String Blocks of February

 I am continuing in my String Progress.... although this month - I did not do a string block a day - I did two every other day. And I sorta ( an big emphasis on the sorta) got organized... I made piles!

And then I used a cooking tray to move my strings on and off of my sewing table. It made it easier to work on them a little at a time...

With a 28 day month... I give you:

My 28 string Blocks!!!  The nine in the top corner may just become their own quilt.... but I had to use up all the scraps from Januarys Red Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I knew if I just let them sit around.... they would just do that.... maybe for years!!!

The others , very obviously, came from my QOV String bins.... and you know what - Some of those bins now close... Oh yeah.... progress...

Wish me luck that I can do it for March too!!!

Linking to:

Monday Making @ Love Laugh Quilt

Design Wall Monday @ Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

TEAL/AQUA Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects and Hats

 I am reporting for February!!!

Teal/Aqua is just one of my most favorite colors.... we just accented our Kitchen with it!!! so this was a fun one to play with!

Here is my Teal Steppers Top!! All finished, and I actually even picked out a backing for it.

When it is all finished - you know I will have to show it again for FInished (or not) Friday - hosted right here on this blog...

Then I went down a Squirrel trail... Jan over at The Colorful Fabriholic showed her basketweave top.... and don't laugh... 2 1/2 inch strips were just sitting at my feet....so you know I had to jump right in!!!

I've made a few similar to this - but her instructions were just so easy and right there... and so!!! You know... you will have to watch it grow... I will need to use ALL of the strips that were at my feet - I can not leave one out and make it lonely!!!

And then!!! My February Hat Report!! I got 11 Done this month!! Go!!

I might have had some fun experimenting - that top hat right corner - it was a variegated skein... 

I made a hat for one of my sons and it just turned out variegated - but I made these a little smaller - and it rowed.... or striped or ... anyways - I thought it was cool. But then I thought what if I mixed the colors... I use two strands on these hats - so the far right is the same Variegated with navy blue, and the one to the left of it is the same Variegated with Cream.... totally different... I thought it was fun.

and I am very grateful for spell check - apparently Variegated is not a word in my typing vocabulary!!!

Linking up with   Rainbow Scrap Challenge

Brown Turning Twenty Finish.... and!! Finished!! ( or not) Friday!

 When my Dear Friend gave me some of her fabrics . You may remember the first thing I did was play in her browns.... and I found some FQ's of Brown and made a top.

and now!!!

Its a FINISH!!! Its bound ( i know!) and washed - and ready to go to my local hospice.

Now - we have had snow on the ground since 12/31/21 - but the sun came out for 2 seconds and I ran outside to get a show of it... after sweeping the snow away.....

Look at that - a shadow... If I was the Phil thing would I say 6 more weeks of winter? cuz.... well it snowed again this week!!!

A little close up of the quilting. I am thinking that a Brown lover will like this quilt?

NOW!!!! It is your turn!!! Show us those Finishes!!!

Please add your Direct link only ( not the main link to your blog)

Please only link up a Finished ( or not) project - not announcements .. that's not really in the spirit of the link up

Please make sure to visit the links - make someone's day with a sweet comment

Please - link back to this post so others can join in

PS - the link remains open until Sunday at noon 

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STOP TOSSING - Step Number Two!!!

 

STEP 2

*Take those Twelve 9 patches and lay them out on your board

They measure 14 inches square

You are going to cut them into fourths

Lay them out and place the ruler vertically at 7 inches from the edge

Make a slice

DO NOT MOVE THEM

Lay your ruler out 7 inches from the edge horizontally.

Make a slice

You now have 4 - 7 inch by 7 inch blocks from each 9 patch = 48 blocks

*Take the top left and the bottom right squares and twist them so the contrast square in on the outside corner.

And re stitch into a 4 patch block

This block will measure 13 ½ inches

 

·         I will tell you – in my scrappy version ( where I used a LOT of Blues ) I mixed and matched the 7x7 blocks so that it looked more scrappy – but you do NOT have to!

So here is the deal - on the blog - the clues will just be typed in - but in my Groups.io Mystery group ( NOT a facebook page) there will be printable Pdfs... Its just too easy to do it there!!

Link to the group: https://groups.io/g/MysteryQuilts4Military

ALSO!! Thank you all for asking - Past Patterns are available - 

They are in my ETSY store   Quiltygirl Etsy Store

Happy Happy Mail

 I just had to give a few shout outs today!!

I received THE cutest Valentine Card... I just love talented people!!

I tell you - is that not sweet? Thank you Linda!!
and then

YARN

As you may know I have learned to make hats.... and Bonnie said ... I have some extra yarn - I'm sending it ... and it arrived!! I have already grabbed the purples to start a new hat... Maybe that will be the RSC color for March??? Any one have a guess???

Thank you ladies - you know how to make a heart happy!!!

a Little Monster Quilt... and Hands 2 Help

 Joyful Jinxed me.... she said I may have more quilt tops in hiding.....

Now any of my UFO's shall not be UFOS... they shall be Joyfuls.... I will show her!!!!

( Love you Joyful!!!)

I found this little top in my stash of tops too - and decided to quilt it up with some of the extra backing on another quilt....

I will be honest - I remember starting this - I don't know what the intent was.... but thats all good!

Because!!

Have you heard about Hands 2 Help?

This year the Academic Quilter is Hosting it!!!

You can read all about it Here: 

 https://academicquilter.blogspot.com/2022/02/the-hands-2-help-kickoff.html

She has listed quite a few places that need Quilt Donations - as well as looking around in your own home town. I think this little one would be good for the Little Lambs Foundation for kids.

Teal Aqua Rainbow Scrap Challenge

 Earlier this year I received and email from the QuiltDiva 

She said I have a bunch of Half Square blocks and I am no longer interested in them - would you like to play with them and I screamed YES!!!

Since this month is Teal - I decided they had to be played with this month....

I thought - I love the offset bulls eye look - lets head in that direction... so this is what I got up on the wall..... then I had to stop to cook dinner....

and I kept looking at the wall and I thought - oh... what about TWO offset bullseyes.....

and now - here is where I am.

I am going to get these rows stitched together and then see what this particular piece tells me where to go....  so far... this has been so much fun!!! Its much more fun to play with others cast offs haha!!

Linking up to the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!

Snowballs and Nine Patch FINISH!!! and.... Finished ( or not) Friday!!

 Remember back when I said I didn't have any UFO's and then I found one?

Apparently that happens a lot around here!

At the beginning of this year, I decided to go through the tops that I have made and make sure they are all quilted. Lo and Behold.... I found this 9 patch and snowball top that I had made back when I started quilt piecing!!!! 

I very clearly remember buying the book with my aunt while we were shopping for fabric for a Quilt retreat ... in Wyoming!!!! At that particular retreat I was making a quilt for my Middle son.... So I am guessing I finished this top about 12-13 years ago???? 

I must have put it in the pile and it didn't yell at me!

NOW!!!

It is FINISHED!!

Aren't those fabrics fun? They are all jewel toned ( ish) and bright!!

oh ya!! and note!!! IT IS BOUND!! and it is large - here it is on a Queen Bed

I decided I needed to just feather the day away - so I feather Quilted it - and I believe - that was the right choice. And! If it wasn't ---- to late now.... its done, and bound!!

YAY!!

now!! it is your turn!! Our linky party is growing - so continue to spread the word. I am learning of all sorts of new blogs!!

Please add your Direct link only ( not the main link to your blog)

Please only link up a Finished ( or not) project - not announcements .. that's not really in the spirit of the link up

Please make sure to visit the links - make someone's day with a sweet comment

Please - link back to this post so others can join in

*****************Link Up **************************

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

*****End of Link up***********

Have a super great week!!!!

Stop Tossing - Step Number ONE!!!

 

Step 1

 

 

Let’s work on those 108  -  5 inch Squares

You will be making Big 9 patches from them

You will want that one contrasting color to be the center.

You are making a total of Twelve 9 patches.

 

I stitched:

·         24 rows of varying Blues

·         12 rows of the blue with my red in the center –

and then sewed the rows together to make the 9 patch.

Press seams away from each other so they nest.

Blocks will measure at 14 inches Square

So here is the deal - on the blog - the clues will just be typed in - but in my Groups.io Mystery group ( NOT a facebook page) there will be printable Pdfs... Its just too easy to do it there!!

Link to the group: https://groups.io/g/MysteryQuilts4Military

ALSO!! Thank you all for asking - Past Patterns are available - 

They are in my ETSY store   Quiltygirl Etsy Store

Cowboy Gingham - up on the design Wall

 I am back to playing with that Ginham/Buffalo Plaid pattern... This time

I dug into some of my coveted Cowboy Fabrics...

I had that little red one up on the design wall, and I thought - I wonder what would happen if you used 10 inch squares? so.... I had to go cut 10 inch squares and see what I thought.

I kinda like it - its not big - 50 ish (you know seam allowance) Square

But it was a fun fast one to cut and get up on the wall

Now to stitch it up!!!

Today is an anniversary of sorts. One that I don't think I want to remember very many times. A year ago today my Mom got her Pancreatic Cancer diagnoses. It wasn't but 10 months before that our world came to a stop with my Dads  Heart Episodes, and here .. it stopped again.

It's one of those things that is still weird - we knew she wasn't feeling well, and had been trying to eliminate foods that bothered her. Then the Doc said she had Diverticulitis and so more foods were eliminated and she got some small pain pills. For a lady who never took more that Tylenol - that was a change. And then - They did another test to check some things - and Bam! 

The world as we knew it changed.... still not a fan of the change....

Mini Serape Weave.... and ! Finished ( or not) Friday!!

 This week is a little finish...

I made Serape Weave and I had extra blocks and so! It needed to become a quilt.... Serape Weave... the Mini!

Here is the original:

and then the Leftover Blocks became...

Tada!!!! and all the fabric was used!! YAY!!

The full size Serape Weave is on my bed at the moment, so I think I will wash this one up and put it over the Cedar Chest... I'll have a coordinated room ( as coordinated as I can get haha)

Now it is your turn!!Link up our Finishes and let us see them all

Please add your Direct link only ( not the main link to your blog)

Please only link up a Finished ( or not) project - not announcements .. that's not really in the spirit of the link up

Please make sure to visit the links - make someone's day with a sweet comment

Please - link back to this post so others can join in

***** Link up here************

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

***End of Link*************

Stop Tossing - My Fabric choices this time around

 If you haven't heard - a New Mystery has started...

Its easy

Its Quick

and 

Its fun

AND!!! I am going to sew along again  - I mean !!

I have already done the test top, and then the do again top to make sure I didn't make a mistake

and then I had a quilty friend make one - so 

this time.... I am being a participant and making it in.....

Plaids!!!

Oh ya!!

So here are my Fabric Choices - and my first cutting step.... of the *Plaid version*

My 96- 5 inch squares in a color group

My 12- 5 inch contrasting squares

my Contrasting fabric there at the bottom

and! Blue is my background - this one should be interesting....

In my test quilt - I used 96 blue 5 inch squares - just all random squares in my bin with Red as the contrast... I liked how that worked up too.....

Hope you are joining in!!

Balance Update

 Balance...

My word for 2022

Just thought I would throw this out there for those of you who are like me.

Feel guilty if your idle

and can't sit still...

We will get there 

RED Rainbow Scrap Challenge Tops

 I really did stitch things in January for Red....  it just took me a minute to figure out how I wanted to approach This Years Scrap challenge.

I think... I want to make Stepper Quilts.

Way back in 2019 Liz offered a little Quilt a long thru our stashbusters group. The block she used was so similar to a pattern I had designed called Zig Zag Rails for our high school kids to sew - but!!! 

Her's was bigger pieces. Oh ya!! Bigger pieces, Faster stitching, Stash busted faster!! Great combo right?

And She called it Steppers. I like it!

Remember my Friends Scrap bags? I gathered Reds from it - and this is Number one.....

But I hadn't used all the strips I cut.... and the snow started coming down again and so! I tried to look busy so I didn't have to do chores.... and ta-da!!  Steppers Number 2!

but then!!! There were scraps left.... and so..... I made string blocks....

and then created this:

it needed borders.... and then!!

 

You have already seen this one:

it is already stitched up and as of today!! is on the Quilting machine...

But then I had even more scraps - so I made more string blocks - those are now sitting in a pile for my February String count....

Holee Cow.... that red went a long way. and guess what?

I am not of out red!!

Oh and....there is still snow on the ground..... 38 days now.... so unusual for us ( but I love it!!!)

Linking to:

Design Wall Monday      Monday Making   

TEAL AQUA Rainbow scrap challenge

 Ohhh the color For February is one of my most favorite color collections!!!

I think that maybe I had been sending vibes to Angela - as after I finished the Red Hats I started these ... Prior to the color being called.... I think she felt me!!

Once the color was announced - I headed down to see what I had in my Scrap bins ... and I had such fun!!

There was a lot of this color.. Yay!!! 

and!!! I already have a plan for a quilt - a while quilt in mind... I am so excited. 

and I had to see what yarn I had.....  the one in the center - I made a hat for one of my sons with... the colors reminded of us that kids book - the Rainbow fish.  The one on the right - I made a hat for a nephews girlfriend and the one on the left.... I just found it at the store and liked it - so Off to knit up hats in these colors.

I feel like I am finally on track for the month 

You'll have to come back monday to see what I finally came up with for Januarys Rainbow Scrap challenge.... 

Lining to:

Rainbow Scrap Challenge

Oh! Scrap  at quilting is more fun than housework

Square in a Square Ice Crystals... and Finished ( or not) Friday

This has been a quilt a long time in the making....

In Nov of 2020 I was opening boxes - and I found one that had a few blocks, some pieces and parts, and a ruler!! The full story is here: What was in the Box

Well!! I got the top put together, and for some reason - I didn't get to the quilting as fast as I had planned - but!! That is now remedied.... and get this... not only did I quilt it... I bound it... oh yes - that was why the East coast got hammered.... Sorry folks ( better than lightening striking me tho!!)

Here you go!!

I am pretty sure (but not 100% Confident) that the name of the block pattern is called Ice Crystals. Only appropriate to show the ice crystals on our deck right?

I had fun quilting it - I used a super dense motif in the open spaces, and in the *crystals* I used a feather motif. I really like how it turned out. 

And for some reason - I used Yellow thread for the back. I am not sure if I just wasn't awake yet - or???? but it kinda gives it a really cool look on the back. Its more textury than out standy  ( yes - those are words - I just heard them in my head!)

One more Down!!! Whoot Whoot!!

alright - that is my brag for the week - What have you got finished up?  Share away!!

Please add your Direct link only ( not the main link to your blog)

Please only link up a Finished ( or not) project - not announcements .. that's not really in the spirit of the link up

Please make sure to visit the links - make someone's day with a sweet comment

Please - link back to this post so others can join in

**************Link Up here ... don't forget to share!!! ******************

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

**************End********* Visit away*******

Stop Tossing - a QOV Mystery quilt - Fabric Requirements

 Happy February!!!

Today is the day! The Fabric Requirements and 1 cutting instruction!!!

So here is the deal - on the blog - the clues will just be typed in - but in my Groups.io Mystery group ( NOT a facebook page) there will be printable Pdfs... Its just too easy to do it there!!

Link to the group: https://groups.io/g/MysteryQuilts4Military

Fabric Requirements

 ·         9 Fat Quarters or 108 – 5 inch squares

If you do Fat Quarters – you will want 8 that blend together really well, and one that contrasts.

 For a Patriotic Quilt – you could use 8 different blues and one red

Or 8 Different reds and one white …. You get the idea.

 

If you do 108 – 5 inch squares – you will want 96 squares that blend and 12 that contrast

 

·         Background Fabrics: 

2 ¾ yards of background fabrics – This should be a color that makes your FQ’s/Squares shine

·         Contrast Fabric

7/8 yards – a contrasting color  - needs to contrast with your background fabric color

You could use a color that is the same as one of your FQ’s , but it should contrast with your Background fabrics.

Quilt finishes at 61 x 81 inches

Cutting Step 1:

If you choose to use Fat Quarters – Cut them up into 108  - 5 inch squares

You can get 12 *  5 inch squares per fat quarter

And await Step 1 ;-)

January Books I've read.... and liked!

 I found a book on my Kindle called Lost Hills.... 

I used to live in a state that had a place called Lost Hills... so it drew me in... and oh my gosh - It's a series and now I have read 3 of the 4 and am anxiously waiting the release of the 4th.

But! You don't have to read them consecutively.

Lee Goldberg is an amazing writer - and I will tell you - you start the book and you don't want to put it down - or at least I didn't. But it was cold outside - so that might have had something to do with it!

Eve Ronin is the main character - she is the detective and ( obviously ) she is out solving cases. But! A forensic Investigator is added to the mix. and .... this is something I have always been interested in - so it was cool.

Eve also has a knack for getting herself in a *little* bit of trouble - so you kinda just have to know what is going to happen next.

Bone Canyon is Number 2

and Gated Prey is the Third -

And yes

I read them all!!! and yes - I have saved more of Lee Goldbergs books to read..... 

And then - I moved onto another book - about a seamstress during WWII and... her life in present day. I loved it. There was Drama, intrigue and fabric.... I mean - how could that be bad?

It is called the Keeper of Happy Endings.   It is about fate, second chances, and history.

Here is what Google Books says:

An enchanting novel about fate, second chances, and hope, lost and found, by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Last of the Moon Girls.

Soline Roussel is well schooled in the business of happy endings. For generations her family has kept an exclusive bridal salon in Paris, where magic is worked with needle and thread. It's said that the bride who wears a Roussel gown is guaranteed a lifetime of joy. But devastating losses during World War II leave Soline's world and heart in ruins and her faith in love shaken. She boxes up her memories, stowing them away, along with her broken dreams, determined to forget.

Decades later, while coping with her own tragic loss, aspiring gallery owner Rory Grant leases Soline's old property and discovers a box containing letters and a vintage wedding dress, never worn. When Rory returns the mementos, an unlikely friendship develops, and eerie parallels in Rory's and Soline's lives begin to surface. It's clear that they were destined to meet--and that Rory may hold the key to righting a forty-year wrong and opening the door to shared healing and, perhaps, a little magic.

and the last book I read - well it was a fluff one - but kinda fun - 

Called Deconstructed 

Definitely one I would not recommend to my husband... but it was a fun one - and again - A lady sewed things - so you know - that Always interests me. Here's what Amazon says

An exhilarating novel about fast friends and fashionable revenge by Liz Talley, the USA Today bestselling author of Adulting.

Antique-store owner Cricket Crosby's life is turned upside down when she discovers that the rumors of her husband's affair aren't just leisurely southern gossip. Her plan: hire an investigator; find an attorney; enlist the help of her new assistant, Ruby; and make her husband pay.

Ruby knows how quickly everything changes. After a dicey past, she's determined to forge a new future by working for Cricket and reinventing herself as a designer, deconstructing vintage haute couture. If anybody can help mend a few tears in Cricket's life, she can.

But turns out Cricket's life isn't just a little torn. It's wrinkled, stained, and falling apart at the seams. With Ruby and her ragtag relatives--a soused PI and a hunky tow truck driver--Cricket is sleuthing her way to the truth, no matter how dangerous it gets.

Sure, Cricket's life isn't what she imagined. But she's embracing change and figuring out what she really wants. And that's kind of fabulous.

*****

Enjoy!!!!