Keeping busy, not on purpose

So I started this quilt back in December. My first intention was to use it for a wedding gift for my son, but as I was making it, it was my wedding colors. So I changed my mind on day 3. 

I had these very pretty batiks that were navy blue and teal. I also had a few jelly rolls of batiks that I wanted to use. I had decided on the carpenters star, which I thought was only going to be about 24 inches square.

NOPE, it turned out to be about 54 inches!

CRAZY. So much for my star quilt having multiple stars on it. So I decided to put borders on the carpenter star and put stars in the corners.
I had to decided on which stars to use.

I decided to also tie the stars in by using the same fabric from the carpenter star as the main part of the star in my corners. It's busy, but still pops.  I love the little splashes of yellow and orange that the other batiks brought to the quilt.

I was not sure what to do about the squares being so small.  So I decided to add some sashing.

Which I actually liked much better. Then I added borders and it makes it look like the stars are on top of the border frame, which gave it some great character. 

The quilt came out square, and I was hoping to make it queen size. But it is more like a queen topper which is fine because it is beautiful.

This quilt my hubby is calling my quarantine quilt. But I reminded him I started it way before that started.

 

Scrappy Quilt is Done!

It took me all of 2018. But I finally got the quilt done. I love how well the binding turned out, great mitered corners.
Now remember, this is a scrappy quilt. Here is a little look of the backing with the top folded over to show you the mitered corner.

And here is picture of the finished top.

 And here is the back.

 So I did a scrappy section on the back, with some extra pieces.

I love how this quilt turned out. It is a memory quilt as well. As you saw in my post when I showed the individual blocks. I am so happy with how well the binding went on too. Washed and ready.

Cleaned it up.. a little

Ok, so I decided I should probably clean up this blog a little.

So after quite a bit of spraying and scrubbing.. I can say I think I got all the old and dead links off. I also took off stuff that doesn't need to be on here. And yes, that is Young Living Thieves Cleaner.. Which I love! I am now a Young Living distributor, so if you are interested in anything, please, send me an email. Young Living is world wide!! And the highest quality essential oils. 

I have been working on the quilt.. but a little slower. I have hit a bit of depression, grieving, and major crying, which makes it very very difficult to see what I am sewing. 

Here is the quilt laid out.. with the one square I replaced. I didn't get a picture of it laid out with the new green square that is replacing the one that is too white. I have been working on sashing and the borders.. but looking at it.. It will not be queen sized when done. It will be twin size, so this will either be donated to the PICU, or the guest room.

I still have not settled on the backing for this quilt. I think that will come along after I get done piecing the top. The girls and I discovered a very cute quilt shop just down the road from our home. It was so cool to watch their long arm at work. 

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. 

The Linus Project

When Peaches went into the hospital to have her appendix taken out, and was there for a couple days before they took it out, she was given a blanket, a teddy bear, and a pillow case. She loves all three. The blanket was from the Linus Project. When I tried to find out how to donate to the Linus Project, I couldn't find a way to do it. BUT watch this, it will give you some insight, and it brought tears to my eyes.

Quilt fabric exchange!!

Ok, here's the deal. I am just learning to quilt and LOVE it. I am wondering if anyone is interested in doing a block or fabric exchange??? Here are my ideas:

12 1/2-inch quilt block exchange
5-inch square fabric exchange
a maverick star exchange
9-patch block exchange

Leave a comment and let me know what you are interested in doing. I LOVE the maverick star. I love 9-patch, and I LOVE fabric.  So leave a comment and let me know what you are interested in doing :)

FIRST QUILT!!!

Yes I have started a quilt? Why? I have no idea! But I found a quilt while looking through some blogs. It was a quilt along over here at Crazymomquilts . It is super cute.. So here are some of my squares so you can see them. NO I have not finished the top as of yet. BUT I don't have much time to do so as I am starting another quilt along with some friends from another blog!!  How fun!  I am excited.  I have really enjoyed working on these blocks. Sorry for the bad lighting on some, the color is really pretty as you see in the first 3 pics, those were taken with my phone, my camera on the other hand likes to use a flash, and it just deadens the fabric.
I learned what a set square was, to press seams together not open, what a sashing is, how to pick something apart on almost EVERY star block and 2 set blocks, and that my camera takes unflattering pics in my bedroom/sewing room and that better pics can be had in the hallway.
I will post the final quilt when I finish, I will most likely just add the pics to this post.. not sure though as it is going to be so pretty it will deserve it's own separate post.

  So here is the set block:
Here is Star 1 :

Star 2:

Star 3 Ohio Star:

Star 4 Sarah's Choice:   These are the same quilt block, top one taken with my  phone and the bottom one with my camera :(  You can also see a little bit of sashing already on some of these.. 

Star 5: 

Star 6 Aunt Addies Album: sashing on bottom

Star 7 Star of Hope: 

Star 8 Maple Star:  

Star 9 Optical Saw Tooth: 

Star 10 Martha Washington: 

Star 11 Amish Star: 

Star 12 Indian Star: 

Star 13: 

And finally the finished quilt. Yes the baby girl loved it!