I just keep making donation blocks. Some of these 16 patches look really weird. Mostly that is because at the beginning of the month I was getting to the bottom of the donation patch bin. I know Peggy will find a good way to use them regardless of how they look. Eventually, I cut some cream background fabrics, so the blocks don’t look as weird. Still, I worked on other things, like finishing the Blue Strip #2 donation top, and didn’t make as many blocks this month. I sent her the 50 or so blocks I made last week, so I don’t have any blocks right now.
By piecing FOTY 2018 together I was able to get the blocks for my next blue color strip donation quilt finished.
I know I have used a large portion of blue scraps, but I still have a full blue scrap drawer. A lot of them are small or not strips, so I will be making a blue improv version next, though I still have to sash this one. I used yellow for the last one, which was unique. I am thinking about white, but that might be too conventional or too boring. I haven’t started cutting sashing, because I don’t know what to use.
More blocks for June! I really scraped the bottom of the donation patch bin at the beginning of the month, so some blocks look a little strange. It was good to clear out that bin and start afresh.
I started sewing some strips together and now I have started another donation quilt in the Color Strips & Chunks series.
It started sort of accidentally. I had a few strips left from a box that was stashed behind my old design wall. They were on my sewing table, so I sewed them together when I needed a leader or ender. Then, I opened my blue scrap drawer, which is not noticeably less full despite the last blue strip quilt I made, and used strips to make more blocks. I am pretty sure I have at least two more quilts in that drawer.
I am out of background fabrics for 16 patches, so this is a good way to use up scraps and have something for leaders and enders.
I am determined to use up the plaid. I used a good deal of it for the Plaid Block Party quilt for my cousin, but I still have some. Thus, I am making another donation top with the rest.
Plaid Remnants
I am using the same Block Party pattern. I am using that pattern because it is easy and I had a number of leftover pieces that I wanted to use. I haven’t had much time to sew during the week, so I only have parts made. I am using these blocks as leaders and enders while I work on the Inside Outside Pouch.
As I did last month and for previous months, I made more donation blocks. After April’s work, I had a stack of 24 blocks. Now I have XX. Peggy, the community quilt organizer for BAM, I hope, will be happy.
Sewing the Windmill means that I was also churning out donation blocks. Using leaders and enders between each Windmill piece generates a lot. I have to keep the Windmill pieces in order, thus so many donation blocks. I am thinking about making another Traffic Jam quilt instead of more of the 16 patch donation blocks, but we will see. Until I decide, there will be more 16 patches.
Blue multi donation block
Blue multi donation block n.2
Blue multi donation block n.3
Bright yellow donation block
Dull yellow donation block
Hansel & Gretel donation block
Stripey donation block
Red-violet donation block
Mixed dots donation block
Black & white donation block
Black poppy donation block
Nosegay Background Donation Block n.1
Nosegay Background Donation Block n.2
Amy Butler Donation Block
Yellow Legs donation block
Amy Butler Donation Block #2
Amy Butler Donation Block #3
I had to spend some time cutting scraps for new 2.5 inch squares as I was running out. You can see that some of the blocks don’t have a lot of contrast, use a ‘different’ background or look unlike my normal meticulous monochromatic blocks. I guess I am making due. I didn’t really want to cut more foreground squares until I really need them.
I am pretty fond of the red-violet block in the second row. The background is made from a shirt I made for DH a few years ago.
I had 4 days off over the weekend and it was great to cross some things off my To Do list AND get some chores done. I have a number of bags and a swap gift on my to do list, but after 3 hours worth of video chats and an hour on the phone with the YM, I really only had time for the plaid blocks. I did press some new-ish fabric, though and found some pieces I’ll use for the swap gift.
I now have 25 blocks, so am definitely on the downward slope of block making for this piece. I ordered the felt for my design wall yesterday. I have little hope of it arriving today, but I am hopeful it will arrive int he coming week. I want to get these blocks up where I can see them all before I start sewing them together.
I consulted with a friend who said this block is called Block Party. I did a search and found some instructions on a guild community service site. The instructions are in PDF, which is handy. I wasn’t able to find anywhere else to confirm the name.
6 more Plaid Blocks
I added another few blocks to my total during the week and am now up to 15 blocks. My first plan is for 36, which means 21 more to go.
I cut up a few more fabrics so there are some new ones included. Since I am working without a design wall, mostly, I don’t know if I am duplicating layouts. I don’t think it likely, but I also don’t think it will matter if I am.
I made blocks like this for the charity project back in February (when we could still go out). I having been wanting to make a quilt for my cousin and decided that this was the block to use. Once the pieces are cut, the block goes together really fast. Even with all the cutting, I made 7 blocks over the weekend.
I am not sure how many I am going to make. I don’t have a design wall to fill up at the moment. I am kind of flying by the seat of my pants when I make them in terms of choosing fabrics, but I’ll make a bunch of them and see where I am. In thinking about the size, I have a 6×6 grid in my mind. The blocks are 12 inches finished, which would make a quilt 72×72 inches. That is slightly larger than the last Windmill I made and would be a fine size. I’d like to have at least three quilts to take to Colleen when S-i-P is over. More if practical or possible.
The plaids I used have been languishing for a long time. I think they have been around since before the FOTY project started. I think that is the case because some of the fabrics had no cuts out of them. Some of the pieces were just FQs, so there won’t be much of them. I think this will be lively group of blocks.
I keep thinking of men’s plaid shirts when I look at these fabrics. I am thinking of a name like The Ghost of Plaid Shirts or Thinking of Plaid Shirts. I have to think up something clever.
Here are some blocks I made during April. During April we were still under a statewide Shelter-in-Place order. DH and I are fortunate enough to continue to be employed. I didn’t have time off work and I didn’t take any time off work. As a result, I didn’t have much extra time to sew, but since I wasn’t going out to lunch or shopping, I had a little extra time. I worked on everything you’ve seen this month in the various posts, mostly Frolic! and also some donation blocks.
I am tempted to make a donation quilt out of these random blocks.
The two Spiky 16 Patches are from Flame, but I forgot to include them in the tally for last month. The third one is an extra I made that I will send off to Sue S. We are doing a donation quilt collaboration.
My bin of 2.5 inch square patches that was overflowing is now getting a little pathetic looking. I am kind of scraping the bottom of it to make blocks.
While sewing the Frolic! top together I used the New Blue Spiky 16 patch blocks as leaders and enders. I felt like I had quite a bit of Frolic! to sew together, but I only ended up with two Spiky 16 Patch blocks. I guess the Frolic! top work seemed like more than it actually was because I feel like I have been working on it forever.
I haven’t, of course, but it feels like it.
New Blue Spiky 16 Patch #2
In any case, these Spiky 16 patch blocks are coming along well. They are the same, or similar to Spiky 16 Patch #1 and #2. I’ll probably do the same kind of setting as Flame just to get this top finished. I’d like to try something else with the HRTs.
While I was sewing Frolic! over the weekend, I made a bunch of donation blocks as leaders and enders. I am getting quite a collection to turn in when I finally get to back to guild.
I counted all the donation blocks I have made in 2020 and the total came out to about 76. Not bad. Not 30 per month, but not bad.
Traffic Jam is a free pattern by Pat Sloan. I didn’t need a pattern to make this quilt. I just started sewing my mini-charms together and cut the background fabrics to fit the standard 9 patch layout.
I did seek out the pattern after Vicki mentioned the secondary pattern that appears when the pattern is made with sashing. In the first photo, I didn’t see the secondary pattern, but in checking out the Linky photos, I did see it. Not sure I will add sashing and cornerstones, but we will see.
I am using that beige-ish fabric as the background as I probably won’t use it for one of my own quilts. I have no idea why I bought it, but it works pretty well for this piece. I have a yard and will make as many blocks as I can with that much fabric.
I am using mini-charm packs of Marmalade Dreams by Valori Wells. I collected a bunch of them at some point – at some quilt event. I probably won’t use them for another project, though I do like them.
