Rainbow Challenge 2018 Pink

 May's color for Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2018 is pink.  I completed the pink circular (pom poms) log cabin and a pink Tulip design.  The tulip design was from a Pinterest paper piece template.  I had to enlarge it to be a workable size for me (11 inches).  I decided to connect the triangles with a diagonal coordinating color and a yellow square center. 

Lisa Audit floral stripe star quilt.
Finally finished my floral stripes star quilt.  Stars are done with batiks.  Each floral strip is about 5 3/4 inches wide.  The unusual size is because that was the optimum width of the border print stripe.  I loved this fabric designed by an incredible artist who happens to also design fabric - Lisa Audit. The fabric is no longer available.  I didn't want to cut up this exquisite fabric so I featured in large vertical stripes.  Quilt is 66 x 66.  Great for watching t.v. on the sofa. I used coordinating batik fabric from my stash to make the stars.  The star points were made from snowballing the end of the floral fabric. Binding is from leftover Arabella green purchased at Missouri Quilt.  Handquilted.

RSC 2018 Yellow April

RSC 2018  April last Saturday yellow pieces.  I paper pieced this yellow to join the purple, blue and green. This block finishes at 11 inches. 


Worked on the circle log cabin.  The yellow strips are  cut 2 inches and the white pieces are 1 1/4 inches. Block is made with 4 9 inch units so the block is 18 inches.

I made the Arkansas crossroads that I continue to work on using only my scraps.  The block finishes at 8 inches. 

Tulip Quilt

I love snow days.  I have started a paper pieced project as part of the RSC 2018 Challenge.  Although I got the paper pieced template from Pinterest, I adjusted the size and decided on sashing with cornerstone in the middle.  The template was bare bones and had no directions/suggestions included.
I still need to make the light/lime green block from March. January blue, February purple and April yellow are done.
I used the method of paper piecing taught at a workshop taught by David Sirota Quilt Maven.  The technique is called "No More Tears" paper piecing.  He does workshops at many of the quilt shows in the East. Well worth the money I spent for the class! Delightful presenter.

Blocks measure 11 inches across.  Block units are right triangles with hypotenuse measuring 10 inches. 

Circle Log Cabin

 I got a late start on the RSC 2018 Challenge  this year because I was determined to finish RSC 2017 Challenge, a bear paw quilt that had to be hand quilted. Green, purple, blue, and yellow curved Log Cabin was made using Craftsy pattern from Log Cabin class.  Each block measures 16 inches and is completely done with scraps.  No yardage was injured in the making of these blocks.  There are 10 months to the challenge so I will have to figure out which color to repeat so I can create a 3 block x 4 block quilt. 

Fusion Quilt measuring

 approximately 36 x 42

Many very snowy days gave me the luxury of "playing" in my workroom.  This was inspired by a fusion quilt (I didn't know that was what it was called at the time) posted  asfusion quilt on Pinterest.  I used a Romantic floral layer cake from Keepsake Quilting. I cut these in quarters, sandwiched cotton batting and orphan floral fabrics and sewed around the edge.  Turned them right sides out, pressed, and blanket stitched around the perimeter with Aunt Lydia crochet thread .  The blanket stitch became the anchor for my crochet around the edge. 

 It was similar to making a Granny square.  The picture had crocheted flowers but after several tries I was dissatisfied with those flowers.  However, I did not like the way the four corners came together.  An art teacher who crochets suggested yoyos at the corner.  She suggested a button in the center but I felt this was just made the piece too heavy.

The pictures don't do this justice.  It is soft and flirty.   I am planning a second one at the present time but using the entire 10 inch layer cake pieces and quilting each of the blocks before blanket stitching them.  One with Kaffe Fassett fabric would give an entirely different look.

There was a discussion on one of the FB quiting groups about how to organize your projects.  Although I never have more than 3 projects going on at the same time, I do plan future one.  I use a quarter inch graph paper composition book.  I place page labels on the edge of each page and write the name of the project.  Green means they are complete and red stickers means it is still be worked on.  If there is no sticker, it means I haven't started the project yet and it is only in the planning stages. 

This is a chart I have where I mark all the different steps in making a quilt - fabric, backing, batting purchased, sandwiched, quilted, label finished - checking them off as I finish that step.

  

Bear Paw Quilt

Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2017 complete.  Bear Paw is one of my favorite patterns.  I started this in January 2017 and finally finished in St. Patrick's Day 2018.  It is the most heavily hand quilted piece I have ever done.  Every block is a different fabric from my batik stash.  The background is a beautiful soft color from Wilmington called Paisley cream aqua and is no longer made.  The backing is pieced from a Fireworks batik and the binding is simply the backing rolled over to the front.  I purchased  wonder clips from Amazon and they were so much better than using pins to hold the binding.......I wasn't constantly poking myself as I turned the quilt.  I have just draped it over my sofa so I can look at it every time I pass by.  I love it.

We had three nor'easters dropping as much as 22 inches of snow in one storm.  Beautiful view from my porch. 

This was after the plow went through.  We were out of power for 4 days.  It was a good thing that I am a hand quilter because I could continue to work on projects.  The LED TAC lights that are sold were incredible.  They produce incredible amounts of light.  I could even read by them! 

Curved Log Cabin taught by Beginners Quilting Start to Finish  It is a teaching page on Facebook and her tutorials have improved by quilting noticeably.   

 Choosing the border fabric was a challenge.  I had some lavender but that just was too much lilacs.  The  green fabric was from an online fabric vendor on Facebook :Jellyrolls, layer cakes & quilt backing by Marilyn.  Her backing is $8/yard for 108 inch width and it is quality fabric. 

I have had the lilac fabric in my stash for a long time and this seemed the perfect project for it.  I am now hand quilting the project by doing a diagonal straight line from corner to corner of each log.  Purchased Superior Thread #40 varigated.  I thought the thread was darker, but was light lavenders to pink.  I like it better than what I had planned. 

Blue Star quilt scrappy baby quilt.  30 x 30 so it can be used as a stroller quilt.  This was made for my good friend Melissa's new grandson due very soon.  It has been washed to make it soft and puckery. I handquilted with matching blue Superior handquilting thread and used the lid of my coffee can as the template. 

I love Log Cabin pattern.  I finished the log cabins with scrappy fabric and then appliqued the Sun Bonnet Sue to the center.  I used my Singer Quantum 9960 blanket stitch.  I have been experimenting with different stitches on this wonderful reasonably priced machine. 

Using Perle cotton #8 white, I hand quilted  around each Sue and then stiched in the ditch hand around the logs

.  Each block is made of 4 log cabins with Sue in the middle.  The whole unit measures 16 inches square.  The quilt measures 60 x 72 .  It would be great for a little girl's room.

Friday I attended a talk at Pocono Sew and Vac, Stroudsburg, PA given by Dave Sirota, a quilter who gives speeches and classes on his technique, No More Tears Paper Piecing.  It is a wonderful technique and he is a wonderful speaker.  Above are two examples of HIS work created using his technique. 

Blue was the color for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge this month.

I sewed two of the darker blue.  The picture doesn't show the difference in patterns in the two dark blue.  I don't have many dark blue batiks and I loved these two aqua that didn't make it to being made in the aqua month.  

 

I used much of my blue in the RSC challenge last year and the Orphan Quilt I made.  The orphan quilt contains extra blocks that weren't used in the project they were originally intended.  I machine quilted it...............I hate the process of machine quilting on a regular machine even using the walking foot. 

I've taken a break from my Grandmother's Flower Garden, but I think it is time to tackle this once again.  

Thanks to an incredible quilt artist,  Mystic Quilter ,  I am developing my blogging skills.  albeit slowly. 

RSC17 June was yellow.  I finished my 3 yellow bear paw (see previous posts), and decided to work on the Sunbonnet Sue with kiitty and flowers.  it is finished.  I tried my hand at using my Singer Quantum Stylist 9960 to machine quilt it.  I am still not a fan of quilting with machine.  I don't find it relaxing in the least.

Yellow is the color for the RSC 2017 June.  I like the top two but the jury is out about the bottom one.  I think it is too light against the background.

You can see how the top two stand out with this close-up.  

I was honored with a visit to my blog from Mystic Quilter https://mysticquilter.blogspot.com/ .  She is an incredible artist with fabric.  Her bold color choice has inspired me to explore exciting color.   

I came upon this wonderful blog, Crazy Mom Quilts http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/  by the author of No Scrap Left Behind http://www.ctpub.com/no-scrap-left-behind/.  She has some lovely clear directions for some beautiful quilts made with scraps.  Loved her images of St. Louis Quilt Market 2017. June, 2017 is beginning of QAL with scraps.  This week it is sorting the fabrics.  I'm afraid that I may not have enough scraps.  Unlike other quilters that I see, I do not have bins of scraps.

These blocks were made for the Quilt Block Swap .  Make nine; get nine back.  Quilters come from all over the United States.  

Quilt block was made using the disappearing Nine Patch pattern from Facebook tutorial.  Sew 4 squares together (7" here so I could get a 12.5" square. ) Cut 1.5" to the left, right, top and bottom of the center seam.  Then leave the center square exactly where it is and flip the top, bottom, left and right pieces creating the alternating colors.  So easy, but I love the way it looks.  I will probably make a quilt for my self with scraps for myself.  

I have chosen 6 of my quilts to enter in the Milford Valley Quilt Guild Show, June 24-25, 2017 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  This is a wonderful show that is only held every other year.  Finally got the courage and my act together to prepare the quilts.  A lot more prep work than what I expected.  Looking forward to the weekend.  Here are the 6 quilts I have chosen:

Circle of Friends was created with fabric donated by the Milford Valley Quilters Guild shortly after a house fire destroyed all my supplies.  

Yellow Makes me Smile is made with recycled doilies and scrappy yellow fabric. 

Noonday in the Garden is a hand quilted queen size quilt with cotton batting.  the butterflies are made from folded vintage handkerchiefs and the antennae are embroidered..  Heads of the butterflies are made with appliqued yo-yos.  One of my favorite quilts. 

Evening in the Garden is made with leftover vintage handkerchiefs.  No handkerchief was harmed in the making of any of these quilts.  Who would have the heart to cut into these pieces of art?  They are appliqued to  batik I purchased from Sew Batik fabric.  

Paper pieced teacups sit on recycled doilies.  I made one in pieces which contains quilt information on the backing. 

I 

My House.  Appliqued and embellished.  House has lace curtains and tons of flowers.  The house was built in 1860 and has the unique quirkiness of an old house.