A Pieceful Week

It seems like sometimes it takes a lot of gumption for me to quilt.  By that I mean actually quilt a quilt, not just piece scraps together.  If I'm tired, or sick, or both, quilting just seems like a heavy lift.  But I can always piece.
Here's some fun I've been having this week, in spite of a rotten cold.

I'm participating in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge again this year (click HERE to find out all about it).  This month's color is aqua or teal or variations thereof.  I have to apologize for the photos, there was actually sunlight pouring into the kitchen when I took them, so all the colors are a bit washed out.

Aqua/teal was a tough color for me, since I barely had any scraps in the right color.  But then I remembered the feed sacks!  I'm making the Buckeye Beauty quilt from 1930s repros, so the feed sack scraps fit right in.  And several of them were the right color.  I ended up making 7 of these blocks, all different.

The house blocks were even more fun.  Truthfully, they always are!

Watch out for the tigers!

And the cats...

and the owls on the roof.
So I made 7 more of these blocks too.

Meanwhile, my basket of leader and ender blocks is getting a little bit fuller every day.  I have around 120 blocks now, and I need at least 300.  So that's a good long term project.

For now, I'm going to get a cup of tea and check out all the wonderful blocks and quilts everyone else has made.
I hope your projects are going well this week, with scraps and inspiration, and sunshine pouring in.

I'm linking up (late!) with Myra at Busy Hands Quilts.

Flimsy Granny

The last time I was working on this quilt it was hot outside.   Today it's a high of 20 degrees here in Wisconsin, but the granny squares are done and sewn into a flimsy.

I have always loved this as a traditional pattern.  It has various names, like Album and Chimney Sweep.  The modern version is made with 2 in. finished squares, which made it perfect for using up my overflowing 2.5 in strips.  You can find the Moda Bakeshop pattern here.  These blocks were so much fun to make.

 This brown block is my favorite.  The center square is a pheasant, from a wonderful reproduction fabric I've had for years.

The quilt has 56 blocks, 7 across and 8 down.  I set it with narrow strips of unbleached muslin that finish 1 in. wide.

No more dithering about borders!  I chose this repro green that I bought at the museum sale last summer, and just added it as a plain border.

Mr. Biddy seems to like it, although he is casting a critical eye on the piecing.
Now I have to figure out the quilting.  Right now I'm considering a diagonal grid.

Here's what I chose for my leaders and enders project this year.  It's from a pattern made by a friend years ago in a local quilt shop.  It's called Scraps Times Two.
The photo above shows 24 of the blocks.  Some are sewn together, some not.

 Here's what each block looks like.  This little block measures 4 in. square finished.  I will need literally dozens (hundreds?) of these little critters.  This will use up scraps from my 1.5 in. and 2.5 in. bins.

Why did I decide to do this?  It's all Sherry's fault!  This is my friend Sherry L. at our retreat last October.  She is holding up 16 of these little blocks all sewn together.  I loved her quilt, but thought it would be too time consuming to sew all those tiny pieces together.
It turned out to be addictive!  I'm having to restrain myself from sewing these all the time, even without another project.  The real hassle is all the cutting.  So I'm doing my usual cut-a-few, sew-a-few.

In other news, I'm knitting a nice warm sweater for myself.  Wish it was done already, as I can use it today.  Some knitters actually have electric ball winders, but you know me, I'm old school.  Ladder back chairs work really well.

I'm still reviewing last year in the sewing room.  Here are all the empty spools I generated, making quilts in 2016.  Anybody have any use for empty spools?

Here's a tease for next week.  I can't show you what I'm binding here yet.

Stay warm this week, and sew on!
Cheers!
I'm linking up with Myra at Busy Hands Quilts and Amanda Jean at Crazy Mom Quilts today.