Progress Report

There has been a bit of movement on the Dazzling Scraps project!  IF you remember, I skipped Block C and moved ahead to the quicker Block D.  Well, now, all of the C Blocks have been assembled!

Block C

The C Blocks become the scrappy border of the quilt.  What an easy way to make a beautifully impact-full border!  I love these blocks!

And...of course, since I had all the blocks assembled, I couldn't resist laying it all out on the floor to get an idea of what the design will look like when pieced together.

Dazzling Scraps Layout - Design Floor!?!?

Not too shabby!  I think I'm pretty happy with the layout just as it is, so I'm leaving it laying out like this overnight and I'll probably piece it as is tomorrow morning (or tonight if I really can't wait, but I have another pressing project I need to get to).

Then, as far as the pattern goes, I'm done, but...this is for my in-laws' bed, so I'm thinking of adding a 15" border all the way around.  Something simple, probably just cutting a strip each of neutral (3"), red (5"), then blue (8").  We'll have to see...not sure how great that will look, but I do need to get this to be a much bigger square!  Suggestions welcome & appreciated!

Dazzling Scraps Progress

I've been making pretty good progress since yesterday's beginning stitches on my Sew Day project, Dazzling Scraps.  I've gotten 3 out of the 4 blocks constructed!  Woohoo...and this even includes a full day of fabric shopping today!

Block A

 I decided to construct the quilt in a controlled scrappy way since my mother-in-law really loves the Americana colorway.  Block A will be arranged to make large red stars with a small gold star center. I made 20 of these.

Block B

Block B will be sewn together to make a small blue center star.  You can see how those A Blocks will fit to the corners as well.  I think there were 16 of these done.

Block D

Yeah, you caught me...I skipped the C Blocks for now.  I was getting tired, so I went for the easiest and least number of blocks to complete.  Block D only required 4, so I finished them up and these will be the cornerstones of the pieced border.

So far so good.  I'm liking the mix of fabrics thus far...these are ALL from stash - some are from deep, deep stash!  See those country checks?  Yikes...it's time to use it up and this was the perfect project!

Sew Day & Mean Debbie

Today was our monthly Sew Day!  We had a great time...lots of food, fun, planning and productivity (well, some of us were productive, but I'll not name any names....)

Sew Day Gals

Here are some of the "regular" girls...and that's "Mean Debbie" up there on the right in green (yelling at me as usual!?!?).  She's always picking on me for something, but that's ok, I can take it!  LOL!  Actually, Debbie is quite funny and generous and it's just an all in fun banter between us!  Somehow I missed getting a picture of Ms. Irene (my chatty companion).  I have no idea how that happened as she was sitting right behind me!  I really thought I caught her on camera, but alas...no photo!  Ugh!

HSTs for Dazzling Scraps

And here's what I accomplished today during our day together.  I've gotten all of my HSTs sewn, cut and pressed.  I thought that was good progress for our time together since usually I talk MUCH more than I work!  So now, I've got to trim them up tonight and I can start making blocks!

Sew Day Prep

Our Sew Day group project this year is "Dazzling Scraps" from Quilt Magazine (Jan/Dec 2012).  I've decided to make mine controlled scrappy in an Americana theme.  

  

Pieces cut for "Dazzling Scraps" Quilt

This one will be for my in-laws since my mother-in-law has asked me to make one for her bed and she liked the pattern this pattern that I had out just waiting for fabric-y inspiration.  I plan to hand quilt it as well.  One day, I'll get a chance to make one for OUR bed...one day...

Linking up to Design Wall Monday over at Patchwork Times and...I've checked one more item (#2) off of my "Get It Done" list!  This was the fabric gathered & cut for Sew Day!  Just in time, I might add...our Sew Day group meets one a month (a day randomly chosen the month prior) and tomorrow just happens to be the day!

Easy Street Flimsy Done!

Woohoo!  Big accomplishment this week!  My Easy Street Mystery Quilt is now a flimsy!  So happy to have gotten this far!  So happy to have kept up with Bonnie Hunter's clues!  So happy!!!!

Easy Street Block Layout

Easy Street Diagonal Rows Stitched Together

I went with a turquoise inner border (there's actually 2 different fabrics - the corners are a slightly lighter  shade in batik, while the edges are a striped pattern).  The 3 1/2" outer border is exactly 1 yard of a purple print!  Why did I vary from BH's suggested borders?  Well, that's easy...I just didn't have much yardage left of anything!  I very rarely buy more than a yard of any one fabric!  I like it scrappy!

Easy Street Borders On

Easy Street Flimsy Top Complete

The top measures right at 96" square and I'm working on making the binding now...I like to use a 2 1/4" binding.  That's just me, but I love a tiny binding!  It's going to be in a solid limey apple green!  Why?  Well, because I have a lot of long weird width pieces of it (trimmed off a backing of another quilt) and it's taking up room in my scrap bin!

Easy Street Backing

And someone asked me what I was going to use for backing, so here it is!  These are wax-dye fabrics from Tanzania.  I am so glad that my daughter remembered that she bought them for me and mentioned that they would be a perfect color match for this quilt!  Thanks K!

Easy Street, Part 8

Chug, chug, chuggin' along on Easy Street, just kinda draggin' my feet.  I've got all of my blocks pieced together now and I'm thinking that I'll be able to start piecing the flimsy on Tuesday.

I'm giving myself the rest of the weekend off.  I did a lot of mindless cutting & sewing last night on the RSC13, but I'm not up to the tedious pinning this flimsy is gonna take just yet.  I'm still kinda tired from being sick last week, so tonight the girls and I curled up on the couch and had a movie night.  3 movies, and none of them were good enough to mention (well...2 weren't any good), but "The Lucky One" looked like it was gonna be cute.  We had to take it back to the rental desk because the disc was too scratched to play.  It kept starting and stopping...and we watched it like that for about 45 minutes before giving up!  Ugh!

Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2013

Are you participating in RSC13 (Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2013)?  If not, why not?  It's a great way to use up some scraps...I've been watching this project evolve since mid-year last year and decided this year, I'm gonna give it a try because....I have a TON of scraps in all sorts of colors!

 I've decided to work with just one pattern for the year and make a few blocks each month using the color selected for that month.  I just don't have the time to spend on an entire project (start to finish) each month.  So here's what I came up with...
  

Oh yeah, and when I say a few blocks...I only meant like 16 or 17, ya know...but, they're only 4".  And aren't they just the most adorable little bowties???  These are my 16 blocks in January's color, PINK!

I'm working from a patten called Bow-Dacious! found in Bonnie Hunter's book Adventures with Leaders & Enders.  To find out more about Bonnie and her amazing scrappy patterns, check out her website/blog at Quiltville.com.

The Sweatshop

Last week, I had a sweatshop going...1 supervisor/photographer & 4 workers, in one little room, with one sewing machine, one rotary cutter & mat, several seam rippers and now one finished quilt top!

For Kayla's friend, Jessi, this was sewing 101.  The project...a jelly roll race (JRR) quilt.  From how to actually use her sewing machine to how to construct a quilt (and how not to pre-wash precut fabric...yep, she did!), the girls got Jessi's first quilt top pieced together with the help of a few extra hands.

I hope to have a photo finish to show soon.  It's currently being tied with DMC floss.  We'll save the actual "quilting" lesson for the next project!

Somethin' 'Bout A Quilt

My daughter has been home for Winter Break from university and working vigorously start to finish on this quilt inspired by Kimberly [Camou] Crenshaw's pattern "Sweet 16."

Center brick blocks pieced together

Finished top of the quilt

Close up of first border

Close up of first and second borders

Tying the quilt on a frame - makes tying much easier!

Tying under the frame with DMC floss

Now...this quilt needs a name!  "Somethin' "bout a quilt" (like the song "Somethin' 'bout a truck") was her first thought.  Maybe?  There's lots of John Deere, outdoorsy, cowboy inspired fabrics.  She used to work at a Farm & Home store which is what got her into these fabric choices.  Any other suggestions?

Easy Street - Part 8 Progress

Well, I haven't progressed nearly as far as I had hoped to, but a nasty stomach bug got in my way.  Oh well...I'm getting over it, but still not sure I should get behind the machine.  So I'm linking up the progress I made before I got sick.

Part 8 began with more cutting!  I couldn't believe it.  I thought for sure that we had cut all that needed to be cut, but no, BH had just a bit more up her sleeve!

Then it was time to piece our first full size (15") blocks together.  Here are all 16 of my Blocks A.  I did piece 2 of the B blocks before going down for the count, but hopefully, tomorrow I'll be back up and running again!

Easy Street - Part 7

So this week, Bonnie has kicked the Easy Street mystery into overdrive!  We began with creating 64 flying geese and brick units. 

Then we moved onto to making our first actual blocks!  Up first were the 4 corner setting triangles!

And after the corners were complete, 12 setting triangle blocks got pieced.

And...I'm kinda diggin' these colors together!  I'm really surprised because I really wasn't sure about a "bright" quilt...but...so far so good.  Still not sure about my "grey" (remember, it's not really grey, but a greyish-aqua printed with a grey floral motif).  It's kinda just fading into the black on white background, but then again, maybe that's a good thing.  That may be just the reason I am digging the colors together.

I guess only time will tell (like another day or so).  Part 8 is already out and I'm headed off to get started!  Can't wait to see it all put together!

UFO Challenge - January 2013

Happy New Year!

Good News!  After talking to Judy over at Patchwork Times, she has given me permission to continue her UFO Challenge here at Peachy Pages!  I'm so excited sine I loved this challenge soooo much last year!  It really helped me to get organized and pushed me to get stuff done.  Did I tell you that I really loved this challenge?

So, who wants to join me?

And...would you like a linky button?

<center> <a href="http://peachypages.blogspot.com/p/ufo-challenge-2013.html"><img border="0" src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e145/Peachygh/UFO_zpsb95970bb.jpg" border="0" alt="UFO_zpsb95970bb"/></a></center>
The button will link you to my page created just for the UFO Challenge (or you can just click here).

If I can figure out how to host a linky party, I'd like to do that at the end of the month, too.  Essentially, I'd like to follow the very format used in last year's challenge!

And...January's number is....

#5!

So, let's get started!  Who's with me?

Getting It Done - January 2013

Judy over at Patchwork Times has issued a new challenge for the New Year!  She's calling it "Getting It Done" and you can see more info about this challenge here!

I've decided to use this new challenge as sort of a checklist for my current projects.  I'll continue on with the older version of the UFO Challenge to keep up progress on my UFOs.

[By the way, did I tell you that Judy gave me permission to host it on my blog -- but I digress...  More on that tomorrow!]

Anyway, back to Getting It Done for January...my goals are:

1. Keep current with piecing the clues on Bonnie Hunter's Easy Street.
2. Gather Americana fabrics and cut pieces for Sew Day Scrappy Star Quilt.
3. Learn to host a Linky Party for the new UFO Challenge 2013.
4. Sew together 2 pin cushions for sewing machine throat.

Ok, there they are and I'm committed!  Let's see how this first month goes...

...and...it's late, so...goodnight (yawn)...

Easy Street Link Up - Part 6

This week, Easy Street began with 64 double brick units in black on white.  Easy Peasy!  

Part 6 - 64 double bricks

And...a bonus clue...16 no, 17 no, 19  5 1/2" squares of green cut to QSTs (quarter square triangles).  I had a feeling this puppy was sure to go together diagonally!

Part 6+ - 19 squares cut into QSTs

This week, Bonnie at Quiltville isn't linking up, but I'm still linking up my Part 6 Easy Street Progress with Judy Laquidara at Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday!  Check out their websites to see the progress others are making on their Easy Street Mystery and other projects!  

See ya...off to work on my part 7!  Woohoo...now we're getting somewhere...we're finally putting blocks together!

Happy New Year!