Log Cabin, Stash Building, and Scraps

Welcome to Treadlestitches!  Thanks for stopping by!

My quilt tops are getting too big to go on the clothesline for photos, but the breeze this morning worked against a good picture in the tree, sorry.  The charities I donate the tops to prefer larger sizes for the kids and I'm happy to oblige, especially since a volunteer from the organization will quilt them.

It's breeze-free in the house, laid out on the floor.  These blocks were one of my Rainbow Scrap Challenge sets from this year.

I was calling these blocks Half Log Cabin, but they might more properly be called Quarter Log Cabin.  Each one is made from one 3 in. (finished) square and three sets of 2 in. wide (finished) strips.  Easy peasy!  And it used up strips from my Parts Department.

Did you catch the Halloween prints in the blocks above?  I wasn't trying to be timely when I made them, it was just hard to find good novelty prints in purple and orange.  I've since found more orange, but purple is still harder to spot in the stores.

As usual, this quilt top will be donated to the Children's Advocacy Center at Children's Hospital in Milwaukee, to be given to a child in foster care.

This week was a BIG DEAL for stash enhancement!  On Monday I met my friend Debbie C. in Sun Prairie at J. J. Stitches quilt shop.  We shopped for fabric, and had lunch out.   I bought dog prints and several light fabrics.  The best part, as always, was visiting with a friend.  We were too busy talking to take pictures, sadly.  We both admired the quilt above so I'm including a photo of it from their web site.  Great purple fabrics!

On the way home, I stopped at Sew Many Pieces in Richfield.  Of course I bought sale fabric (it was $10 per yard, which seems cheap now when fabric goes for $15 or even $16 a yard).  I also bought these scraps.  They have a big basket full, and customers like me fill a plastic bag for $7.00.

Here's what I ended up with after I cut it up. There are small stacks of squares in 5 in., 4.5 in., 3.5 in., 2.5 in. and 2 in. sizes.  Then there are 3 kinds of rectangles:  2 in. x 3.5 in., 2.5 in. x 3.5 in., and 2.5 in. x 4.5 in.  These are all the shapes I keep in my Parts Department, which makes them ready to go when I need them.  The odd shaped pieces in front are scraps for more crumb quilts.

When I went to put all the cut pieces away, I found that the shoebox with the 2 in. x 3.5 in. rectangles was getting really crowded.  I could get a bigger bin, or I could start a new quilt.  Which do you think I did lol?

Of course I started a new quilt!  The block is a Potato Chip variation, with a center 3 in. (finished) square instead of two rectangles.  Each 9 in. finished block will use 6 light rectangles and 10 dark ones. I don't think I have enough rectangles right now to make a twin sized top, but I'm sure more of these scraps will show up over time.  Scraps are forever!

Quilt Guild meeting last Wednesday night was our annual Silent Auction.  This is always so much fun!  This box of flannel scraps was calling my name.  I tried not to listen, but it was no use.  This is what it looks like now, after I weeded out fabrics I won't use and washed the rest.  There is so much cutting in my future!  If you have any good simple patterns for flannel, I would love a link to them.  I'm going to start with baby quilts.

The Silent Auction went really well.   Our guild raised over $400.00!  I was happy to help.  All told, I bought 6 lots, including the charm squares above and the jar of candy, which came with several yards of cute kid fabric.  (The jar was full when I won it.)

Question for you.  Do you keep your charm squares in their original packs, or do you sort them by color?  I'm always interested in how other quilters work.

It's a beautiful day here, and I'm going to take a walk in the park after lunch.  I hope you have a lovely productive week, doing what you love best.

Thanks for reading!

Cheers,

Sylvia@Treadlestitches

Linking up with these fun ladies and their blogs:

Alycia at Finished or Not Finished Friday

Angela at So Scrappy

Cynthia at Oh Scrap

 

Radio Windmill Top and Lots of Purple

 Welcome to Treadlestitches!  Thanks for stopping by!

Good morning!  I got back from vacation Sunday evening and hit the ground running, trying to catch up with laundry and groceries and just regular life.  I hadn't sewn anything for more than a week, so was glad to fit in some stitching with chores and babysitting.  

Our quilt guild has a current project making quilts for the group Sleep In Heavenly Peace.  The group makes beds for kids who don't have any, and quilt groups make quilts for the beds.  The size quilt they need is 60 in. x 80 in., which is larger than what I usually make.  I went looking in my "Some Assembly Required" bin (term borrowed from Cathy at the Sane, Crazy, Crumby Quilting blog) and found a set of blocks I made in 2025 as part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

The Radio Windmill block pattern was originally published in the 1940s in the Kansas City Star newspaper series of patterns.  I made mine from a pattern called Highland Fling in the book Dessert Roll Quilts by Pam and Nicky Lintott.  It's an easy pattern (no, really!).  The center is a charm square, and the outside triangles are cut from rectangles, so there is NO WASTED FABRIC.  

I chose mostly light background novelty print squares for the centers and calmer prints for the outside triangles.

It was simple and quick to sew 42 of the blocks together and add a border.  A volunteer from the guild will quilt it, someone (maybe me) will bind it, and it will go to a local child with their new bed.  I still have enough blocks left to make a small quilt.

Speaking of RSC blocks, it is already the last Saturday in September aka purple month, so here are my last group of purple blocks, the Quarter Log Cabin ones.

I never had yardage of these robots, just a few scraps, so I was glad to find a place for this square.  And of course I had to add the aliens flying space ships to this block. 

More ghosts eating popcorn!  This block is reminding me to get out the Halloween decorations this weekend.  Maybe I can get the grandsons to help decorate.

More purple!  I like to knit on vacation, especially in airports.  I took the yarn along to make hats for kids, to donate to a local charity.  I hadn't done this for awhile, and cast on too many stitches for the first hat.  I finished it into an adult-sized hat just before we went up into the mountains.  As you'd expect, it was COLD there in the mornings when we were out hiking.  I ended up wearing the big hat almost every day.  It's mine now lol.

Vacation Pix Coming!  (Feel free to skip.)

Our vacation this year was in the Canadian Rockies.  Above is the view from our hotel window.  I was jaw-droppingly amazed every time I looked out.

We ate lunch beside this beautiful lake one day.

This is a wildlife overpass in Banff National Park.  Critters like moose, elk, bears, etc. can safely cross the highway on these.  There are fences to keep them from getting on the road.

On one of our last days we went on a one-hour trail ride.  That's me in front and hubby right behind.  Neither of us are equestrians lol, not having been on horseback in at least 50 years.  It was a pleasant ride, and very exciting when we came across a male elk who didn't want to move.  Our guide used a noisemaker to encourage him to move on, also for a second male elk who came to see what was going on.  After a few minutes both elk disappeared into the brush and the ride continued.

Of course I went quilt shopping in town!  We stayed in Canmore, where there is a lovely quilt shop packed with fabrics and patterns and yarn.  I found most of my treasures in the sale room (as usual).  Check out the taco truck print!

As always, it's great to go on vacation, and great to come home.  I'm ready to enjoy fall now.  Bring on the baking, the sweaters, the oven suppers, the lovely fall leaves, and best of all, the quilting.

Happy Quilting, everyone, and have a good week!

Thanks for reading,

Sylvia@Treadlestitches

Linking up with these amazing quilters:

Alycia at Finished or Not Finished Friday

Angela at So Scrappy, Home of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge

 

Home Is Where The Cats Are

 Welcome to Treadlestitches!  Thanks for stopping by!

How has your summer been?  I can't believe it's nearly over!  I've been traveling a lot this summer, and I'm glad to be home again.  I am grateful for all the time with family and will cherish the memories, but it's so good to be back into my usual routines.  Like making quilts!

The top above evolved from leftover cat blocks made for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge in 2024.  As you can see, I added borders to the blocks, and set them together with a cat print border.  There are all sorts of odd fabrics here, like the black Harry Potter symbol cat with a background of a spectacled cat next to the Eifel Tower.

Here's a block with Laurel Burch print dogs and a light cat print background.

More cute kitties in the border!  I love their rainbow accessories.

After adding the border, the blocks measure 9 in. finished, and the quilt is 42 in. x 51 in.  I might quilt it myself if I get time, or I will donate it as a top to the Children's Advocacy Center in Milwaukee.

What about my real cats?  I missed these critters!

I couldn't get Snicky to pose on the quilt.  Guess he was just too comfortable on the carpet.

Lizzy was relaxing on the couch with a different quilt.  Running around the house at five o'clock in the morning wears them out.  For a little while.

Now that I'm home, I'm catching up on my yellow Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks for August.  Quarter Log Cabins are quick and easy, thank goodness.  The one in the upper left was a test block, you may have seen it before.  Lots of bright yellows here, with bugs and hearts and Dr. Seuss characters.  And Elmo!

More Elmo, two different prints!  More bugs, too.  Plus Thomas the Tank Engine, and dogs.

I saved my soft yellows for the last block.  There are teddy bears, Peter Rabbit, zoo animals, and a sweet dog.

Next I made two Dawn Chorus blocks.  I only need two for the quilt I'm planning so it didn't take too long.

Here's the other one.  Now I only need to make 3 purple blocks before I can start setting them together.

I missed these guys, too!  They were really hamming it up when we went to Bookworm Gardens in Sheboygan, Wisconsin a couple of weeks ago.  It was a great day, perfect weather and so many book-related things to see.  Just the thing for a retired school librarian like me!

So was this!  I am posing with the Cat in the Hat at the Hartford, Connecticut airport last Monday.  The Dr. Seuss characters are there to promote The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum in Springfield, Massachusetts.  I wish I had had time to go there!

I hope you have time this week to do the things you love to do.  Like quilting!

Thanks for reading,

Sylvia@Treadlestitches

Linking up with these great linky parties!  Click to see all the eye candy!

Alycia at Finished or Not Finished Friday

Angela at So Scrappy, Home of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge

Cynthia at Oh Scrap

Stack It Up!

Welcome to Treadlestitches!  Thanks for stopping by!

Happy U.S. Independence Day!

The Stack It Up top doesn't really qualify as a 4th of July quilt.  It's red white and blue, and also orange and green and yellow and purple and aqua, etc.  I always think I'll do some red white and blue sewing on July 4, but end up not prepping anything ahead.

Many thanks to the people who commented recommending not including the heart appliques from Lori Holt's original pattern.  My white strips are wild enough on their own!  

All of these scraps come from my "Parts Department", mostly the 2 in. strips drawer.  I also raided the 2 in. squares box and the "little bricks" (2 x 3.5 in. rectangles) box. 

There's a solid red inner border, then this blue alphabet print border with illustrations that remind me of books from the 1950s, like Dick and Jane.  I got the blue fabric second hand from the museum sale.

Lizzy the cat walked over the top to test the seams but declined to stay and pose.  I think she gets fluffier every day.

I haven't decided if I'm quilting it myself or donating it as a top to be quilted by a volunteer.  It's not huge (45 in. x 57 in.) but I'm not going to have a lot of time to quilt this summer.

New color for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge:  Aqua!  I'm making five of these Half Log Cabin blocks in each color.  I had already made the one above when I tested the pattern, so I had only four more to sew.

Two are a greenish aqua and two are more bluish.  Lots of my aqua prints have a nautical/ocean life theme.  Except for the cow (not a sea cow) and elephants (not elephant seals).  Also some butterflies.

In Progress

Summer is my busiest time of year, mostly because school is out for my youngest grandsons.  I can make time for piecing in the mornings and at odd moments, but having time to actually do the quilting is hard to come by.  I'll catch up in the fall when the boys go back to school.

In the meantime I'll get ahead on some piecing projects.  This is another Lori Holt pattern called Criss Cross Star.   I first saw it on her You Tube channel.  It's #10 in her Sew Your Stash Series.  (Click HERE.)  The block she made on the video was 9 in. finished, and that's what I'm making.  It appears in her book Scrappiness is Happiness as a 15 in. finished block.  One of the coolest things about it is the cutting:  it's all squares!  Also the points float, so you can't accidentally cut off the points.  Works for me!

More beautiful aqua!  My friend Debbie gave me this lovely shawl she knit with beautiful shades of blues and greens.  It's light as a feather and so soft.  I can't wait to find a dress to wear with it.  (Thanks again, Debbie, you are amazing!)

It's July 4th, and we've already been to a parade!  That's because a neighboring town has its Independence Day parade on July 3rd.  That's Hubby and our youngest daughter above.  My hilarious husband is wearing Little Guy's hat.  The parade was amazing, and we had a great time.

I hope you all have a great time this week, doing things you love to do.

Happy Independence Day, America!

Thanks for reading,

Sylvia@Treadlestitches

Linking up with:

Alycia at Finished or Not Finished Friday

Angela at So Scrappy

 

 

More Bright Hopes, Orange, Quilt History, and Art

 Welcome to Treadlestitches!  Thanks for stopping by!

May is such a busy month!  I didn't have much time for sewing this week, but I mananged to drag this little quilt over the "finished" line last evening.  It's a donation for the Children's Advocacy Center in Milwaukee.

The pattern is an old standby from the Quilts for Kids website.  (Click HERE for the link.)  Instead of 4 patches I used some of the leftover blocks from last year's Bright Hopes stack, made for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  I think I can get one more quilt from them.

The unpieced blocks are a cute print that looks like children's drawings.  I bought this from Hancock Fabrics online on a whim.  I always justify buys like this to myself with these four words:  It Was On Sale.  Which it was!

I don't usually add a narrow inner border, but this quilt really needed it since the border and the alternate block are the same fabric.

The back is this cute print, which is also meant to look like children's drawings.  I bought it second hand and have had it forever.  It was good to find a home for it.

A two inch grid in serpentine stitch was quickly quilted, and the binding is the same fabric as the inner border.  It's a small quilt, just 38 in. x 44 in., which should work well for a baby or toddler.

The orange blocks are really standing out to me this month.  Isn't it a great color?

It was fun sewing the orange Half Log Cabin blocks.  I only had to make 4, because the one on the bottom right was one of the blocks I made to try out the pattern.

Orange novelty prints can be hard to find, but thank goodness for Halloween fabrics!  Even the Cat in the Hat print was meant for Halloween.

Check out the bats!

And of course these black cats!  I bought this print in Kentucky last fall.

In Progress

Oops, I forgot to show my work In Progress last week!  I was in too big a hurry to go to the WQSG meeting (more on that below).  I'm working on some leftover half square triangles that were in the back of the 2.5 in. square drawer.  I'm sewing them into 6 in. finished Friendship Stars to make another quilt like the one I just finished.  The orange ones are done!

The Wisconsin Quilt Study Group meeting last weekend was wonderful!  We met at the Lincoln-Tallman House in Janesville, Wisconsin, and the staff pulled out lots of quilts for us to enjoy.  I think this one was in the servants' quarters.  (Yay, orange!)

They even did a bed turning for us featuring some of their oldest quilts.  This one was wonderfully scrappy.  The colors were still vibrant.  Very little information was available on the date, but definitely before 1900.

As part of our meeting, we shared some of our family quilts.  I had to snap a photo of this one that belonged to Carol.  I have often admired this scrappy pattern.  Plus, more orange!

The museum staff was amazing, our tour guide was knowledgeable, fun, and patient, and the house is beautifully preserved.  We even got to see where Abraham Lincoln slept!  It was a lovely quilty day out.

Yesterday DH and I had another great day.  It was Grandparents Day at Buddy and Little Guy's school.  We saw their classrooms, played bingo, went to the bookfair, and viewed the art show.  Above Buddy is showing us his painting of sunflowers.

Little Guy is pointing to his project, a smiling snail with a colorful shell.

Little Guy was just happy to make something and have it displayed, but Buddy was disappointed not to get a ribbon for his project. I hope I can help them focus more on the satisfaction of creating and sharing art and less on competition.  Art (in whatever medium we like!) can give us joy all through our lives.

I hope you have a joyful week, with time to do what you love.  Like quilting!

Thanks for reading,

Sylvia@Treadlestitches

Linking up with:

Alycia at Finished or Not Finished Friday

Angela at So Scrappy