Scraptastic Tuesday - Hexy Star update

EDIT:  I am updating this post with the finish!

So I have been busy using scraps this Tuesday - today - if I can call orphan blocks scraps!  

I received some hexies from Gayle Brindley and Helen last year to make a quilt for Siblings Together.  I decided to add in one of my own that went with the colour scheme.

To make them stand out more, I decided to make them into stars by adding some co-ordinating solid triangles.  

Then I found some fabric which I thought might work as background but my efforts to turn this into a quilt for Siblings Together petered out as we had met our target already for 2015.  Even I run out of steam sometimes!

When I came back to looking at this project I just wasn't confident of my earlier ideas.  Yes it does happen but I knew I would find the right time and idea to move this project on someday!

Well yesterday was the right time!   I just got in there and made those star blocks to begin with.   On occasion I find the whole process overwhelming so I just focus on what my next task is and trust that I can find a way out.

It was quite intimidating working with these hexies as the piecing is much better than my usual standard.   I mean Helen has her stripy fabric lined up perfectly - not even one thread out - and of course all the points meet up exactly!

(BTW I think that flying fish from Gayle is hilarious!)

My original plan was to create a random sprinkling of stars but after piecing the stars I doubted that I had enough of my background fabric left and didn't see what else in my stash I could use. 

So as I happened to be working on another true scrappy project made with nine patches I tried out a medallion style layout and liked it!

I soon made nine patches to suit the colours in this project, and built them around the hexy star I had made (it was the biggest and the odd one out).  

Then I added a narrow solid border and some triangles to the top and bottom as the quilt seemed to want to be a rectangle.  This border was a nice repeat of the triangles in the hexies and the star points.

Then after a bit of measuring, cutting and trimming I pieced in the outer star border.

I rather like how it has turned out and I ended up with scraps of that background fabric so I was right not to attempt the random star layout!    

And if you are wondering what has happened to that one star which is missing a whole star point in the bottom border - the problem was I lost it somewhere so I thought I'd make a feature out of it!  

Sometimes you just have to go with the flow! 

UPDATE:

And so I took my top and quilted in the ditch and finished off the background with a large stipple.

I then bound it in dark pink - another finish for Siblings Together!  

I couldn't have made this quilt without those orphan blocks from Gayle in the States and Helen in N England.  Ladies you inspired me!  

For more news about the 100 Quilts for Siblings Together campaign go here!

Linking this finished quilt for Siblings Together to the Link Up as part of the tally towards our 100 quilt target.

I will also be linking this quilt to the Finish-A-Long 2016 at the quarter end

This quilt is on my FAL2016 list here

#Scraptastic Tuesday - my Irish chain - Updated

I have edited this post adding extra information, which can be found at the end!


I started making some little nine patch blocks some time ago.  I used my scraps of aqua, lime green and purple for this project, plus Kona snow for the alternate squares.

I had them up on my small design wall behind the door to my sewing room.

They sat there patiently waiting their turn.

I recently decided that I would adopt them as a leader/ender project and gradually work my way through them.

But that is not in my nature....

They became my project and so now I have another quilt top ready to quilt up for Siblings Together.

It seems I just cannot do a little at a time - it is all or nothing for me!

I might be tempted to make another one in a different colour way - scrappy low volume and hot colours ?  

Update:

I found some beautiful purple fabric backing in my friend Jude's Etsy shop of discounted fabrics.  

I decided to quilt a cross hatch on the main part and just diagonal lines in the border.  I finished the quilt using the backing fabric as my binding!  

I am happy to complete another quilt for Siblings Together.  

For more news about the 100 Quilts for Siblings Together campaign go here!

Linking this finished quilt for Siblings Together to the Link Up as part of the tally towards our 100 quilt target.

I will also be linking this quilt to the Finish-A-Long 2016 at the quarter end

This quilt is on my FAL2016 list here

Scraptastictuesday - March winners

I've been working on my Triffid background as you do!

All those bits and bobs have been stitched together but it needs about 16" on the bottom !  

So I haven't got it finished yet but I will soon...

In the meantime, let's award the March Scraptastic Tuesday Winners, and first, thank you to our generous sponsors:

InLinkz.com

A huge thank you to our generous sponsors for providing the following prizes which will be awarded randomly among those of you who link up.

• Mad About Patchwork - a $40 gift certificate #54, Nancy at Joy for Grace

• Fluffy Sheep Quilting - a €20 (20 Euro) gift certificate: #21, Maxine at bluefigquilts 

• Green Fairy Quilts - $25 gift certificate: #14, the Ups and Downs of Quilting

• Karen Lewis Textiles  - scrap pack: #18 - Lea Anne at Podunk Pretties

• Fat Quarter Shop - $25 gift certificate: #58, Alidiza at Alidiza

• Massdrop - Sam and Mitzi Fat Quarter Bundle: #33: Anne at limeleaf741

• Sew Sisters Quilt Shop - $25 gift certificate: #10, Lee Anna at Not Afraid of Color

• Simply Solids - £20 (20 Pounds) gift certificate: #44, the thelilaccat

We will be emailing all of the winners today. Thank you for sharing your March scrappy inspiration and please plan to join Leanne from She Can Quilt and I again on the second Tuesday in April - April 12 - for the next Scraptastic Tuesday link.

Another Welsh blanket quilt - or two!?

Having made a couple of versions of Mary Emmens' welshblanket quilt Caernarfon I jumped at the chance to repeat the process when she asked for pattern testers for her new pattern - St David's Cross.


I have a pinterest board with some colour combinations provided by the company Design Seeds and there was one that leapt out at me for this five colour pattern.  I don't really make quilts inspired by a photo like this and thought it would be fun to try it out (idea pinched from Lynne @Lily's Quilts)

So this was my inspiration but it took me quite a while to find the fabrics that I could use for this colour scheme.  Eventually I decided to use some dark brown and greys from my stash and sourced these at @simplysolids :  

Squared Elements in Watermelon

Linea in Cream, and 

Tucker Prairie Tiny Crosses in Coral Bells

And then I had the joy of making the blocks - in two colourways - to make my from-the-start doublesided quilt.  Well I had to test my theory that it would be easier to Quilt As You Go to make a double sided quilt as doing it after putting the tops together was a little bit tricky.

With Mary's quick strip-piecing methods it really didn't take long to cut out the fabric 

and piece the blocks.

Nor did it really take a long time to quilt them as you go - this is a stack waiting for some quilting in the ditch...

What has been taking time is stitching all these blocks together .....to be totally honest I just haven't had the time in long enough bits to focus on it these past few weeks!   But all the blocks are now pieced together into three bigger bits now!

I just need to join them together and maybe this weekend I'll get the time to finish that process. 

Edit : and so I did just that and here's the proof!

Beautiful pattern by Mary Emmens

Fabric from Simply Solids 

Mad idea to make it double sided by me!

Scraptastic Tuesday - March link up

I've been doing non scrappy things recently, so I quickly had to think what I could get started on to prove my scrappiness this month.

I have a background to make for a silly scrappy project, nick named Triffid - you might be able to see why....

It could be another quilt for Siblings Together as long as it will not scare a child!? 

Another reason to make a background from scraps is because my neutrals scrap box seems to be constantly overflowing onto the floor.   So it was obviously time to get busy with my rotary cutter and low volume scraps.

This is the result so far

Will it do as background for my silly Triffid!   What do you think?

It's the second Tuesday of March, so the Scraptastic Tuesday monthly link is open.



Now its time for you to share your scrappy projects, plans and ideas.

InLinkz.com

A huge thank you to our generous sponsors for providing the following prizes which will be awarded randomly among those of you who link up.

• Mad About Patchwork - a $40 gift certificate

• Fluffy Sheep Quilting - a €20 (20 Euro) gift certificate

• Green Fairy Quilts - $25 gift certificate

• Karen Lewis Textiles  - scrap pack

• Fat Quarter Shop - $25 gift certificate

• Massdrop - Sam and Mitzi Fat Quarter Bundle

• Sew Sisters Quilt Shop - $25 gift certificate

• Simply Solids - £20 (20 Pounds) gift certificate

Please join Leanne at She Can Quilt and I by linking up a blog post or flickr or instagram photo sharing a scrappy project, in progress or finished, or your thoughts on dealing with your scrap mountain:

• You don't have to have joined us before, everyone is welcome.

• One link per person, and it will be your entry into the random draw for the prizes. It is the same link up here and at Leanne's blog - She Can Quilt - so you only need to link up on one of our blogs.

• Please visit at least a few of the links, they are very inspiring, and leave comments too as everyone loves to connect. 

• Use the Scraptastic Tuesday button and invite your friends to join us too. Please share our button, or a link or the hashtag #scraptastictuesday in your linked post or photo.

• The link is open until next Monday night at 10:00 pm MST. We will announce the winners next Tuesday. 

• If you have trouble linking up, let me or Leanne know and we will get you sorted.

Wonder what Leanne has been up to?  A bit of paper piecing perhaps - in which case her scraps will be paper rather than fabric....I think you should go and check it out!

An InLinkz Link-up