Stay At Home Round Robin Border 2

SAHRR is hosted by guest bloggers each week who provide a "prompt" for the next round. The prompt from Emily at The Darling Dogwood for this week was Plus Blocks. You might have to squint to see mine, as I added a dark green plus to a deep red background.

If I keep adding borders at this rate, I will end up with a gigantic square quilt, so my intention was to add length to the square block by only adding a top and bottom border. I kept it simple with only two centered plus blocks.

My blocks finished at 6-1/2 inches, so I added about a foot to the length. That gives me a better proportion for the remainder of the quilt, which already measures 38 x 50 inches - I'll have to make the other borders tiny!

Be sure to check out other really cool plus block designs at The Darling Dogwood.

Feeding Two Birds With One Scone - January Monthly Color Challenge and RSC

Since I'm posting about the completion of two different blocks, I started to title this post Killing Two Birds With One Stone. But since I have become a bird feeding person, I don't like the sound of that, so I am using PETA's suggested animal-friendly idiom instead - LOL! Anyway, here are the blocks for two challenges.

The theme for the 2020 Monthly Color Challenge was birds, and this year the theme is vegetables and fruits. Eggplant is the color for January. I found this vintage-ish fabric in my stash and whipped up this pretty pattern from Patterns by Jen in no time. This one finished at 6-1/2 inches. I hope to eventually catch up on the August through December blocks from 2020.

And just because I like to keep things real around here, see the first block I made (pictured below), and note that the top left unit was squared up incorrectly (green arrow), and also that the pinwheels are turning a different direction than those of the pattern. I didn't notice these things until I started loading photos to my post, so I stopped and made another block!

Wrong!

Four-patch Irish Chains

Scraptastic Star

Geese Migration

Strings

Although I am still catching up with the 2020 Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC), the first color of pink for 2021 was too hard to resist. As for the 2020 RSC, I made Four-patch Irish Chain blocks, a Scraptastic Star block, a Geese Migration block, and string blocks. And as in the past, the scraps in my bin multiplied as I used them.

You can find all the information about both these challenges in the corresponding buttons in my sidebar. I'm joining January 2021 Color Challenge linky at Patterns by Jen and SoScrappy Saturday linky hosted by Angela.

To-Do Tuesday - A Finish!

Today I'm updating my To-Do list from last week and making plans for this week. This weekly event is hosted by Home Sewn by Us, and you can find their linky party right here.

Here is the list from last week:

✓1. Work on granddaughter's project bag - DONE - details below!
2. If fabric arrives, cut more pieces for Exploding Heart QAL - no progress: fabric arrived but have not cut the additional pieces yet
3. Sandwich Meadowland quilt for APQ UFO Challenge - progress: I made the backing, and it is on the design wall
4. RSC blocks - progress: finished a few, still a few more to do
✓5. Round Robin border - DONE and blogged about here
6. Village in the Snowfall embroidery - progress: still slowly stitching

I did some simple quilting to let this fun fabric shine

Here are the plans for this week:

1. Cut additional pieces for Exploding Heart QAL and finish blocks B through F

2. RSC blocks - finish and post by end of month

3. SAHRR - the prompt for this week is to add plus block border

4. Post about and link up my "eggplant" block for 2021 Color Challenge

5. Sandwich, quilt, and bind Meadowland quilt (I'm supposed to be finished by Jan 31!)

It was good to finish the project bag for my granddaughter's Christmas gift. The family is scheduled to come the weekend of February 12 for our belated Christmas celebration. Now all I need to do is plan my "embroidery class" for her! I put a pair of embroidery scissors, seam ripper, hoop, some floss, a Hobby Lobby gift card, and a handy basic stitches guide inside the bag. I will add a couple of good needles also, and I purchased J. Marsha Michler's The Magic of Crazy Quilting for her. It shows many ideas for the clothing embellishment she is interested in learning. It is an older book, but there are good instructions for embroidery stitches and other techniques. I ordered one for myself too!

I love this pull, which I ordered online (where did that cat hair come from?)

This bag is like the one I made for myself  back in 2018. As with that one, I used my regular stitch attachment to sew in the zipper, and I handstitched the binding to the back. The pattern is a free one from Moda Bakeshop by Kristina Brinkerhoff and is pretty simple to follow. 

Although the pattern calls for mini charms on the back, I used the same fabric as the front. 

Here are the details:

Pattern:
Free pattern rom Moda Bakeshop

Fabrics:
Grunge Seeing Stars in Sunflower by Basic Grey for Moda
No Place Like Om Goals by Dear Stella

Binding:
Uncorked in Black by Windham Fabrics

Superior Threads So Fine #50:
#503 Genoa Gray and #411 Black

Zipper Pull:
By Emmaline Bags in Antique Brass

The events I am participating in this year all have buttons in my sidebar. Be sure to check out other busy bloggers and their projects at the linky party at Home Sewn by Us!

Stay At Home Round Robin Border 1

Last week we chose our starting block for this SAHRR. This week Chris, over at ChrisKnits gave us our first "prompt" in making borders around our blocks - piano keys!

I had a few pinwheel units left over from making Lynx Star, so those became the cornerstones. And although I took many math courses in college, quilt math was not offered, so the measurements of the keys were a guessing game!

My central block is a Lynx Star, a large Christmas block I made in December, and it is already pretty busy, so I took a clue from Wendy's version of piano keys and went neutral. The block had a rather formal look, and I'm so pleased with the warmth and scrappiness the piano keys added.

Our next prompt comes tomorrow, and I'm excited about the next addition to our blocks. Be sure to check out other interpretations of piano keys at this linky party and have a look at Chris's version here.

Project Quilting 12:2 - Fussy Cuts

It is Season 12 of Project Quilting, and my first year participating has been fun so far! The challenge for this post was fussy cuts, one of my favorite things to do and one that I do very infrequently.

I had a piece of fabric purchased years ago that was cut from a pajama set. I have forgotten the designer, maybe Heather Ross? At any rate this lounging girl is adorable with her magazines and kitty.

I basically made a block around the fussy cut, then built a pillow cover around the block. The front is backed with some light batting. I embroidered a running stitch inside the fussy cut with rich brown floss and then quilted in the ditch. 

The cats and books backing is another fabric I had in my stash.

Jack thought his tail would add to the photo, so I included it.

Here is a closer look at the hilarious cat-related book titles

Jack has claimed this pillow since I first began working on it, so I'm not sure that I will give it away.

More information about Project Quilting 12 can be found by clicking on the button in my sidebar. Be sure to take a look at Pieceful Wendy's adorable fussy cut cats mini here as well as others' projects in the linkup right here. 

To-Do Tuesday and A Sweet Photo

 Today I'm joining Roseanne at Homesewn By Us and friends for To-Do Tuesday list and update.

Finished "B" blocks for Exploding Heart QAL

Let's see how I did on last week's To-Do list:

1. Finish embroidery project bag for granddaughter - almost done, just need to hand stitch the binding
✔2. Cut pieces for Exploding Heart QAL - Block "B" DONE, waiting for more background fabric
3. Get busy on Meadowland quilt - still sitting in the basket
✔4. Continue to work on Village in the Snowfall embroidery - still stitching

5. Make RSC blocks - pieces still waiting to be sewn

Granddaughter's project bag almost finished

This week's To-Do List:

1. Work on granddaughter's project bag

2. If fabric arrives, cut more pieces for Exploding Heart QAL; still have another week to sew all the blocks

3. Sandwich Meadowland quilt

4. RSC blocks

5. Round Robin border

6. Village in the Snowfall embroidery

Beverly and her quilt

I wanted to share a sweet photo of the recipient of a quilt I made last year. Beverly is the older sister of Myrna, my best friend from childhood, and I posted about the quilt I made for her in this post last April. Beverly was recently moved from Oklahoma to a nursing home closer to Myrna, who lives in Georgia. Myrna said that quilt was a big comfort to Beverly throughout her move and relocation. That made me cry happy/sad tears, then I received the above photo and that made me tear up again!

Be sure to visit the linky party to see how other busy bloggers have been doing with their projects!

To-Do Tuesday and SAHRR

 

Lynx Star Block

Today I am combining To-Do Tuesday with my Stay At Home Round Robin block. SAHRR is hosted by Roseanne at Home Sewn By Us and six of her quilting and blogging friends. I've never participated in a "normal" round robin, in which each person sends a block to a participating friend for them to add a border and that person sends it on to another person to add another border, and so on until each person's quilt is complete. COVID-19 has prompted a new kind of round robin, in which each person keeps their block and adds their own borders each week.

Christmas fabric

The block I have chosen is the Lynx Star block (pattern by Lucky Penny Quilts) that I blogged about here back in November. I had intended to use this block as part of the back of Peppermint Twist quilt, but I changed my mind. This unique block will shine with added borders, and with plenty of Christmas fabric I should end up with an early Christmas quilt.

On to To-Do Tuesday. Let's see how I did on my plans for this past week. 

1. Finish granddaughter's embroidery project bag: No finish yet, but I got the pieces cut and a zipper pull ordered.

✔2. Work on the January "eggplant" block for 2021 Color Challenge - DONE

✔3. Pull out the pink scrap bin for this month's RSC - DONE  - with pieces ready for several blocks

✔4. Prep for the SAHRR - DONE

5. Start on Guns and Roses quilt - all I did was get it out of the closet and put it in a prominent place in my sewing room!

✔6. Work on Village in the Snowfall embroidery - worked on it a few nights.

Now on to the To-Do list for this coming week:

1. Finish embroidery project bag for granddaughter.

2. Cut pieces for Exploding Heart QAL (See "I'M IN!" sidebar button).

3. Get busy on Meadowland quilt.

4. Continue to work on Village in the Snowfall embroidery.

5. Make RSC blocks.

You can find more information about the SAHRR by clicking the logo button in my sidebar, and be sure to check out others' ongoing plans at the To-Do Tuesday linkup, hosted by Home Sewn by Us. I'm also linking with the SAHRR linky at Quilting Gail.

Our sweet Buddy

12/3/06 - 01/06/21

Project Quilting 12.1 - Sundance

This past week I was innocently reading a post on Wendy's Pieceful Thoughts when a squirrel entered my sewing room. Wendy made a pretty little mini quilt using colors assigned by this month's Project Quilting Season 12 challenge, and it reminded me of a piece of fabric I have in my stash. I read up on the challenge and decided it was doable. Yes I know I have a ridiculous list of goals in my sidebar, but "squirrel!"

Yuwa fabric by Susuko Koseki

The 12-week challenge is to complete a project from start to finish in one week using the guidelines posted on Sundays. Season 12 Challenge 1 is make a piece predominantly featuring Pantone's 2021 colors of Illuminating (yellow) and Ultimate Gray. My inspiration fabric has sunny circles against a gray background, and I named my mini quilt Sundance after one of the other fabrics I used.

I found a "one-block" pattern, Cross and Crown  by All People Quilt. This pattern is for a table top, but it will  reside with a mini quilt with similar colors on my sewing room wall. Yellow and gray are good colors together, don't you think?

I love the quirkiness of bees and antique pistols together, along with yummy Grunge fabric!

Here are the details:

Pattern
Cross and Crown by All People Quilt

Finished size
17" x 17"

Fabrics
Yuwa fabric by Susuko Koseki
Classic Remington by Quilting Treasures
Sundance Dots and Swirls by Exclusively Quilters
Everyday Favorites Bees by Robert Kaufman
Yellow/white check from stash

Border and binding

Grunge in Metallic Lead by Basic Grey

Thread by Superior Threads

So Fine #50 in Genoa Gray for piecing

Rainbows #860 (variegated) for quilting

You can find the challenge projects of other participants right here and information about Project Quilting challenge in the button in my sidebar. You can also find posted projects on Instagram using hashtags  #projectquiltingseason12 or #projectquilting

Thanks to Wendy (and all the friends whose blogs I follow!) for continuous squirrels inspiration.

To-Do Tuesday January 5, 2021

A recent early morning sunrise - glorious!

This is my first time joining Roseanne and friends in a linky party for To-Do Tuesday, where we review what we accomplished from the previous week and list goals for the next week. I did not have a post for last Tuesday, but I can tell you I accomplished a few things, such as taking down all the Christmas decorations and recovering from coronavirus. I am happy to report that I had a mild case, I am almost symptom free, and I have resumed most normal activity. 

Here is my To-Do  list for January 5-January 12:

1. Finish the embroidery project bag for my oldest granddaughter. I drew her name for Christmas, and she wanted basic supplies for embroidery and for me to teach her how to embroider. She wants to learn to embellish items to sell in an Etsy shop. I had intended to make her a vinyl pouch to hold her supplies on the Friday before everyone was to come on Monday to celebrate an early Christmas. But that is the day I started displaying symptoms of coronavirus, so we had to postpone our celebration until February, I'll be using a pattern I've used before, so it should go together quickly.

2. Work on the January block for 2021 Monthly Color Challenge. The challenge this year involves colors of vegetables and fruits and this month is is eggplant.

3. Pull out the pink scrap bin to work on this month's RSC color of pink.

4. Prep for the 2021 Stay At Home Round Robin (SAHRR) hosted by the lovely Roseanne.

5. Start working on my Guns and Roses quilt, which needs to be sandwiched, quilted, and bound this month. I am participating in All People Quilt 2021 UFO Challenge to help me with my goals. You make a list of 12 UFOs, and each month APQ will announce a random number between 1-12,. The corresponding number on your list is the one you try to complete. The number for January is #7, and that is Guns and Roses on my list. 

6. Work on Village in the Snowfall cross stitch.

We will see how far I get! You may find information about each of the challenges by clicking on the buttons in my sidebar.