Auditions, and Other Stuff

Good morning!  First thing today, a question.  Can you guess which one of these irons is doing the job I bought it to do?
If you guessed the antique iron (sometimes called a sad iron) you would be right.

Here's what I bought it to do--be a nice heavy bookend on my shelf.

I bought the electric iron to HEAT UP so I can get the wrinkles out of fabric and press quilt blocks.  It has been a disaster from the beginning.  When it started leaking water, I stopped using it as a steam iron and got a spray bottle to dampen the cloth.  Last week it finally quit.  I've had it about a year.
You can probably tell, I'm mad at this iron.  I'm also mad at myself for not saving the receipt and taking the darn thing back, especially since it wasn't the cheapest iron I could have bought.  It's a brand with a good reputation among quilters.  But not with me anymore.

Here's the new iron--the very cheapest one in the store.  And I saved the receipt this time!  We'll see how long I can go on less than $20.

Time to go to my happy place.

 Ah, that's better.

I'm auditioning this week, as I prepare to finish quilts made from the bag of scraps I bought at the flea market.

First, the Three and Six blocks.  I finished 42 of them.  What do you think of the green for the set?  I like the idea of setting them on point, but I'm not sure how I'm going to do the quilting.  I've never quilted an on-point quilt in sections before.

All the print triangles in the quilt are from that $8.00 scrap bag.  These 3 are the only triangles I had left after finishing the blocks. 

 

Here's another view of the blocks laid out on my "design floor".

I'm making progress on the Pyramids quilt.  I added the plaid border, and started quilting the sections.  This is the bottom section, just under a third of the quilt.  The top row of triangles isn't quilted yet.  I'll quilt it after I add the next section.  I'll quilt the borders after I get all 3 of the sections quilted and sewn together.

I'm doing some very simple quilting here.  I started by quilting in the ditch, and then did outline quilting on either side of the seams.  I actually enjoy the quilting when I'm doing these small sections.

The auditioning here is for border designs.  There are lots of options.

Here's what I chose for the backing.  It's a vintage cotton print, although probably from the 1970s rather than the 1930s and 1940s like the scraps in the top.  It's the same print we used for my Daisy quilt.  I like these little triangles.  This will just about use up this fabric.  I bought the whole bolt at a sale for $4.00.

The last audition today is for the rail fence blocks.  I found this pattern in Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns, #477b.  It's a Ruth Finley pattern, which she called Roman Square.  I'm trying to decide if I like the red or not.

I think I like it!
These blocks finish at 4.5 in. square, so I'll need tons of them for a twin sized quilt.  I've already used up nearly all the pieces I cut from the scrap bag, so I'm adding in vintage scraps from my "collection", although I may not have enough from the same time period.

Not to worry!  If you don't have scraps, make some!  I went through my stash of vintage fabrics and tore off 9 in. strips of prints I like from the 1930s and 1940s.  It's time I started using more of this stuff instead of just hoarding it.

I've got lots more to cut, but a nice big stack is ready to sew, ready for whenever I have a free minute.  It is easier for me to find the time and energy to piece during the week than it is to quilt.  I mostly save the quilting for the weekends.

What are you working on?  Are there scraps involved?  Inquiring minds want to know!

I'm linking up with Busy Hands Quilts this week, for Finished or Not Friday, and with Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop.