SoScrappy Saturday 8.9.2025

Today is the second Saturday of August of the color aqua.

Here is my 2025 Stash Buster Block. I actually made the block in the red month as I was one of the sewers that thought Angela called aqua when she was simply searching for aqua thread in her stash. 

pattern: 2025 Stash Buster Challenge block.

Sharing today with SoScrappy Saturday.

Finish or NOT Friday 8.8.2025

I have both a finish and a NOT (well, it's a flimsy!)

First is my finish. The green 'Duckworth' is done and ready for the Crumb Trunk Show on August 19, 2025! 

I learned a few 'things' with this quilt (and my piecing style):

1. My scraps have plenty of other colors mixed in, so I don't feel I needed to add the 'extra pop'. If I do, make sure the scraps are on the smaller size.

2. Old habits die hard...I really didn't 'need' 4 patches as my 'starters'. I should have just stuck with the log cabin beginning pieces.

3. I have.more.green...so I will try this again. :)

pattern inspiration: 'Duckworth' quilts on FB Scrap Quilter's Enthusiast's page

panto: serpentine

My second is my NOT but it is a flimsy. It is The Ribbon Sew- Along by Alycia of Alycia Quilts. I just love her designs and this was quick! I did piece the first border in the wrong order but you really don't notice and when I put it on the design wall for this post. Well...sideways but I just went with it! :)

pattern: The Ribbon Quilt by Alycia

You can find the links on her blog if you search 'The Ribbon Quilt' but better do it in a jiffy because the steps will vanish in a few weeks! After that, the pattern should be available for purchase.

Sharing today with Alycia at Finish or NOT Friday.

WIP Wednesday 8.6.2025

I am continuing making blocks for my green 'Duckworth' quilt. Here is a link that explains the concept of 'Duckworth' quilts. Basically, it's an improv log cabin that you square to any size you want. (I squared to 6.5 inches). The main 'thing' with a 'Duckworth' is to pick one main color but remember to use all the colors in the rainbow.

All of my green 'Duckworth' blocks.

All sewn together and ready for quilting!

pattern inspiration: 'Duckworth' quilts.

                               You will find a YouTube by another quilter explaining the technique here. 

                               FaceBook Scrap Quilter's Enthusiast's group.

Sharing today with the Inquiring Quilter's Wait Loss Wednesday.

 

Design Wall Monday 8.4.2025

 As part of my Crumb Quilt trunk show, I've been wanting to make a 'Duckworth' quilt. This style is popular on the FaceBook Scrap Quilt Enthusiast's page. It's a private group so you will need to request to join to see the quilts. Here is a quick Google Search that shows a few Duckworth Quilts.Basically, it's a Improv Log Cabin block without any angles in the piecing. Here is a link to a You Tube video another quilter posted about this technique.

In May 2025, I sorted, ironed and cut my green scraps. I pulled out my bin and set to work.

The 'thing' about a Duckworth is that JoAnn (Merrill Duckworth) uses all the colors in her piecing with one color being dominate. Since green is my dominate color, I chose warmer colors (pink, red, orange) to be the accents. The making of crumb blocks do tend to be messy, even for me!

I want this quilt to me 48 x 60, with 6 inch blocks that will be a setting of 8 x 10 or 80 blocks. I made 16/80 with the accents colors or roughly 20%. Here are the beginnings on the design wall.

Ummm...this is a departure from my usual crumb piecing technique. I'll be making more to 'see' if I like it. :)

Sharing today with Judy at Design Wall Monday.

QOV Sunday 8.3.2025

 Alycia released the next step in The Ribbon Quilt Sew-a-Long and it's the layout!

The Ribbon Quilt - Layout

I stopped for lunch with a little more than half the top sewn together.

After lunch, I finished sewing The Ribbon center together. This week Wednesday, Alycia will post the borders. I have a feeling that I will change up the borders just a little bit. :)

pattern: The Ribbon by Alycia

I also received this QOV. It's a simple 9 patch made with 5 inch cut squares with the center square the same fabric as the border and binding.

pattern: No Name - it's a 9 patch with 5 inch cut squares and 2.5 inch cut sash

                                 and borders.

panto: stippling - large

SoScrappy Saturday 8.2.2025

Today is the first Saturday of August of the color teal.

Time for my teal Happy Blocks.

pattern: Happy Blocks

Sharing today with SoScrappy Saturday.

Finish or NOT Friday 8.1.2025

I have a finish this week and it's QOV Signature Mike!

pattern:    signature squares finish at 7.5 inches, stars finish at 7.5 inches, and

                novelties finish at 7.5 inches

panto: serpentine

Sharing today with Alycia at Finish or NOT Friday.

WIP Wednesday 7.30.2025

QOV Signature Quilt Mike is a flimsy!

Overall, I like it but when I make it again...I would change a few things around. :) I'm a great Monday morning quarterback! :)

pattern: Signature blocks are 8 inches unfinished, 

                patriotic prints are 8 inches cut and the stars are also 8 inches unfinished.

                The border is 4 inches cut.

Sharing today with the Inquiring Quilter's Wait Loss Wednesday.

Design Wall Monday 7.28.2025

I pulled out my QOV Signature blocks to make a quick quilt. 

Only I discovered that:

1. the blocks didn't even remotely match (I have more with a different red and beige in the center) and 

2. my supply of patriotic fabric might be large but very few of the prints are over 1 yard in length.

Looks like QOV Signature Quilt Mike is going to be a mish-mash of prints. So I pulled and cut prints and here are a few of my options.

Option 1:

Option 2:

Option 3:

Option 4:

I 'know' that there is not a lot different in each one but I decided I liked the pieced stars as an 'unexpected' element in the design. I started sewing it together.

I'm going to border with the gray and bind with the blue.

Sharing today with Judy at Design Wall Monday.

QOV Sunday 7.27.2025

Alycia is hosting a QOV Sew-Along called The Ribbon. She released Step 2 last Wednesday and it is to make the hourglass (or quarter square triangle) blocks.

The Ribbon: Step 2 

Alycia's instructions are to mark the center diagonally then sew a scant 1/4 on either side of the line of opposite colors. This makes one set of hast's. You then place two hst's together so the colors are opposite, mark, sew scant 1/4 inch. I'm not a fan of this method as my 1/4 seam always is off and so is the resulting block.  

😢

So I went searching the World Wide Web for the method to make hourglass blocks with 4 patches. Thanks to Preeti and a 10 year old post, she describes her method here. Preeti even includes a chart for multiple sizes! One down side of this method is that all the edges of the blocks are BIAS. 

Enough said...pick your poison, quilt friends. 👻

I've made 23 out of 31 hourglass blocks that are needed for The Ribbon Quilt. To the left are Alycia's instructions, the middle are my blocks and to the right are my trimmings. I did need to pull out my large Strip Tube Ruler from Cozy Quilts to trim my blocks to 8 inches unfinished.

SoScrappy Saturday 7.26.2025

Today is the fourth Saturday of July of the color purple!

I did get a little discombobulated this month will all the happenings around Bell Creek Quilts. Everything seems mixed up and topsy-turvy.

Today I am sharing the rest of my purple sewing for the month. My first share is the 2025 Stash Buster Challenge block.

I now have eight blocks. To make a bigger quilt, I will need more blocks (thank you, Einstein!) or possible separate the blocks into two groups to make two baby quilts. I'm not sure what I will do but I am leaning towards two baby quilts.

pattern: 2025 Stash Buster Challenge block in 16.5 inch unfinished size

My second share is for the Table Scraps challenge. July's prompt was English Country Garden/ full bloom.

I was on Mackinac Island on July 1st and did find one lilac that still has a few blooms! I didn't take of picture of that bush but here is one from the Island archives. That's the Grand Hotel in the fuzzy background!

I had this big bag I made many years ago and never used.

So...I cut it up and made two placemats for Meals on Wheels this month. Looking back...if I would have cut in the other direction, I think I might have gotten four place mats. In any event, I saved the extras and maybe I'll make a zippered pouch. :)

Sharing today with SoScrappy Saturday and

Joy at July's 2025 Table Scraps.

Finish or NOT Friday 7.25.2025

I have a finish!

The Buckeye Beauty is quilted and bound. It just needs labeling but first it will be a 'show and tell' for how I make the hst's. I do need to make a few visual aids before next Wednesday's meeting.

Spoiler Alert: I use the tube method.

pattern inspiration: found on Pinterest - dead link and 

                                    ALYCIA!

panto: serpentine

Sharing today with Alycia at Finish or NOT Friday (different link :)).

WIP Wednesday 7.23.2025

 One more border and my Buckeye Beauty is ready for quilting.

pattern inspiration: found on Pinterest - dead link and 

                                    ALYCIA!

pattern: found on Pinterest - dead link

I want to start a new leader/ender project so I wanted to clear out the red/blue 4 patches from the storage bag.

An hour later and 288 red/blue 4 patches! No idea what quilt (or quilts!) all this will turn into to!

I stuffed them into the plastic container...I think I'm going to need a 'bigger boat' :) The top barely closed...

Sharing today with The Inquiring Quilter's Weight Loss Wednesday.

Design Wall Monday 7.21.2025

We had another funeral on Saturday. My nephew's wife's Grandma passed away. She was 84 years old. Chaz is my favorite nephew so I 'knew' I wanted to attend to support him. It's 'what families do'.

As I settled in the sewing room, I was working on my buckeye beauties. I realized that I wanted another row. 

I dug into my trusty bin of blue/white 4 patches and had just enough red/white hst's to make 4 more blocks. But, wait! Something is NOT right at Bell Creek Quilts! Oh, my!

I sewed the extra row to the top and NOT the bottom. Out came the seam ripper and a short spell later, things were looking better. One more border and it will be ready for quilting.

pattern inspiration: found on Pinterest - dead link and 

                                    ALYCIA!

Sharing today with Judy at Design Wall Monday.