What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

This is the time of year when many people set resolutions and select words of the year. Historically I haven’t done either of those, but this year I resolve to get rid of my flannel fabric and my word of the year is “scraps.”

Even though I regularly use flannel for donation quilts, there is still a lot in my stash. It is bulky and takes up way too much room on the shelves. Because of the bulk, I don’t like to use it for intricate piecing so the quilts I make from it are kind of boring ...

 I’ve continued to work on my Scrappy Trips blocks, a free pattern from Bonnie Hunter, found here. They are all done now. I made a total of 20 blocks for a 48x60 inch finished quilt. I’m going to quilt each block separately and then sew them together.

In between the Scrappy Trips blocks I sewed some other blocks. I don’t know the name of this one, but it used up some large scale floral fabrics and also some of the leftover 2 1/2 inch squares from the Scrappy Trips strip sets. A win win sort of ...

 I gave in to a tiny case of “start-its” this past week. I have a full bin of 2 1/2 inch strips of fabrics, plus an excess amount of orange fabrics that don’t really have a place to go any more. The project I bought them for didn’t use up nearly as much orange as I thought it would. So they have been sitting for quite a while. Time to move them out and use them up. I’ve started a Scrappy Trips quilt which is a free design by Bonie Hunter. I am using the orange ...

     Another long years marinating WIP sewn. Scrappy Trips, Bonnie Hunter's pattern, has been languishing in a bag for a while. I finally webbed it and noticed a problem. I put it on the wall to study it and see where it was messed up. One block was turned the wrong way. I started this before A Left Handed Quilter showed me how to sew Upstairs, Downstairs her way, which is much superior to how Bonnie does it. I had to finish it the harder way since it was started already.

      A couple of years ago, I cut the strips for Bonnie Hunter's Scrappy Trips. Somehow, I thought it would be a quick quilt. I kept the strips in the block bundles and from time to time, I sewed a couple of blocks. There are only 30 blocks (made 32), but it seemed an eternity to sew them. In fact, The Left-handed quilter showed how to make the Upstairs, Downstairs pattern (I have had trouble typing in her search bar) and I made two of those in the meantime. I like the controlled palette of jelly rolls, but they are ...

The box of solids was starting to hum. Yes, I finished a wedding quilt of solids earlier in the year, but there was more fabric and a new idea.

It is made of 2″ squares in a 36-patch. Husband pointed out that it would have hurt no one to use 2-1/2″ pieces and get done a bit faster. But, anyway, pieces became blocks and finally a top. And then a quick, all over quilt panto for the finish. 72″ square.

I really like it.

While the back might seem unlikely, it works (at least for me).

And it is ...

My goal for the next little while is to tame the UFO pile.  I have made lots of quilts during this COVID-19 pandemic but most of them have been gifts for friends and family.  Now that all those gifts are done, it is time to tackle the UFO's.  First up this week, was borders and backing for the batik Scrappy Trips quilt that I started earlier this year.  I had to purchase the fabrics and then wash them before ironing, cutting and sewing. 

Over the course of 16 months in 2018-2019, 10 quilting friends and I made and exchanged 20 neutral blocks each month.  We could use any neutral colours including cream, beige, brown, white, gray and black and each block was to be made using two lights and a dark or two darks and a light. This way, each of us ended up with 320 neutral blocks at the end of the swap.  I divided mine into two piles--1:  white, gray and black and 2: cream, beige and brown, and decided to make two different projects with my blocks.   

I found some ...

The neighbourhood is expanding!  I have 20 houses made now and lots of fabric set aside for more of them.  This will be an ongoing project for a few weeks.  

I also made the June and July blocks for the London Modern Quilt Guild HST block of the month mystery quilt.  There was one block for June and two for July so now I am all caught up until the next block pattern comes out in August.  Each month, we learn how to make HST's in a different way for our block that month. 

I started another knitted facecloth ...

So, how is everyone doing with their social distancing?  I am trying to stay in the loop with what is happening but I am not watching or listening to the news constantly...too stress inducing!  We have our grand-dog, Finn, with us right now so we have been going for a long walk every morning.  We meet others along the way and everyone stays to their own side of the wide sidewalk and nods as they walk past.  For the rest of the day, I have been reading or knitting or cross stitching or sewing or doing odd jobs around ...