Beam Me Up

Sewing is my sanity. What a week! Is anyone else ready for a vacation from winter? Until a vacation can happen, I am so grateful (should be spelled GREATful) for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge and my sewing machine!  Come take a mini-vacation and join us over at Angela’s So Scrappy blog for the weekly roundup of colorful goodness!

This week I sewed 13 teal Friendship Star variation blocks. I absolutely love how these play together!

And to finish off my teal scraps, I made two nine-patch blocks, one 6,5” novelty block with the telephone center, and three miscellaneous crumb slabs, which will count as one slab block in my final tally. I think that they are more versatile when kept to sizes that can either be sewn together or cut down later.  Gotta love scraps! Linking up to Oh Scrap!

I was also able to finally finish my brother-in-law’s quilt, the boring disappearing 9-patch. I’ve got a couple close-ups here, mainly to show my (honest but) mediocre and wobbly quilting. I am hoping that once the quilt is washed, it will be less noticeable.

The quilting is stippling in the body, loops in the two vertical bands, and a vine and leaf pattern along the border. I should’ve probably picked another situation (instead of white thread on a black border) to practice this new-to-me motif. But oh well. I`m nuts like that.....

Here it is with its black and white binding, in a heap (that’s how I feel about it), ready to go into the laundry for its washing and crinkle-production. I will get a final picture and do a separate reveal post about it later in the week, because it’s another Finish-Along goal for the first quarter.

And finally, I bought a large separating zipper and was able to finish the sleeping bag for my DGD Abbie’s American Girl doll. While I was at it, I sewed up a flannel nightgown for the doll, too. Just in time. The kids have Monday (Presidents Day) off school and are coming over to play with me and Grandpa.

And speaking of Grandpa (DH), the news on his forearm is not good. The MRI showed enough to warrant biopsies, done last Tuesday or Wednesday (it’s all a blur). Yesterday the doc called to tell us she`d assembled a team review (oncologist, radiologist, her as surgeon, etc.) for Tuesday morning. We meet with her on Tuesday at 1:00 to go over the results and surgery/treatment plan. We’ve been here before and done that. But one wonders just how much tissue is left to take before it begins impairing the use of his (right, dominant) arm and hand. Needless to say, he’s had to bow out of his folk music trio’s gig for this week.... We are being stoic for now, but reserving the right to panic later if warranted (insert inappropriate LOL here....)

Wishing you a good week, with lots of sunshine for everyone!

Another Scrappy, Happy Week!

This has been a cold week with lots of snow here in the Salt Lake Valley. It clears up for a day or so in between storms; brilliant sunshine and blue skies with glittering snow on the ground. Gorgeous. And then another storm comes in to cleanse the air and prevent pollution build-up. And so it goes. I don’t mind the snow - in fact I enjoy it -  because I`m retired. All I ever have to do is occasionally shovel the walkway for the mailman if hubby and the snowblower aren’t in the vicinity.  But since I’ve only come to live where there are four seasons in my adulthood (I grew up in sunny Southern California), I have never built a snowman. I ALMOST started one last Tuesday, but thought better of it.  :-)  I was in the front yard and could just imagine the neighbors wondering what this crazy ol’ broad was doing....

This week is the first week of PURPLE for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge over at Angela’s So Scrappy blog. Lots of purple goodness to check out! But also, we veteran RSC’ers were asked to share some of our past makes. Rather than add them in here, I have created a GALLERY page (blue link, above, next to “Home”). It starts with my 2016 quilts and goes back to 2012. Enjoy!

So, this is what I got done this week, sewing-wise:

Rainbow Selvages. This is actually four columns; two in purple (or blue-purple) and two in red-purple. The like colors will eventually be sewn together into their own single column, but I figured it was easier to photograph them this way. Besides, each column will alternate from starting with a solid to starting with selvages, checkerboard fashion. So, in the end I’ll have to rearrange a section here and there. No biggie.

These were so fun to whip up! And for now they will go into their little pile and await other colored friends to join them throughout the year.  :-)

Crayons.  The light purple crayon below was done last year (August) when we had the month of misty purple/acid green or do-your-own-thing.  This week I sewed up the dark purple. They are sewn together because they are neighbors on the quilt.  Actually, their length will be the width of the quilt (before borders, etc.)

Planned for next week is the purple blocks of the Rainbow Bookshelf. And then some work with 2.5” scraps.

I found the picture of the warm version of the Improv Scrap Blocks flimsy to show. It has a back pieced for it and is just waiting its turn in line for quilting.

I just totally love it! The sashing is Kona Cream, and I questioned whether it “worked” or not at first. But I think it does. This quilt is set 6x8 blocks and will finish at 62”x72”.


Right now I am in the middle of quilting Rainbow Rails (the vintage sheet rail fence), then after that is the Cool Improv Scraps (like above, only in blues, greens, purple with black sashing), then the Warm Improv above, and finally the Rainbow Dresdens. They will all become goals for the Finish-Along 1st Quarter.

Finally, I stitched up a sleeping bag and pillows for one of my granddaughter’s American Girl dolls. I still need to run to JoAnn and get a 20” separating zipper and sew on the ribbon ties. But It’s fun to show it even at this stage. I took the opportunity to practice my free motion swirls, and as you can see, I do need practice! But it’s OK for this, right?  LOL

I’m feeling a sort of loss, not having kitty blocks to work on! Did you see Missouri Star Quilt Company’s tutorial for this week? It’s a cat quilt!!  I’m almost tempted.......   Almost, but not quite.