Saturday, April 1, 2017

Putting the RAINBOW in Rainbow Scrap Challenge

TGIA. Thank God it’s April!!  Although I usually love March (spring starts and it's my birthday month), this year it was hard. Regular readers know about DH’s latest medical issue, and  I`m pleased to say that on Tuesday the 4th he will have his final surgery to detach his right forearm from his abdomen (sounds weird, I know). Then he can finally heal and start physical therapy to regain the use he’s lost in his arm and hand over the last six weeks of operations. But he has his arm and full function! YAY!!! They will monitor him closely every couple months for signs of cancer recurrence. I mean really, who gets cancer in their FOREARM? We know there is a chance that some cancer may remain - and they’ll radiate the questionable area just in case. So it’s all good for now.

But let’s talk about fabric and quilting and sewing. This month, Angela who heads up our Rainbow Scrap Challenge and hosts the weekly linkup (join us HERE), has chosen RAINBOW (multicolor) for the April color. What that means is that we get to use all those fabric scraps we have that don’t fit into a specific color category; mixed fabrics that contain this and that and defy classification. I have a lot of those prints - florals, Asian-inspired fabrics, multi-colored chevron or plaid or stripes. Novelty fabrics. Whew. This is what my basketful looked like:


Starting the sort by value:


Since rainbow blocks don’t fit my usual ongoing 2017 projects, I decided to make a scrappy quilt (or 2 if there’s enough fabric) of these babies. But what to do? First I decided the quilt needed to meet a few criteria:

1.  No HSTs.  I do enough of those darn things in my regular blocks. I need a break!
2.  Must use all values; bright, dark, light, pastel
3.  Pattern must allow all fabrics to play together yet provide contrast and interest.

That was a tall order, but I keep a lot of quilt idea boards on my Pinterest, and found the perfect quilt that I had pinned from Wanda at Exuberant Color.  (March, 2013).


These are 10-inch blocks and each one uses four fabrics/values and flip triangles instead of HSTs, although there is no reason that it can’t use even more in a given block. I am so stoked!!!  So, I hope to have several blocks or a half quilt to show you next week!  And speaking of quilts to show, since last month was red and I had some old red and white fabric, I made a little donation baby quilt. I the flimsy last week, but here it is done and quilted in all its relative blandness (and pinned badly to my design board):


I fixed up the wonky border on the left after I took the picture, so it’s nice and neat now. It finished at 42x38”, and my friend Terri has a charity she donates baby quilts to, so she will take this one off my hands. Oh, the binding? Some old Christmas fabric (see below) because..... why not?


I’ve also been working on a couple other things. If you haven’t seen my finished Rainbow Dresdens, visit the last post (click “older post”, below, or visit my Quilt Gallery page, link above).  Once Rainbow Dresdens and the red baby quilt were done, it was back to working on Flower Market, where I am still trimming up HSTs for a border. These are the two possibilities - a chevron style or diamonds. Excuse their wonkiness; I’m still trimming...



Which one do you like better??

Have a great week!

Cathy maroon

18 comments:

  1. Cathy -- that's great news that your husband will hopefully have his last surgery on the 4th! Welcome April for sure. (What a great birthday gift to you to have him on the mend.) LOVE your pattern choice for the multi colored fabrics. I made a few of those blocks a while back. Looks like a great place for those funky fabrics. As for the two borders, I like the chevron. But I'm sure you'll make it work whatever you pick. Have a great weekend!

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  2. Being inexperienced at such things as selecting a border, I vote Chevron. I is so much more interesting. Great news for you and Bruce. I'm glad he is having therapy too. I think the lack of it for me has caused issues I didn't know I would have with my foot. I think you are going to have fun with these colorful scraps this month. Nice switch up for the challenge.
    xx, Carol
    Still praying for you and for Bruces thorough recovery.

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  3. Sending prayers your way, hopping your husband has a faster recovery and that everything goes well during the surgery. You have a big bunch of multicolored fabrics/scraps and the chosen block seems to be perfect for a great quilt!
    I like the 2 borders, but I think that with the chevron you will use all yours HST.

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  4. I got distracted by your mention of the Dresden finish and had to click over to that post first! :). Your basket of multi-color fabrics looks like an Easter basket - so fun! I am not home at the moment, or I would have gone right to my stash to look and see what I have, your picture and quilt idea look perfect for April! We are at my MIL's house. She still lives on her own, but is needing more and more family coming in to help. As soon as I get home, I'm going in search of colorful fabric! Thinking of you and Bruce with the upcoming procedure. xo

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  5. Prayers for a speedy recovery for hubby. Hope it is the last. I love all of your bright colors and that quilt certainly will be perfect for them. Today is going to be fabric picking day for several things Hopefully some sewing will be included. I like the chevron for borders, but I am sure that either would look great!!

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  6. Best of luck on Bruce's last surgery and hoping it's the last one for a LONG time!! Congrats on your little RED quilt finish and deciding what to do with your multicolored scraps. Looking forward to seeing the result of your scrappy adventures in April!!

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  7. Great red baby quilt. Looks like a good plan for all those multicoloured fabrics. I think either setting for you border will work. I think it's all a matter of personal preference.

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  8. I like the Chevrons.
    The quilt pattern you are using for your RSC this month. I love it's scrappiness potential!
    I bet your husband is so relieved that this part of the journey is almost at an end! I'm continuing good positives thoughts in his direction!

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  9. Your blocks look awesome and I love your plan for April's multi-colored month!

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  10. Yay for good news for the hubby! And yay for finding the perfect pattern for this month's wild fabrics. (I may or may not be considering starting a new project thanks to you...) As for the hst border, I like the chevron style better.

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  11. So glad to read about the good news on your sweet husband. I have been praying for him and you. Love the idea of a scrappy rainbow quilt, what fun this will be. Take care my sweet friend.

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  12. Glad to hear that your husband is on the road to recovery.

    I liked seeing all of your multi colored fabrics. You have selected a great block for them. You have a lot of great projects on the way.

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  13. Wow - your multi-color fabric project looks like fun! I'm not as inspired (yet?), so I look forward to seeing your progress.

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  14. I can picture another set of Dresden blocks, maybe smaller this time, out of your multi color scraps. On a dark background perhaps? Whatever you do it will be wonderful. I'd have to see the potential border pieces with the Dresden plates to be able to make a decision about which way to go, although I don't think you could really go wrong with either! Best wishes to your hubby - and to you too as you also have to live through the consequences of his health issues.

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  15. Those are a lot of scraps without any cats or kittens hiding in them. I like that you are making charity quilts, but charity begins at home...with your cats.

    Respectfully,

    Molly

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  16. Prayers for DH, and you also. That quilt is marvelous - it just glows. I don't know what I'll do this month - multi doesn't work with my layout - maybe I'll think about a border and see if I can use multi that way. Blessings,

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  17. I think your multi-coloured scrappy idea is great. I vote for the Chevron style. You certainly are productive.

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  18. I'm behind in my commenting (again) so I assume that Bruce has had his final surgery and his arm is free - I hope all went well. Wonderful choice of quilt pattern - will work well with all your scraps I think. And my vote (not being a sane quilter and no knowledge of such things) is for the chevron.

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