Long time - no see!

This has been the longest time between posting!   There have been Quilt Shows, quilt display, quilt gathering, and even quilt making!  Here is a Scrappy Bargello, ala Quiltville/Bonnie Hunter project.  This will be a donated "Hugs and Stitches".  The orange fabric is Lucy and Linus going Trick or Treating! Each of the blocks used the same 6 fabric combination.  There is an extra checkerboard row at top and bottom to making it rectangular, about 54" x 64".  The appendages belong to DH, about 6'4".

I vowed to use stash for the backing.  That second and 4th pieces are little foxes.

And, finally .... ta dahhhh, my LQS gave me a generous box of quality scraps.  I've looked at those scraps for almost a year and finally decided to do SOMETHING, and cut them ALL into 1 1/2 inch strips.  I saw Bonnie Hunter's "Garden Party" on Youtube and decided that was the exactly the right project. 

These blocks are small (5 in. finished) !  This project uses only 1 1/2 in. strips, and is featured in her book "Addicted to Scraps".  It took me 5-6 blocks to get into a rhythm and then they went faster.  I only finger pressed during construction - saved time.  Here are 24 blocks - 2-3 days worth.   My goal was to use up the fabrics, and I did NOT stress over what colors did or didn't "go" together.  Goodness  - you could spend days just trying to make decisions and matches - just get on with it!!  In the end, they all seem to "go together"!  I've not decided on colors for the second block with cornerstones - was planning to use greens but somehow, RED seems a better choice.  Thank you Bonnie for another great design!

(My New York Beauty block are all done, but not together in rows.  )

Hugs and Stitches

For someone who has been busy, I don't see anything I've actually DONE, except this little project. (I think "LIFE" had something to do with it. )

4 patches at the top and bottom to will make it rectangular, then another border will be added.  It ends up being a generous size.  That orange fabric is Peanuts and Snoopy Halloween characters. 

Several of us played with this project and I'm happy that some of the quilters in my group learned how to make this easy and fast quilt.  Thank you to Bonnie Hunter at www.quiltville.com.  She calls it Scrappy Bargello in her Free Patterns.  Our local collection point calls them "Hugs and Stitches."

Fabric needed:  I used 6 consistent fabrics, and calculated that I needed 20 inches of each fabric.  That was too much.  You get 2 blocks from each WOF strata, but, there is some extra at the end of each strip.  While I cut 8 strips for 16 blocks, I actually only used 6 WOF strata strips for the 16 blocks.  I will make up the extra blocks for the back or perhaps a pillow.   Bonnie suggests using shorter pieces of fabric, not WOF.  In that case a person might use all 8 strata strips.  (Clear as mud?)

Playing with Cell Phone

I am learning how to take a photo with the newish cell phone, share it to my computer e-mail, save it on desktop, refile it to appropriate photo gallery file, and retrieve it!  Yeahhhhhh!

"We can DO it!" 

This is a pattern from Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville.com, called Scrappy Bargello.  I'm planning each block the same, with 16 blocks, for a Linus type quilt. Our donation center calls them Hugs and Stitches quilts

My Snoopy characters are kinda sparse on that orange background!  I had the other 5 fabrics in my stash, and plans for making 16 blocks at next All Day Sew, but had NO kids prints.  So today, I made a quick dash to my LQS and bought that last few inches of that orange. 

Some of the quilting gals have never made a quilt using this technique so we'll demo it next meeting.  Only trouble is that it's so easy and so cute, I might have it done before the meeting date!

Green Bargello is DONE (or is it called Scrappy Trip Around the World?)!

  Finally, I have this project finished - someone how I thought it would go fast but it seemed to take forever!  Must be LIFE interfering, again.  Now that I am retired, I find I was MORE productive when working.)  Anyway, "Scrappy Bargellos" are "going around"  ala Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville.com and I've wanted to make another one.  Just one FQ was purchased.

I could have arranged dark blue in the CENTERS of those blocks, but I"m not sure other features would remain constant.  This will be a Linus quilt and is waaaay too large for an toddler.  4 x 6 blocks = almost 60 x 80!  Yikes, a little kid would get lost under it!  It would be good for an older girl perhaps, who likes little "Cutsies."  The blocks are 12 inches finished.

I LOVE this inner border of rabbits and orange carrots.  The quilt NEEDED a little bit of orange - this was perfect, and I just had enough.

That dark blue (above) in the border has little red/orange things in it, and it was on sale, so I swooped up 6 yards years ago, thinking it would be a good backing with those little red/orange "flowers".  Later I realized the red/orange "flowers" were lady bugs and the idea of ladybugs as a backing did not seem the best choice.

Determined to use what I already have, I cut 88 backing squares at 8.5 in.   My plan for quilting was this wide sweeping "dwirling" but I had unfortunately forgotten that this sweeping design is great for a long-arm, but I have a Domestic Sewing Machine and with almost every stop and start came a little "glitch" - crooked stitch, driving me crazy - it's difficult to control those glitchy stitches!  Lesson learned.  Previous "dwirling" on other quilts was successful when keeping the movements small, and hand-sized.  Where was my brain?

Looking at the back, at first it looked pretty awful and jumbly, but I resorted to "have faith" approach and in the end is OK.  Another handy thing I had forgotten is, when you do these kinds of squares keep all of them either with the grain or across the grain - don't mix them.  You can tell because they stretch more cross-grain.  They handle better if consistant.   I have a few pleats which I believe were caused by  carelessness, where I mixed them up. 

If you have not tried this Scrappy Bargello, you are missing out on fun - your brain will just smile when you make the first one!  

Scrappy Bargello, and a Welcome Visitor

I've recently heard that Bonnie Hunter's  Scrappy Bargello are "everywhere" -- It's time for me to make another one - they are fun and excellent scrap user, as well as a charming Linus/kids quilt..  Here is one block - I've made 16, heading for 24, but I ran out of that spring-y green plaid.  An order was placed on line for 2 possibilities, and when my order arrived, the blue/green plaid on the right was chosen.  It's gonna work!  Today I'm getting the rows together.

Guess who/what is baaaaaaccccckkkkkk!  8-))   For months, we've been noticing a pile of poop ( LOL ) under one of the evergreens but could never find the roosting culprit until today.  Perhaps this is our pooper! Do you see him?  My goodness he's almost invisible this time of year, wearing whitish plumage. 

He didn't even open his eyes to look at us - such a bold little thing.  If you don't remember my stories of his and his family's visit last year, he is a Screech Owl.

We still have a bit of snow, temps are mid 40s, but more snow is expected tonight.  Stay warm, little Screech Owl!