Scotts quilt top and more...

One of our friends from church has been hinting that we need to make him a quilt. Actually he has threatened to just take one when we aren't looking.

Challenge is he is a tall guy (we tend to make smaller quilts) and he is color blind.

My first thought was to see what I had in my personal collection that I thought he might like. Both quilts I pulled to let him consider ended up being ones that I am just not ready to part with.
(see how I am!)

Instead I sewed up Pam's 4 patch blocks into a good size scrappy top. (mark one off my UFO list) I hope to get it quilted this week and the group can hand sew the binding at one of our next meetings.


This large Bow-Tie quilt was made with favorite fabrics many years ago. It was one of the first I quilted on my machine.
On closer look I identified several pieces of material that I no longer have in my stash.

One of which my mom gave me, so at least for now it is going back home with me.

The second quilt I thought I might be ready to part with is going back with me too.
76 x 88 (ish)
My quilting has improved a lot since I did this one and I am going to pin it in and do a different design in the borders.

After having it out on display several gals have asked to participate in a class to make their own. I will hang on to it until at least the end of class.

This one is for Dawn.....

Before we get all excited, I mean the post is for Dawn, the quilt will most likely be for me! (sorry I am just not that good of a friend- lol)

The tiny sqs were gifted to me from a friend of a friend. My challenge was to use them ALL up.

The scraps were cut down using my new BABY GO. I just love these little butterflies. They are made using the flower die. The top wing is actually the leaf shape. The bottom wing is a flower cut into thirds.




The applique pieces are just temporary attached with a glue stick. Once I decided on the layout I will machine sew them down.

The little circles are dime size, the larger circles are quarter size. Both are cut from mini 4 patch scraps.

I think I will raid my stash and make a piano key border. I should be able to use up a lot of 1" strips! - thanks Dawn for new TO DO project. I will think of you every time I work on it.- cw

how Small is too Small?

Good friend, Dawn gifted me hundreds of these little mini 4-patches that she got from a friend.



She knows that I love scrappy scrappy and would have just the right project for them.


I have been wanting to start a hand sewing project to have something to work on this winter. Adding 2" black borders to the center and then 2" of 4-patches will give me areas to do a little applique' or embroidery later.
Now it measures 36" x 40"

Here are a few more that that I played with today to gift back to Dawn.



A little mini wall hanging. I love her so much I am going to let her machine quilt it herself!

This one is a 6 1/2" block, look at the tiny tiny 9-patches between the grey sqs.

There is a lot of sewing in these pieces. I wonder what the original maker was planning. I hope if/when she sees what I have done she is pleased.

If you ever have a friend that wants to pass on scraps, give me a call. I love to add to my stash!-

I really enjoy picking up other's UFO's and finding a new way to finish them.

Scrappy 4-Patches

A while back I picked up a shoe box full of 4-patches from a friend's yard sale. I am sure she had purchased them in a similar fashion years ago.

Fabrics look to be from someones stash over several decades. The 4-patches were hand sewn using 3" sqs. and a bit to wonky to trim up.

What to do?

I started by sewing in sets of four. The new blocks measured between 10 1/2 and 12 ". I pressed them and re-sized to 10 1/2" (I tend to re-size to whatever size sq I have on hand)

I had a rather large gold sheet set back to use as backing on a scrappy project. I just couldn't help myself and cut it up to make the setting triangles and strips to frame the alt. blocks.
Because the 4-patches were not all the 'same' size I bordered them first and then trimmed to 10 1/2".

My hope is that in the future when someone tries to copy this top they will drive themselves nuts cutting strange size pieces of fabric. (Just kidding)

I have a bunch of 4-patches left, I may take them apart to two's and make a chain to border the top. I can't imagine trying to sew this all by hand, it would have been a wiggly mess. My guess is the original maker had the same feeling about the blocks and that is why they were in the yardsale.

I will look at this for a day or two and decided on borders. I can see doing 3" of black and then 6 1/2" of a sky blue print (calico?)

Second choice would be take the other patches apart and do a checkerboard framed with more yellow.

Testing a block idea

I am teaching a class starting in March based loosely on the layer and cut idea. (stack and whack)



I was playing around with a yd of material that I like the colors of but there is not enough to do multiples.



I was able to get Nine 4-patch blocks cut at 4.5" and some left overs that may make for an inner border.



This may end up being one of those tops that just gets to grow as the mood hits. I want the gals to realize that one doesn't have to stick to the pattern but to feel free to use what she has and work outside the box. (as a disclaimer- I know it looks wonky but it is just the way it is hanging on the mini-blinds)


These four blocks are the same sq. turned with a different center.

Each is unique. I think I like the look where it swirles a little form the center out.

I am thinking I want to strip with black or dark green and see what that does for me.

An On-Point setting, perhaps?