oh scrap!

Weekly update: a finish, two starts + reading from With Strings Attached

Friday afternoon: Wild flag iris, palespike lobelia, spiderwort, Canadian anemone....and a turtle on a log.

It was sunny and hot on Saturday for the Zion Juneteenth celebration at Illinois Beach State Park. I staffed the Rotary booth from 11-3. The chair and three other Rotarians are on the event committee. I only got one photo, of me with four of the Interact Club who were all-around helpers for the event.

I got teary-eyed at church yesterday. The opening hymn was The Summons. It so perfectly summarizes Stevens' life and ministry. The sermon was about "Sarah laughed" (when God told ...

added by Nann 3 days, 13 hours ago. under design wall monday , monday musings , oh scrap! , reading , sew and tell , top-along , villa rosa

Oh Scrap! : Flannel Scraps from Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework

Whenever I find myself with a few minutes, I try and cut or sew some of the flannel scraps around this place. This week, I actually finished another quilt made from those efforts.

I am still cutting all my flannel into 4.5" x 2.5" rectangles. Right now, I am pairing a light with a dark and creating these windmill blocks. I had enough dark pink blocks to finish this one into a 40" x 48" quilt. I still have a few more pinks to cut and sew but there should be a slightly bigger quilt finished soon from ...

added by Cynthia Brunz Designs 5 days, 14 hours ago. under flannel , many hands and many hearts , oh scrap!

Weekly update: finished + acquisitions from With Strings Attached

Wildflowers at Greenbelt Forest Preserve on Sunday afternoon. A good 2-mile walk.

Beardtongue foxglove, wild flag iris, oxeye daisy, feverfew, Japanese rose.

June goal #2: 10 placemats. All finished. The average fabric in each one is 3/8 yard so 3-3/4 yards for the batch.

I used up two ziploc bags of triangles. The hourglasses (top right and lower left) were made from 4-1/2" triangles cut diagonally and repieced.

Some fabric in the "used" column but more fabric in the "acquired" column.

A guild friend said that her church rummage sale (Thursday-Saturday) had gotten a quilter's estate ...

added by Nann 1 week, 4 days ago. under design wall monday , monday musings , oh scrap! , placemats , sew and tell , top-along , weekly update

Oh Scrap! Love them Leftovers from Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework

Well, I didn't get any finish posts out this week. It doesn't surprise me because this is the week I prepare for the MHMH board of directors meeting and that takes up huge chunks of time. Plus, we are already starting to receive blocks from the newest block drive. Lots to process!

I did, however, put aside some time to do a bit of sewing. We received some tubs of fabric and tucked inside one of them was a partial jellyroll. It looked like it was leftover from a project. I did some quick calculations, pulled a few ...

added by Cynthia Brunz Designs 1 week, 5 days ago. under oh scrap! , rail fence

Weekly update: convention, stash report, OMG from With Strings Attached

The 123rd convention of the Illinois State Chapter of the P.E.O. Sisterhood was wonderful.

"Live Like Lulu--Be a P.E.O. Builder" was the theme for Fran's presidential term. Fran is a historian with a specialty in women's organizations and Lulu Corkhill Williams was an influential early P.E.O.

Fran, Lulu, and me

Lulu chartered Illinois chapters and the state chapter. The eponymous Lulu Corkhill Williams Friendship Fund provides emergency financial assistance to Illinois women and men. My involvement at the state level began with a term on the Lulu Fund.

I introduced Fran to ...

added by Nann 2 weeks, 4 days ago. under design wall monday , monday musings , oh scrap! , omg 2026 , p.e.o. , sew and tell , stash report , weekly update

Oh Scrap! : New Block Drive from Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework

I don't often release the new block instructions for a Many Hands and Many Hearts block drive on a Sunday. But this is such a fun scrappy block, I thought this week it was appropriate.

We are going to make a variation of the Potato Chip Block. The true Potato Chip Block is a 12.5" square. We decided to do a truncated version that is only 8.5" square.

The block is super easy. We will be using the color wheel and making blocks using complimentary colors. You need six 2.5" x 4.5" rectangles in one ...

added by Cynthia Brunz Designs 2 weeks, 5 days ago. under compassion quilts , many hands and many hearts , oh scrap! , potato chip block , scrap quilting

Oh Scrap! : Holiday Weekend from Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework

I can't believe how fast this week zoomed by. I think I am going to spend the long weekend organizing a bunch of fabric. There is a big shipment of quilts going out next week and already loaded into my car, so there is some space to move around right now.

I also think I might get a bunch of Kaffe Fassett scraps out to cut. This quilt top was sent in by Kathy and I fell in love. I think it is a great way to showcase all those lovely prints. The pretty backing fabric was donated by ...

added by Cynthia Brunz Designs 3 weeks, 5 days ago. under oh scrap! , scrap quilting

Weekly update: spontaneous scrap stars from With Strings Attached

Warm on Friday, warmer on Saturday. Clockwise: blue-eyed grass, skunk cabbage in full leaf, golden Alexander, field horsetail, star of Bethlehem (a garden escapee, very aggressive).

It was much cooler on Sunday and I took a nap instead of a walk.

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Several months ago I made string X blocks into a flimsy and added a border. I didn't like the border but it was the only fabric on hand that sort of worked and that I had in enough quantity. I put the flimsy in the box and hoped I'd like the border better eventually. It still didn ...

added by Nann 1 month ago. under design wall monday , monday musings , oh scrap! , sew and tell , weekly update

Oh Scrap! : Playing with Blocks from Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework

I have had a stack of RWB blocks sitting next to my sewing machine for weeks. I finally had a chance this week to turn them into a quilt top.

We made some simple rail fence blocks out of RWB strips at our Spring Sew Day. We made enough blocks to make about 13 quilts.

For this first quilt, I simply laid them out in an alternate direction. The blocks are 10" so this quilt will finish at about 50" x 60".

I have some other layout plans for these blocks that I hope to share soon. In fact, maybe ...

added by Cynthia Brunz Designs 1 month ago. under oh scrap! , patriotic quilt , scrap quilting

Oh Scrap! : From the Scrap Bin from Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework

*** I just realized today is not Saturday! Oh Scrap!***

Recently, we finished some quilts made from scraps and orphan blocks we received.

A lot of our scraps get sent to Marci in Idaho and she turns them into scrappy blocks. We used the 10" string blocks to make this scrappy quilt. I think Marcia sewed up these blocks into a quilt top at or last sew day. It is nice because you really don't need a design wall to put these together.

Over a year ago, someone sent us a bunch of HSTs along with some cut squares and ...

added by Cynthia Brunz Designs 1 month, 1 week ago. under flannel , oh scrap! , orphan blocks , scrap quilting

Weekly update: Wildflowers, Bunco, and placemats from With Strings Attached

Two walks in two days! Lake Carina on Saturday (lower left) and the south unit of Illinois Beach State Park on Sunday. Upper left: crabapple. Upper right: hoary puccoon (which sounds like a Shakespearean insult). Center; Sand cherry.

But before that: Zion Woman's Club spring Bunco was Friday evening. We've done this for 10+ years and have a group of regulars. Though fewer people came than last fall the preliminary income is $1402 (thanks to club members who aren't asking for expense reimbursement).

There are four raffles: 50/50 cash, a gift card tree ($195 value), a ...

added by Nann 1 month, 2 weeks ago. under design wall monday , monday musings , oh scrap! , placemats , sew and tell , weekly update , zwc

Oh Scrap! : Finishes from Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework

I am writing this post quite a bit ahead of time. I am taking a quick trip to see my two sisters and an aunt/uncle I haven't seen in many years. In fact, by the time you read this, I will probably be back. I'm a bit torn - I am looking forward to seeing everyone, but I am sure going to miss my boi Arthur. We haven't been apart in over two years!

I am wwaaayyy behind in sharing finishes so I thought I would do that in this post.

Check it out - a finished quilt ...

added by Cynthia Brunz Designs 1 month, 2 weeks ago. under oh scrap! , scrap quilting

Weekly update: anniversary, convention, and a little sewing from With Strings Attached

One year. How I miss him!

I'm grateful to everyone for their love, support, and kind thoughts.

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The 101st AAUW-Illinois convention was in Rockford this past Friday evening and Saturday. (I didn't go last year because (see above). The last time it was in Rockford was 2002 and I didn't go because my mother passed away. Hmmm...) Helen drove and we roomed together. (It was a test because in October we will travel together. We got along quite well.)

The Rockford Women's Suffrage Monument was unveiled in 2020 for the centennial of the 19th amendment. The ...

added by Nann 1 month, 2 weeks ago. under aauw , design wall monday , monday musings , oh scrap! , sew and tell , weekly update

Oh Scrap! : Local Donations from Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework

I did work on a few scrappy projects this week, but I forgot to take any photos. Mostly, I was doing a bit of a clean-up and I just finished a bunch of partially sewn blocks and binding strips. I guess we will have to settle for some photos of some quilt tops donated by local volunteers.

Our Board Secretary Karen has been working through some of her batik scraps. This is one she donated to us. I love the rich, warm colors. The backing was sent to us by Stephanie. I did have to add a bit of an ...

added by Cynthia Brunz Designs 1 month, 3 weeks ago. under donation quilts , many hands and many hearts , oh scrap! , scrap quilting

Weekly update: quilt exhibit + finishes + reading from With Strings Attached

We escaped the tornadoes and the flooding that hit Illinois and Wisconsin last week but there was a lot of rain. It's the third-wettest April on record. My basement stayed dry (I had the landscapers add a bank of soil around the problem corner of the foundation) but apparently there's a roof leak. It's always something . . .

On Friday Leslie and I met at Concordia University in River Forest to see an exhibit of quilts by Modern Quilt Studio (=Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr). Leslie and I met at a P.E.O. convention and we immediately hit ...

added by Nann 1 month, 4 weeks ago. under batik quilt , monday musings , oh scrap! , patchwork and quilts , quilt show , reading , sew and tell , villa rosa , weekly update

Oh Scrap! : Scrappy Finishes from Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework

Sounds crazy, but I don't think I even ran my sewing machine all week.

That hasn't happened for YEARS!

So today, I am just going to share some of the scrappy quilts made by others that have crossed the finish line. I did sew the bindings on some of these...

I love this quilt! What a great way to use up a bunch of scraps. Jean sent this top and the backing. She even used some larger stash pieces for the back. We have a new local longarm quilter, Wanda, and this was one of the first quilts ...

added by Cynthia Brunz Designs 2 months ago. under donation quilts , many hands and many hearts , oh scrap!

Weekly update: exhibits and celebrations + two finishes + reading from With Strings Attached

I took a little excursion Friday afternoon. Every year the Racine Art Museum hosts an exhibit of Peeps art. Entries come from studio artists, kids, city/county departments, and every day people. Such punny fun!

Top: Peeping Beauty School of Cosmetology; Frida; No Mistakes, Just Happy Little Peeps (Bob Ross). Center: from the Racine city dept. of development; Arthur; "Peepal Conclave." Bottom: Don Quixote; The Scream.

Of course I liked "They Read Banned Books."

In the upstairs gallery at RAM: paper cutting. Exquisite!

The top left and center right are Polish (or Polish-style). Upper right: Japanese. Lower left: I think ...

added by Nann 2 months ago. under design wall monday , monday musings , oh scrap! , p.e.o , reading , sew and tell , villa rosa , weekly update

Oh Scrap! : Sew Day from Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework

Oh My! How time flies! The last couple weeks have been a bit of a blur for me. I can't believe in that whole time I didn't make one blog post. Thanks to all who checked up on me. And my apologies to those of you who kept checking for new posts but finding nothing.

We had our sew day event today (Saturday) and I just spent a couple hours putting everything away. I am exhausted but I wanted to share about the day.

We had a team of folks that showed up to sew some blocks for ...

added by Cynthia Brunz Designs 2 months, 1 week ago. under oh scrap! , scrap quilting , sew day

Weekly update: Easter, two finishes, and a six-part challenge from With Strings Attached

Easter Sunday was cool but the sunshine was abundant.

I went to church in the morning and had a nice long walk at Van Patten Woods in the afternoon.

Sumac, fungus, mullein. The place names Des Plaines and O'Plaine are corruptions of "eau pleine" meaning "full of water," which is how the early French explorers saw the river in flood. You can see why.

I had to work off some of the gustatory delights of the day. I made a half-batch of pancakes, our customary holiday breakfast. The pancake mix (Christmas 2024 gift) still had enough baking powder oomph ...

added by Nann 2 months, 2 weeks ago. under design wall monday , homespun quilt , monday musings , oh scrap! , sew and tell , top-along , villa rosa , weekly update

Weekly update: nine patch progress from With Strings Attached

Monday morning has rolled around too fast! This needs to be a quick post.

Three luncheons in three days (Clara Cummings Book Club on Thursday, retired library directors on Friday, GFWC District 10 on Saturday) plus the 5th Sunday potluck after church on Sunday -- good company at all.

Palm Sunday origami! Did you (or do you still) make a cross from the palm frond?

Every year at this time I look for skunk cabbage along the trail in the ravine at the end of the block. The “horn” is the flower. It is so named because it has a high ...

added by Nann 2 months, 3 weeks ago. under monday musings , nine patch quilts , oh scrap! , sew and tell , weekly update

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