Finish or NOT Friday 9.2.2022

 Whoop! Whoop! I have a few finishes today!

First up: my Alternate Square ISPY. I couldn't find a fabric that I liked with this green so, I made a simple quilt of alternating squares. Simple yet it allows the novelties to shine.

pattern credit: alternating squares

panto: large scribbles

Second one: My take on the Warm Wishes pattern. I do modify the pattern by cutting all strips at 2.5 inches, strip piecing and then I subcut at 6.5 inches to speed things along. 

pattern inspiration: Warm Wishes

panto: serpentine

I was making these ISPY quilts to go into the Red Cross Pantry from my guild for children in crisis. After I pieced the Warm Wishes, I saw a FB post that the guild needed 30 baby/infant quilts for an event on October 1, 2022. So I divided up the next ISPY into two. I already had all the four patches made - with a few leftover - and ta-da! These quilts finish at about 42 inches square. Last night on FB, the post said no bigger than 40 inches square! Back to the drawing board. I'm sure, these quilts will go into the Child in Crisis pantry but yet, doesn't add to the count for the October 1 event. I hardly made a dent into my novelty square bin!!

Third and fourth ISPY with four patches.

pattern: simple 4 patches cut at 3.5 inches, strip pieced and subcut at 3.5 inches 

                then sewn into four patches

panto: serpentine

Linking up with Alycia at Finish or NOT Friday

WIP Wednesday 8.31.2022

I'm continuing making the ISPY quilts from my novelty bin.

Here is the green alternate square top all together and ready for quilting.

 pattern credit: alternate squares?? It really deserves a better name!

The next one is my take on the Warm Wishes pattern. It's together and awaiting quilting.

pattern inspiration: Warm Wishes, found here

My variation is that I cut all the strips at 2.5 inches. Sew the three strips together and sub-cut into 6.5 inch squares. After I sewed this one together, I saw a FB post requesting 30 baby/infant quilts for an event on October 1. I did ask the size and the leader is making quilts at about 32 x 32 for this event. These two are closer to 55 x 72 so going forward, I am going to make the ISPY quilts smaller. 

The question is: will smaller be quicker?

Linking up with Susan at MidWeek Makers

Design Wall Monday 8.29.2022

I pulled greens for my next few comfort quilts. I am using my novelty stash to make ISPY quilt. I am having trouble finding a fabric to contrast with the green/white polka dot fabric.

I decided to use the polka dots by themselves! well, since they weren't playing nice with my other fabric. In all the years I've been making ISPY quilts, I never did a plain alternate square...until now!

pattern credit: ??? alternating squares...does it have a name???

Linking up with Judy at Design Wall Monday

SoScrappy Saturday 8.27.2022

Today is the fourth Saturday of August of the color orange. Time for my 'Missing U' block.

 pattern credit: Cheryl Arkinson from 'Sunday Morning Quilts'

I do believe September's color will be bright and light green...this is the only color we haven't had a prompt for this season. Well, except for the neutrals of black, beige, gray and tan. LOL

EDIT: September's color is light blue. Maybe light and bright green will be October's color. Time will tell.

Linking up with SoScrappy Saturday.

Finish or NOT Friday 8.26.2022

Floating Churn Dashes is my finish this week. I used a variety of 4.5 inch patriotic squares in the middle and I really like the look. I think it adds a little pizzazz!

pattern credit: 2022 QOV Floating Churn Dash

panto: square spiral

My 'NOT' for this week is my Crumby Bear Paw. This one took a little longer to quilt down but I'm liking the quilting in the 'ghost' blocks...where I would normally place a pieced block but I inserted a blank square instead. The binding is the next step for this one.

pattern credit: Bear Paw inspired by Cathy at Sane, Crazy and Crumby Quilting

panto: plumage

Linking up with Alycia at Finish or Not Friday

Happy National Dog Day! My grandpup: Angelo when she visited earlier in the season.

WIP Wednesday 8.24.2022

In the end, I decided while the floating churn dashes were on the design wall to go ahead and sew them into a flimsy. Here they are all pre-sashed and ready to sew together. I sashed with my go-to medium blue, which I always seem to have in the stash.

I went with a darker blue/white star outer border simply because I thought I had enough for the outer border, cornerstones and binding. Emphasis on thought! I was a little short and the second piece had just a little color variation to it. I moved a few of the churn dashes around and wished I would have moved a few others but overall, I like it. Plus, I'm using the stash!

pattern credit: QOV 2022 Floating Churn Dash

Linking up with Susan at MidWeek Makers

Design Wall Monday 8.22.2022

 I think this week will be a mixed bag of sewing projects and there will be more starts than finishes.

Last week I cut the parts for the QOV 2022 Block Drive block...floating Churn Dash. I was planning on using the blocks to decorate the booth but then my booth-mate brought a stunning panel quilt so the floating Churn Dash blocks were put away. I opted to use a few of my RWB novelties in the center since they were already cut at 4.5 inches.

Here they are on the design wall. Now the question is...do I sew them into a top or just the blocks in a pile as the UFO?

pattern credit: QOV Floating Churn Dash 2022

I also cut down the Signature blocks that I made wrong to 7.5 inch square. I'm pretty sure that I have enough signature squares for two quilts in Lynn's pattern she has requested. I also nabbed two blank blocks. I was thinking about writing something  like 'Warm wishes from attendees' (line 1) 'American Quilters Society' (line 2) 'QuiltWeek Grand Rapids 2022'(line 3). I mailed ordered more patriotic fabric so these two quilts will wait until it arrives. I'm estimating that each quilt will take 3 yards of fabric and I didn't have the appropriate fabric on inventory.

Linking up with Judy at Design Wall Monday

It's a Wrap 8.21.2022

Saturday was the final day of the AQS QuiltWeek Grand Rapids 2022.  It was a fun vacation for me volunteering for the QOV Booth at a National Show so close to home!

Our Michigan QOV Coordinator, Lynn was able to locate 3 veterans who are both able and willing to accept a QOV. This was the first award ceremony that I have attended! It was very emotionally moving...

Here is Lynn on the right and the three veterans who received the awarded qulits.

I had put together a set of 60 signature blocks in a hurry and the result was that they are not the correct size. Doh! So since they all need trimming to square, they are coming home with me to square up and be put into quilts. I snagged a few more signature blocks and will make two quilts with the pattern Lynn has requested.

As a 'Thank You' for working the booth all week, Lynn gave me and my booth-partner some $ and told us to go buy something for future QOV's. I choose two panels and two charm packs. I like to make D9P and thought the charms would work for that pattern. I didn't even open the panels yet.

I must have stopped by the Villa Rosa Design about 5 times and each time I brought more. I kept going back to find every pattern Pat had that had ideas for panels. That's why I went back and brought more panels right before the show closed! Pat said I deserved the award for the most repeat customer!! LOL 

I was most excited to visit the Villa Rosa Design booth at the show.

I have a tradition to buy a shirt at shows I have attended. I didn't buy the purple AQS QuiltWeek Grand Rapids shirt before they sold out but I did buy a fun generic shirt. I'll be wearing it on my ride home today.

My last wrap up is that I finished the sewing back of the binding on the 4th and last! quilt I took with me! I present the Bonded Pair on the hotel room curtain.

pattern credit: rail fence from Alycia's The Patriot Mystery Clue 2

quilting: serpentine

Have a great Sunday!

SoScrappy Saturday 8.20.2022

Today is the third Saturday of August of the color Orange!!!

Time for Crumble Jumble blocks. Once again, I opted to only make a few.

pattern credit: Bonnie Hunter Crumble Jumble in String Frenzy book

Linking up with SoScrappy Saturday

Finish or NOT Friday 8.19.2022

I'm keeping to my schedule that I wanted to do here at the AQS Grand Rapids 2022. During the day, I work and shop at the show and then after supper, I come back to my room and have been working on sewing back bindings. This is hand work that I have not done in a very long time. It took me a little bit to get back into the rhythm. It also didn't help that I forgot yo bring enough thread to finish the quilts! But then, I had a whole show to look for appropriate thread. I've shown all quilts before but now all that is left to do is the label.

In no particular order, quilt 1:

Flags for Sue

pattern credit: Flags for Sue, a 2018 block drive from Alycia

setting credit: found here on Alycia's blog

panto credit: serpentine

Quilt 2: Steppers

pattern credit: Alycia's Steppers

panto credit: serpentine

Quilt 3: Mt. Rushmore Eagles

pattern credit:    *modified nine patch or

                               Quilting Assistant Mock Trip Around the World

                           *Creative Grids Strippy Star

panto credit: serpentine

I needed to improvise and hung the quilts on the curtain in my hotel room. I have one more day of the show, then tear down and one more quilt to bind! Soon my vacation will be over!

Linking up with Alycia at Finish or NOT Friday