Saturday, January 2, 2016

Revving up the Sewing Machine

Welcome to 2016! I hope you, like me, are ready to kick off another year of sewing, stitching, quilting and fun.

I am starting with the super-fun Rainbow Scrap Challenge hosted by Angela at So Scrappy. Today, like every Saturday, we all have a linky party to show our progress for using our color-of-the-month scraps. Now, Angela just announced January’s color yesterday. It’s blue, from icy shades to deepest navy. However, we are leaving out the green-blues because they will have their own month down the line.

Needless to say, I don’t have too much progress to report in one day, but I did piece my first block.  It is 9.5” unfinished, and sitting on a design board (it’s NOT framed, LOL). This year we are doing a column-along (optional), and each month will be a new block/color. For the size of quilt I am doing, I will make a total of 8 of these blocks. They will not be matching, but scrappy.  I thought it would be cute to use some of my blue Lori Holt Modern Minis leftover squares for the 3.5” center. Appropriately, I chose the “Just take one stitch at a time”  for the center of my first block.


After I finish those 8 blocks, I will sew some Dresden Plate blocks. Each flower will take 20 petals, and as the pieces are fairly large (for scraps), they are the next to be cut and assembled. I hope to get 2 Dresdens per month, and this will be an ongoing project until I decide I have enough for a quilt. All I know is that the background will be a pale pink cotton (vintage-y looking) that I’ve had sitting around for years. I must have 4-5 yards of it.

I also want to make some of Sally T’s kittens. Alfalfa and Darla are wary of this idea, but I think it will be fun.

This year two of my goals are to make a quilt from my vintage sheet, and a quilt or small wall-hanging from my selvages.  I also have a lot of waste triangles, and I need to begin clearing some of those out.
L-R:  Blue selvages, Blue waste triangles (some with white), Blue vintage sheet fabric
So here is the plan. Every month I will do a block or two from the selvage pieces in the color of the month. I eventually want to assemble each block to look like library shelves. See the quilt here; it’s my inspiration.

With the sheets, I will sew rail fence blocks and eventually assemble them in a zig-zag rainbow patterned quilt.

The waste triangles I will sew up into HSTs and trim, then throw in with the crumbs tiny scraps; I’ll come back to that in a minute.

I really miss working on the wonky log cabins I did last year with color plus black/white. So, any strips of fabric I have in the color of the month will be made into 9” strip blocks, pieced diagonally then with two white/black corner square triangles. Here is an example by Amy Smart, a local quilter that I really admire. I hope to have some in the next week or two to show you.

Finally, I’ll put any 2.5” squares into 16-patch blocks. Anything that is too small to use there will be thrown in with the waste HSTs and I will just improv my way through them, making odd blocks or “slabs”. I have no idea what those will become eventually.

So, is that too much??  Believe me, that is my pared-down list. But still, some thing(s) may have to go. I will give it a try this month and then revise plans accordingly.

Until next time,

Cathy maroon

18 comments:

  1. Love your first RSC block! Good luck with all your scrappy plans.

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  2. Best of luck with your bookcase quilt, Cathy! Thanks for linking to mine! I can't wait to see your progress! :)

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  3. What a great plan...well...except for the kittens. Everyone wants kittens at the beginning of the year, but when kitten season hits in the spring, you'll be up to your ears. You've been warned!

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  4. It is quite a list! But ambition is a goody thing😄. Love those books, I've always thought about doing a selvage quilt, more scraps to save!

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  5. Love your careful planning and that library shelves quilt. Your first block is so pretty with that center! :)

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  6. It is better to over plan,and have to leave some undone,than under plan and be bored!

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  7. You've got some great ideas workin for this year. I love the look of your first block. I'm desparately trying to quilt up my RSC15 sampler before i start my column blocks. getting anxious here .............

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  8. Great ideas can become great quilts. I join others in cheering you on. Wishing you a creative New Year.

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  9. The blue twinkle star is very pretty and your plans should work out nicely. Your 2015 recap is impressive, such variety. Good luck this year.

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  10. Looks like you had as much trouble paring down as I had... 8)
    Great projects you've got lined up! Can't wait to see them grow!

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  11. A beauty of a first colour of the month block!

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  12. Lovely first block... perfect centre square!

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  13. Your first block is a beauty, and I love the quote in the center. Happy RSC16 !

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  14. Oh my - I need a little lie down after I read about all your plans!! I thought I was biting off a lot with the two or three things I have planned for myself but you're putting me to shame..lol. My 'big' project is to tackle the pile of leftover white 'bits' I have in my stash (left from when I made the two wrapping cloths). Plan is to lay a queen-size sheet on the floor (creaky knees notwithstanding) and then throw white pieces at it until it's covered...sort of like a giant crazy quilt...ish. Pinned and then sewn down with my machine. It might turn out okay - or it might look like something the dog barfed up.

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  15. Your first block of the year is so pretty. Good luck with your goals. This year
    my plans will be week by week. It is easier for me that way.

    Happy Sewing. Kathleen Mary https://kathysnest32.wordpress.com/

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  16. Sounds like some great quilts in the works! And some fun!

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  17. A lot of great ideas for using your rainbow of scraps, I really like the selvage bookshelf idea.

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  18. Beautiful star blocks. Good RSC ideas!

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