EASY PROJECT

 I needed some mindless, easy things to do this week.  I got out my scraps of reds, oranges and yellow-greens and cut some of them into strips of several different widths.

Then the last few days I've been sewing them into long strips.

I don't know what they'll end up being, but it was a very stress free project and they will be ready when inspiration strikes.

STRIP SETS AFTER WORKSHOP

It was the next Improv That Block Squad workshop with Sherri Lynn Wood.  This month's block explores the Spider Web block.

We discovered two different ways to make the blocks. 

I worked on making my strip sets all day.

This is how many I have so far.

I choose to make my 'webs' in black in white for a couple of reasons.  One, the Black/White/Grey Scrap bucket is overflowing.  And two, I also remembered a memory from elementary school.  The teacher took us out behind the school in the morning, where the trees surrounded the playfield.  We took black construction paper and laid the wet spider webs on it then sprinkled flour or some kind of white powder onto them to capture a permanent record of our webs.  

Spiders are creepy, but I love the webs.

 

HUGS BACKING

 I made a backing and label for Hugs and Kisses using that fabric I bought yesterday.  I used the leftover parts from cutting the 4" squares from the front to make a long strip. 

LOG CABIN BACK FINISHED

 I continued working on the backing for Devolve that I started yesterday.  I used bigger pieces to get it up to the right size.

It's done.  Ready.  It's bigger than my design wall, so it goes down onto the floor.

LOG CABIN LABEL

I made a label for the recently finished top, Devolve.  I like using up the scraps on the back, so this time I'm doing it in a Log Cabin style.  I'm going round and round the label with the scraps and leftover strips.    Here's where it ended up today.  I used almost all of the small scraps, so tomorrow I'll start adding some big 'logs'  to get to the finished size, with the bigger pieces on the top so the label ends up towards the bottom.  At this point, it's about 24" square.

ALL THE PARTS

 I've been working furiously to get all of the parts cut out.

I need to get this project off the work wall for the coming workshop this weekend.

And, I got them all cut out today.  Yea!

Now, to start sewing them together.

IMPROVISING

 Not sure I'm going with those pizzaz colors.  They don't seem to fit quite right.

AS WE GO

I've been working on cutting up these strip sets and turning them into Quarter Circle Arcs and parts.

It's fun.  But, I'm not sure if the colors are working, so I added some pizzaz.

 

CUT 'EM UP!

 Because I wasn't happy with some strip sets I made a while back from the scraps from my 23/24 bin.

I put them away in August and brought them back out today - to cut them up.  I got a set of 12" quarter circle arcs from WarmFolk that I thought would be perfect for them.

So I cut them up.

But of course, I had to add some other fabrics.  

BACK FOR BIRD

 I've been working on the backing for the Weird Bird quilt for the last few days.  I finished it today.  

I used up almost all of the leftover fabric pieces, even some really small ones and some bigger chunks.  I had cut a bunch of yellow strips when I was making the letters in Joe's workshop, so I used most of them, too.

These are all the leftovers, which will go into the scrap bins.

GOLD AND PURPLE

 I started a new project.  I'm going to use the gold to brown fabrics in my number 23-24 scrap bucket, which is overflowing, along with a much less full bucket of it's compliments, purples.

I want to use the same method I used when I made Blissfully - strip sets.

I'm not sure it's going that well.

BLISSFULLY DONE AND MORE

 I finished the quilting on Blissfully - it's done and off the machine.  It looks great.  I love this quilt.

Now I have to decide whether it wants binding or facing?  Hmmm.

After that, I went to work on the Dancing quilt.  I'm trying to work out how to sew everything together.  I should just be making pieces that fit in between and connect things.  But, I'm making more components, too.  It might be getting a little too busy.  Or not.

LOADED THURSDAY

 I finally loaded the Blissfully quilt onto the longarm.  It just barely fits - but, it fits.

I thought I wanted to quilt it with a reddish thread, but it turns out it wanted to be quilted with a gold colored thread.

I also thought I was going to put some circles in the lines, but that didn't work out.  With the quilt completely covering the frame, it would have been very difficult to stop and disconnect the channel locks to insert a circle.  So I think I'll add them after all of the straight lines are done.  Maybe, I'll quilt them with a 'big stitch'.

STRIPS RE-DO

 I took apart a section of the Skinny Inset Strips quilt, now named Blissfully.  I wanted to tone down some of the lightest values.

It's now back together looking even better.

STRIP QUILT TOP DONE

 I got all of the sections of the Strip Quilt put together finally.  There was some head-scratching and adjustments made trying to figure out how to fit them to each other.  I used a lot of partial seams.

I'm mostly happy with it.  

I also got the binding onto the little Plaid Tumbler quilt, it's 30" by 40".  I used some 'leftover' plaid binding.  I think I made all of this binding for another project and then didn't use it.  Some of it finally found a home.

BOTTOM HALF

 I've been working on this Strippy quilt.  I've got most of the top half done - lots of partial seams and adjustment strips added or subtracted.

I'm now working on the bottom half.  There seems to be a few fill in pieces needed.

DONUT HOLE?

 I got all of the 'panels' done for the Skinny Strips quilt.  I put them up, stood back and took a photo.  Oh no, there appears to be a big hole in the center.

So, I moved things around.  It's better, but I need to let it rest and think about it.

I heard from Sewing Machine Service today.  They will be here this Thursday to set up my new Bernina Q24.

CHANGED A BIT

 I did move the parts around and made some lighter valued ones to fill in the gap.  I still have a few more bits to make.

MONDAY SEW

 I continued making strip sets today with my Brave Patch Monday Sew-in Buddies.

I rearranged the results, too.

But first I had to chase this potato out of my scrap bucket...

FOUNDATION PIECING

 Today while I visited online with our Monday Brave Patch Group, I sewed some of the scraps from my Solstice quilt onto a foundation backing.

I really enjoy doing this.  It's very relaxing and satisfying.

And I love spending time with this group of ladies.

These are 4" wide strips varying in length from 11" to about 14".  And I don't have a plan for them yet.