Black Color Strip donation block with cornerstones
I spent some time yesterday, before I started cooking and wrapping, cutting sashing strips and cornerstones. I thought about putting colors in the cornerstones, but ultimately decided that I would stick with black. My goal, after all, is to clear out that scrap bin.
I wanted to get all the pieces cut so I would be able to sew if I had a few minutes in between the crazy. I tried all day yesterday to press a gift and that hasn’t gotten done, so I doubt I’ll find the time. Still, I am making progress.
Even though I finished enough blocks to make the Black Color Strip donation top, I continued to make blocks. After all, I had more strips. I don’t have quite enough for two donation tops, but I am getting there.
I am nearing the end of my stash of black strips, but I still have a few blocks coming together. As I finish these new blocks, I have replaced a few of the original blocks you saw in the previous post. I thought I would show you a comparison and see what you thought.
All of the Black Strip donation blocks- 17 Dec 2023
Black Color Strip donation blocks -23 Dec 2023
I have added the dates so you can see the difference. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
I have been busy making these blocks. I should have been doing other things, but I wasn’t. I just sewed after work, then sat with my DH.
As you can see, I have enough to make a quilt. I am going to start sewing the sashing on soon.
I am thinking of using pink cornerstones and a thin pink border. I like the black and pink color combination. The problem is that this would be a great boy quilt and pink would ruin that. Red might be a good alternative. I’ll have to see.
I still have more strips and am still working on making the grey blocks. My black/grey/brown scrap draw isn’t empty, but it is much emptier. That is a huge bonus as I can actually close it now.
I rearranged the blocks I have made and put them up on the design wall. I like this arrangement much better, but am wondering if I should add another row on top and another column on the side?
I have more scraps, so I think I will just keep making blocks for awhile and see. I can always make a second quilt where this size block has more chunks than strips. Or I can add more blocks to this quilt. We’ll see.
I finished enough blocks since I last posted on Saturday to look at this top as a rectangle.
One thing I noticed when I was looking at the last donation top I made was that the blue top was a weird shape and I had to adjust it with a border. In this case, the number and arrangement of blocks I have made are the same as that blue strip top. I don’t want to end up with a weirdly shaped quilt, so I need to figure out if I have enough strips to make 5 more blocks of if I should put the top row on the side and save one block for another rainbow version?
Periodically, I get so many scraps and various leftovers on my (already small) cutting table that I can’t actually cut. The other thing that happens is I run out of patches to make the 16 patch donation blocks for the guild.
Then, as weird as it sounds, I have to process them. I create three piles: 2.5 inch squares, strips longer than 4.5 inches and everything else.
That is what I have been doing on and off for the past week. I am also trying to find all the black pieces large enough to use in the donation blocks I am making now.
This can be a tedious job and I usually do it during Craft Night, because I can talk and cut at the same time. This week, I have been a little on the distracted and unmotivated side, so this is a good task. It is usually so boring that I start to want to scream and that drives me to a much more interesting project.
I am finding a lot more grey pieces I can cut strips from than black. I am also refilling, a bit, my 2.5 inch square bin for donation patches.
First, I already know that black is not a color. Black “results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.” (Wikipedia) I chose a Wikipedia link, because I am lazy.
27 donation blocks
Next, I have made 27 of these blocks and my scrap drawer is still pretty full. Granted, the scrap drawer in which I keep the black also has brown (very little) and brown related fabrics, like taupe, as well as grey. I’ll have to make an improv version in black to use up more of my scraps.
Third, I was on the fence about making a black donation top. I thought it would be depressing. I am not finding this collection of blocks depressing. It isn’t primary color cheerful, but I think there is plenty of white, which is good. Someone will like it, right?
I thought 27 blocks would be the right amount, but I need at least 30 to make a rectangular quilt. I may add another column, as well. I still have strips sets in progress, so I know I can make at least 3 more blocks, then we’ll see. If I only have chunks and odd shaped scraps left, I’ll have to leave it at 6×5 and start the black improv version.
I am sure you can imagine that I was super careful when sewing this project back together. After all the ripping I had to do, I hope I learned my lesson.
It didn’t take me very long to sew the top together, but it would have taken me less time if I had paid better attention the first time.
This quilt was returned to the guild’s community quilts project at last month’s meeting by Lee Ann. She named it ‘Leftovers’ after I told her the story of the three food quilts and how I make the Ends quilts.
I am really pleased that a number of my quilt tops have been finished recently.
I am getting to the part of the year where I cannot show all of my progress on various projects. It simply means I need more time to sew! Here are some donation blocks for this month. I might make another QST 16 Patch quilt with some of these. On the other hand, I have an overflowing black scrap drawer that needs some attention, so I am back to making more color strip blocks in blacks and greys.
Pink Corners donation block
Orange dot diagonal donation block
Dark orange donation block
Light Pink donation block
Dark grey strip donation block #12
Orange and red-orange donation block
Dark grey strip donation block #13
Dark grey strip donation block #14
Dark grey strip donation block #15
Dark grey strip donation block #16
Dark grey strip donation block #17
I am trying to organize the patches in the gallery above so they don’t look as random and weird.
I did a lot of ripping last week and the result is that I can resew the QST 16 patch #2.
I had to rip more than I originally thought. Here is the layout I will use. The stripes are all going in the correct direction and the secondary pattern is in order.
I sewed this top together quickly the other night. I thought I was being super careful to keep everything in the right place.
WRONG!
Not only did I mess up the dark and light triangles, but I also put blocks with the stripes going in the wrong direction in the wrong place. I can live with the stripes, but I have to fix the secondary pattern.
I don’t normally transport quilts for the guild, but I am this week. Claire is out of town and I agreed to collect the quilts. There are about 30 quilts and the bag on the right is super heavy. I needed the wagon to bring them to the meeting.
Here is the second of my new series, apparently. More orange, though i didn’t have quite enough and had to use some pink blocks. We’ll see if they stay.
I hope to have this done for the meeting on Saturday.
