Soscrappy's First Blue Saturday

This is 12 of the 30 string blocks that I'll need to do another lap sized Roll Roll Cotton Boll from Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville.  I thought that since it's been put away awhile and Angela from Soscrappy is having blue this time for her Rainbow Scrap Challenge that maybe it would be the kick in the behind that I need to get back to working on my string blocks.  Unlike most quilters, I don't like to do string blocks much, although I love the looks of them in a quilt. 

These are some of the leftovers that made me decide to go for another one.  This one will be pinks, blues, browns and from the looks of things, some greens.

The little HST's will be light blues and dark blues, and there will also be some dark blues in the blocks, it's been so long that I'm not sure where at this point.  If you want to see some more blue from quilter-bloggers who actually know what they are doing, Soscrappy has a linky.  Click on this.

After Quite Awhile, More Pillowcases

Not very good lighting on my pillowcases, the one on the right is very washed out.  The backdrop is my Scrappy Lattice that I basted yesterday and the pillowcases I made today.  They are for my niece's little girls, the ones who are getting new quilts when we see them later this month.

PS.  Here are a couple of good tutorials for the pillowcases.  I didn't do the band trim and I also topstitch the cuff after I sew it on to the body of the case.  I don't like little gobs of fraying material lumping up inside, so I encase it in stitching.  You can see the topstitching on the first two cases since I was too lazy to change my thread and did it in gray.  

 http://www.maryquilts.com/pillowcase/

 http://quilting.about.com/od/quiltpatternsprojects/ss/easy-pillowcase-pattern.htm

Happy Fourth of July and Shopping

Happy Fourth of July

I ordered these fabrics from Connecting Threads to make the light stars on the Star Struck (From Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville) that I am planning.  I decided first to cut a few from my scraps and I couldn't believe it, especially after having used mostly just my scraps for my Scrappy Lattice, but I got all that I needed from my scraps.  I guess I'll have to save these for something else.

Then I decided to cut my darks going first to the scraps, and I had more than enough of that, too.  I have some sale fabric from Hancock's of Paducah coming that I will use for the small triangles so those won't be scrappy. 

Today I got up early and went to a quilt store in the Orlando area, Sewing Studio in Maitland, and took advantage of their 40% off everything sale.  I didn't know that I would be standing in lines for about two hours, but I did save some money on these.   I went straight to the 50% off area and these were all from there.  It started out over $200.00 then I got the 50% off, then they took off the 40% and it ended up at $61.00 including tax.  I think that I got about 19 yards.  Not bad.  I decided that if I get time I'll use the pinks to make pillowcases for the 3 little girls that I made July quilts for.   I think that they use the previous pillowcases that I made for them all the time, so I think it'll be nice for them to have a change.   I hope that all who celebrate it had or have a great Fourth, and that everyone else has a great day.

Quilts In Use

Kerri, my brother's daughter, her husband and her 4 youngest children are visiting her dad in Georgia from Iowa.  Her 3 youngest girls look to be resting well after their approximately 1200 mile ride, with the quilts and pillowcases that I made them 3 or 4 years ago.  They are the recipients of 3 of my July quilts, as they are outgrowing their toddler quilts.  Oh, to be able to sleep anywhere.

Hat in Hand

Here I am back after a break from blogland.   I felt too guilty for being so behind on responding to comments that people had been kind enough to leave and was feeling a bit overwhelmed with all I had to do.  I missed being part of things though, it's not the same having a blog and not sharing.   I apologize in advance for the fact that I'll likely get behind again in spite of my good intentions.  I've been seeing the "Blogging Without Obligation" logo on my blog and I don't think it's entirely true, but

it kind of made me feel better, lol.  

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.