Scrap Happens 2018

I have several bins full of fabric scraps, little blocks, and even big blocks. Sometimes the bigger blocks come from testing a new-to-me block or construction method. Sometimes I make more than a couple blocks for a bee and hold back the few that don't make the cut. Other times, I just make too darn many blocks. When the bin has enough blocks, it is time to make another quilt. 

This is another of those quilts. There isn't a real rhyme or reason to layout. I try to match up elements to make interesting things. Like that big orange diamond. 

I decided it would be a great time to use up a bunch of leftovers of wide backing fabric, too. I used three pieces to make this backing. This is how I measure my backing to make sure it is big enough for my quilt. I fold the backing into quarters (fold in half, then fold in half again) and do the same with the top. Place the folded edges of the top on the folded edges of the backing and make sure you have enough all around. I like to have at least 6" on the sides (for the long arm clamps) and at least 3" at the top and bottom (for pinning to the long arm frame). This backing was actually much bigger than I needed but I didn't trim the excess until after quilting. It is so much harder to add to a backing once it is on the frame than it is to trim after the quilting is done. That remaining strip will find its way into another quilt. 

I quilted with mostly swirls. This kind of quilt doesn't lend itself to fancy quilting. This quilt is destined for the travel trailer, so fancy isn't important. There is one mediocre feather in there somewhere. 

Almost every year I make a quilt made up of leftover bits and blocks. Sometimes they're even called Scrap Happens. The only way to tell them apart is the date. 

Even the binding came out of the bind of leftover binding. Making this a real scrappy masterpiece.

And that bin of 12" squares? Yeah, only about halfway full now. I need to get to work on some more scrappy blocks!

Other scrappy masterpieces:
Scrap Happens (2009)Scrap Happens 2012 and Part 2 of Scrap Happens 2012Scrap Happy (2013)Scrappy Stars (2014) Scrappy Bee Blocks (2015)
Scrap Vortex (2015)
Stringing Along (2017)Sparkle (2017)

Geese in Flight

When I join in block bees at guild I seem to have trouble picking a block. This year I decided to ask for flying geese blocks. In 2017 I joined in the stash bee. Meaning you were supposed to pull fabrics from your collection and not buy new fabrics. You can read the directions for my bee blocks in this post from April 2017. A paper piecing pattern is available if you want to make big flying geese.

During the Baltimore Modern Quilt Guild retreat I pulled out a bunch of geese and decided to use up some of my leftover fabrics, add in some low-volume blocks, and add some black geese to the mix. I played with layout but didn't make any decisions. In January I decided to pull out the blocks and come up with something I liked. I tried the geese in different directions, but decided I wanted to limit the geese to flying either North, or East. Why? Because I needed some sort of rules for the layout.

I made some changes as I went along.

Another challenge came in when I got to the borders. I still had a couple geese left over. I also had a few black and white half-square triangle units that I thought would be great for cornerstones.

Then, I put together a border with only low-volume background fabric. I think it is big enough to be a quilt now. Maybe not a big quilt, but a quilt. Now I just need some backing so I can get it finished up. This one is number 4 on the Get It Done UFO Challenge for 2018.

Cutting tools: Wrights 4.5" Easy Angle, Wrights Companion Angle, Tucker Trimmer II, Creative Grids 6.5" Square, and Deb Tucker's Wing Clipper II

Sparkle - A Scrap Quilt Finish

Last month I shared a scrappy quilt I made during the Baltimore Modern Quilt Guild annual retreat.

I got back to work on it. I loaded up my backing, batting and quilt top. Basted it on the frame and got quilting.

I had planned on using several quilting motifs, but mostly it ended up just being a bunch of swirls. I like swirls.

I also planned on using several colors of thread. I ended up using only two colors. A somewhat mustard color that blended with the borders and white for the big white section.

Some feathers made there way into the quilting, too. Not many, but a few.

The backing isn't as dark as this makes it look. The lighting is what one would expect from gloomy winter days and early sunsets.

After about a week, I finished the quilting. Working it in an hour or so a night after work is really a challenge.

Quilted and bound! See how the white spot looks like an explosion? That turned out better than I thought it might.

The bin for 4.5" squares is running low. It might be a long time before I make another one of these. The 12.5" bin is getting full, though, so expect another big block scrappy quilt in my future.

Sparkle - A Scrap Quilt

I grabbed my bin of 4.5" crumb blocks as a project I might, maybe get to during the Baltimore MQG retreat. Somehow, this became my primary project on Thursday. I started playing with the hundreds of squares and encouraged my guild-mates to lend a hand. I would go to my station, sew some half-square triangle units and look over to see what the design wall looked like.

I rearranged units regularly until I had something I thought would work. Then, it was late and I had had enough of sewing for the day. (Crazy, I know.)

Friday morning I decided the piece was good enough. I grabbed the first few rows, and the rest of the bin, and got to webbing the rows together. This was the final result. I think I'll dig through my stash for a suitable border to make it a little bigger. Right now it measures about 80" by 80". I'd like to add a border to stabilize it and bump that up a few inches.

Being able to pull a quilt out of the leftover bits is such a great feeling. Unless you worry about being a hoarder, then some of those fabrics from 15+ years ago make you groan a little.

Baltimore MQG Retreat 2017

This past weekend I attended my very first quilting retreat with the wonderful members of the Baltimore Modern Quilt Guild.

As this was my first retreat, I packed more things than I could accomplish. I packed this fun 30's reproduction print quilt. 400 half-square triangle units cut and ready to assemble. I also packed a few other things but this one was one I really wanted to make great strides with.

I set up my sewing station. That brilliant little clamp-on ironing board is available from Penny Marble Quilting. The travel iron (Steamfast SF-717 Home-and-Away Mini Steam Iron) is really awesome for its size and I recommend it if you travel or just want a small iron that heats up fast.

I pieced and pieced and pieced.

I finished all of those half-square triangle units by Saturday and got to assembling blocks.

These blocks finish at 15" by 15". I did find I was missing a single 3.5" square of fabric for the center, so I only manged to finish 24 of my intended 25 blocks.

This finished stack is just one of the things I finished during retreat.

I'll see you later in the week to share some of the other things I managed to finish during retreat.