Quiet(er) Week

It wasn’t a quiet week, just a quiet-er week. We still had friends visit, two appointments to get each of the cars new sets of tires, a contractor visit to measure for a gas fireplace insert, my Weight Watchers workshop, cards with friends, a meeting (actually two) to plan for the upcoming annual HOA community meeting and getting the grocery shopping done. When I had downtime, I was sewing.

This week I finished all my brown string scraps into blocks. I know this picture looks suspiciously similar to last week’s picture of the brown string blocks, but this time, they are stacked in piles of 15. Fifteen is the quantity most useful to our Quilts for Kids chapter to pair with a fun solid fabric and make into a 30-patch top with two borders. There are a lot of cute fabrics with dinosaurs and animals that have browns in them, and I imagine these will be well received for boys’ quilts. 

So, here are my 92 brown string blocks. They still have their papers on…

When these were complete, I put away the brown scrap drawer and took out the gray and the black scrap drawers. I spent several great hours fondling and sorting each drawer. 

My scraps typically come from several sources: my own sewing leftovers, generous friends, the giveaway tables at the annual Worldwide Quilting Day event we attend in March, and from my local Quilts for Kids group. Our chapter is always getting fabric donations, and the scrappy bits aren’t usually suited for kit-making for the members. There are a few of us who take the scraps and turn them into blocks and tops. 

So this month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, we’re working again on dark neutral colors, or light neutrals if that’s how your stash leans. Personally, I’m tackling black and gray in October. I decided to postpone string sewing of those colors until next year so I can work on other ideas. 

Over the years I’ve saved Black + Bright scraps, and have several small yardage cuts as well. Within the scraps were these two blocks (the four-patch needs its center seam sewn) that inspired me to make more of the same. So, the first step will be to measure and cut the black fabrics and solids to see if I can eke out a couple quilt tops from what I have. Should be a fun change from the strings! I’m not sure yet what I’ll focus on for the gray scraps, but that’s for later in the month. 

Today I’ll be basting several - hopefully between 2 and 4 - quilts for quilting over the next couple weeks. It feels soooo good to have the time and sewing mojo to be creating again!

Also, it occurs to me that I need to snap some photos of the season here in our courtyard and the condo community here as autumn advances (awesome alliteration). Were due to have beautiful weather, more akin to September, for at least another week. I probably ought to get the garden cleaned up and some bulbs planted as well, but there’s always next week!

And a gratuitous feline picture for you - Alfalfa living his best life in the morning sunshine.

Darla is more camera shy. She’ll usually yield the morning sun to her brother, but she gets her share on my side of the bed in the afternoon. Here’s an oldie but goodie of Herself. 

Have a happy and healthy week!