String Clean - Ironic!

I've cruised through many blogs over the past couple of months and saved many pictures and downloaded patterns for scrap quilts to help use up my stash - one of my 2012 goals. I found a really cool picture of a string pieced star quilt and used it for inspiration to make my own. I was looking for the blog/maker to be able to post a picture and give the site credit for the inspiration. Well, I found the original source and I found something very interesting and ironic!

The inspiration quilt is called Spring Clean and it's in issue 8 of Fat Quarterly's newsletter (http://www.fatquarterly.com/issues/issue-8). Once I tracked down the source, I bought an electronic version of the newlsetter as there are a couple of other projects I'd like to make. So without further ado, here's the first block of my "String Clean" quilt:

The original Spring Clean quilt has 9 blocks and finishes at 90 inch square. I'm going to make a 4-block version as the block above is 30 inches square. I've pieced enough sub-blocks to make the next block. After that, I'm out of long white/cream/light strings.

Here's the ironic part.... I made my blocks 8 inches since I had foundations from muslin cut for something else and just used those...turns out, the pattern called for 8 inch blocks so I made the same size as the pattern!! I didn't follow the directions from the newsletter as I had already made the blocks, but I think it's pretty funny that I'm making the same size... the newsletter had paper pieced foundations so that's a little different but still a lot the same.

Red/White/Blue Interlocking Stars - top finished!!

I can't believe I completed the top this week. It seemed like I was making the star point blocks for days and days...and then, once I settled on a layout and size, I started sewing...and then found out I had to make more. YIKES!

Here is my top:

Isn't it pretty??! I love it! I got more and more excited as the top came together. I used a PowerPoint file for the layout. The top is 20x20 squares, and is 40 inch square. It took me awhile to get in the groove and by the time I had pieced the 20 rows, I just wasn't that motivated... but the next night I sewed rows into 2s and things started shaping up. After that I got more and more excited until the top was done on the 13th. I did end up with some extras... so I made this:

This took up 24 squares. I didn't have enough extra to make this any bigger, but I do have some more of the star points... I did still have tons of the red, white, and blue blocks, so I also made these last night:

These are Granny Square blocks and I've seen them popping up on blogs everywhere this year. I think I have enough to make one more block... Not sure what I'll do after that with them, but they are easy and fun.

Now I have to figure out what the next project will be... I think I'd going to work with some other colors for awhile!!

Red/White/Blue interlocking stars - squares

Here's the next thing I'm working on ... it's an interlocking stars quilt in red, white and blue using my 2.5" squares. Here's the stack of star points that need trimming. This is the next thing I have to do...

I need to trim these and pair them with their centers. Here's all of the sets that I have trimmed so far:

Here's some squares and triangles in sets waiting for sewing (the blue triangles) and cutting into triangles (the red squares):

Here's the stack of blue and red squares to eventually be made into blocks:

 I love having this all in stages and in the basket. Now to get those top squares trimmed so that I can sew some more!!!

Happy Leap Day! 2012 Leap Year!!

Happy Leap Day! I've read a bunch of stuff today about the special things people are doing today with it being leap day... what did I do special? Took my family to dinner...that was about it. My question at work today was "why can't we get an extra Saturday?" Leap day on Wednesday just means...the usual...work.

I'm usually a positive person and I'd like to be today, only it's Wednesday on a 5 day work week..and it's been BUSY. Two more days until the weekend and counting...

Pink & Purple Hearts

I finished a quilt top this weekend that I started back in January. I had 3 of 4 blocks made. I made the 4th block and then decided I still had TONS of pink & purple blocks, so I put a border between the blocks and then around the perimeter. The quilt top is now 42 x 44 and I think it's a great size for my table. Here's the top:

My daughter thinks some of the purple was too dark next to the edge, but I think it'll be ok. I made it as a table topper so next Valentines day, I'll be able to put it on my table!

I also completed two backings - for both of my Starry Eyes quilts. They are very similar. Here's #1:

And here's #2:

Now I'm going to get busy and cut some batting so I can get these quilts done!! (Yep, I have about 5 now that just need battings...and 3 that need backings and batting!)

I got nothin.

After having such a productive weekend last weekend, I got nothin... I didn't do any sewing this past week or weekend. I'll make up for that this coming week... I have loads to do, most of that backings which isn't fun in my opinion. I do need to pick up more starch so as soon as I do, I'll be an ironing fool!

Mug Rug

I made a ton of mug rugs for Christmas presents this year. I gave most of them away and didn't take pictures. I didn't have some fabric I wanted/needed for one I wanted to make for a guy I support at work. He's a Oregon alumni - Go Ducks! I finally found some duck fabric online and bought it. I showed him what I bought to use for the front of his mug rug. This week, another guy I support came to town so he got his mug rug. The two guys were talking...so I knew making the Duck mug rug was at the top of my to do list this weekend. Here's the front

and here's the back - red and green for Christmas

I'll bring it to him tomorrow and I hope he likes it. It's Ducks so I'm sure it'll be a hit!!
And yes, I'm a big Ducks fan now too!!