Saturday, May 12, 2018

Scrippity scrappity



Pink is the color o' the month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, and I've finished my three RSC projects for May. Even though I don't particularly like pink, and don't sew with it very much, I still had plenty of pink scraps to choose from. How does that happen? My four pink string blocks are above.


Next are my two pink spiral blocks from the book Cozy Modern Quilts by Kim Schaefer. The pattern is "Maze Madness" and there are blocks with the accent color on the outside of the block and ones with the neutral on the outside. (This book was my first exposure to modern quilting and I fell in love. Not that it's the best book, but just the idea of bold color and geometric design in quilts? Yes, please!)


My clowder of lurid cats has grown by two. I use the RSC color in the background and the color wheel opposite for the cats. The green cat of cat fabrics is very meta.


My muse: grey cat on blue background.

Most of these little projects were completed just before we had a guest aboard this week. I knew I would be dismantling my studio to turn it back into the guest stateroom, so I didn't want to tackle anything large. Much as I hate to stop sewing, it's a good exercise to completely clean up the creative mess a couple of times a year.


I unearthed a bag of Asian-inspired scraps during the process, and decided to stitch up these simple blocks. Just a rectangle with two scrappy neutral strips on opposite edges.


When set with the blocks alternating, a basket weave design emerges. This is a modification of a free pattern called Colorworks, which calls for 4.5" x 6.5" rectangles. I had lots of 6" scraps, so I cut my pieces 4" x 6" instead. I'll add a scrappy neutral border to it at some point which will complete those dangling edge blocks.


I also found my bag of non-quilting cotton scraps: flannels, piques, and corduroys. I don't have room to collect a real stash of these fabrics, so I've decided not to buy any more of them and am trying to just use them up. 


The last bits and bobs in the bag got cut into strings and stitched up into QAYG blocks directly onto batting scraps. There was just enough for two pillow shams, and they were finished in time for our guest to use them. Score!


For the pillow backs, I used more of my decorator-weight blue dinosaur fabric. The pattern almost matches in the middle. Our guest, who has two young children at home, commented that she liked how the pillows have a kid side and an adult side. (And yes, she very much enjoyed her short tropical vacation away from her kids. Her husband is a pilot so she can fly for free, and having friends who just happened to be on their boat in the Turks and Caicos worked out very nicely!)


And finally, I pulled and cut up my fabrics for Tish's Fire Burst mystery QAL. I'm making the 32"x32" baby size and have enough of the navy blue left over to perhaps add a few borders. That blue and white fabric is covered with sweet line drawings of little birds.


The flannel and Asian scraps are all used up, the pink scrap bag shrank a tiny bit, and the QAL pieces fit nicely in a new bag. We enjoyed having our lovely guest aboard for three days and now I'm setting the studio up again. Life is good!

18 comments:

  1. Strings! I love strings. Those kitty blocks are so cute, too.

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  2. And this was all done in how much time? Incredible diverse and pretty. I especially like the two pink spiral blocks! Great fun!

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  3. Looks like you have been very busy since you last post. Love the pillows and how good you are that the backs line up! Great job.

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  4. Isn't it interesting what shows up when we clean up the sewing space. Good job using up the bits and pieces.

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  5. You got all that done and cleaned up your sewing space for a guest too? Wow! I love the pink blocks, and I'm not into pink either. But the bold pink is really pretty. Too bad your kitty wasn't napping on a pink chair, to keep all things in the pink (sorry, had to). Glad you were able to spend time with a friend!

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  6. Oh you put your room back to sewing too soon, I was making my reservations, hahaha. Nice work as usual Louise, and you managed to get a lot done too.

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  7. Very productive!!! Great string quilts. You're great at using it up!

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  8. I don't quilt much with pink either and still have tons of pink scraps. Your pink blocks look great.

    I love your new pillow shams. They look so pretty.

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  9. I am so impressed how much you accomplished during the midst of preparing for a guest. I find new projects but don't finish them like you did. Now you've inspired me to make an Asian quilt with my stash which has been dormant too long. I do love the kitty blocks.

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  10. As usual, your projects are very cool. Little but little with the scraps thing, right?

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  11. gosh you have been busy. i love them all. I have made the same design as you asian fabrics - it's lovely and easy and a great way to use up reasonable sized pieces...
    Hugz

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  12. Your clear pinks are so pretty! I don't have as many pinks as I thought I might, and a lot of them are the dusty pink from the 80's. Oh well. Pink scraps are pink scraps. I do like cleaning-for-guests. In fact, I think that's my usual mode. But it is nice to get a fresh start with the sewing stuff. Of course, I know that for you, cleaning up the boat studio is a more complicated matter. I'm impressed with what you got done--those shams are so cheerful and fun--and let's face it: adults have a kid side, too. I didn't realize until I read about the QAL that there is a 32 inch option. I may need to look into it closer, and see if I have anything on hand in the sizes needed. I have a feeling you'll zoom to the head of the class again--or is Tish keeping the parts under wraps?

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  13. So many things to like in your post! I love those spiral blocks - I'm going to have to look for that book! The pillow shams are wonderful, too! I love the size you made. Do they fit bed pillows? Hope you're enjoying lovely sailing weather!

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  14. So much accomplished, love the pink spiral andcat blocks. Great minds think alike, I’m making the same Colorworks pattern too only mine is in three pieces so two seams left and the borders. Nice pillows, you do look after your guests.

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  15. I love your muse and inspiration for the cat blocks :) And I have to say I LOVE your fabric pull for Fireburst. Especially that pop of orange among the blues.

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  16. Love your pink blocks! I think I am inspired to finish my spiral quilt now!

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  17. Love your pink RSC projects Louise, I think the old saying 'let sleeping dogs lie'
    should be changed to 'sleeping cats' - yours looks oh so comfortable there! Great idea for your Asian inspired scraps, I collected these sort of fabrics years ago and they're still sitting in the drawer, I should think about using them.

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  18. Wow, you've been really busy! Congrats on getting all those scraps and left overs into projects. Love the Asian themed quilt. The very simple design really lets the fabrics shine.

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