Finishes Times Four

 It's been a busy week around here! I finished the quilt for the scooter rally, which will be raffled off along with some other items and 100% of the raffle money will go to our local food pantry. 

 I also finished the baby boy quilt I needed.

I used the pattern Easy Street from Easy Peasy 3-Yard Quilts as a jumping off point. I don't know about you, but rare is the time I follow a pattern exactly. This pattern called for 1 yard each of three different fabrics, but I wanted to use five fabrics. I also changed the borders. Also, the pattern called for strip piecing, but I was using directional prints so I changed the cutting and assembly directions. They were easy changes to make, and I enjoyed making the quilt so much, I ordered several more 3 yard quilt books.

This is the back of that quilt. I really have a love/hate relationship with minky. I love the way it feels, and how it shows off the quilting, but it creates so much drag when I'm FMQ that my arm hates it and starts hurting as soon as I start quilting. I always start off thinking, "This would be a great quilt to back with minky". Then when I'm quilting and my arm is hurting I think, "Why did I do this to myself again?". When it's finished and I see a lovely result I think, "Worth it". I'll never use minky as my main backing option, but for some quilts, it's still an option.

Speaking of minky, I had minky scraps from a couple other projects, and I made doll quilts for this baby boy's older sisters. I didn't want the girls jealous that their brother got a softer backing than they did, (And I did NOT use minky on their baby quilts) so I pieced the minky scraps to back their doll quilts. 

The shades of purple aren't the same, and I used different quilting patterns so maybe the girls will be able to tell whose doll quilt is whose. The quilt on the left has some scrappier pinwheels too. 

My next quilt to quilt is another baby quilt that I basted before our Amtrak adventure. That baby is due soon, so that's why it's next in line. It's backed with minky too, one of the purples that I used on one of the doll quilts. 

I have a lot of family stuff coming up, as well as all the preparations for the scooter rally. At least all the sewing projects for that are done. I know I'll be able to finish that last baby quilt without a problem, but I still haven't sewn any of the Christmas pajama pants. I also have a three other quilts I'd love to finish this calendar year. It's not the end of the world if I don't, I just really want them off my to do list. I can only do what I can do, so we'll see. 

On a very happy note, I thought my Singer 201 which is my favorite machine to piece on, was having major issues and needed repair. I finally figured out the machine is fine, and the problem was my surge suppressor power cord! I bought a new cord and all is fine in the sewing room again! 

I Did It My Way

 Have you made the Migrating Geese pattern? It works well as a border, or in rows or columns. It's been in the back of my mind since I first saw a tutorial on YouTube, and I knew I wanted to make it. The thing is, all the video tutorials I found started with the "goose" sections in big squares. This seemed like such a great scrapbuster, but unless it's a novelty fabric I don't cut big squares from scraps. I cut most of my scraps into strips or small squares. I didn't want to cut up fat quarters or larger yardage to do this, I wanted to use my scraps.

I thought surely someone had made a tutorial for using a jelly roll, but I couldn't find one. I knew you could get the same effect by making regular Flying Geese units, then adding squares to the units, alternating right and left sides. The thing is, I really like the look of the big background triangles, and I didn't want all those extra seams. I knew there had to be a way to do it.

Because I need to get this rally quilt finished, I was working with the scraps of the fat quarters I used to make all those scooter blocks. I was originally planning on putting a checkerboard above and below the scooter blocks. I even started the checkerboard. The thing is, I need to make two scooter quilts with the same panel and the same scooter blocks, and I didn't want the same quilt filler on both quilts. I had come up with an idea of how I could make migrating geese using strips, so I put the checkerboard aside for now, and decided to use some scraps to see if I could make two rows of migrating geese for the rally quilt, and I can save the checkerboard for the next quilt. 

I started all those scooter blocks with one aged muslin fat quarter bundle and some solid white. I can't get any more of the same aged muslin, though I could get some in different colors. I didn't really want to buy any more fabric, so it's really a matter of making what I had work. I had cut a bunch of muslin left from the scooter blocks into 2" strips, and I hadn't used all the strips for the checkerboard yet. I just want a strip of migrating geese to go on top and bottom of the panel, then I'll put the scooter blocks above and below that. After I frame out the panel, it will be 45" wide (finished) and since my strips are 2" wide (1.5" finished) I needed 30 geese per row.

I had been thinking about this for a while, so I had a plan. I was going to try this using a jelly roll first, but now that I wanted it for the rally quilt, that wasn't going to work. I grabbed some men's shirt scraps and tried making a sample just to verify my idea would work. 

This was my first attempt, and I wasn't happy with it. Before I trashed it, I thought about why my points weren't pointy. I realized my scant 1/4" which usually gave me such great results, needed to be a full quarter inch instead. 

I started fiddling with my seam guide, and the next addition was better, but not quite right. I moved the guide a bit more, and the next was spot on! I had the right seam allowance set for this project!

Now, if you are a huge fan of no waste methods, you'll hate this one. BUT, I don't consider bonus triangles waste, since some of my favorite quilts have been made from them. 

Looking at the sample photos, I realized if I wanted to do the sew and flip method and get bonus HST's, the basic formula for making the strips was going to be the finished width of the strip times three plus a half inch seam allowance. If you don't like math, cut three squares from your strip. Sew two squares together, measure that, you'll need it in a minute, then add another square and measure that. I was using 2" cut strips, if you accurately sew 2 2" squares together, the result will be 3.5". add another square and you'll have 5". The formula I suggested uses finished sizes plus seam allowances. The finished size of 2" strips is 1.5" 1.5" x 3= 4.5" plus .5" seam allowance=5". The pieces I needed to cut from the strips was 5".

I said you'd need the measurements of two squares added together, and you do, that's the size of the background squares you need. So my background squares needed to be 3.5"! I like math, but I know a lot of quilters don't, so I'm trying to give an easy method of figuring out sizes for those of you who don't like math. I do plan on doing this using a jelly roll, and those strips are 2.5" wide. The logs for that would be 6.5", and the background squares would be 4.5"

I had the hardest time figuring out how to start and stop the column. I tried a couple different ways, and the method with the least amount of waste it to cut both a background and a colored piece the width of your strip x the width of your squares. I needed two 2" x 3.5" pieces, one colored, one white. 

To make that first log correctly, you need to line them up at right angles to each other, just like sewing binding. 

You can draw a line corner to corner, or use a specialty ruler. I was using my Folded Corner Clipper ruler by Prairie Sky Quilting. I just keep a small cutting mat on my sewing cabinet and cut off the corner right before I sew the seam. This ruler has the diagonal seam allowance built in, so you can just cut and sew. 

I forgot to take a photo of just the bottom log. Here I've already added the second log. Every time the top of your panel has all color, it's time to add a square.  I already have background to the left, so we need to add it to the right. 

Notice I'm now adding a square, which its the height of two logs sewn together. Again I'm using the Folded Corner Clipper, and after I make the cut, I'll be sewing both my main section, and the diagonal seam on my "waste".

Now I've got the first Goose finished, and half of the second one. I also have an interesting bonus HST. Looking at the top of our work, I see background, so it's time to add another colored log. 

There's only color at the top, so it's time to add a square. The last square went on the right, so the next square goes on the left. 

Can you see the migrating geese starting now? 

I realized another tip that's useful is know that it's easier to cut off those corners if you turn the strip.

Any time I'm adding a square to the right side, I have the bottom of the strip towards me.

If I'm adding a square to the left hand side, I put the bottom of my strip to the left. I suppose of you are left-handed, cutting would be easier doing the opposite. 

You just keep going until it's as long as you need. Adding a colored log when there's background at the top, and adding a square when it's all color at the top. When you get to the last log, you only need a background square the same size as your colored strips to do the last knocked off corner. 

The larger background squares would be wasted here. 

I never consider the bonus HST's waste, because I love using them. I made a pretty interesting block from 16 of them. In fact, now I'm wondering if I made borders with this method, if I could make all the blocks for the center from the bonus HST's. I'm sure I'd have to add sashing and cornerstones, and do some MATH, but I'm OK with that. That's an idea for another day!

Rabbit Trail

 I knew I was going to have grandkids a lot this week, so I gave myself permission to take a week off of working on the rally quilt, even though the deadline for it is rapidly approaching.

I had a baby quilt to make, and it's basted and ready to quilt, though I haven't started quilting it yet. I was asked to make a doll quilt that matched Miss A's new baby doll, and while I was at it, I decided to make a couple more doll quilts.

This was the doll I needed to match. I was told either a yellow, orange, white color scheme or rubber ducks would work.

I went shopping with my sister and found a yellow/orange fat quarter pack, plus I picked up a couple bright rainbow type fat quarter packs as well for the other doll quilts, or so I thought. 

The fat quarter pack I bought only had five fat quarters, but I needed ten different fabrics to make the crazy quilt block I wanted to make. No problem, I just looked through my stash and grabbed five more fat quarters. 

I have more than one crazy quilt die. I have the 6" Go Die, the 10" Studio die, and a Blue Wren 6" die that has fewer pieces. I decided to use the 6" Go die. Technically, you can cut six layers of fabric with a Go die, but sInce I needed to cut ten different fabrics, I opted to cut five layers at a time. With four passes of the die, I had cut enough for 20 blocks. Inspiration struck while I was cutting those fabrics, so I cut all the scraps into 2" squares, and now I've got another quilt on my to do list. 

The pieces of the crazy quilt blocks went together like a dream, and I really had fun making them. I had so much fun, in fact, that I grabbed a bunch of fat quarters and I'll be cutting a larger quilt using the Studio die very soon. 

I just finished that doll quilt, and here it is.

I sent a sneak peek to DD#1, and she thought it looked like a pile of autumn leaves. I can see that. 

For the backing I used some rubber duck flannel I had in stash. 

Now those other doll quilts I was making....Here's where I started down a rabbit trail. 

My original plan was to make one doll quilt from the square in a square blocks. I made those using sew and flip corners just so I could make the smaller pinwheels with the bonus triangles. I figured I make the second doll quilt from the smaller pinwheels. The larger pinwheels were just what I could make from the fabric scraps after cutting the square in a square blocks. The thing is, I like the blocks so well (I love playing with bright colors), that now I'd like to make larger quilts from those blocks. Right now I have 60 square in a square blocks, sixty small pinwheels, and about 20 large pinwheels. I can get six square and a square and six smaller pinwheels from one pair of fat quarters. I can always get one larger pinwheel from the scraps, but sometimes I can get two. I can make a 24" x 30" doll quilt from the larger pinwheels now. Right now my plan is to match up some more fat quarters, then I'll make more blocks, and see if I can get some decent sized throws from the smaller pinwheels and the square in a square blocks. I'm thinking I may use a white alternating block with the smaller pinwheels but we'll see. These blocks seem to have their own ideas about things. 

I've got two granddaughters for the next three days, Miss A above, and Miss E, who was all packed and ready to come yesterday!

My sciatica isn't all the way gone, but it's doing much better, so Friday we're planning on taking the girls to the pumpkin patch. It will be a lot of walking, and no doubt I'll be sore afterwards, but I think I'll be able to do it. I've got a couple crafts and cookie making on the agenda as well. 

No sewing for the next couple of days, but I might be able to slip in a bit of cutting. After all, I can always use those brightly colored blocks as leaders/enders while I'm working on the rally quilt, right?

Traffic Jam

 It looks like a scooter traffic jam on my design wall! I've been sewing as my back allows, and today I finished the last of the scooter blocks I had cut out. I'm going to put a row above and below the scooter panel you can see on the bottom of the left side design wall. I'm figuring five scooters per row, which leaves me a bunch of leftover blocks, but the other blocks are already spoken for. I've got two scooter panels, so another ten blocks will go into that quilt, and I need seven for yet another quilt. That leaves me an even dozen blocks leftover. I'm torn on what to do with the last dozen. I can use a dozen blocks in multiple ways to make a smaller scooter themed quilt, or I could sew blocks together in sets of 4 and make three throw pillows. I could also make more scooter blocks and make a bigger quilt. Considering DH both runs a scooter club and publishes a scooter magazine, there is no such thing as too many scooter blocks or too much scooter fabric. 

My back is slowly improving. I've still got a ways to go, but I'm not in agony anymore which is very good. I still have to be careful about how long I sew at a time, but my back is my timer for that! 

I need to go cut out a baby quilt as soon as I post this. The baby is being adopted, but for a bit it looked like it was going to fall through. Since I can't sit for too long I just concentrated on the scooter blocks until I knew which way things were going with the baby. I heard the good news today, so now it's a matter of how fast can I get the baby quilt done. I chose a three yard quilt pattern, which I'm modifying to use five fabrics instead of three, but still should be an easy one. I'm hoping to get the top done this weekend, and hopefully get it quilted next week, but we'll see, I've got grandkids most of next week! I'm not planning anything fancy for the baby quilt, but I've got some super cute fabrics, a minky backing, and thankfully I had some boy burp rags already made. I love making baby quilts, even under pressure. They are a nice break from the big ones.