Aurora Borealis

 

Suddenly, a top!

 

Once I took the string stars out of their hiding place, I became fixated with them -- I spent all yesterday evening assembling this top.  I've been sewing up the stars sporadically for the past two years for Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2013/2014.  I think my original vision for this project was a bit different than this result, but I'm quite happy with the conclusion.  And I'm delighted to have a completion to report to RSC14, and to the String Thing Along group! 

 

This will most likely be the last quilt project I do this year.  I have binding to be hand-sewn on a couple of quilts during odd moments, but the holiday festivities are commanding most of my time right now.  I will continue to make plans for 2015 in a back corner of my mind though -- feeling creative and excited about the future :)

 

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Seeing Stars

Breaking news from Barbara Brackman HERE!

 

Barbara has just announced her 2015 study series: STARS IN A TIME WARP

 

For this quilt-along she'll be discussing fabric history and styles using the constant Sawtooth Star block as her canvas.  Barbara's study series are always fascinating, and I'm anxious to see what she'll share with us this time around -- so much to learn! 

 

Watch for her first post on Wednesday January 7 at

Civil War Quilts

 

And coincidentally, look what I pulled out of my UFO pile yesterday:

... my well-aged set of RSC13/14 string stars.

 

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RSC14 - Red

I had a little bundle of dark red odds and ends and decided to use them up this week as

the finale to RSC14 RED month.

 

Half log cabin blocks were quick and easy.

 

I squeezed out 24 blocks before the RED fabrics ran out, which was my goal. 

 

With the borders on, this ended up looking more like a *red*and*blue quilt*, but oh well,

 the RED intention was there :) 

 

When this top is quilted, it will be a comfort quilt

for my guild.

 

For the last of the RSC14 RED inspirations, click HERE

 

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RSC14 - Red

This week for RSC14 I made a group of

RED 30s 9-patch blocks :

 

And also two RED string stars: 

 

The string star block set continues to grow: 

 

Click HERE to find more RED inspirations.

 

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RSC 14 - More RED

Lots of RED activity to report this week!

I continued with the scrappy log cabin blocks I started last week, and got all the way to 'binding' stage on three runners for my guild's upcoming boutique.  These also consumed some yardage for backing and some batting leftovers, so I feel good about stash depletion.

I also got started on these RED apple blocks for an upcoming swap.  Cute blocks, huh?  If you like 30s repros and like to swap, click HERE to find out about our 30s yahoo group. 

For more RED inspiration visit RSC14

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RSC14 - RED!

This month's Rainbow Scrap Challenge color is RED, which is a favorite color of mine :)

 

Despite limited sewing time this past week, I pulled out my red scrap bag and worked on some step blocks for my 30s swap group,

 

 and some log cabin blocks to use in a table runner. 

I should have more sewing time available next week, and I'm looking forward to lots more RED activity!

 

Click over and find more RED inspiration HERE

 

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RSC14 - Yellow

 

Plenty of YELLOW activity to share this week!

 

My previous YELLOW report was about a slew of 30s 9-patch blocks.  So while the 30s YELLOW bag was still dumped out on my worktable, I made a few "step" blocks for a swap that is just getting started at our

30s Yahoo group. 

(Click over and join us of you like 30s and swaps!) 

 

Then I moved from my 30s scraps over to my general YELLOW/GOLD scraps.  In my case, most of these are from 1800s repros projects, so they're a bit softer, not quite as zingy and bright as the 30s 

I made this month's requisite two string stars

 

 The star collection is growing nicely

 

 And then while that bag was still out, I picked through the scraps again, this time for the brighter chrome YELLOW calico pieces. 

Plenty of those came up also, so I've launched a new "Gold Rush" project using the traditional Road to California pieced block.  More to follow on this one ... 

 

More YELLOW inspiration here

 

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RSC14 - Yellow

It's a new month for RSC14, and June's color is YELLOW.

 

Sunshine-y sewing sounded appealing this morning, so I sifted through my 30s repro scraps and came up with a nice assortment of YELLOW bits and pieces.

I selected the scraps that were large enough to use for 9-patch blocks, and stripped the remaining small pieces down for future string blocks. 

Two dozen YELLOW 9-patch blocks made for a pleasant morning's work.

I also made my June Birthday Club block using a YELLOW background.

 

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RSC14 - Green

This week's RSC14 accomplishment,

an assortment of GREEN 30s-repro nine-patch blocks:

More RSC14 GREEN inspirations HERE

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RSC14 - Green

Starting up again with RSC14 ...

 the color for May is GREEN.

 

Getting warmed up this week with a couple of string stars to add to this ongoing block set:

 

 

And even though I'm not inspired to start a new GREEN project right now, I did take the opportunity to strip down a little pile of GREEN scraps into 1 1/2" strips for future log cabin blocks. 

 

 

I also did a clear-out of my green stash tubs, and pulled ten yards of no-longer-my-taste fabrics to donate to our guild bargain table this month.

 

More RSC14 GREEN inspirations HERE

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RSC14 - Purple

 

New month, new color for RSC14:  it's PURPLE this time.

My Week One plan of attack was to sift through my 30s scraps and make some PURPLE filler blocks.

 

 

 They were added to some PURPLE swap blocks I already had on hand. 

I spent several evenings this week organizing, piecing, and assembling

and ended up with a pleasing PURPLE top.  Eventually this will become a comfort quilt.  

 

More RSC14 PURPLE inspirations HERE

 

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RSC14 - Teal/NewFO

I got the TEAL shoofly top assembled this week, in time for the final RSC14 TEAL report.  The striped border fabric is a happy mystery -- I don't remember ever seeing it before, but I ran across 4+ yards of it in my stash, and it seems to be just perfect for this quilt.  I'm happy with this project, which started with no plan at all except to "use TEAL scraps."

 

I am counting this as my March NewFo project also, because I didn't start anything else noteworthy this month.  It will be added to my to-be-quilted pile. 

 

 

It's been a very successful scrap-busting month!  I have just a tiny handful of TEAL scraps remaining,

compared to what I started with.

These will be cut down into 1 1/2" strips for 

future log cabin blocks.

 

 

More RSC14 TEAL inspirations HERE

 What will next month's color be??!!
 

NewFo2014 HERE

 

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RSC14 - Teal

 

Not a very exciting photo ... but I did finish piecing all the little TEAL shoofly blocks this week, and also cut the

alternating squares.

 

More RSC14 TEAL inspirations HERE

 

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RSC14 - Teal

 

Haven't had much TEAL sewing time this week -- just managed a couple of string stars for

 this ongoing block collection.

 

 

More RSC14 TEAL inspirations HERE

 

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RSC14 - Teal

 

Got a few more shoofly blocks sewn up this week for RSC14 - Teal.

 

Here are a couple of possibilities for the alternating squares.  I probably like the second darker one better.  Right now the plan is for 32 shoofly blocks and 31 plain blocks, for a 7 x 9 layout.

 

More RSC14 TEAL inspirations HERE

 

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RSC14 - March/teal

 

This month's RSC14 assignment is TEAL.

 

I scrounged through my scraps and came up with a small mound of teal-ish pieces.  Because my scraps are mostly 1800s repros, the colors are dustier than the fabrics being used by many of the other RSC14 participants -- nothing "tropical" happening here :) 

 

Got the mess organized into large and small bits. 

Decided on a plan of attack and cut 3" and 2 1/2" squares.

 

Sewed up the first few 6" shoofly blocks, 

with plenty more to come. 

This is what I'll be aiming for, but all of my shoofly blocks will be scrappy teals on tan, (no reds, pinks etc).
For the alternate blocks perhaps I'll use a piece of plaid I have on hand ... need to piece a few more shooflies to get a good color audition.  

I'm not sure if I'll get anything else started this month, so this may be my NewFO2014 project for March.

More RSC14 TEAL inspiration HERE

 

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