I joined the lunacy...

Last week, I noticed lots of quilters talking about the Log Cabin Loonies group starting up over at JulieK Quilts.  Julie is planning on having a link-up once a month on the day of the full moon.  When the first few log cabin quilt projects were linked up, I had fun looking through and reading the posts.  Of course, I decided I needed to join in!  I realized this is the perfect project for all the strings I had discovered when I sorted my scraps into color bins over the winter.

Since May's color over at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge is green, I started with a green Log Cabin block:

I don't know whether you would call my log cabin "improv" or "free-pieced," but there was very little measuring involved in making this block.  I mostly just followed the guideline of "top, right, bottom, left" as I added low volume strings to the top and right, and green strings to the bottom and left.  I didn't worry about the width being consistent, but did square the block up to 12 1/2 inches when I decided it was big enough. This does result in it being a bit wonky, but I wanted to have the freedom to just sew!  And it was so much fun!

Now, I'm working on a blue log cabin, using the same (lack of) plan!

I certainly have plenty of strings to choose from!

Just for fun, I laid a few out to see where I might be going.

I'm going to enjoy this!

Linking up to Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework today!

Scrap Jar Stars for May

The last of my Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks for May are the Scrap Jar Stars.  As I always make a light star and a darker star for each color of the month, it has been fun looking through my scraps and stash for the perfect greens for these blocks.  I made the first one with my favorite, spring-y greens.

I love these little guys, and they were perfect for this star!

The darker star is still being finished up, but there are a few days left in May, right?!  You can tell my fabric choices were way different for this one, as they don't even want to show up as green in my photo.  I really wanted a try at including more of the evergreen forest colors.

I had to see what the nine completed stars look like together. I love the bright green added into the mix!

And one more from a different angle.  I saw someone else's stars being sewn together in this type of setting earlier this week.

Wishing everyone a delightful Memorial Weekend, the first weekend of summer!  We, here in Colorado, are starting out with cold, wind, and some pretty severe storms.  Hopefully, it will feel a bit more summery soon!

Linking up with Angela at SoScrappy for ScrapHappy Saturday.

Circle of Friendship

Back in March I posted about some secret sewing I was doing for a friend for her birthday.  I had a deadline for this project, and I just about made it - then I broke my wrist, and everything was set aside for awhile. Well, I decided this week that I thought I could finish this project - and I did! Just a little bit of hand-stitching left to finish up the binding this afternoon!

This is Circle of Friendship - measuring about 24 inches square.  It is made from four fat quarters of Woodlands by Jo Morton and some yardage of Kona Snow.

Here's a close-up of the fabrics I used.  I love their muted rainbow, and they seemed perfect for my friend and the colors she likes in her quilts and her home.

I was inspired by this quilt made by Paige at Quilted Blooms.  Her post mentioned this tutorial by Quiltsocial.com for the Friendship Star Wreath, and I used the tutorial to make my quilt. I have made the Friendship Star block before, but loved the wreath shape that is created by the setting of the blocks.

Of course, I had to make a scrappy binding for this mini!

And this afternoon I'll be indulging in some slow Sunday stitching to finish up the binding by hand.  I'm excited to give my friend her gift when I see her tomorrow.  Her birthday was earlier this month, and it's still May, so that's not too bad!

Linking up over at Quilting is More Fun than Housework for some scrappy inspiration this afternoon!

10 Little Monkeys Jumping on the...

Design wall!!!

This week I was able to make a couple of monkey blocks to add to my collection!  It turns out these sweet little blocks don't require a whole lot of cutting when you make the HSTs four at a time out of two charm squares, and use string bits and pieces for the rest of the block.  These went together quite quickly and easily!

I also completed my sixth 16 patch block, so I have all of those blocks that I need for the month.

Aren't these polka dots fun?  The selvage on the fat quarter says LOL by Me and My Sister Designs.

Looking at my green bin, I realized that I really haven't made a dent in those scraps, and there are plenty of strings to still use in some way, so I decided to make a couple of string blocks and turn them into little coasters or mug rugs for the table where my husband and I have our coffee every morning.

I've been trying to make a couple of these for each month's colors and I have 4 sets now.  They are a fun, satisying, and quick project!  I used a little more of those green polka dots for the backing.

Maybe this week I can tackle my Scrap Jar Stars.  They require the most cutting and trimming of all of my RSC blocks, but if I do a little bit at a time, I can do it!

Looking forward to seeing what everyone else has been up to at Angela's ScrapHappy Saturday link up tomorrow!

Lucky!

Since my broken wrist happened a few weeks ago, I've spent a lot of time looking at other quilters's blogs and checking out blog hops, too!  Often, they will be having a giveaway, and if you comment, you're put into the competition for the giveaway.

Well, the quilting goddesses must have been smiling on me recently because I have been lucky enough to win not one, but TWO giveaways!

First of all, I've been following Quiltmaker's blog hop celebrating the release of Volume #13 of their 100 Blocks issue.  And I won a copy of both Volume 12 and Volume 13!  Plus a charm pack of Rhapsody by Sue Zipken for Clothworks.  Lots of beautiful blues!

Then, Brooke of  Silly Mama Quilts was featured on Sew Mama Sew's blog a week or so ago, with a sweet table runner tutorial that I loved, and definitely would like to make.  Over on her blog, she was giving away a beautiful fat quarter bundle of  Blush and Bloom which the table runner is made out of.  And I won that giveaway, too!  Oh. My. Goodness.

So pretty!  And so very generous!  Thank you, Brooke!  Maybe I will use a few of these fat quarters for my Wiggle Time quilt!

Meanwhile, in my continuing quest to find projects to sew on that don't require a lot of cutting, I remembered these blocks that I made back in January, but never did anything else with.

So, I did pull them out and started working on sewing up the rows.  This is going to be a happy and fun quilt for someone, one of these days!

Like Sandra said in her Saturday post - Sewing is my therapy!  I can't go very long without spending time in my sewing room!

Linking up with Oh Scrap! over at Quilting is More Fun than Housework.

A little bit of green...

Thank you, quilty friends, for all of your good wishes and encouragement since I first posted about my broken wrist.  Last week, when I saw the doc again, I came home with a brace instead of a cast.

Although this still restricts movement of my wrist (especially anything that involves twisting my arm), it does give me lots more use of my fingers!  So, little by little, I am figuring out what I can do and how I can do it!   

After I realized I could sew a little bit with precut pieces, I went hunting around in my leftover bits of binding and found some green that could easily be turned into a 16 patch block.

Then I got really brave and decided to try cutting!  Lol!  I don't even want to begin to explain how I did this, but I did make it work, and made one more 16 patch block.  However, I don't know if it was a good idea as it was a bit scary and included fingers awfully close to the cutting blade.  (No more trips to the ER, thank you very much!)

This is my fabric find of the week - so perfect for the forest green idea.

My 2 1/2 inch square bin held a few more greens, so I also stitched up some four patches.

So, progress is made, in little bits and pieces, and I feel like I am accomplishing something!  And I'll be linking up to Scrap Happy Saturday with Angela tomorrow!

May is for Makers

I really love the idea of supporting all of the creative people in our quilting community, so when I came across "May is for Makers" on various blogs, I decided I wanted to join in!  And who better to support than someone who has supported and inspired me since I first connected with her Scrap-a-Palooza series back in 2014, but our fearless scrappy leader, Cynthia Brunz!

I've had one of Cynthia's patterns on my radar for quite some time - Wiggle Time!  So this week I purchased it from her Craftsy shop.

This pattern is just my style!  Besides this cover illustration, Cynthia also shows a rainbow version of the quilt.

I noticed that it calls for 5 fat quarters for the blocks, and I immediately thought of the polka dot fabrics I've been collecting and haven't done anything with.

Maybe!  I have these and a lot more choices in my polka dot bin!












I also recently purchased a Kaffe Fassett charm pack and thought something like this could also work, with the right background.

I've also been wanting to make an all solids quilt, and this pattern could work for that as well.

It's fun to imagine, and I look forward to working on this quilt.  For now, it's going in the queue of future projects.  I don't think I'll ever run out of things to do!

Linking up with Cynthia's Oh Scrap! party today for lots of scrappy inspiration!

Ready for Green!

In a desperate need for some fabric therapy, and after Angela announced that green is our May color for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, I have been pulling out and playing with my green scraps and stash and fantasizing about actually stitching with some of it!

I love the color green - especially at this time of year, when Colorado is finally greening up.  Beautiful spring green grass and leaves on trees and plants are so refreshing to me!   Back in 2014, when I first started following Cynthia's Scrap-a-Palooza series, I made this quilt from a bunch of the green scraps I had at that time.

Some of my favorite green scraps were used up in this one.

                            

I had sewn a few 16 patch blocks earlier in the year, so they can be added in to that pile!

And then I remembered that back in February, I won a giveaway from Linda at A Maidenhair Fern.  The prize was two mini charm packs of Morningside Farm by Darlene Zimmerman for Robert Kaufman. 

I realized that there were most likely some green pieces mixed in there, so I got one out and, sure enough, there were!  So I decided to see if a person with a big, bulky splint and bandage on her left wrist and hand could sew something... anything!  Desperate times, friends, call for desperate measures!

And, the answer is Yes!  As long as you have precut squares and a 1/4 inch foot, it works!  Hooray!  So, there is hope.  Tomorrow (Friday), I'll see the doc again, and should be getting a cast on my wrist.  I am so hoping that it is lighter weight, and less bulky.  Maybe soon, there'll be more sewing!

I'll be linking up with all the other Rainbow Scrap Challenged on Saturday morning for some more green inspiration!

Blog Archive - Christmas Star Pillow Finish

Last November I shared this star block I made from a tutorial Alyce had shared on this blog.  The next week I finished up the pillow that I made, but never linked up with Sew Cute Tuesday to show the finish. So, to follow this week's theme of "Home," here is what I wrote about it back then.

I bought a charm pack and some yardage of Kate Spain's Jingle fabric earlier this fall, and saw Blossom Heart Quilt's tutorial earlier this week for her Christmas Star pillow.  I already posted about making the basic star block, but have now finished the pillow, and here it is!  I love it on the red Ikea chair in my living room.  It may not get put away after Christmas is over!

And, sure enough, I never have put this pillow away!  It's still out on my red chair - keeping Christmas in my heart and home all year round!