Saturday, February 23, 2019

Sewing More Sunshine

February is always short. But this month, with a trip to Arizona to visit family and seek out warmth and sunshine, it seemed even shorter than usual. I had to get my sewing game on and finish whipping my yellow scraps into shape this last week.

To that end, I sewed six 6.5” crumb blocks. Then I added them to the six from last year and made three Crumbcakes blocks for one of my Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilts for this year. 


I only need 9 more small (6.5”) blocks in varying colors to finish up all the Crumbcakes large blocks. This one will probably finish out sometime mid-year.

And then I made some bitcoin blocks in yellow and in gold.  I’m keeping these only two columns wide because I’m thinking I may eventually use them for a rainbow border.  Then again, maybe not. Time will tell.


That completed my RSC scrap work for the month, YAY!! Here are all my yellow blocks.


6    9.5” strip blocks
4    selvage four-patch blocks
12  nine-patch variation blocks
1    row of yellow selvage tumblers (shown with the red row from last month)
7    Crackers blocks at 7.5”
8    Anvil blocks at 8.5”
3    Crumbcakes blocks 
4     Bitcoin blocks

My yellow scraps aren’t gone, but they are definitely decimated!! Come see what others have done with their yellow scraps at our weekly Rainbow Scrap Challenge linkup

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While on vacation, I sewed together some Happy Blocks with some elephant fabric I found on a steep clearance last summer. I thought I had 75 blocks, but it turns out there were only 65. So, I’m making two quilts with 30 blocks each and will use the leftover blocks on the back. I sewed up this top yesterday. The other one uses the same fabrics but will have a slightly different block placement. With the blocks measuring 10”, both quilts will finish at 50x60” and be for donation. I’d like to get them done next week so I can have a couple February finishes.


And speaking of vacation, my vacation post is HERE and includes a picture of Saguaro Sunset in the wild. It also includes lots of cool pictures of the house we stayed in courtesy of Bruce’s sister Annette and her husband Glenn (who we just found out yesterday lost their adult son a couple days ago. Don’t even know details yet). 

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The bulk of my work this week has been on assembling the Lattice Birds top. And after all the deliberation over color placement, I can see I accidentally switched a couple rows (rows 7 and 9 should be reversed) near the bottom and there are some unintended clusters of color. But oh well. Don’t they say that birds of a feather flock together?!?


Now I need to make some final decisions about borders. It will definitely have about a 4-5” dark blue floral border of the focus fabric (seen on a lot of the birds and the center patch of every Irish Chain block). But I think it may also need a stop border in white or bright green. Or one in green AND one in white before adding the wide blue border.

Since these are also 10” blocks, the top currently measures 70x90”. So it could tentatively end up at around 84x104”. I’ve got to get crackin’ on this because it’s my OMG (One Monthly Goal) to get the top finished up in February. That only leaves me a few days to make up my mind and finish sewing it (and press and snip loose threads yet again!). 

12 comments:

  1. omgoodness you have a mountain of blocks going on here. It looks like a party! Always love your progress, a real inspiration. Will we get to see all the finished quilts??

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  2. Lots going on--all so lovely! I like how you used the elephant fabric colors to outline each block slightly differently-nice work..
    Hope all will be well with your family issues...hugs, Julierose

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  3. WOW!!! You have been super busy! Love ALL your projects and the idea that the bitcoin blocks may end up being a border for a future RSC project. So smart!!!

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  4. Between your YELLOW blocks and that Lattice Birds quilt top, you have DEFINITELY brightened up my week. We're having another dreary day here. Thanks for posting SEW much color!! LOVE it!

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  5. I always enjoy seeing all of your different blocks for the month, Cathy, but you really saved the best for last! I just love the bird quilt, and look forward to seeing what comes next on it!

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  6. You can make your goal! Your quilt looks amazing, and who cares if you switched a few rows?!

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  7. Your elephant quilt is very enticing...the palatte feels so calm relative to my usual rainbow madness. And your rainbow border could be a rainbow border around a rainbow border around a rainbow border medallion style.

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  8. You DID have 75 elephant blocks, I just know it. One of the consequences of setting aside any quilting project is that the number of blocks changes. Usually I end up with fewer than before, but occasionally more show up! I'm pretty sure it's an immigration/emigration thing going on...

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  9. I like how the Lattice is shaping up! Good luck on getting the top completed by month end! You can do it!

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  10. My Goodness, you got a lot done with your yellow scraps! Well done!

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  11. You busy girl! Look at all you've made this month!
    I love your little birdies and am happy to see it finishing up! What a happy quilt!

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  12. Firstly, my sympathy to your family - it's never easy to lose a loved one. I enjoyed seeing your yellow creations, even though it's not one of my more favourite colours, but it's the bird quilt that made me feel happy! I think it has to be one of my absolute favourites of anything you've done.

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