Improv and scraps. . .

After sorting UFOs last week, I was a bit discouraged. Will I live long enough? Anyway, the most important were the orphan blocks sent home with me from our Guild's community outreach division. We do charity quilts and have literally tons of donated fabric. I had several blocks left over from other quilter's projects and a few fabrics to go with each one. Doing improv blocks etc. is fun, but I didn't want to sandwich/quilt them. Then the chair person of that division called me, listened to me whine, and told me to just make the tops. They have lots of longarmers who will finish them! I wanted to hug her and was instantly ready to go to work. 

Here is the first one. The applique blocks are large so this one worked out a good lap size. Just had to add the pink for the outer border. Then I did a purplish one from seven smaller blocks and am nearly finished one from one orphan block and lots of complementary fabrics. It is 50" plus also. No pictures yet. The piano key borders are done by cutting strips and making strata. Then all the leftover bits are added along with the chunks cut from the strata. In one of those quilts, I wound up with no leftovers at all from at least one the colors. Feels good!

Easy Being Green

 
 This 'strips made of scraps' quilt is about 60" x 72" and will go to a wounded soldier through Quilts of Valour Canada. I still have some green fabric left but it was fun to use up the pieces that were too small for much else. I quilted it on my HQ 16 in a random leaf pattern, easy for me. 


Now that this one is finished, I'm working on another UFO, a top that I got from Wanda. I've marked a more elaborate quilting pattern and am anxious to get at it. After that, a flowery experiment is sitting in the wings, but other inspirations might take over and keep it in that unfinished pile!

Oh for a long rest...

My past few months have been filled with weddings, illnesses, accidents, and a host of other "not on my agenda" events. However, I am sneaking into my studio now and then, lest I lose my sanity. 

All the green (or close to green) scraps of any size are getting cut into strips, depending on what I can get out of them. Some are 1.5" and up to 3.5" with square or 45 degree angled ends. I'm sewing them into longer strips that will go together to about 60" square... I hope. It is mindless in some ways, and suitable for my present situation. I hope to quilt it sometime soon but...

We are also downsizing to move. Notice the box of books in the bottom photo? (If you thought I was a bit daft before, now you know for sure!) The new place is only 7 minutes away but eliminates yard work and snow shoveling. Also, I will have a bigger space for my studio. Exciting, but our calendar is full (daughter married last Friday and son marries on the 23 of June). We are going for a nine-day holiday soon and I get to meet Wanda (Exuberant Color)! 

Oh, these emotional ups and downs are a real test!

K-6 Scraps from the Strata

This small table topper was inspired by my Scottish heritage that has trouble throwing away leftovers that are large enough to become something else. When making K-4 and K-5, I had triangles and shapes that fit on a smaller version of the triangle normally used to make these Kaleidoscope quilts. So I fiddled with them until I thought they would work, made the pattern to fit the pieces, and this was the result. It was a bit picky, but satisfying in the end. It measures about 21.5" across the widest point. I put a facing on the back instead of a binding around the edges.