Is it Tacky?

Friends who we have known and loved since we were young are coming to visit us in a month or two.  I was going to try to make another Scrappy Lattice for them, but the only fabric I had enough of to do the lattice strips is a print.   That made me think that even though we've used this one for a couple of months that I would wash and label it for them and then have the second one for our bed when it is done.  A couple of reasons.  One, it would take the time crunch off of me, I wouldn't have to feel like it had to be done quickly and second, it's already a fairly busy quilt and the print will probably make it a bit busier.  Most men like plainer things and I think that our friend may be one of them.  Would it be tacky to give them this one even though we've used it for a couple of months?

Meanwhile, I have the 440 five inch squares cut out, and the 440 lattice strips.  There are more than 100 fabrics, as I made a rule for myself on the first one that I could use the same fabric up to 4 times and some of the fabrics are only once or twice.  I would guess probably at least 120 different fabrics.   I used up a lot of fabrics from my scrap bins.  I was surprised that for this large queen sized quilt (about  105 by 115.5 inches)  that it took about 5 1/4 yards of fabric for the lattice alone.  This is one of my favorite quilts that I've made and my thanks again to Jean at MaDan's Quilting.  If you are interested in the tutorial it is here.

PS  Here are the first 40 squares.  Not much of a palette of colors yet, but I'm not hating it.  I think the print lattice will work out fine.

 

Scrappy Lattice Finished

My Scrappy Lattice is finished and I love how it turned out, Old-Timey looking as all get out.  It may be one of the two or three favorites that I've made.

Sorry about the bad lighting.

It's huge on every side, but it hasn't been washed yet.  I don't think it'll be too small if it shrinks a few inches.

The back, not gorgeous, but it's flannel and cozy and the band of scraps lets me know which end is up.   I won't have to write in sharpie pen "short" so I'll know how to make the bed, that's what I do to some sheets and mattress pads.  Everything about this quilt is scrappy, even the binding.

Back and Label Scrappy and Ready

Big mistake, I got up this morning and thought DH is still asleep, I'll work on the back for my "Scrappy Lattice".  About 6 hours later I finished, which wouldn't have been so bad except I was supposed to be getting ready for company.  I had a flannel sheet set and that is what I used for the blue parts.  I used the flat sheet, the pillowcases and the sides of the fitted sheet, all that's left is the center of the fitted sheet.  This thing is huge.  This is one quarter of the back.   Obviously, I also used some flannel scraps to round it out.  The quilt is 10 blocks by 11 blocks and I like to know what side is up when I start making the bed, so the side of the backing that is pieced will help me know as it will go up and down.   It's a bigger quilt than I thought at first as when I figured I was figuring 10 inches finished on my blocks, but they are 10 1/2 inches finished.  Doesn't seem like much, but it is the difference of 100 by 110 and  105 by 115.5.

I thought it's a scrappy anything goes quilt, why not a scrappy anything goes binding.  It didn't seem to make much of a dent in my leftover binding box.

Now I really need to put it aside, but when I'm ready I'll just have to (maybe) add a little to one side of the king sized batting I ordered for it, baste it and quilt it.  I'm anxious to see it on my bed.

Giant Flimsy Done

My 5 inch Scrappy giant is a flimsy now.  It's all together and humongous, even bigger than my Sunrise Sunset.  The flannel sheets are washed and ready for me to make them into backs, and the binding will use up some of my binding scraps.  I've ordered some king sized batts from Connecting threads and they should be delivered any day.   Now to put it aside and get ready for company. 

Top Over a Quarter Done

First section sewn together, 5 x 6 blocks, so a little over a quarter of the quilt.  I think we are going to like it, it's homey like an old fashioned quilt.

110 Blocks Finished, Yay!

I finished my 110 blocks this am and it's only 5:30 am now, so you know I got up early.  About 3:30 I think it was, but I'm about to go back to bed for awhile soon.  When I thought of 110 blocks I couldn't think that I would finish very soon, but it only took a week or so and they are done.  When I started I thought to use only 30 style pales, but after about 40 of them I could see that not only was it boring (I like to have a variety to sew) to sew all the same types, but I knew that coming up with 440 different ones would be hard, I don't have a large stash.  Pretty soon, anything went as you can see and I tried not to use any one fabric more than 4 times.  I used the charm squares from the swap that I mentioned before, a moda charm pack, muslin scraps from the approximately 25 year old bolt, and then went to my scraps.  I got enough squares without going to my yardage and larger pieces.  I plan to use binding scraps and sheets that I already have for the back.  The only thing that I purchased was a king sized batting.  I couldn't feature piecing a monster batting that large.   The quilt will be 10 x 11 blocks and this is about 1/4 of them, 5 x 6 blocks.  There's really no hurry, except that I like to see the finished products, and I have company coming that I am very excited about, but hopefully in a few weeks it will be finished and my Sunrise Sunset (kind of Halloween because it has orange in it, according to my husband) can be put away until fall and this will replace it on my bed.   We just got a new mattress and box springs and went from two queen sized beds to three, so I also plan to do one of Bonnie Hunter's "Star Strucks"  for the bed that is now is DH's office.  The quilt in there is what we had been using since about January, but it is really a bit too small. 

New Quilt Started

I was all happy to have finished my 'year round' quilt for our bed, my Sunrise Sunset and then DH made a remark about orange and Halloween and kind of spoiled it for me.  Anyway, I decided that that will be our Fall quilt and I have started a new year round quilt.  It happened that about that same time I saw a tutorial on MaDan's Quilting for a 5" Charms Scrappy and I liked the cozy country look of it.  Here are 9 of my first 10 blocks, only 100 left to go.  I plan to make it 100 by 110 inches with no borders and since the blocks finish at 10" that means 110 of them.   I had some nickel squares from a swap that I took part in about 10 years ago and the muslin is some that was left from a bolt that I bought about 25 years ago.  I also have 2 charm packs that I bought about 3 or 4 years ago and some 'brand new' fabric that I have had for a few months.  I'll need 440 5 inch squares so when I run out of what I have already mentioned I'll go to my scraps.  It'll be nice to have a new quilt and use up some older fabrics, too.