Sew Sunshine

About 2 years ago I took a Sherry Lynn Wood class with my local modern quilt guild. It was a kind of create as you go starting block and see where it takes you. No plans. I took to class several old shirts, some kind of white tablecloth with birds on it and some interesting red sort of Asian inspired fabric with gold highlights. I started with the curved pieces in the near center making quarter curves.  The striped fabric evolved and many of the shapes that worked their way around this piece that sort of looks like my back window.  I let these shapes dictate the outer edge which ended up kind of wavy.  The gray fabric is some kind of light weight pant fabric. I ended up making a 2" bias out of a pant leg and was so surprised how well it went on. Even in the corners which are not square at all. It lays really smooth all around. I think I need to block it yet because the quilting makes it more puckered than I like.  I call it back yard musings because I often...

Charade quilt by  Jitterywings quilt co This quilt was so fun to make and I made a throw size before the qal even started. I gave a talk at my lqg on the topic of improv and though this is a pattern it gives the appearance of improv. I wanted to share with the guild to show that improv is not just wonky cutting.  The week I finished my guild had a sew day at the International Quilt Museum so I took the opportunity to snap some pics.  50" x 56"  cross hatch organic quilting lines The qal doesn't start until March 25th I believe so if you want to join in there is still time.  2023 Quilt parade: QAL =  Charade qAL Scrap use =  Chain of Sunshine P.Q 14.5 =  Not Square - Hexi baby #3 UFO =  Scrap set in circles #2 UFO =  Scrap Coins Gallery show piece:  O Prairie Girl P.Q 14.4 #2 =  Novel - One room school house P.Q 14.4 #1 =  Novel -My Jane pillow #1 UFO =  Winners circle - Polka dot bikini P.Q 14.3 = 54-40 of flight QCR ...

My bag eliminating continues. If you have been following me this year I have not been cleaning and organizing per say but I have been keeping things neatly together over the years. What I am finding out is that I have tons of fabrics filed away in bags waiting for whatever it is to be finished. I keep the relevant coordinates together or shades or whatever. This does have its advantages as I can pull it up and not have to rematch etc. However, it also has its pitfalls. I just commented to another blogger that I loved her blue quilt and wondered why I didn't have much blue fabric. Well, the answer = I have bunches of it packed away with projects! sigh.... Slowly I am pulling up these project bags and deciding to continue or let go of all the fabrics held hostage!  This bag was a bag of string cutoffs of AGF. I love their feel and texture and started a improv crib quilt with them. Then got busy and moved on.  While I did not empty the bag of strings I did finish up with thi...

So Project Quilting 12.6 challenge is Ab Intra -Latin for 'from within'.  Once again I wanted to combine scraps for #nationalquiltingmonth #sewthescrapoutofmarch all month long. I thought of a couple things I could do but came back to starting with my favorite color combo black and white...and use prints I had in my scrap pile. The center sort of represents me and then building bits around is kind of like building on experiences. Using scraps was perfect for that because you never know what you will run into.  I got out some cardboard and did some measurements to see what I could come up with. My diamond fits on a strip of about 5.25 so I was able to cut quite a few out of strips left over from bits of FQ's etc.  The background pieces I fine tuned after I started doing the blocks.  I grabbed a stack of scrap strips and just started sewing. Once on I trimmed them down to about an 1". Some of my scraps were wonky but for this did didn't matter since I was trimming...

"Pool of stars" updated washed and crinkly  "Pool of Stars"  Kona pool that is...get it?  and the big corner bits from my jar of scraps. Kona pool is one of my favorite colors on the Kona card. Just working with all the multi colored bits proves that pool goes with everything.  I just love it.  45" x 50" approx  Stash fabrics Machine straightline quilting All the larger bits from my jar after I sorted them. I used 110 pool 5" squares and  needed 220 bits. Not a problem.  Any size and any shape works A few bigger scraps on the back that I had saved in a bag....? why? I don't know..haha The red binding was fun. I found that in a bag of scraps that I think were my moms. I am all about using some of this stuff up. If you want to join in you can join #nqmonthscrapchallenge and #sewthescrapoutofmarch with  Tea and Brie on IG  find some fun info on the blog.  Linking up with  Sarah @Can I get a whoop         ...

  Blogger's Quilt Festival is going on right now over at  Amy's Creative side  Hop on over and see all the amazing quilts from the blog-o-sphere. "Under the Rug" Scrappy improv QAYG string quilt 52 x 64 For how I made this scrap quilt you can read more about it  HERE   and click on Amy's Creative side link at the top of this post to see all the lovely entries this year. 

Another quilt for my 'stash bash' week of quilt making.  This quilt was actually started back after the new year when I bought myself the Classic Curve Ruler by  Colorgirl Quilts This is the 4th quilt I finished in about a week from my stash. I posted about the others  here at Triple Stash bash I had started the pink arc blocks but that pink fabric was what I want to call a little 'squiggie'. It was fine until you tried the curve and all the arc is curve. ha So I put it away and decided today that finished is better than perfect. hmm.....wonder where i have heard that before (angela walters) I am trying every angle to get my beautiful peony in the picture because it looks so cool with the quilt colors.  Another one going to Quilts for Kids Lincoln Ne chapter.  Scrappy, squiggie, stash bashing, and done!  It's all good.  Linking up with  Crazy mom Quilts   and Let's Bee social

  Under the Rug - A scrappy strings challenge "Under the Rug" approx 52" x 64" String scraps Batting scraps cut into various sizes Batting foundation pieced  One of my local quilt guilds had a challenge to do a modern string quilt. I admit I have several different style of string based quilts going on already and didn't want to start something new. I decided to use a stack of left over strings from my  Steppin in time (courthouse steps quilt) .  Those and some leftover black and white prints plus the addition of the center black and white wavy stripe helped make this rug like quilt.   This is what I have left. It started out a huge neatly folded pile. I think of the color stack there is only 1 or 2 full width strings left. I had about 45 to start. Progress in my scrap pile!! I was finally able to take some time making some photos happen. This was a huge pile of debris branches the park and piled up in the culvert. It sort...

approx 29" x 29" In my quest to clean and organize a bit in my sewing room(s) I plan to see what I can come up with for challenges that I already have.  This 8 sided spider web is for the Project Quilting  season 8 first challenge - "8 is great". I was working on cleaning up the floor in my sewing room and I came across 2 bags of mostly useless selvages. I didn't know what I was doing when I saved them and they were mostly too skinny to even use or there was no wording or color bubbles. Crazy! So I found enough to do this spider web. Drafted a triangle template with newspaper and started laying them out. The inspiration for this piece really came from my friend  Jennifer . Right before the holidays she started a string quilt spiderweb that is so awesome so I knew I wanted to put it on my bucket list. Well, no time like the present.  I took this when it was 2 degrees F out. My hands were a little shaky to say the least. I am so pleased with this piece. N...