sidetracked

 

Joanne from Canuck Quilter commented that her Leader & Ender projects end up becoming projects.

Well, it seems that happened here. I pivoted from leaders and enders to making a quilt sooner than planned.

Once I laid out the blocks there was no going back. To make the top manageable for machine quilting, I sewed the blocks into rows. Kind of a quilt as you go method.

I’m using a quilting ruler to create the design as I’m not the least bit artistic or particularly good at freestyle quilting. Not that my efforts are display worthy. A bit scratchy in parts for sure. 

Also finished is the April peach/apricot block for  the extended 2024 Rainbow Scrap Quilt. I’ve added extra colours in order to have sixteen blocks for a quilt.

Next month is grey and June is dark pink.

something

 

Some progress has been made recently. 

More Granny Squares. I’m aiming for 49 of these 8 inch blocks. The fabric range is Figtree Fresh Cottons.

The Leaders & Enders project is becoming less of a Leaders and Enders and more of a let’s make blocks - I want it to be a quilt already.

RSC-2024-Extended for April is peach/apricot.  I’m a little short on larger pieces in the scrap collection.  My scrap collection is pretty small and most of my scraps are precut into 2.5 inch, 3 inch or 5 inch pieces.  A crafty/quilty friend has a stash I can raid in return for coffee and cake. 

We were hoping for some cooler weather but the days have been quite warm, hot even. Didn’t stop me from making this recipe for Baked Apple Cider Donuts on the weekend.   Flavours of apple, cinnamon and butter  - what’s not to love.

overwhelmed

 

There are too many unfinished projects in the sewing room right now. I’ve been feeling overwhelmed lately and obligated to get all these finished.

As a result I’m jumping from one project to another and not enjoying the process. I like to make quilts as a pastime not because I have to. Each project is only progressing incrementally so it feels like there’s nothing to show for all that effort.

Time for a rethink. I’ve been enjoying working on one of these projects so that’s the one I’ll keep working on. When that’s finished, I’ll choose another. 

So you might not see me here as often. I’ll be back when I have something worth posting.

Till then, I hope you are enjoying your projects and making good progress on them.

rsc2024 extended february

Haven’t done a lot of sewing in February. The hot weather we’ve been having really zaps my energy levels.

Typical weather for this time of year but it’s dragging on too long as far as I’m concerned.

Still working on the Granny Squares

Just starting to become a wee bit nervous about how these blocks will go once they are trimmed and those bias edges come into play. Wondering if it’s possible to sew a strip first and then trim it.

Made a couple of the Leaders and Enders blocks and I really like how they are turning out.

Well that’s all for now.

RSC2024- extended-january

 

First block of the RSC2024 extension is done - light green.

Here’s my collection of blocks so far.

Five more blocks to make 

February - light blue

March - light brown/beige

April - peach/apricot

May - grey

June - dark pink/rose pink

leaders

 

Even though the RSC quilt isn’t finished,  I want to make a scrap quilt this year from what’s left in my modest scrap buckets (small plastic containers actually),

I’d seen some quilters write about leaders and enders as they made other projects and thought I might do the same.

So I made some test blocks to see if I liked the design. I do. Very much. So these will be a leaders and enders as I work on my other projects.

I already have 2.5 inch squares cut and a selection of 2.5inch strips left over from other projects. Most of them aren’t full fabric width either. Fabric selection will be  random. The block size is 12 inches finished. 25 needed for a 5x5 block lap quilt once there are borders or I might make a 6x6 with no borders.

Then, to make my day, a crafting friend was clearing out her cupboards and gifted me a bag of quilting fat quarters. Very generous and much appreciated.

focussing

This year needs focus. 

There are too many unfinished projects around here. 

This top needs borders, then quilting and binding. Pattern is a version of Confetti Stars by Wendy Sheppard using Figtree Fabrics Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

More Granny Squares need to be pieced. Fabric is Fresh Cottons from Figtree Quilts. All the coloured squares are cut but more of the background fabrics need to be prepped.

This top needs the next round of borders. Pieces are cut. Need assembly.

Need to make a decision about how this top will be finished. Maybe just another wide border to make it a lap quilt.

This one is going to be scaled down from the original size.  The blocks are supposed to be set on point. Not sure if I still want to do that. Needs to be manageable for quilting. By me.

Including the RSC 2024 project that’s everything. More than I usually like to have unfinished but there you go.

rsc2024-october

 

So Brown was the colour for October in the 2024 Rainbow Scrap Challenge. November and December were for piecing the blocks together and finishing the quilt.

I know, it’s January 2025 now. Just catching up. 

So I have 10 blocks and want 16 to make a quilt. Another six blocks are needed. Six more colours. 

Let’s extend RSC2024 into 2025. I plan to make the blocks in these colourways.

January -Light Green

February - Light Blue

March - Light Brown/Beige

April - Peach/Apricot

May - Grey

June - Dark Pink/Rose Pink (maybe)

That gives me time from July onwards to put the quilt together and get it finished. Hopefully.