Over the weekend, I made 10 teal foundation crumb blocks to share with you. A little eye candy is better than no eye candy!
Hey! I think I saw Elvis!
Years ago, back in the days of Hancock Fabric, I bought several yards of this Elvis fabric in teal, pink, gray. I love having him show up in scrap quilts and blocks in random places.
I made it to the second month! Wahoo! Are you working on RSC blocks?
My favorite colors! I should have a LOT of scraps in these colors, right? Uh, no! I had to dig scraps from the green bag and the blue bag to find something to work. This is a much smaller selection than the red basket in January.
I started with some Dresden plate blades this morning. They always look better when they are trimmed. I foundation piece these to scrap paper that is trimmed on the accuquilt cutter.
I have been home today with an ear ache. I have never had an ear ache before…now I know why small children cry when their ears hurt! OMG! While I was sewing and recooperating, I could hear a turkey. One of the neighbors has a tame turkey. It spent a considerable amount of time on my porch…and being stalked by another neighbors’ cat!
Turkeys are not smart, based on the amount of time he spent on the porch. I am really glad it is the neighbor’s turkey and not her rooster!
What RSC project are you starting for this month? Turkey dinner anyone?
Later,
Lorrie Shore
I have been working…working…working…then life stepped in and slowed my progress. I am pleased that I felt well enough to measure and then cut binding strips.
I think the red will blend nicely with the red in the plaid on the back and contrast nicely with the top.
What project are you finishing in the near future?
Later,
Lorrie
For several years, I have made it through the first few rounds of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I have several of those box in a storage box. Unfortunately, I never made it to a month with red blocks.
Here is a list of the blocks for this year:
10- 6 inch crazy quilt blocks made with the accuquilt die
10- 4 1/2 inch foundation crumb blocks
1 feathered star made with the accuquilt die
1 red crumb pieced dresden block…foundation pieced but trimmed with accuquilt die
I feel that I was more productive this year because I have been keeping track in a journal. Accountability and all that!
I wonder what the color will be for February? Are you participating in the RSC 2022?
Later,
Lorrie Shore
Did you know that most snowflakes are hexagonal. I do LOVE snowflakes. These hexies could be in star formation, I guess.
I have been working on these for a while. I have another new star to add, then this row will be complete. I think the next row is going to be an extra large flower or a diamond.
The filler blocks all have a minion!
I do love the minions. They misbehave, but everyone still loves them.
I do have the accuquilt cutter to cut the fabric and paper shapes for this hexagon project. Hexagons finish at 1″ at the outside edges. I recently bought the box set for other shapes, too. I haven’t made any blocks from those smaller pieces yet.
What hexie shape do you prefer?
Later,
Lorrie Shore
Making quilt tops…piecing..is my favorite part of the quilt-makeing process. Several years ago, my husband bought me a Juki sewing machine on a Mini Pinni quilt frame from the Gracie company. My friend, Diane, has quilted more tops on it than I have. My goal this year is to change that statistic. I have lots of tops to work with.
This is my project for January. I found this top buried in my quilting room while I was organizing. I think I can finish it by the 31st, especially if we get more snow.
The quilting always looks better after a good washing. It puckers up and looks comfortable and old. My goal with this section was to make the background look like wooden boards. It will look better when washed.
I haven’t quilted on the machine for a while. I had forgotten that practice makes any skill better. By the bottom edge, I was feeling much more relaxed and confident. I tend to tighten my hands on the handles and hunch my shoulders tightly. I took more breaks and found the process much more relaxing.
I will share more pictures after this is completed, bound, and laundered.
What is the last quilt that you completed?
Later,
Lorrie Shore
I love turning scraps that would be destined for the trash into a beautiful block. I have 8 of these dresden plate blocks already made. I only need 12 for the quilt I have planned. This is the first red block. I am using red scraps because of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color for January.
I use scrap paper cut to a size that is 1/4″ larger than the finished cut out size on the Accuquilt Dresden die. I foundation piece the scraps onto the paper. That way I can use smaller scraps to crumb piece my Dresden blades.
Nine down…Only 3 more blocks to go!
What are you making with your scraps?
Later,
Lorrie
In the early morning on weekends, when I cannot sleep in, I get up and turn on You Tube to watch quilting videos on the big tv in the living room. My husband bought it so he could watch sports on the big screen. Quilting shows look pretty good on the big screen, too.
Recently, You Tube has been suggesting studio tour and make over videos. Ugh! Sometimes life is like a train wreck and you can’t turn your eyes away!
Here are some examples:
Some of these ladies are not quilters, but clothes makers. That is how I started sewing at the age of 6…making clothes for dolls and my Grandmother’s Dog. Some have many hobbies, like cross-stitch, embroidery, or using a cricut.
I did not make my first quilt until I was in my mid-twenties. My grandmother got me interested in quilting, but she was not really into quilting and piecing. All of her quilts were heavy, tied, practical creations.
My first sewing area was a sewing machine table in our laundry room. When we moved, I graduated to a desk with a hutch top in the corner of our bedroom. After my son moved out, I graduated to the entire room and we moved into his bedroom. I now have the largest room in the house as a sewing room. (My husband really likes to watch football in peace! And I am his queen!)
That leads me to my title for this post. Recently, the ceiling fan/light in my room died. I have lots of task lights around the room, because the ceiling fan light has never been spectacular. Now I have a new light fixture with one of those bladed shop lights in it. WOW! My room is now brighter than the sun…and I can clearly see all of the mess. Time to organize. Yuck!
Here are a few before pictures:
Here are some after pictures:
I don’t hide things in cabinets, so my space will never be as cute and organized as some of the ones in the videos. I like to see my stuff…right out in the open!
I can only stand to work on this a little at a time, so as with everything in my life, it is a work in progress.
Have you fallen into the organize your life trap?
Later,
Lorrie
Once a year, I go to “Quilt Camp”. It is organized by a wonderful retired teacher who is on the board of the local 4H camp. We meet in the dining hall to sew, socialize, and sew some more. Some of us stay in the dormitory…aka the “bunk house”. We have a challenge every year. A few times in the last couple of years, I said I would participate and then totally crapped out. This year, however, we are using a challenge that was posted a few years back by another on-line group, Raincross Quilt Guild. This challenge was used by them in 2015-2016. I am having a great time amping up the blocks they made!
My most recent hand sewing has been on these cut dresden plate flowers. In my quilt these are corner blocks for the next round.
I still have several more blocks to make. This quilt just keeps growing!
What are you working on today?
Later,
Lorrie
Even when I am not making resolutions, I try to participate in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. Every year, soscrappy.com hosts this wonderful challenge. I make it through the first couple of months…and then life gets in my way. Some years, the author of soscrappy designs a quilt. Sometimes she suggests a block to be made in many colors. Sometimes it is just the color, like this year.
January is the color red this year. I have started by making 10 crazy blocks using the Accuquilt block on board die.
She always shares her work and posts a link so everyone can share.
I also made 10 paper foundation pieced crumb blocks to get me started. I have a small bin of red scraps to work with…enough to keep me busy.
Many of these are strips.
I use pages from old Reader’s Digest magazines. I can cut them to a convenient size square for my foundation. I sew the crumb pieces to the paper…trim…flip…and stitch some more.
They look rough.
Then I use my Accuquilt 4 inch die to trim them to the exact size. It is amazing what trimming and squaring up can do! Now they look like usable blocks. (I love those little monkeys!)
I will remove the paper while I watch TV this week. I have a bin of hundreds of these finished blocks…and I have designed a quilt made from them. More on that later this year. I will also do a red RSC update at the end of the month…maybe I will even find some of the previous RSC blocks!
Have you checked out the RSC challenge for 2022?
Later,
Lorrie
