Happy Blocks with Black Prints, and More Color Block Stars

 Welcome to Treadlestitches!  Thanks for stopping by!

What's that hanging on the clothesline?  It's another Happy Blocks quilt top!

Last week Angela, our Rainbow Scrap Challenge fearless leader, challenged us to use black, brown, or neutral scraps to make quilt blocks in October.   I admit, I don't use black fabrics much.  Most of my quilts are made for kids, and I want them to be colorful, cheerful, and fun.

But I do have lots of fun black prints, mostly given to me or bought as part of a box of scraps.

What if I cut them into squares, and surrounded them with bright solid fabrics?  

Eureka!  Happy blocks!  All 30 blocks have different centers.  I can't believe I had so many different prints.  

Bugs, a T. Rex, fireworks, happy faces, lots of dogs, and even an astronaut cat made their way into this quilt.

Once I started I couldn't stop.  I made all the blocks last Saturday, set them into rows on Sunday and Monday, and added the borders on Tuesday.  The blocks are 8 in. finished, and the top is 46 in. x 58 in.  When finished it will be donated to the Children's Advocacy Center in Milwaukee, to be given to a child in foster care.  

The border is also a black print, of books and book worms.

So thanks to Angela for the idea to use these cute prints. 

And thanks to Cynthia at the Quilting is More Fun Than Housework blog for the current block drive to benefit Many Hands and Many Hearts.  It's called Color Block Stars, and you can click HERE for directions and information.  I'm making the calmer ones for the block drive, and keeping the wilder ones to make a quilt to donate locally.

This week I made red blocks, first a "calmer" one:

and then a wild one, full of novelty prints:

Next was orange, calm first:

Then wild:

I'm mostly making these blocks from the squares in my 3.5 in. drawer, and I knew I'd have trouble finding very many orange novelty prints.  But I was surprised to have the same trouble with red.  I may have to do a little shopping.  (But only a little!) 

The weather has been beautiful lately.  My youngest grandsons and I have been hanging out at the playground in the park after school when time and their sports activities permit.  Little Guy posed for me on the rope bridge.

Buddy had just jumped down from crossing the top of the monkey bars.  They're both just a touch theatrical.

And a little goofy!

There are still some summer flowers here, but they will be gone soon now that it's October.  Soon we'll be ready for pumpkins and falling leaves, cold mornings and rainy days.  But for now we'll enjoy the end of summer while it lasts.  I don't want to miss a minute.

Take care this week, whatever the season or weather.  I hope you can take time for all the things you love.  Like quilting!

Thanks for reading,

Sylvia@Treadlestitches

Linking up with:

Alycia at Finished or Not Finished Friday

Angela at So Scrappy

Cynthia at Oh Scrap