Sunday, January 28, 2018

WIP it, WIP it good..

Well, I decided to finally pull out some projects that have been sitting for several years. I decided to use up some fabric from my untouched stash. It has been a struggle to figure out what to sew, what fabrics to use, patterns, etc.. should I sew some little girl clothes? NO, I just can't yet. Should I sew some little boys clothes? Not yet, I would love to make a cute vest or jacket for my lil guy, but I don't have a pattern, and he is growing faster than weeds in the northwest!

I decided I should make a scrappy quilt. Now for me, this doesn't mean scraps sewn together and turn it into a quilt. I decided to find a blog I used to follow, that I made a Star quilt from Crazy Mom Quilts. This time I am doing the first quilt along. I am using scraps and stash fabrics for this quilt. I am buying NOTHING for this quilt. That said, here are the blocks..

Week 1, although I did all of these in one week, it is still fun to do a quilt along.. It just doesn't seem as stressful, and knowing others are doing it too makes it more fun.

OK, Week 1.
Isn't it cute? I love this print. I actually used it several years ago to make a dress for my daughter. I had some left that went into my stash. My back ground fabric for ALL my blocks is a white on natural white. You can actually see flecks in the natural white because it is a natural cotton. The ladybug and daisy calico is one I think is just super sweet. I love how this block turned out, it just looks so crisp and neat. 

Next, week 2.

This block was easy, and fun. I love polka dots.. but I didn't have a lot of polka dots, but I had some bubbles too. Both of these fabrics are from my scrap bucket. I used them in a quilt I made for my mom ages ago. I still like these ones a lot... Although I would have preferred using the chocolate with lime green leaves instead of the blue with bubbles for this block.. But I didn't have the width I needed. I still like this block.. It was fun, and easy.

Week 3, the pinwheel.

This cute pink fabric was a left over from the Star Quilt Along  I did years ago for my daughter. These were even already cut the size I needed. Who doesn't love precuts. I love how simple this block was to do. 

NOW, Week 4, a star

This is one of my favorite blocks. One of my daughters likes it so much she wants me to frame this block to put on her wall. It is pretty. I think this was everyone's favorite, even my hubby's . He says he loves the blues, and the star just pops.. And it does! Looks harder than it was. I used fabrics from my scrap bucket.. Actually I have a huge stack of 5 inch squares that were supposed to be for one of those fabric exchanges through the mail.. Kind of a chain mail thing. You were supposed to get enough squares in the mail to make a cute quilt.. I only got 4 squares, and I was prepared to send my fabrics out, and I did when I got the letters.. All one of them.. So... ya

WOW, week 5!

This block was super easy, and when I found the green, pink, and blue fabrics in one of my stash buckets I was shocked! This was leftover fabric from making mop dolls way back in high school with my boyfriend, who is now my hubby. The plaid I used was from some swatches I bought at a garage sale. In fact, I think the swatches are for upholstery fabric.. owell. It had the colors I wanted. This block is just a simple 9-patch, and 9 patch with triangles on the corners.. Super fun to make. I really like 9-patch blocks, they might seem simple, but fabric matching is not!

Um, week 6... 

This block was hard form me. I had chosen some other fabrics and changed my mind, a couple times. I finally decided to use some 7-inch fabric squares I found in my mail a fabric bag.. I was never impressed with these fabrics, but I wanted to use stuff I have, and after it was done, I like this block. It is different, simple, and shows my 70's side :)

WEEK 7


Sorry, I am not  yelling but this block made me mad. I had gotten all the blocks sewn and laid them out. No matter where I moved this... I didn't like it. It is just too white.  SOOOO...



I made another block, only using a dark green with pink flowers print I found in my stash. This looks much better and I am much happier with this fabric choice. 

Week 8, ugh.. again?!

When I made this block.. I wasn't really loving this fabric.. I was actually thinking, "finally away to get rid of it without guilt".. only.. I DON'T like this fabric in this block. I think it just doesn't look right.. so yup again.. I made another week 8 block..


So here is my final week 8 block. It is a sky blue with yellow stars. Everyone here likes this one much better, and it looks so much better. This block was easy to make, I think it looks cool, looking like I took squares out of the center and put them to the sides. 

Week 9, lotsa love

This block, when I was done, is definitely a favorite. Again, I used this fabric ages and ages ago to make matching calico dresses for my girls. I wish I had some of the other fabric too, I made matching blue butterfly dresses too. But I can't find any remnants of that fabric anywhere. This block again, looks crisp and clean, like block 1. 

Week 10

These are some leftover strips I used in making my mother's quilt. I love, love, love the white fabric with the tulips. I really wanted to incorporate that fabric into the quilt. I also like the red one a lot too. This block was super easy to make. 

Week 11

These fabrics look very familiar around my kitchen.. and they should. A long time ago, when I was homeschooling, I was teaching 4 children how to hand sew, and they all made hot pads. The cherry was the front and the red was the back of our hot pads. We also made some chicken ones that are super cute, but again, I can't find any of that fabric anywhere.. super bummed. This block was easy and fast. 

Week 12, ice block

Ok, this block is not called ice block. But at our house, I used this fabric decades ago when I made the cutest reversible romper thing for my first daughter. She was so super cute in it.. Well, way back then, we had a great store called "FabricLand", and you could get some great deals on fabric. I really miss that store. Anyway, I bought too much, so with some of my scraps I made ice packs with brown lentils in them. We store them in the freezer. They are great. So when my little guy saw this square he said it was an ice block.. HAHA  This block was easy to go together. 

I haven't decided on the back fabric yet. I think I will be using a dark green or blue for my edging.. but haven't really decided on the back yet. I am starting to sew my blocks together.. That might be my next post, but I don't know yet. 






Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Went on break...

Hello Everyone,
No this is not a deserted blog. I needed to take a break for my family. And although I do not want to go into details right now.. it is still just too tender, delicate, and painful.

I will try to post more often. Although with all that has happened in the last 3 years. I will be posting different things. Maybe they are distractions? Maybe they are something I have a passion for? Maybe some of my posts will have a dusting of life in them too? I don't know. But things will be different.

I am trying to get into sewing again. And exercise (ugh), and maybe some painting. In between UNO matches with my lil guy.. and school lessons.. and such. I am hoping to find a new happy, a new way to navigate life.. A new beginning.

For now I will say. Find what is truly important to you. Is it work? Family? God? Find it, and give to it. I have found it.. for me it is God and Family.. and I try to serve them both to the fullest, and some days it is not easy. BUT, I still try.