I May Have A Scrap Problem... My Small World and Squirrel!

Hi, all!

The leaves are falling, the temperatures are cooling down, the sweaters are finally out of storage - it's the best time of the year!  More time for quilting, too, and that means (maybe) working through some of those scraps that accumulate so fast.  And I've been working on it this week, for sure!  

I have finished this month's blocks for the My Small World quilt-along - five square-in-a-square blocks, three churn dash blocks, five orange peel blocks, and five bordered square blocks.  And since I'm working on three of these at the same time, one for each grandchild, I'm very pleased to show you all 54 finished blocks!

 Here are Lilli's, with a definite blue vibe....

Emmy's, as usual, are her favorite color - rainbow!

And here are Nathanael's - I may end up calling his The Emerald City!  But the boy does love green!

And after I finished, while I was cleaning up and putting the leftovers back in their place, I found a small pile of 1" squares. Now, I don't usually save 1" squares (yes, there is a size of scrap I will throw away!) but I've been seeing two things on Instagram repeatedly lately - tiny pincushions and talk about using interfacing as a foundation for very small grid layouts.  So I dropped everything (SQUIRREL!) and made this cute little teeny tiny pinny....

Isn't it adorable?  I purposely took the picture on my cutting mat so you could see the size - less than 2" square!  I can see how these little pincushions could be addictive - it took about half an hour to make and it's just so. darn. cute!  It will be handy to keep on the bed of my sewing machine to hold the pins for matching seams when piecing a quilt top, so that they don't get swept off on the floor.

If you're curious about the technique, you can find a quickie tutorial for it on this post.  That post contains a couple of techniques, and the fusible interfacing tutorial is the second one.

So - - - what are you doing with your scraps this week?  Anything interesting?

Hugs!

Sarah

I May Have A Scrap Problem... Time For More Inspiration!

Hi, all!

It has been a busy week, trying to get ahead on some commission work, so I haven't had much time to play with scraps.  I did turn this stack of fabric...

...into a project bag full of the cut pieces to make one of Sam Hunter's Birch Bark quilts...

...or actually three of them, which I hope to combine into a king size quilt!  I used a bunch of yard-or-less pieces from my stash, so I'm counting it as "kinda scrappy" sewing!

Andd here's some beautiful inspiration I'm seeing while out and about in the Internet to keep you satisfied until next week...

Looking at the pictures I selected, I've decided that simplicity is the word for the day!  

Isn't this gorgeous?  And so simple.  I believe I read later that she is using English paper piecing to make these, but it would also be simple to just make 4-patches!  The trick is placing them on point...

When was the last time you saw an apple core quilt?  This is a fun pattern to use if you are brave enough to try out the curves.

Upcycled shirts and a few short end pieces of black solid yielded this beautiful quilt.  Where did I put all those shirt squares???

And see this cute pumpkin wallhanging?  It's not necessarily scrappy, but the adorable pincushion is...

...made with the off-cut triangles from the border!  Isn't that awesome - she used up her scraps before she even quilted the original project!

And this really has me in awe - a Scrappy Trips using almost all low volume prints but with a delicious color change in the center rows!  The creativity it took to envision this is amazing!!

Don't have many scraps?  That doesn't mean you can't make something wonderful!  The simplicity of this pillow is hidden by the wow factor of the design - and that red binding? Yowza!

And sometimes you just need to piece - simple, straight piecing - but look at the power of these simple pieces!  I can't wait to see what she makes with them...

Now go forth and be scrappy!

Hugs!

Sarah

Can I Get A Whoop Whoop? One More For The Road...

Hi, all!

Here we are at the end of another week, Friday has dawned, and you know what that means - it's time for us to get our whoop whoop on!  I hope you've had a great week and are ready to share -I know I am!   Let's get started...

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Last week I shared a finished t-shirt quilt with you, and this week I have one more to share (but I promise it's the last one for this year!)

I really love the pale pink and apple green that the customer chose for the background and sashing on this quilt!  It's not colors I would have chosen, but they really work with these shirts.

The back is fun, too - this oversized shirt wouldn't fit on the front, but it was a great focus piece and makes the back really special!

Here's a close-up shot of the front - just because it's pretty!

And I made some serious progress on Nathanael's annual quilt...

This tops is almost complete - I just need to put a border of white with triangles to finish off the stars and it will be done!

And I had another fun project this week - I made a giant pincushion!  I'll share the reason for this next week, but for now, isn't it cool?

So - - - can I get a whoop whoop?

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And now it's your turn!

What's got you whooping it up this week?

What's making you do a little happy dance?

Share!  We want to dance right along with you,

And it's always more fun to dance with friends!

The party will stay open until Sunday midnight.

Hope to see you there!

Hugs!

Sarah

I May Have a Scrap Problem.. A Tutorial and a Winner!

Hi, all!

It occurred to me last Thursday that I had forgotten to choose a winner for the Summer Wedding pattern!  What was I thinking - well, ok, I wasn't thinking, but that's still no excuse.  So now, better late than never, here's the winner...

I'll be contacting you via email today to get your mailing address!

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You may have seen these on my blog last week - a quick and easy scrap project - so I thought I'd share a tutorial so you can make some too!  Grab four 2.5" squares out of your scrap stash and let's get started...

Sew them together in a four-patch block using a fairly short stitch...

...then fold that block in half and stitch up the ends.

Now fold the block to match up the ends of the two seams you just made.  Stick a pin in it!

Now stitch from one seam allowance to the other.  Don't stitch over the seam allowance at the pin!

Next, turn the piece so that you can get to the remaining unsewn edges.  Pull all the other pieces out the way so you don't sew them into the seam.  

Stitch a short way in from either end, leaving a gap for turning and filling.  Trim the corners where you can to make them turn easier.  Be careful not to trim too closely, though!

Turn the piece inside out.  You may find that a chopstick helps you get nicely turned corners.

Now it's time to fill your pincushion!  I like to use crushed walnut shells in my pincushions - it gives them some weight, and helps keep the pins sharp.  You can buy it at your local pet shop by asking for lizard litter!

Once your pincushion is full (just keep forcing it in there, it will take a lot more than you think it will!) ladderstitch the opening closed.  You can stitch a button to the pincushion, running a long needle all the way through the cushion to give it a tufted look, or you can just use several strands of embroidery floss.  Run them through from top to bottom of the cushion and back, then tie them tightly.  I like to use Fray Check on the knot so it doesn't come undone, then trim the threads to about 1/4".

And voila, you have a pincushion!  This is a great size to put on the bed of your sewing machine to corral all those pins.  And you can make lots of them really quickly - great gifts for all your quilt-y friends!

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And I am reminded that this is the first post for October, which means I should share my September achievements...

Lilli's ginormous annual quilt, called "Something Blue" is pieced and ready for quilting!  This was a huge undertaking, but I think it will be a quilt that she can use for the rest of her life.  

And in October, I'll be working on Nathanael's annual quilt, which I have all cut out and ready to take on a quilt retreat next week.  I'll also be working on Emmy's annual quilt, which will use up some tail ends of yardage from my stash.  I'll keep you posted progress as the month goes along!

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So what are you working on?  What have you done to tame your scrap monster?  We haven't had a link party in a while, so let's do one now.  Share some of your posts showing your scrappy sewing - it doesn't matter how old they are, let's get caught up!

Hugs!

Sarah

Make-A-List Monday - Taking Time To Breathe!

Hi, all!

Well, after a super busy week two weeks ago, God decided to help me take a little break - a sore back can really slow you down!  But I did get a bunch of stuff done anyway (although not everything I wanted to) so let's see how last week's list went!

1.  Assemble the furniture for the guest room and get it all set up.

Done!  Unfortunately, this was the project that took out my back and made me slow down... But doesn't it look awesome?  I've added a mattress to the top bunk now, and all that remains is to get the other side of the room straightened back up...  😂

2.  Meet with a new t-shirt quilt customer.

Done!  The fabrics are on order for this quilt, so I'll be starting on it next.

3.  Create a design and make the tie table runner.

Done!  I'm so happy with this - and I want to make another with regular fabrics!

4.  Deconstruct the t-shirts for the next commission quilt.

5.  Make the blocks for that quilt.

I didn't get to this one, mainly because the customer wanted to bring me another shirt and I've been waiting for her to deliver it.  So I did something else in the meantime, which I'll show you below!

6.  Spend some time with the grands before they go to the beach next week (without us!)

Done!  We had fun before they left, and they promised to bring us back shells from the beach.  And while they're gone, we get to take care of Mr. Purple...

...and act as chauffeur to our grandpuppy Sassy from her weekend dog sitter to her weekday dog sitter!

7.  Keep up with any quilt ministry needs that come up.

Done!  This quilt went to a gentleman who had a heart attack and surgery...

..and this one went to a man with prostate cancer.

This quilt went to a woman just diagnosed with breast cancer.

And here's the other project I worked on this week - a simple, quick and fun make!

And here's a heads-up - I'll be posting a tutorial for these cute little pincushions on the blog this Wednesday!  They are so quick and easy, you'll want to make a bunch...

And I pulled all the fabrics for Emmy's annual quilt!  This one's going to take a while to cut out - it has a LOT of pieces!

So all in all, a good week, even though I didn't get to some of my list.  And now that my back is getting back to normal, I shouldn't have any excuses for this week's list...

1.  Write the tutorial for Wednesday's post (and pick a winner for the giveaway from 2 weeks ago!)

2.  Deconstruct one set of t-shirts and make blocks.

3.  Pull the house back together from the last round of home renovations.  Lots of stuff to go to the attic!

4.  Cut out Emmy's annual quilt.

5.  Figure out what to take to a quilt retreat next week (and how to get it there!)

6.  Clean up the studio a bit - it's a mess!

7.  Keep up with any quilt ministry needs that come up.

Definitely enough to keep me busy and out of trouble!  And I'm sure there's more I need to do, but I can't think of it right now.  Oh well, it's all good!

So now, the question is - - - what are YOU working on this week?

Hugs!

Sarah

Can I Get A Whoop Whoop? Some Fun Things, and A PSA!

Hi, all!

Can you believe it's Friday already??? Time sure does fly when you're having fun - and we've been having lots of fun around here!  Friday means it's time for us to get our whoop whoop on, so let's get started! (Stay tuned at the end for a PSA...)

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As I said, there's been lots and lots going on around here!  First off, I finished the last of the six memory quilts that I was commissioned to make....

Here you can see five of them - the last bunch to be delivered.  Sadly, I couldn't get a good photo of the finished t-shirt quilt - it has been raining here for the last four days, and when it isn't raining, it's way too wet outside to hang the quilt on the clothesline (it's pretty long) to get a good pic!  So it went to its new home without a good finished picture...

And then I did some not-quilting...

...and spent one day re-organizing closets, then the next one putting together the bunk bed and the platform bed that now reside in my guest room. (And the third day limping around with a sore back!)  With this addition, we have more than enough room for all three grandkids to have a sleepover!  My daughter has a twin mattress that will go on the top bunk, and of course I'll need to make a twin size quilt for it too!  The grands are excited...

Then we went back to our regular scheduled programming...

...and I made a mess of cute little pincushions for a special event!  These are so much fun to make, and I'll be sharing a tutorial for them on Wednesday.  Be sure to stop by if you want to make some of your own!

And then today I started on a new "memory" project...

...this will become a memory table runner, made from men's ties.  The colors are so much prettier than show up here - I'm hoping I can get a daylight shot once it's finished.  The quilting will add lots of texture, too - but that's a job for tomorrow!

So - - - can I get a whoop whoop??

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And now it's your turn! 

What's got you whooping it up this week?

A little singing in the rain, in honor of TN fall weather!

What's making you do a little happy dance?

Share!  We want to dance right along with you,

And it's always more fun to dance with friends!

The party will stay open until Sunday midnight.

Hope to see you there!

Hugs!

Sarah

Public Service Announcement:  Bloggers, have you noticed your inbox being a little empty lately?  I actually thought my post on Wednesday hadn't posted on time when I realized I hadn't received any comments in my inbox. When I went to check, I found six comments sitting right there at the bottom of the post - but none in my inbox!  When I checked my settings, my authorization to notify me of comments had mysteriously disappeared.  So you might need to reset yours also if you have comments on your posts that you didn't hear about...  Just sayin'...