Reading blogs can lead you down the rabbit hole
- Final borders on Checkers, Anyone? DONE!
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| Checkers, Anyone? |
- Finish Trellis Garden Top: I was able to find enough focus fabric scraps to cut half blocks to fill out the inner border and then used the "brack" for the final border. DONE!
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| Trellis Garden |
- Put final border on Holiday Frost -- Umm, that's where I bogged down, though I still have two days to get it done before the end of the month.
The first obstacle, if you want to call it that, was something I started last year. Rather than put scraps leftover from a project back on the shelf or in the scrap pile, I am attempting to the upcycle them into anther project. Today's result:
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| Trellis Garden Redux |
It's small, 32" x 36", but it could be nice for someone in a wheelchair or, with borders, a nice comfort quilt.
But what really distracted me this weekend was reading about what others are doing with leftover bits and orphan blocks. Specifically, Cynthia Brunz (Quilting is More Fun Than Housework) has given an indepth look at her process, how she sorts by warm and cool colors, how she balances the different sizes of blocks, and how she uses odd bits and strips to fill in gaps.
Well, I just HAD to pull out my "Parts Department" (first coined by Gwen Marston and Freddy Moran) to see if there was enough of anything to pull together. On top of the stack were a group of Strips and Curves blocks -- which just happen to be PURPLE!
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| Strips and Curves orphans |
I also found twenty 4-patch posey blocks made from a set of panels, a large accumulation of miscellaneous blocks with black backgrounds, and a lot of modern 4-patches and HSTs. Some pieces, like the paper pieced palm fronds, go back to my earliest piecing attempts (and the seam allowances are proof). Surely I can find some way to use these miscellaneous pieces. I'll use February's Rainbow Scrap Challenge color to help me choose a starting point.
Since I made major progress on my OMG, I am linking up with Patty at Elm Street Quilts.
Sounds like some fun time playing with spare parts are ahead.I am working on top number 4 now!
ReplyDeleteLovely projects. Thanks for linking up with Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal and congrats on your finish!
ReplyDeleteI love the phrase... parts department. You have some great finishes today! I like your idea of using the scraps right away. Otherwise, they just sit in a large bag forever!
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw the title of your post in my blog feed, "Danger, Danger" my mind immediately added "Will Robinson." How's that for dating myself?!!
ReplyDeleteYou really made a lot of progress this month. I especially like your border solutions to Trellis Garden. It'll be interesting to see what you come up with using the items in your Parts Department and Cynthia's process.
Those half blocks bordered in brack worked well to finish off that top, but not putting scraps back on the shelf or in a bin?! Madness!! In all seriousness, that it's a REALLY good idea to deal with them right away.
ReplyDeleteAnd look at you, forging ahead on yet ANOTHER project that we have in common!! I'll be looking forward to seeing what you do with those Strips and Curves Orphans. I'm pretty sure that I never even cut the first block, much less SEW one!!!
You still got lots done this month, progress is progress after all. I don't have many orphan blocks, but I did enjoy Cynthia's post about using hers. Looking forward to seeing how yours goes together. You always manage to bring in a surprise or two when you are working on your other left overs.
ReplyDeleteI've been eyeing Cynthia's orphans projects quite carefully, since I have bushels of orphans of my own! Now I'll watch your project,too!
ReplyDeleteMajor progress indeed! Love both of these finished tops; just gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteCatching up on posts this morning -- congratulations on OMG accomplishments. Great spare parts start!
ReplyDeleteGlad to know I was not the only one lead down that rabbit hole! :). I finished up my orphan block quilt top this week - planning to post about it for Oh Scrap on Sunday! It is a good feeling to actually do something with those "spare parts!"
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