half way through the quilt. I have many of the blocks already done. I just have to sew the pesky vertical sections. I am doing a rainbow colored heart. There are two of us completely done, and, two of us still working on it. And I think the other friend is waiting for me to get closer, to finish ...

 I used all the blue colors for hunter's star earlier this year for the rainbow scrap challenge at so scrappy. SO, I am using this month of light blue to start sewing blocks together for my hunter's star. I used an accuquilt die to cut the pieces, and, I sewed the half blocks together during the month according to color of the month. If I had made this before, I would have realized that I needed to press the pieces differently to get a good nesting of the seams.  I am taking the light piece by color and ...

I blogged about making a cutting hit list here. And, I am surprised at how successful it has become. I was able to add to my projects on the list, and, I had a few leftover scraps to add to the scrap users system that has served me well for many years. I have a tray of 2 1/2, 2, and 1 1/2 inch strips.

I am using leftover strips from my maple leaves quilt for the new light blue blossoms for the rainbow scrap challenge at so scrappy. I made more stems and leaves and 4 patches. I think I will need to carry this project over to next year, to get all the blocks I will need.

We had a fun Saturday with a trip to Danville Indiana for a woolkeepers 'hook in'. The weather was lovely and the skies were blue. The projects on display were amazing and wool was everywhere in beautiful colors. I managed to leave it all behind and spent my money on cushing dye to dye my own wool. I have started dyeing background for my village rug, and, I was afraid, I would not have enough of the dyes I used in the mixture. It is a big rug, and, I will need 6 yards of background.

I had a chance ...

I have all the blocks I need to make this rainbow project into a top. I have really enjoyed making this. I liked using my smallest pieces to make the string rectangles into something useful. By using the rainbow scrap challenge at so scrappy. the colors are bright and happy. I have moved them to a box of their own and plan to take them with me to open sews for assembly.

This block has ...

Time to get the Improv Houses 

up on the design wall...

I did a head count of the fish blocks for the year and I have 190 which is about half of what I need. I have the colors ready to cut from this years rainbow scrap challenge at so scrappy. I think I will set this aside until next year and start making blocks. I bought the pattern kismet from quiltville of her fish quilt, and, will use that as my pattern for the top.

oops I have a fish swimming in the wrong direction - silly fish

I started hunter's star this year as a rainbow scrap challenge at so scrappy. Each month, I cut the pieces in the color of the month. When I started, it was new to me, so, I was just going to cut this year, and sew next year, according to the colors as they are announced. But, I couldn't stop after cutting. I have pieced all the months to this point this year. They are just so fun.

I have been working on the easy short rows of the rhododendron mystery. I have the top left 3 rows together. And, now, the bottom right 2 rows together.

I have a binding to attach, some scraps to cut, and a section of boho heart quilt to sew.

I am barely finishing these hole in the barn blocks for the month of August and the rainbow scrap challenge at so scrappy.

I think I have nearly all of them that I need for the quilt.

I have a few zipper blocks ready to go. I just don't have many orange scraps. I like orange in quilts, but it isn't an often used color.

still canning from the garden

Well, it has been quite a week. The temperature was so cool one morning this week, that I put on long pants and a sweater before going downstairs to the kitchen for a cup of the industrial grade jet fuel that I call coffee. Did I say cup? I meant 3 cups. Three oversize cups, just to be clear. As I lingered, enjoying the cool air, someone we all know showed up for breakfast. I got a chance to try the new camera that My Sweet Babboo bought for me. My old one died, and it has been a few ...

I was able to trim and add borders to my English paper piecing project at open sew, except the upper left hand corner that was not complete with the diamond EPP shapes. I was technically missing 3. I would have to add them at home. sigh..... I have tried to make this a goal for 3 months, now. I think not knowing how I wanted to finish it was the reason it stalled.- getting closer

I started ( 2009) English paper piecing with this quilt. I was sure I didn't want to do hexagons ( what did I know?) And this ...

Sometimes progress just takes time. A little bit here and there makes a difference over time. I have to remind myself of that often, as I grow impatient. I pressed and trimmed fair and square. And, I cut and added the black inner border. I had hoped to get the final border on the quilt, but, it didn't fit. That will be the next little bit of time I can find. I think it looks great. The end is in sight.

It is time to say - see you later- to an old friend. I am retiring this project to the the UFO closet. I have enough pieces cut, I think, but, all shirts go well together. I was hoping for 80 blocks and I have 52 finished. I need to concentrate on some "other" languishing projects to get a bit of organization and less chaos. I  want to move some projects out of easy to reach areas and spread out my current projects. I keep misplacing parts and pieces and really need to clean up and assess where I am. So ...

Pretty orange blossom time blocks are finished here for the  rainbow scrap challenge at so scrappy.  I have had to cut and make more parts for these cuties. I ran out of stems and 4 patches. I think I am closing in on the goal for this quilt. I think I have 128 out of 140 needed.  I may just go rogue and finish up with oddball fabrics I find laying around.

I am frustrated with the scrap piles again. A little bit here and a little bit there, can really add up over time. I have let a lot of time pass since the last time I have been sitting to cut scraps. I dumped all the bits into a container, and started cutting. This time, I  made a hit list. I have several projects, that I still need pieces cut to finish. When I pick up a scrap, I check to see if I could use the color in any of the projects. If so, I start cutting the sizes ...

We have had more butterflies visit our flowers

this year than we can ever remember...

Enjoying the summer !

 I have the orange waffle stamp blocks finished for the rainbow scrap challenge at so scrappy, in orange. I have added over 100 blocks this year. But, I am retiring this project to the ufo closet to wait it's turn for assembly. 

and pink

I started this wedding ring, or crown and thorns, with a bag of scraps here. I have mostly worked on them as recreational sewing from time to time. I think it is time to put them into the ufo closet and give them a break. I have 20 squares and I would like to have 30.  I need to find other scraps and cut, to be able to go on with this quilt. That is more than recreational sewing. I have other quilts I am committed to finishing, and a garden harvest coming to picking time. So, off it will ...