Have Scraps, Will Travel

While I am traveling on a road trip to Yellowstone National Park with my hubby and son, I have once again set up the Backseat Sewing Studio which really is a nice way to travel.  I decided my Create On the Go project for this trip will be sewing fabric scrap pieces onto scrap batting cut to 5" or 6" squares which is a great way to use up both of these never-ending stashes. I plan on using these squares for either mug rugs or pincushions.  I thought I would share a scrappy story and the blocks made along the road.

I guess my Hubby does not read my blog because he would know that a Ninja with a rotary cutter, I am not.  As we started on our travels to Yellowstone, I was in the backseat behind my hubby while my son occupied the front seat next to him.  After a couple of hours into the road trip,  I started working on my hand-piecing project.  I brought my brayer/roller so I can press the seams as I sewed along which made a squeaking sound. I could somewhat hear a conversation between the two guys; hubby asking my son a question, he responding: "What's that?" and then talking about a pizza cutter and then my son slowly turning around to look at what I was doing and then telling my hubby "No".  Hubby thought I was using a rotary cutter while he was driving.  I am pretty careful when it comes to using my rotary cutter--two feet on the floor, eyes focused, mindful of where the rotary cutter is going and something I would only do in the comfort of my studio/home and not in a moving vehicle.  I will admit though, I did entertain a thought of bringing my Sizzix Fabi Die-cutter to cut a gazillion 1" HST while in the backseat but I didn't want to make a mess in my backseat studio. 

I sewed these scrappy blocks on the way to Yellowstone  The one in the top photo I'm thinking would make a nice mug trough and the ones in the middle will be for pincushions or mug rugs. (BTW, the block on the very bottom was a test block made before we left and it was trimmed.)  The bottom ones are my favorite so far and I love the improvisational look. I'm sewing the scraps the Crazy Mom's Scrap Vortex method and involves finding and sewing scraps which are the same size or shape. It's really a nice, relaxing project for the road, albeit the squeaky brayer. I'll trim these squares once I'm home where the rotary cutter will be waiting for me.

I brought my Happy Trail Rails Quilt, which was finished last week,  along on our road trip (you can read about it here).  Diann of Little Penguin Quilts suggested I take some photos of the quilt in Yellowstone.  I am not too adventurous and still camera shy when it comes to photographing my quilts outside my house but I think these two photos turned out quite nice.

These photos are better....I'm just having a little fun here--no animals nor  I were harmed; the photos are courtesy of picMonkey photo editing and my quilt being photographed at the right position.  How do you like my watermark on these photos?  Just like not using a rotary cutter in the car, I would never think of using wildlife for a photo prop for one of my quilts; it's not right nor allowed plus I can't run fast anymore.  It sure was funny when hubby asked me how I did I that; I think for one brief second he thought maybe the quilt was actually on these beautiful creatures.

Well, it should be no surprise that I already purchased 7.5 yards of fabric before we arrived at Yellowstone.  I like to visit Wal-Mart whenever we're on vacation to see if I can score any deals in their fabric department and I did find some backing and some basics.  I'll tally my new total for my Minus One Hundred Yard Challenge on my next post since there may be a chance I may actually visit a quilt shop on the return trip home.  Maybe I should add a rule that fabric purchased while on vacation does not count, especially if money was saved.  At Yellowstone, we finally purchased our National Park Lifetime Senior Passes for $10 each, just two days before the rate was going up to $80 each, so that's a $140 saving which does buy a lot of fabric.

Linking up with:

KokaQuilts: Sew Stitch Snap Share

My Quilt Infatuation: Needle and Thread Thursday

Crazy Mom Quilts: Finish It Up Friday

Confessions of a Fabric Addict:  Can I Get A Whoop Whoop?
Busy Hands Quilts:  Finish Or Not Friday
Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework: Oh Scrap

It's Been A Scrappening Kind Of Week

The Scrap Happy Rail Quilt is a finally finish and was only a "flimsy" for less than a week.  Last week, I posted about the making of this top, you can read the post here and normally, once I finish a top, it usually lays around the studio for at least several months or seasons before it is quilted.  I must be having some good quilting mojo since this is the third quilt I've quilted in the last four weeks.

I couldn't decided if I wanted to quilt it with straight lines or wavy organic lines so I did a combination of the two and I think it turned out pretty well.  I wanted to make sure my post included some close-up shots since my last post had only one photo.  Thanks for the gentle nudge, Preeti!

I backed this quilt with my last piece of Ikea fabric which is no longer available, of course.  I'm so glad I bought this several years ago when they had this fabric and other fabrics like Nummer which was so perfect for backings.  The last time I backed a quilt with this fabric was for another scrappy quilt--this print just picks up all the colors of the quilt top and I wish Ikea would bring this print and the Nummer print back.

As if I haven't worked with scraps enough this year, I have now completed a trifecta of Crazy Mom quilts.  (I previously posted my June Quilt, you can read the post here ).  While searching for some scraps for a road trip project, I came across two pieces of my Scrap Vortex quilt which I started around  two years ago.   In order to finish this top, all I had to do was sew two scrap slabs, one measuring 13"x 47" and the other 10" x 57" and since the scraps for this project were still together I decided to finish this top once again even though I was supposed to be cleaning my studio and getting ready for a road  trip.  This is the sixth quilt I've made with scraps this year.

When I originally finished the top the first time, I was so excited that I was going to straight line quilt it with my then brand new Juki 2010Q.  As mentioned in previous posts, the Juki Walking Foot does not like to do straight line quilting.  After quilting around a third of the quilt and seeing how the quilt was getting distorted, rather than removing the stitches, I chose to cut off the part of the quilt that was quilted and made one very long mat for exercising.  Now that I can straight-line quilt on the Juki, I looking forward to quilting the second Scrap Vortex top and I'm really hoping I won't be making a matching floor mat again.

I did get a chance to make some other things from my fabric stash. I've made some blocks for another Christmas quilt, one of the blocks, the Tree Farm Block designed by Janda Bend Quilts is from the A Very Merry Christmas Quilt Along, you can read the post here.  Teething time has arrived for my Granddaughter, Micah Rose, so some leashes with teething rings needed to be made.  I wasn't looking forward to adding the snaps since I wasn't very good with eyelets but I have to say these KAM Snaps purchased from Amazon went on like a "snap"--no problem at all, there is a very good YouTube you can watch.

As I am posting this today, I am traveling to Yellowstone with my husband and son and have taken the Scrap Happy Rail Quilt, which has now been renamed the Happy Trails Rail Quilt.  My road project will be doing some hand sewing with scraps.  I just can't seem to be able to get away from scraps.

Hopefully during this trip, I will not be tempted to buy fabric because I had a little tumble this week.

Previous YTD Total:   -62.25 yards
Current YTD Total:    -59.25 yards

Linking up with:
My Quilt Infatuation: Needle and Thread Thursday
Confessions of a Fabric Addict:  Can I Get A Whoop Whoop?
Busy Hands Quilts:  Finish Or Not Friday
Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework: Oh Scrap
MMM Quilts: dreami Linky #7

Scrap Happy Rails Top

This is the second top I've made from Crazy Mom's "No Scrap Left Behind"book (I previously posted about it here)  and the fifth modern quilt I made with scraps this year.  With the exception of the June quilt which was made with feedsack scraps, the scraps for this quilt were from all of the Cotton + Steel quilts I ever made since the fabric line came out as well as the other modern fabrics which I don't use or have as much.  This is a happy quilt because my modern scrap stash is pretty low now which means I need to make quilts with new modern fabrics so I can replenish my stash.  As much as I like the "cleansing" feel when making a quilt with scraps, I need to re-stimulate myself with the new fabrics which have been sitting too long on my shelf.  Tula Pink, here I come, oh wait, there's new Cotton + Steel fabrics.  I'm hoping to start quilting the Scrap Happy Rails top today since the backing has been sewn.  Maybe I should dangle a fresh fat quarter of new fabric in front of me to really help me press the metal to the pedal?

Quilt Size:  60" X 84"
Block Size:  12" Finished, thirty-five blocks total
Block Construction:  Three rectangles, 4.5" x 12-1/2" Cut, middle rail plain (Cotton + Steel Macrame) with two scrappy rails on the outside 

Previous YTD Total:   -49.75 yards

Current YTD Total:    -62.25 yards

Linking up with:
My Quilt Infatuation: Needle and Thread Thursday
Confessions of a Fabric Addict:  Can I Get A Whoop Whoop?
Busy Hands Quilts:  Finish Or Not Friday
Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework: Oh Scrap

Smitten Blocks: Sew Ready Now For A Quilt

Slowly but surely, the Smitten Blocks are starting to look like a quilt.  It's been well over a month since I finished sewing all of the blocks with the exception of the side triangles which I needed to make  the paper templates myself since they were not included with the paper piecing kit I purchased. For the price I paid for this kit, it would have been nice if these twelve triangles came with it but I understand why since these triangles at the base measures over 10".  

Well, I was not looking forward to making these twelve triangles and I took my sweet time to finally realized they could easily be rotary cut--I just measured the width of the base and the height of the triangle, cut the rectangles, determine the center and cut along the 60 degree lines on my ruler (I should mention that I now finally understand how the degree lines) and voila' they were done.  I only messed up once and I still have all of my fingers.  Once the side triangles were basted, I was finally ready to lay out all of the blocks.

I had an extra block and decided that this one would be the one to be left out of the quilt.  I chose this one because I thought it would stick out because of all of the light diamonds on the outside and thought I could make a pillow with it.  I realized that the two girls in the center hexagon reminded me of my friend Carol and I--Carol is the reason why I am making the Smitten quilt.I thought I could give it to her but I decided I would just send her the paper pieces and fabrics so she can make it herself after she finishes her Smitten blocks.  I really do like this block.

I see plenty of late night sewing while finishing binge watching  Blue Bloods. I'm only on season two and still have five seasons left, so hopefully the top could be sewn together by the time I finish watching all of the episodes.  I'm keeping my fingers crosses even though I know my fingers are going to be sore.

Linking up with KokaQuilts: Sew Stitch Snap Share

Backings, Blocks and A Baby Blanket

Another "B" week for me, lots of sewing but no finished quilts or tops yet.

• I sewed backings for five quilts which I've sent to my Long-Arm Quilter, Jan.  It's that time of year that  have to decide which quilts I want to do myself and these are the ones that need more than straight line quilting.  Four of these quilts were made before I started blogging so once they're done I'll have something new to post.

• My seventy-two rail blocks have been sewn and trimmed and ready to sew with the Cotton+Steel gray fabric which I've been saving for the right project.  This quilt will be the second quilt I've made from Crazy Mom's "No Scrap Left Behind" book and it made quite a big dent with my modern scraps.

• Sixteen framed square blocks measuring 18" and made with blue and green Cotton + Steel and Thimbleberries fabrics (talk about modern traditional) and ready to be quartered to make another Stacked Square quilt.  I got the idea to combine the two fabric lines when I received the New Attitudes book by Lynette Jensen who made quilts using her patterns, one with Thimbleberries fabrics and the other one with Cotton + Steel fabrics.  I thought combining the two fabric lines in one quilt would be fun, after all I have just as much Thimbleberries fabrics as I do Cotton + Steel, which is now the fabric I have to buy everytime a new line comes out.

• My Granddaughter, Micah Rose, has a pink "storebought" fluffy fleece blanket which she is very fond of and I being the thoughtful Grandmother decided to make her a pink fleece blanket with some cute yardage that's been sitting in my stash--it's good for Micah to have a back-up "Grandma-made" blanket when her pink blankie needs to be washed or heaven forbids it somehow gets "lost" when I happened to be visiting.

My Minus 100 Yard Challenge is improving with all the backings I made this week plus it really helps that it's been over a week since I purchased any new fabric. It's going to be a busy next four months seeing that I still have over fifty yards to use, that is, if I don't buy any new fabrics.  Losing weight and using fabric is a never-ending battle for me.

Previous YTD Total:   -38.125 yards

Current YTD Total:    -49.75 yards

Linking up with:

My Quilt Infatuation: Needle and Thread Thursday

Confessions of a Fabric Addict:  Can I Get A Whoop Whoop?

Busy Hands Quilts:  Finish Or Not Friday

Pets on Quilts 2017

Today is the first day of the Pets on Quilts 2017 Linky Party and I would be remiss if I did not enter Sophie's photo, a.k.a., the World's Worst Dog, you can read about Sophie and her quilt here.  This photo was taken right after her grooming appointment last week and I was totally unaware of this linky party until I read about it today on Lily Pad Quilting's blog: The Best Show Ever! Pets on Quilts 2017!

There are wonderful sponsors and prizes for this Linky Party, so be sure to enter.  It's a great way to see the pets of quilters, I wonder if any of them have their own quilt like Sophie. 

Linking up with:  Lily Pad Quilting

It's the Ernie Interruptus Quilt's Turn To Be Finally Finished

I made and finished this quilt while I was waiting for the birth of my first granddaughter, Micah in March, and previously posted about the inspiration, stats and the thinking behind the making of this quilt, you can read the post here.  It only took me four months to finally quilt it and I was probably working off the adrenalin from quilting the Dear Tula Pink quilt last week.

I backed this Ernie Quilt with some of the few remaining yardage I have of the Ikea Nummer fabric which I dearly love and only use it for my modern quilts which are Nummer worthy.  If I could be granted one quilting wish, it would be for Ikea to bring back this fabric because it is so perfect for backings.  As you can see, I did straight line quilting along each strip row with intermittent diagonal quilting. The quilt feels so nice and soft.

This is the fourth quilt in the Ernie Quilt series I made which was inspired by Mr. Quilt Muse himself, Ernie Jo Mauer, the American Farm Tiger owned by Mary Etherington, Country Threads, who also made the first Ernie quilt, you can read the post here.  The Ernie Quilts are strip blocks made with 2.5" strips which can be made any size depending on the fabric or jelly roll you may have.  This is one of my favorite patterns since I can use my die-cutter to make the strips and also a great way to use up stash and scraps.

These are the other three "Ernie" quilts I've made and you can see this pattern is so versatile and can be made with modern, traditional, reproduction, etc. fabrics.   I have other "Ernie" quilts lined up to make which I can't wait to make--I have some new Cotton+Steel prints in my stash--whoo-hoo!

I'll wait until the next post to give an update to my Minus 100 yards Challenge. I thought I finally stopped shopping but then Crazy Mom's new fabric line "Emma & Myrtle" came out and I had to buy the four yards I just had to have now which should be arriving soon.  Hopefully I can get some quilt tops done to reduce the stash down before then.

Linking up with:

My Quilt Infatuation: Needle and Thread Thursday

Confessions of a Fabric Addict:  Can I Get A Whoop Whoop?
Busy Hands Quilts:  Finish Or Not Friday
Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework: Oh Scrap
Main Crush Monday