On April 20 my post was called Chop Job. I showed how a red group of strips I had made did not measure correctly and so I chopped it up and pieced it together with some aqua strips. This was the result.

Recently I decided to do some improvisation and picked up that block and a piece of floral fabric. I started cutting them up and added some triangular pieced blocks as well.

As I began playing with the smaller blocks they became houses, so why not make a little neighborhood?

I was very happy with these little reclaimed wonky houses. I haven’t done anything with them since then and right now I’m at a standstill. Disaster struck! My sewing machine broke down and could not be fixed.

Actually it wasn’t an entirely disastrous situation, because this was a machine that my daughter had given to me a few years ago. It has served me very well but I was starting to look at new machines pictured online. I really need a larger harp than 6 inches for doing any size quilts with ease. Some more convenience features would be a help also. So next week I will be going to buy a new machine!

Meanwhile I did get a 10-inch orange block finished for this last week of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

I also added blocks for a batik quilt in rainbow strips which I’m working on each month.

Here is the first five colors that I’ve completed.

So at this point I’m hoping that next week will be the reveal of my new sewing machine. If I don’t have it at home at least I hope I will have found a model that is the right one at the right price. Wish me luck!

I’m linking up with Angela at http://superscrappy.blogspot.com/and Cynthia at http://quiltingismorefunthanhousework.blogspot.com/

As I mentioned in a previous post, our local quilt group had a charity quilt collection day on May 6th. They will have another in October. This time they collected a record 1400 items, from NICU quilts to full size, all from about 60-70 members. AMAZING!

I’m not a prolific quilter by any means. I don’t have a large family and all of us have my quilts already. So I make Project Linus quilts primarily, because they are a manageable size and don’t require a lot of fancy or intricate quilting. Designing the top and making that are my favorite parts of the quilting process. Some of mine are not actually three-part quilts, but have a fleece backing. Sadly the store where I used to buy my inexpensive fleece blankets, 50 x 60″, has gone out of business and I no longer have access to those.

So for our most recent charity collection I contributed three Project Linus quilts. You have already seen them either in progress or finished. This is just a summary of my contributions.

This 36 x 36″ quilt was originally made for Jack’s Basket, however with the cost of shipping these days I decided to give it to our local collection. For the top I used animal layer cake blocks cut in half, with a fun animal print backing. It will make some child in the hospital or in other type of need feel comforted.

This fleece-backed quilt was made to use up some charm packs of black and white prints, along with the colored squares. Row quilts are one of my favorite types to make especially with strips added, because I don’t have to match up seams. How easy can I make it is the question. The cars and trucks on the fleece backing are just the right colors.

This final top is one which was a UFO for a long time. I had made the houses for another quilt idea, and the boats, which I enjoyed making also. So I combined them with strips of grass and sky and ocean water in between. I call it Waterfront Property. This was a last minute finish, working untill midnight on Sunday evening to hand it in by Monday morning, so I didn’t get a chance to take a final picture with the red binding and the backing of stop signs, appropriate for the streets. I know children will get a kick out of seeing some of the animal inhabitants.

I have a feeling of satisfaction for having made my small contribution to Project Linus. The lesson for October is to start earlier. We’ll see how that turns out.

I’m linking up with Angela at http://superscrappy.blogspot.com/and Cynthia at http://quiltingismorefunthanhousework.blogspot.com/

This week I received a package from Missouri Star Quilts which was more beautiful than could ever be depicted in an online catalog photo. It was digitally printed, which gives amazing realism. They are the Artisan Spirit line by Northcott.

The first is a panel, which is about twice the size I had expected.

I also purchased two 1-yard cuts of beautiful nebulas in the sky.

I have no idea what I will use them for. At this point I can’t even dream of cutting into them. They don’t go with any of my home decor. So I will just gaze at them in rapt worship.

My first Rainbow Scrap Challenge block for May is an 8-inch orange improv block. It’s so much fun sorting through all my scraps to piece these blocks.

Spring weather has finally arrived here in Wisconsin and I couldn’t be happier. I plan to make the most of it. I’m hoping I will get some Mother’s Day gift of plants for my deck pots Because my apartment faces north the selection is limited, but my favorites are impatiens and coleus.

I wish a happy Mother’s Day to each of you and your families. I will be spending the day with my daughter and her family. My granddaughter will be graduating from high school this year. She looked so beautiful in the gown she made for her senior prom. Sewing does run in our family, but so far I’m the only quilter. All of you online friends are my quilting family.

I’m linking up with Angela at http://superscrappy.blogspot.com/and Cynthia at http://quiltingismorefunthanhousework.blogspot.com/

This week I had a challenge quilt due by Wednesday. The theme for the wallhanging was Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head. I had three months to work on it, but of course it went down to the wire. I needed an idea, so I went to Pinterest to look up pictures of rain.

Surprisingly what I found is that in photos the falling rain looks like streaks rather than drops. I had no idea how to portray the theme. Finally I came up with the idea of an umbrella by itself for a version called, “Raindrops keep falling on my head….because the wind blew away my umbrella.”

I fused an overturned umbrella onto the gray fabric and added the handle with a black marker. I followed this by adding the white streaks of rain. This was a painstaking job trying to get the random spacing done.

I was very happy with the result and I received many comments about the realistic looking rain.

Today when I went to look in my stash for some orange fabric to use for the May Rainbow Scrap Challenge, I found a box filled with orange and brown batiks. Wasn’t that a lucky find?

Now I have no excuse for getting busy with my blocks. A couple of them are so lovely I hate to cut into them, however maybe a strip off the edge won’t hurt.

We are finally getting more spring weather, although not many flowers are in bloom yet. They should be coming out like crazy in the next week or two and I can’t wait!

I’m linking up with Angela at http://superscrappy.blogspot.com/and Cynthia at http://quiltingismorefunthanhousework.blogspot.com/

It’s been a long slow month and I’m looking forward to the beginning of May. However, working with aqua and turquoise has been a nice change. It has brought a touch of springtime, which I’ve needed.

I’ve been busy trying to finish three quilts to be donated for charity on May 6 at our local guild. They are all children’s quilts which will go to Project Linus. I’ve enjoyed doing all of them. The only difficulty this last week has been working with black on black for the border and binding of one quilt. I just finished up this afternoon. I haven’t had a chance to get a photo so I’ll show it next week.

As a result, my aqua projects have taken a backseat. The first is my 8-inch improv block.

I didn’t realize until just now that it certainly is a wonky block, which will have to be trimmed immediately. On the other hand, it’s just might need some pressing.

My other project is the batik blocks, which I am framing in black, to make up a rainbow quilt for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

Back in January I sorted out the batiks according to color for this project, so it’s just a matter of stitching on the black strips each month.

I have not been happy with my steam iron for a long time so I checked on Amazon to find out if there was something better. I found this Rowenta cordless model priced at only $49, a real savings.

I’m really excited about trying this out. My other iron has been a good one for a long time, but this cordless will really make a difference for me in ease of pressing.

I look forward to hearing about all the interesting things that are you friends have been up to this week.

I’m linking up with Angela at http://superscrappy.blogspot.com/and Cynthia at http://quiltingismorefunthanhousework.blogspot.com/

Does that title make you want to know what’s going on here? Well, that’s exactly what I did today with one of my misfit blocks. Several weeks ago I posted about my four RSC 10-inch strip blocks. The only problem was that I did not use a quarter-inch foot for the red strip block. So it ended up being smaller than the others.

Today I took a look at it and decided to take the scissors to it just for the fun of it. Here was the result.

The only thing now was to put it back together somehow. I had a tub full of aqua pieces and decided to use them. It wasn’t difficult and I am happy with the result.

As you can see, it certainly is colorful. I don’t know if this will be the first of several of these wonky blocks. It may end up in the orphan pile, but I think I’ll continue having fun and see where this takes me.

Happy Easter!

I’m linking up with Angela at http://superscrappy.blogspot.com/and Cynthia at http://quiltingismorefunthanhousework.blogspot.com/

Way back in the mist of time, at least a couple of years ago, I acquired a number of charm packs of black and white squares. They sat in a drawer until this year, when I decided to do something with them. By themselves they were not very attractive, so I added solid color squares interspersed with the black and white. This turned out to be a nice way of turning them into a quilt top. Using my favorite strip quilt method, I added black strips between the rows. The result was about 40 inches square, just the right size for a child’s quilt.

Our local quilt guild is having a charity quilt collection day at the beginning of May. Last week I finished the jungle animal happy green quilt, which I posted. Now I have a deadline for getting this top pinned and quilted and when this one is finished I have one more to get done before the deadline.

I have some fleece with colors that will go with this top. It’s a lively group of cars and trucks with black and assorted colors. The other night I got it pinned to the top with a friend’s help.

Today I completed quilting the black strips between the rows. Because of the clinging fleece I think that will be enough stitching to hold it. Here is how it turned out.

I think my little Paddington bear is happy to have the quilt by his side. It should not take long for me to get it bound with black.

I’m linking up with Angela at http://superscrappy.blogspot.com/and Cynthia at http://quiltingismorefunthanhousework.blogspot.com/