scrap challenge report

Alright ladies (and maybe gentlemen?) - today is the last day of the scrap challenge. 

Your tops should be finished by midnight (your time) tonight - or whatever version of the challenge you set for yourself.  (Remember I left the rules up to you.)

I finished the first one a while back:

(That's dark blue for the sashing and borders (many of you thought it was black).)

And just about an hour ago, I finished a second one:

I made it so big, the hubby was having trouble holding it up.  78" square!  Two trips to buy grey (that don't exactly match and I hope that fact will be hidden when it's quilted).  Too much time procrastinating.  But I think it will look nice on our red couch for a snuggle quilt.

So now it's your turn.  Use the box below to link to your scrap quilt post.

Happy quilting!

Katie

challenge - last call!

Remember 3 months ago when I issued the scrap challenge?

Well, it's June 14th! 

(for another 16 hours - for me)

I have to finish sewing rows of red and grey stars into a top and then I'll be showing my scrap quilt finishes.

In that post, I'll add a link box-thingy and you can show yours that way...

I'll leave the box open for additions for a week or so.  Noone said we couldn't bend the rules a little bit, right?

I'm off work all week, but I really pushed this to the wire (well, it is a second one...).  Once the hubby gets out of bed, I'll be sewing!

Happy quilting!

Katie

scrap challenge update - May edition

Where has the time gone?  Less than a month to go on the scrap challenge!

Sew like the wind!

Progress on scrap quilt #2 has been slow.  I've been easily sidetracked, but here are the blocks:

Now let's look around and see how the other participants are doing...

Beth reported earlier this month that she's got pieces ready to sew.  Sew Beth Sew!

Mary's last report you've already seen - she dared to blame me for her making a mess.  And then she went and bought more fabric.  THAT was not my fault!  You'd better get busy sewing Mary!

Cheryl teased us with just one finished block yesterday.  Seems she has a few other projects on her plate as well, what with that ugly fabric challenge.  Get busy morphing that ugly fabric into a butterfly so we can see the scrap quilt too!

Theri went ahead and completely finished hers earlier this month.  Stayed up all night for three or four days working on it to give to her uncle who has been diagnosed with a very aggressive kind of cancer.  Incredible finish, though the story is so sad. 

Kathleen and Oscar have been hard at work getting blocks together for her scrap quilt.  I really like it.  The more I look at it, the more I think I need one like it.  The strips of strips just seem to float in the quilt.  Very unique, but how much does that black cat hair show up?  (Like I don't know...)

Keep sewing gals!  We're nearing the finish line.  I have to sleep on my ideas for setting those blocks above, but I hope to have a second top done by June 14th!

Sidetracking me are a stack of 6 dolly quilts.  (Thanks again, Mary!)  This one was finished last night:

I really like it.  I had my doubts, but I really like it.

The other 5 are all at least basted.  Double Irish Frogs II is in the process of being bound (what I SHOULD be doing right now...), so more pics to come soon.

I also have been distracted by garage saleing (no quilty finds, though there were some good non-quilty finds), going to a cardio kickboxing class (wow...I didn't know I HAD muscles there!), and getting the beloved Neon fixed (this weekend it goes in to have the oil sensor replaced) again again again.

And finally, about two weeks ago I won a giveaway over at Dotty Jane and I've neglected to take a picture and blog about it.  So here are my winnings:

I didn't realize it until after uploading the photo that the little pattern is obscured.  It makes a little zippy pouch that is cute.  But I LOVE the Make Life charm squares.  There are some with words on them that I just want to carry around in my pocket so I can look at them when I want to.  Does that make me crazy?  No, wait, don't answer that.

And I mentioned that since I'd won a giveaway, I'd be doing one of my own to pay back.  I have a pretty good idea of what I'll be giving away, but I have to make it first and, well, you've read the rest of the post, so you know why it might take a few more weeks...  It WILL happen.

Happy quilting!

Katie

it's not my fault!

Okay, maybe it is...

I DID sew all those pieces into blocks. 

I DID sew the blocks into rows. 

And then yesterday I DID sew the rows into a whole top.

Scrap quilt #1 finished!!! 

I'm working on a #2, too....remember the grey and red one?  Still only 3 blocks there.  That box is going to fit ALL my scraps when I'm done.  I'll just keep sewing until it fits.

But this probably won't help:

My mom came down and we went to two new quilt shops.  I bought these at one, nothing at the other because I was trying to be good, but this lime green with hearts was SCREAMING at me...(tried to link you directly to the manufacturer, but they seem to think a single web address for EVERYTHING is cool, so this is a random website Google turned up for me...)

I also got these at JoAnn's because McCalls patterns were 99 cents.  They should help a little with my stash reduction, don't you think?

My mom was with me, but I think I may make that little caddy that sits under/in front of your sewing machine for Mother's day.

Speaking of my mom, yesterday was her birthday.  Happy Birthday MOM!!!  The trip to visit wasn't part of her gift, but this book was:

Beth Ferrier (the author - my flash kinda obscured her name) was the speaker at the quilt show I went to a few weeks ago.  This book looks right up my mom's alley.  And inside they have pictures of the quilts with their OWN kitties posing!  How could I pass that up?  I even had Beth sign it for me/my mom!

And I also finished my April installment of dolly quilts:

I don't really like this doll.  I found her on sale and bought her, thinking she was a good price and cute, but got home to find out she giggles (rather annoyingly, if I may say so) when you press her foot or hand.  I don't like battery-operated toys for donations.  I assume these kids are just like my nieces and nephews - if the toy comes with something run on batteries, the toy is deemed broken and discarded (if no further than to the bottom of the toybox) when the batteries run out.  We buy big packs of batteries for the kids we know, but I'll never meet the little girl who gets this doll...

I made it using the Spring Posies tutorial as a guide.  My blocks are smaller and the yo-yos sewn on a little differently, but I have to give credit for my inspiration.  It finished about 18 inches square.

Well, the groceries are bought, lunch will be quick and then I can maybe sew some today.  I'm feeling better, but have a nagging headache. 

The plan for this afternoon: more red and grey wonky stars for the 2nd scrap quilt AND working with more of the fabrics Mary sent with her exchange blocks.  Maybe a nap, too.  Yay!

Happy quilting,

Katie

scrap challenge update

Well, it's been about a month since I issued my scrap challenge.  I've seen a few of you sharing your progress and figured since I started this, I'd better show mine!

Not as much as I wanted to have done but last week I had a dry, scratchy throat Tuesday through Friday.  I got over that and got Strep throat THIS Tuesday.  I've been laying around like a bump for days and cooking dinner last night wore me out so much I was so tired I wasn't hungry any more when it was done.  I made stiry fry with frozen veggies - 20 minute meal!

So here are my scrap blocks sewn into strips:

This took forever to get because it is WINDY here today.  But very warm, 81 was the predicted high, which is unseasonably warm.  Beautiful day to sit in the lawn with your camera waiting for the wind to die down enough to snap a picture.

At one point I thought this was the best I'd get...laying UNDER the clothes line after the wind had performed this concoction of my strips:

See that beautiful blue sky?  Yay spring!

So I've seen progress posted by Beth, Mary, Cheryl, Theri, and SeventhSister.  Keep sewing gals!  Two months to go - we can DO this!  If I missed you, please let me know and I'll make sure you make it into the next update.  Anyone who wants to join late, please feel free!  Leave me a comment and I'll include you in the next update.  Go here for the original challenge.  (And I tried to make a button, but I'm not so good with the computer!)

Because I've been putting off sewing those rows together, I started on the next dolly quilt.  I've had a doll since before April started (got a little ahead of myself), but it took a while to find a pattern that spoke to me.  This Spring Posies pretty much screamed at me.  I made it a little smaller.

I plan to put them together tonight and I think I already know how I'm going to quilt this, but we'll see...

And finally, I promised a picture of the March dolly quilt with its doll:

Though it may look like it, not a lot of sewing has been going on lately.  I just haven't taken many pictures or posted much about quilting lately.  Hopefully I'll find some time this weekend.

Happy quilting!

Katie