Thursday 1 February 2018

Scrap Attack of January and ...

... what's February is asking of me.

So I started January with a Scrap Attack challenge:
 Finish the M&M Quilt.

This is what I started with. I did work on it but not as much as I should have. At work, it was very busy on Mondays, Tuesdays and most Wednesdays for the entire month and that left me with not much energy by the time I got home. But Thursdays were better and I was able to sew a bit.

Anywho! I love this quilt but I think it needs a je-ne-sais-quoi, like some character or something.

After much brain storming, I decided to go yellow.

And to give it some characters! Ha!

Every time I look at them, I smile. Pondering what to name this quilt. Celebration is too obvious. Anything with M&M was out of the question. But I wanted a fun name. So it will be named Smile. Just that. I want to add one more black border with confetti and I will call it done. It will go on the pile of tops that awaits their turn to be quilted.

So, I didn't finish my January challenge but I am happy with my progress. Now that I know what I want, it will be done before February is out, with more photos to come.

Back to the jar for another challenge.

And what did I pick this time?

Plaid shirt drawer. Yay! I am happy about that. It should be an easy one. I have a drawer full of plaid shirts that aren't cut and ready to use. That is the task I will do this month. I will take picture of the drawer in question another time. (I have to clear a path to the dresser first, bwahaha!)

Thanks to Sarah for initiating this game challenge every month. I am linking to her blog Confessions of a Fabric Addict. I know I am late but so is the story of my life lately. Sorry. 

While I was dithering with the M&M quilt, I did some free motion quilting on a scrap basket that I lovingly call Fiona's Basket. 

I tried to do pebbles for the first time. Not all pebbles are the same, thank goodness, because mine are very ... unique. Some even go right through another pebble. Imagine that!! I laughed so hard when I did these. It's hard to go in circle but it was fun. 

Diagonal lines at one end. I love that cloth line print. 

Some wavy lines and on the left, a plaid or checkered design. 

You can see the plaid better here. Remember when I got a box of scraps from Julie from JulieK Quilts, I said pay attention to the lighthouse, you will see it again soon. I knew right then that this little piece would be included in the blue basket. I love it so much. 

Here's my blue scrap basket which is ... not finished. (Sounds like those are the magic words for January at my place.) I ended up with a long basket. Again. Yet, on Fiona's blog the baskets look different. So, I went through her tutorial again and oops! I wasn't folding the piece the right way. Duh! 

I grabbed the orange basket and started taking it apart. 
I didn't cut the corners on this one, to box the basket so I was able to undo it all and refold it in the other direction. I will end up with a much taller basket. 

Stripped down to the beginning.  Because of the new direction, all of my favorite fabrics ended up under the basket. 

Small pleasure; the cardinal is exactly at the right place to be seen on the flipped corner. Yay!! 

I still need to add the liner and the buttons. (Another not finished January project. 😞)

As for the blue one, well ... since I cut the corners, there's nothing to do with that one but leave it as is. 

I regret cutting the corners. I looked at them for a long time and though "What the heck am I gonna do with you?" They gave me the answer. 



On to another blue story, I did a blue Hole in the Barn Door block. 

That's all. 

Thanks to Sarah for the Scrap Attack
Thanks to Angela for Rainbow Scrap Challenge

;^)












18 comments:

Sandy Panagos said...

Even though your M&M quilt isn't done, it's "this close!" AND you got a lot of other things done! Everything looks great.

Quilting Babcia said...

"Smile" is going to make folks smile every time they snuggle up in it! You accomplished a lot in a month, especially with being so busy at work, that is so hard to juggle as I recall.

Barb said...

What a creative way to tackle UFOs!

gayle said...

I love your Smile! It's working on me!

Chookyblue...... said...

That quilt does make me smile..... Bright and fun.......

Fiona said...

I love how you finished off the quilt.... Having the characters on one side is just perfect. I did love you basket story - you are as much of a basket case as me it seems! haha.... Great way to play around with freemotion quilting too...
Hugz

Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow said...

That's a great name for the quilt because the minute that I saw those M & M's that's exactly what I did ; smile :)

Marly said...

Your "smile" is wonderful, and progress is progress! I love the fabrics in your blue basket. Good luck de-boning your shirts!

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

Love your M&M quilt! It makes me Smile, too! And that little bit left from your scrap basket was perfect for a pincushion.

Ellen said...

Even though you had a busy month with non-quilty things like work...ugh...I am glad that you were able to make time for some fun! Your quilting looks wonderful! :)

CecileD said...

A chaque fois que je vois ce tissu avec les MM's (on les appelait aussi les smartees) je ris !! J'adore purement et simplement ta créativité Chantal !
Surtout ne change pas... gros bisous

Sara said...

Your Smile quilt is adorable. I love how you just put that border print along 1 side. Great idea that I just might have to steal.!!

Ivani said...

Love that border just in one side. Great !!

Cathy said...

Yes, I smiled!
And I like your scrappy churns too.

scraphappy said...

It is always so hard as a quilter to sew things that aren't flat. The baskets are going to be so handy though, as soon as they are done.

The Joyful Quilter said...

Plain or Peanut?! It's the age old question regarding M&M preference. I think it might be a good name for your quilt, too!! Now, back to have a look at what you are doing with your "Fiona" Baskets...

JanineMarie said...

What fun projects! And yea for you doing those pebbles. I have not been brave enough yet to try them. Smile is the perfect name for your M and M quilt--because I bet everyone of us who looks at it smiles!

Katie Z. said...

I also really like the one side of border on your quilt. It’s lovely!