Welcome to Treadlestitches!
It might be too much to say we're snowed in here this weekend, but my
husband had to siphon gas out of the car to keep running the snow
blower, so he could unblock the driveway and get out to buy more gas!
At least we have power, plus plenty of food, books, and quilt projects.
These little quilts are ready to be donated to the Community Baby Shower going on here this month. Both are from kits I cut last year from my flannel scraps and yardage. The pattern is Rail Stepper, by Alycia of alyciaquilts.blogspot.com. (Click HERE for the link to the free pattern.) Thanks, Alycia!
Many of the scraps in the pink/purple/yellow quilt are left over from a big quilt I made for my granddaughter years ago.
You can see the block here in the corner. There are 3 rails (the pink and purple rectangles) plus a longer white print on the left. All the pieces can be cut from 3.5 in. strips. I quilted it in a 3 in. grid. BTW, my favorite print is the purple queen cat at the top.
The back was also left over from my granddaughter's quilt.
It was so nice to have these kits ready to go! There are only 20 blocks in each quilt and the sewing is easy.
The back of the blue/green quilt was a remnant from the fabric store.
What's better than finishing projects? Starting new ones! January is always fun for me, despite the weather, because I'm planning out RSC quilts for the year. It is possible to fall down a "sequential vortex" though.
I started here this week. I have a little bin on my cutting table for snippets left over when cutting pieces. Over a year ago, I saw Janine-Marie of Quilts from the Little House Blog sewing crumbs like these onto adding machine tape, and decided to do that with this year's grocery receipts. (Click HERE for her year-end post with the strips, scroll down. Hers are MUCH nicer than mine!) The top strip is from last week, and the bottom strip is this week's. Weird how they're nearly the same length even though I didn't cut them, and I didn't buy exactly the same items.
That started me thinking about this basket full of strings. Maybe there were some short strings I could use for the grocery strips. That required sorting.
Sorting is kind of fun. Now the strings are separated by color. And I did find some short green strings.
More than that, I started another new RSC project: string quilts! I'm sewing the green strings onto a cloth foundation, and using leftover green triangles for the corners.
Here's what I've got so far. The sewing is fun, and I love "recycling" these skinny scraps. I don't know how many blocks I'll make, I'll just keep going until the strips are gone or there's not enough variety. I'm having so much fun with this that I'm making up a parody song to Greensleeves (oh, green strings were all my joy and green strings all my delight..).
The green scraps are a happy contrast with all the snow outside. We got somewhere around 10 inches just in the last two days. It's finally stopped snowing (hurray!) but I might still stay inside today and sew. How about you?
Stay warm, and thanks for reading!
Cheers,
Sylvia@Treadlestitches
Let's go virtually visiting! I'm linking up with these ladies today.
Alycia at Finished or Not Finished Friday
Angela at So Scrappy
Sarah at Can I Get A Whoop Whoop
Cynthia at Oh Scrap
What a productive week you have had! Two lovely little baby shower quilts and those pretty green string blocks. I love string blocks and have been on a roller coaster with them recently. Very addictive. I like sorting scraps too, like buried treasure. Have a good week, stay inside, avoid the snow and sew!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda! I agree, scrap sorting is like finding buried treasure!
DeleteWe haven't gotten that much snow here in Colorado, but it is definitely cold! Quilting is the best hobby for these cold and snowy days, isn't it? Your Rail Stepper quilts are fun and sweet, and will be loved by their future recipients. I like the adding machine tape strips, too, and have planned to make some. Time to dig out those little strips!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Diann! I love quilting, rain, snow, or shine, but it seems extra cozy when the weather outside is frightful!
DeleteThe little flannel quilts look cozy & warm. They'll be so appreciated with 10" of snow and probably more on the way! Love the string blocks. I don't think there's anything prettier than string blocks, no matter the color!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Susie! I am loving the string blocks again, after not making any for several years. It's like a new old friend.
DeleteWhat a terrific pattern those flannels made! Those little quilts are cuties! That Alycia sure creates terrific and patterns. Through your blog, I started following her! I like your green strips and story. I purchased adding machine tape long ago at the dollar store to make paper chains when my kids were younger than my granddaughters. We didn't make the paper chains and I have that roll. . . .hm m m m
ReplyDeleteThanks, Terry! I like using the grocery receipts, although pressing them does blur the ink! You could make miles of strings/crumbs with a whole roll of tape!
DeleteThe adding machine tape comment is mine. . .TerryK@OnGoingProjects
ReplyDeleteThanks, all good!
DeleteI love those pretty baby quilts, such a nice design. Guess I should prt off the directions for future donation quilts.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jenny! It's nice and easy, and all the pieces are cut from 3 in. strips.
DeleteAwesome baby quilts. They look soft and fluffy.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sara! I'm putting together bricks quilts now, inspired by some you made, thanks!
DeleteTen inches is a ton of snow in a couple of days! We got a skiff here and there over the past week. It is lovely and needed though.
ReplyDeleteI popped in to take a look at all the green strings you are playing with. They look nice!
Thanks, dq! We used to get snow like this every winter. I really shouldn't whine about it, we've had lots of years with less precip.
DeleteWhat adorable baby quilts! Your grocery receipt idea for string piecing is great. I don't know if they have any near you, but our CVS stores around here give you huge long receipts loaded with coupons (that I almost never use because they usually have a very short expiration date.)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Auntie Em! I thought of the CVS receipts, but they might be too much for my green scraps!
DeleteWhat a lovely bunch of finishes and a great start for a green string delight. I love string quilts and perhaps that's where I should start my RSC...haven't figured that out yet for this year. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Elana! It's hard to decide which projects to do for the RSC. And I know I'm probably going to add a couple more as the year goes on!
DeleteLove your finishes!! and yay for power - as for gas... oops haha!! at least you had some to siphon right??
ReplyDeleteThanks, Alycia! Hubby knew he should get some gas, but was worn out from shoveling. He's learned his lesson now!
Delete