Saturday, November 14, 2020

Scraps: To Mars and Back!

Yep, last week it was to the moon and back with scraps, but this week it’s to Mars and back. Two more bags of scraps were delivered to me from another Quilts for Kids board member. These scraps, all things that have been donated to QFK, include several quilt kits, more blocks of all kinds and copious leftovers and chunks from others’ projects. To say I have enough to keep me busy for a few months is an understatement. I’ll probably be sewing my way out from under it all for a couple years or more.  But what fun it’s going to be! All the resulting quilts will be donated to Quilts for Kids, of course.


Last weekend when Cousin Kim came over to sew on Sunday, we basted her zipper quilt. It’s going to be a Christmas present for her adult son, Nick. So it was a priority this week for me to quilt it. I just used a serpentine stitch with my walking foot and quilted all the sea lines between the blocks. 

I love the zippers so much! Now I can’t wait to get mine sewn. Kim and I used a lot of the same scraps, so probably about 80-90% of our quilts have the same blocks, though often with different solid accents. My zipper blocks are waiting, drumming their little zipper fingers, to be sewn together. Next year, babies!

Later in the week I finished sewing the gray and red strip blocks together and added a red border. Apparently the red Kona fabric bolt that I bought this time is a slightly different shade of red than the previous one. You can see that the border is a bit darker. But it’s OK I think.


Now here’s a strange shot of the backing, just pieced together. It’s not trimmed or pressed yet, but you can see that I incorporated those five red triangle blocks into it. 


Here’s a closer picture. The next step will be to press everything well and get the whole thing basted.


I also worked to finish this flimsy. All 56 rail blocks are now sewn together and a blue stop border has been added. I was going to add another wide print border, but I think this is plenty large as is. It currently measures about 73x83”. Adding the 4” border I planned would’ve made it 81x91”, and I don’t want to wrestle with that bulk under my DSM’s little throat space. 


So this one is ready to be basted now too. I’m going to have to have a quilt-sandwiching marathon this week, as I have three of them to do (the third one being that orange, yellow and blue 4-patch posy quilt top). 

Did I say three? Make that 4, because the flimsy below is almost done, too. Two more columns and a couple vertical strips, and this one will be ready to go! This is what I worked on with my gray scraps this week. I’m linking up with Scrappy Saturday, as many of us are trying to put our dark neutral scraps to good use.  


The two remaining columns will be a nine-patch on the right side (with an orange center piece) and a 6” zipper block (with orange added) on the left. The finished width will be 48” and the finished length will be 56”. Some of the rows will finish at 54” in length, but I’ll add a 2” coping strip at the bottom to even it up. And that means that maybe next week I can begin tackling some black scraps. I have a couple ideas swirling around!

Bruce finished up his “quick and dirty” strumming arm this week! It’s so good to hear him strumming the banjo and guitar again! His prosthetist, who built his regular prosthetic arm and the end portion of this device, is building a more formal arm to replace the black and gray tubing. But that process takes awhile, so Bruce rigged this up for the interim. 


We’ve had rain and snow this week and are enjoying evenings with the fireplace on. And the kitties are enjoying it too. Here is Darla in her bed. 


We have a heated bed for Alfie, too, but he won’t go in it. Such a cat! He prefers Bruce’s lap.

And that’s about it from Chez Kizerian for this week. I can’t believe how the time is flying by all of a sudden. Now that the election is in the history books, we look forward to Thanksgiving. But “looking forward” is not really the correct expression, because we, like many others, will be spending it by ourselves. Covid is raging, and we'll be staying home and staying safe. The hospitals here are at capacity, and that seems to be the story across the country and in Europe. Have a wonderful week! 



20 comments:

  1. Wow, you got a lot done, and yay for your hubby's arm! Every time I see red and gray together from now on, I'm going to think "covid," so your covid quilt is lovely! Have fun with those scraps!

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  2. "About it"? Cathy, how did you have time to sleep or eat in this flurry (snow, too) of activity? The b/w/r string back is just my kind of quilt design. And the Halloween "creature" looks seasonally spooky/eerie.

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  3. That pile of scraps is such a joyful sight. Quilt tops in need of basting is a sight to behold. The best sight of them all? Bruce's smiling face with his interim strumming arm!!

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  4. You're making some beautiful quilts with all those gray scraps, Cathy! Gray paired with any bright solid makes a wonderful combination. So great to see Bruce able to strum his banjo! I bet that is a happy sound to hear! We, too, will be just the two of us for Thanksgiving. I think it will seem like just another day, except with turkey for dinner!

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  5. Wow four beautiful quilts and that zipper one is really cute!! Happy for Bruce--to be able to strum once again..super!!
    We will be just the two of us for Thanksgiving also..but still looking forward to it.
    Resting the arms today...hugs, Julierose P.S. glad to hear you are staying safe, us too...In our bubble...

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  6. My goodness you have had a busy week, so many quilts waiting to be completely finished. Lovely to see Bruce strumming. He will be able to entertainment you on Thanksgiving.

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  7. My Mom and stepfather play Ukulele, banjo, violin and guitar at folk music festivals. Mom also plays Piano. She had carpel tunnel surgery on one hand years ago, and was a crabby human because she couldn't play for 6 months, and then couldn't play well for another 6. I can't even imagine how nuts she would be, if she couldn't play because of an amputation!
    Good on Bruce for figuring out a work around!

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  8. Such a busy week you had, just the way you lime it, I imagine. What fun checking out all those interesting scraps, as you say, there will be plenty of donation quilts to come out of that lot. Nice photo of hubby with his strumming arm, how wonderful to listen to him making music again.

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  9. I really like your gray and red strip quilt, I wouldn't have thought to put those colors together in a quilt, though I'm working on a red and gray crochet chevron lap blanket. Anyway, I think your quilt turned out very nice, the red border is a nice finish for it too.

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  10. Oh what music to your ears! No doubt Bruce is loving being able to strum again too! I’ll be interested to see your QFK donations come to fruition! How courageous of you commit to such an endeavor! We will just be three for Thanksgiving! Our son and the 2 of us. Have a great week!

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  11. Yikes, with so much time spent on getting things done, how do you find time to procrastinate? Was there a strategy for zipper block arrangement? And I’m glad you’re having fun with the scrap piles...and I look forward to seeing their transformation.

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  12. Lots of happy here! Happy scrappy and a pickin' and grinnin' Bruce!

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  13. Nice to see good things happening at your house, with scraps galore, multiple tops ready for quilting and Bruce strumming away. We will be home alone as well and pretty much hunkered down again for the winter.
    Pat

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  14. I so enjoyed the pic of your hubby with his strummin' arm! So neat what can be done these days! I like what you are making with the black/grays too. The orange is very unique and wonderful.

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  15. Oh, what fun to dig into a pile of scraps! Wow what a lot of goodies you have to show this week. I really like the string quilt but I especially love that column quilt with the orange accents. And way to go, Bruce!

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  16. That's a lot of scraps! So glad things are going well at your place, including Bruce strumming the banjo!

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  17. Is that latest piece the Creature from the Foggy Lagoon? I really like the gray and orange together! The slightly darker red border on the strings looks completely intentional. And better that you changed dye lots between strings and border rather than mid-border!

    I admit that I teared up a little bit, seeing Bruce with his banjo! Partly because I'm so moved that he can play again and partly because I've heard some really bad banjo playing in my life. It can bring tears to your eyes, for sure. My nephew plays, and it's a good thing I love him. Let's leave it at that. I'm going to assume that Bruce MUCH better than that, though :)

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  18. Hi Cathy! I just ADORE that picture of Bruce, strumming his banjo. What music that must be to your ears, and his too for that matter. Gosh, what a glorious event. Did you ever think he would be back to that past time by the end of this year, or ever again? {{Hugs}} I can't say how happy that makes me. WOWEE you have been busy. Four quilt tops ready for layering. Ugg. I hate that part, though, so I would be dragging my feet and sewing those zippers instead. No need for them to by nagging you! Do you quilt them then or does someone else take over? Oh, the fun you'll have planning on how to best use those donations! Some may not be to your taste but it still is fun working with new fabrics. Take care, my friend. ~smile~ Roseanne (and don't worry about a reply please - go zipper!)

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  19. Such a bunch of wonderful quilt progress, but so HAPPY for Bruce to be able to play the banjo again! Happy dance! Do the kitties like his music?

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  20. So glad to see that you haven't been slacking off! But even gladded to see that Bruce has devised a means so he can play music again. That man is as much of a force of nature as you (you make a great twosome!).

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