RSC Strippy Flimsy

 Having sorted through some of my stash fabrics I found a pretty lemon background fabric with flower 💐 sprigs. I wanted to combine it with yet more RSC Wonky Stars blocks and the economy blocks I had in my stash. Initially I had thought I would make a Coin style top but when I started to try that out I didn’t like it so I decided to cut the flower sprigs fabric into WOF strips.

Then I made strips from the Wonky Stars and one strip from the economy blocks. I also made some piano key style strips by adding them to telephone directory strips for foundation. Then I had fun arranging the strips, adding two deep yellow ones with small white dots strips at the top and bottom to make the top longer.

However, I didn’t think it looked finished and it still needed more length so I used a new piece of lemon solid fabric just added to my stash to make a border, narrower at the sides and wider at the top and bottom.

This looks much better and is a better size, measuring 44” wide and 45” long.

Hoping to make a backing and getting the top machine quilted tomorrow. I’ll do my usual Perle hand quilting round the Wonky Stars. 

Linking up with Angela’s RSC So Scrappy blog.

Inspiration from Cathy K for my latest RSC finished quilt

 Thanks to Cathy K (Crazy by Design blog) for her Creatures from the Deep Orphan block quilts. They all intrigue me and I look at them all intently, trying to pick up tips and ideas.

I had intended to make a green one from some RSC leftover blocks but it all looked rather dull and I didn’t have a lot of green scraps either so decided to inject a bit more colour by using some yellow blocks too.

I love the finished quilt, measuring 42” square.

I always admire pieced backings, a great way to use those larger scraps and avoid adding to the scrap bag.

However, I got too carried away, using far too many leftover blocks and ending up with a backing too similar to the front of the quilt. So much so I confused myself big time. I loaded the quilt “sandwich” onto my ironing board and started smoothing and pinning only to find the backing was far too short all the way round. What???? After a few rude words, which brought my husband into the Utility Room to see what was going on, I discovered I had confused myself and had muddled the front and the backing. 

Eventually sorted out and I’m pleased with the result. No more complicated over-clever backings for me!

This is the backing

I’ve also done a little trimming of RSC Wonky Stars and using some HSTs to make economy blocks for another variation of a Green and Yellow RSC Finish. So, a good week’s sewing. 

Linking with Angela’s RSC So Scrappy blog. 

Improv Green scraps RSC now a flimsy!

 Last week I made the centre panel for my Improv Green Scraps flimsy.

I had decided I needed to make each of the three panels symmetrical- that’s me, can’t seem to be free and easy like Cathy K!

Anyway I made lots of 9 Patches from 2” green strips of fabric, adding a little yellow to some of them to connect with the yellow sashing round the centre of the elephants/ string blocks. Have a few left over which I’ve got an idea for. Oh dear, squirrel alert!

As I thought, last week I made two mirror image panels for the top and bottom panels,  using up some scraps completely which is great.

It’s now a flimsy and I’m pleased with it. Just enough pops of yellow to lift the green.

My intention is to make a pieced backing, using up more bits and pieces. That’s for next week.

The story of the little Pink RSC scraps quilt continues!

I loved this little Pink quilt, happy to use up some scraps, already made Wonky stars, borders added from the few pink pieces I had and even using the trimmings from basting the quilt to use for the binding.

Having offered it to my neighbour for any baby girl she knew of (No) I kept it. Earlier this week I had a visit from my Pastoral Care lady from church. She updated me on her family - her daughter who lives in Australia, her wedding which they attended and her granddaughter Florence now 3 months old. And their daughter’s family’s trip back to the UK for Easter. After she left I thought of that little Pink Quilt. I made an embroidered label “ Welcome to the World, Florence” and will gift it tomorrow at church, Easter Sunday. I’m thrilled  - something told me to keep it and here’s the reason.

Happy journey back to Australia, little quilt.

Another follow up to last week’s post was Helen’s visit with Etta on Monday.

I gifted the Twinkler Star quilt to Etta and her reaction when she took it out of the gift bag and spread it out on the carpet was simply amazing! She shrieked, lay full length on it, exclaimed at different squares in the blocks, found some scraps of fabrics in her baby quilt and got us all playing I Spy! As my husband said after they left “You couldn’t have wished for a better reaction “. True. John took a couple of super photos of Etta lying on the quilt with a grin from ear to ear. I’m not putting one here because I’m not happy to put photos of children into my blog.

Then upstairs for Helen to choose a Playmat quilt for her friend’s one year old son. I had two piles of quilts for her to choose from: definite ideas for Playmats (including the one I made especially last week) and others I felt were girly or Project Linus quilts. Helen dithered between the new Playmat - although she didn’t know I had made it especially- and another with lots of green fabrics because her friend likes green. Etta chose for her - the new Novelty fabrics Playmat.

Here are the quilts ready for Project Linus donations:

And in a pile:

So, I feel this has been a successful week for sewing and gifting. I’ve finished lots of scraps, used some of my blocks from RSC blocks stashes and felt happy about the destination of three of my quilts. Nice feeling. Onwards and upwards - my school house motto!

Joining with Angela’s RSC So scrappy blog.

2 finishes and developing green scraps/blocks top

 Two finishes this week. I finished the playmat, bound with a lovely red and white striped binding.

Measures 42“ square.

Now I have to see if Helen chooses it tomorrow. The rest of the quilts I’ve sorted out will go to Project Linus as soon as I can arrange that.

Next I finished the pretty pink quilt. I used a lot of my pink scraps, a few Wonky star blocks and even managed to use the trimmings of the quilt sandwich to bind it. I had only one narrow strip left which has gone into my strips bag.

It finished quite small, 33” wide and 35”” long but it’s so cute! I’m  keeping this ready for the need of a baby girl quilt.

 I also made progress with the green centre I started last week making use of some 3.5” squares from my stash of that size squares.

Today I added extra sides until it measured 41” wide and 19” long. This will be the centre strip of the quilt. 

I am trying to use up collections of blocks from my various stashes and I remembered  I had some 

4 patches made from 1.5” squares so I picked out the ones with green squares and turned them into Economy blocks for the one set of borders.

I’ve started to make some 9 Patch blocks from 2” strips and these will form one row of each of the top and bottom sections of the top. I got the idea of making such a quilt from Cathy on her Crazy by Design blog with her Improv Creature Quilts but I’m not able to be “free” enough. I found it  had to be symmetrical so what I put as a border on the left I had to do the same on the right! The top and bottom parts will probably be mirror images of each other. That depends on what I make for one row from the various bundles of blocks I find in my stash. It’s evolving. Good fun and I’m using my maths skills too.

Linking with Angela’s So Scrappy RSC blog.