The End of the Orange Brick Road

It was a fun month playing with orange, but all fun things come to an end. I did managed to sew ...

 one more orange Stained Glass block accompanied by one 18 Bricks block . . . 

and two not-yet-trimmed 8.5 X 6.5 crumb blocks (mindless sewing). Some prints look peachy-pink in this picture but they're staying. 

Again, the colours aren't true in the picture below. We have rain and thunderstorms today. It's a dark but cool day. 

Only two April Fool blocks were done. Six are MIA.

In my own defense, the month is not officially over, so I still have a bit of time. 

June is my birth month and I spoiled myself this year. 

First I got a new sewing chair. 

It's mint green (because I didn't want it white, or black and they didn't have it in orange. Ugh!). I should have taken a picture of my old chair. It was part of my foster-mother's kitchen set back in the 70's. It was the last surviving one from a set of six. We got our money out of that one, lol. 

Then I spoiled myself again. I bought a pergola. 

(Image from Internet)

We will be able to enjoy our deck any time of the day. We should have bought this a long time ago.  If the rain could stop, we would finish setting it up. More photos to come with me enjoy it. :^D 

Baby Quilt Kits

And I cut, and cut, and cut, and cut some more. I know some of you suggested that I keep the quilt kit patterns to simple ones. I understand the logic behind this but I also know that these ladies have been sewing long before I started quilting. So, my logic is if I can make these patterns, so can they. ;^) 

I drew this pattern (I call it Stack) inspired by a photo seen on Quarter Inch Caper blog. Since my scraps don't have very big pieces (especially that this one needs 3 big pieces and 6 more pieces of the same print), I decided to add some white pieces. It's perfect for my scraps now. 

Instructions:

For the six different prints or colours, cut 6 rectangles of 6.5 X 2.5 and 12 rectangles of 3.5 X 2.5 

Then cut 12 white rectangles of 3.5 X 2.5, for each colour. It should finish at 36" square. It is different yet very easy. 

I also cut some fabric for the one I call I Spy Black N White. 

It's from Pinterest and I can't find the maker. (I was sure it was from Treadlestitches but nope.) If you know who did this, please let me know so I can give her credit. 

Instructions:

Cut 35 squares at 6", only one square per print. Cut 35 white squares at 3.25 and the same for the black blocks. It does make a fast and easy I Spy quilt. (Makes sure that the black squares are facing each other.) 

I kitted two like this. The black squares are still to be cut for both kits. My blocks aren't as bright and happy as the prints in the picture but it will be good enough for a donation quilt. 

I have more patterns to write and cut. Since Canada Day is on Tuesday (day off), I'll be working on at least one more pattern. 

I've emptied a scrap bag then I thought about my multicoloured scrap basket AFTER I finished cutting 70 different prints for the quilt above!! Ugh!  

Let's see how many prints I can get out of this one. 

And, of course, my forever to-go block done with pink and brown.

They were SHIBs (Squirrel Hiding in Bags) that wouldn't stop nagging me but they turned out so cute. Pink and Brown look so good together. Ohhhh! You know what? I could cut a kit in pink and brown . . . OH! and I love brown and blue together too . . . . Oh! MY! BLT Sandwich! I need more TIME! 🤪 Lol. 

Hope you have time to sew and cut and to enjoy your sewing room. 

😎 ᓚᘏᗢ

 

Visiting my stitching sisters for more inspiration. 

Angela at So Scrappy

Frédérique at Patchwork and Quilts

Cynthia for Oh Scrap!

Alycia for Finished or NOT Finished Friday

Nina Marie at Creations - Quilts, Art, Whatever

Surprise! I'm Here

I didn't think I had something to write about but I do.

In the last post, I showed the two Flying Home blocks I did in orange. I thought I had one already done. Surprise! 

I had two already done! The latest blocks are at the bottom.  

Then, I brought them all out and set them together.

With the addition of purple and maybe more yellow blocks, it will be ready to become a top, I think. 

Also assembled these blocks. The 9-Patch Path on the left and Bonus Point on the right. It gave me a sense of accomplishment. 

On other evenings, I'm so tired that I just stand in front of the cutting table and admire some cats, lol. 

The President of the Artisanat called me on Thursday evening. We had a long and productive chat. She was happy to tell me that the Artisanat will supply all the batting I need to move the baby quilts along. I'm so thrilled. She also found 3 more ladies that want to join my group. We are now 14. Then, she said that I don't have to do all that by myself. "Let me know when you are available and I'll book the room for you and the girls. You'll be able to use the long tables to cut the fabric or the batting ... " What else can I say but "thank you from the bottom of my heart"? This project of making quilt kits is just exploding. I am blessed. 

Two April Fool blocks were assembled. In orange, of course. 

More big orange pieces are on the ironing board, all pressed, waiting for me to cut them up and turn them into April Fool blocks this weekend. 

Caught Mr. Robin having a fight with his own image. 

The windows on the upper deck are covered with a mirror film so that the nosy neighbour stop staring at us. But the birds think that there's another male on their territories. There's always something, isn't there? Haha. 

Hope your week is wonderful and it lets you sew, sew, sew. 

Enjoy! ;^) 

 

Visiting my stitching sisters for more inspiration. 

Angela at So Scrappy

Frédérique at Patchwork and Quilts

Cynthia for Oh Scrap!

Alycia for Finished or NOT Finished Friday

Nina Marie at Creations - Quilts, Art, Whatever

Did You Say Orange?

My life took a left turn. My suggestion to the Artisanat committee to make baby quilt kits was accepted and I now have a second full time job, lol.

After three hours of putting one kit together, ONE KIT, it was still not done. I was about to give up . . . unfortunately, I'm no quitter. So, I took a step back, licked my paw for a bit while my brain was grinding. Got another cup of coffee and boom . . . it became clear. My sewing room is not set up to make kits. Ok, problem identified. The solution is? 

Reorganize the sewing room in function of size instead of colours. 😵

This lovely print was the start of the first kit

When the pattern calls for 3.5", let's say, I have to go through all the colours to find the right scraps. That's nonsense. Having all the 3.5" in one spot will be more productive. 

Kit #1: 9-Patch blocks with alternate block of Humming bird. MIA: flannel backing.
Pattern is written.

It looks like my summer will be happening in the sewing room. Cut, cut, and cut some more trying to move all the scrap that comes in every week. Your prayers are welcomed. Lol. 

I need some time to sew too because my shoulders can't handle the cutting anymore today. 

Flying Home in orange. Only two as my tester block was made in orange, of course! 😎

Sewing little squares as leader-enders. As I snapped the picture, Mr. 9-Patch decided to walk away, haha. 

I thought of having a few different patterns for the kits with different levels of difficulty so we wouldn't be doing the same old easy pattern all the time. 

I'm down to 24. . . and I'm probably not done. So many inspiration out there. 

Last weekend, we had a little visit from the one we call Rascal. 

On the slim side but otherwise he looked healthy. And so friendly, he loves to be pet but don't try to pick him up. He's a feral cat after all. 

That's all I have for now. Hope all is well with you and that you can enjoy some fabric therapy. 

;^)

P.S. I will reply to your comments. It's Real Estate Season at the office and I come home too tired to open the computer. But I will do it this weekend. 💖

Visiting my stitching sisters for more inspiration. 

Angela at So Scrappy

Frédérique at Patchwork and Quilts

Cynthia for Oh Scrap!

Alycia for Finished or NOT Finished Friday

Nina Marie at Creations - Quilts, Art, Whatever

Here Comes Orange!

(Sorry for another long post. My last one. I promise.)

What a fun and busy week this was. Am I Following My Weekly Resolution? Not at all, lol. And why is that? Too much work! I was mostly alone at work this week as Olivia had other priorities in her life to deal with. So, I got home too tired to do much. 

But! I did attend our final reunion of Artisanat for the year 24-25 on Tuesday. The theme was Old McDonald's Farm. 

I found a new friend. It was so soft that I almost trade it for Raven. Nnnnaaahhh! Lol. (If you enlarge the photo you will see that I was the scarecrow made out of straw. Like drinking straw. No, I'm not drunk, just a little crazy on one side.) 

Of course, I came home with a bunch of scrap bags. 

During the week someone came to my house to deliver more boxes from her old aunt. 

Lots of not-quilt-worthy fabric. They are strips of thick fabric for ...  cut from mattresses? blinds?

I don't know what but I have a whole box of it. 

And a box of SHIBs (Squirrel Hiding in Boxes, Bags) 

These are garment SHIBs. The red ones are wool and the strips are jersey. I see relaxed-fit midi summer dresses in those. Oh, I wish I had more time on my hands. 

I don't know how to knit but right now I wish I did. 

31 magazines of knitting patterns and home craft of all kinds and for everyone in the family. Dated from 1920 to 1937. 

16 magazines with crochet patterns. The oldest one is 1912! So precious. 

The aunt had a notebook forgotten with the magazines. I remember those kind of notebook with a paper cover of a Holy picture (as if Jesus was that white) and the time table on the back. But I never seen one with this serious security tips about electricity. It must had been when the electricity was a new thing. Imagine that! Electricity is a new thing! and people did not know not to touch it. Wow!  

The aunt also did Petit Point needlework. She finished this one. Some are halfway done. 

Two frames came with the tapestries. 
I did do some Petit Point a long time ago. I want to start doing it again now. 

But then! 

BUT then!! 

I said to a few of you already that I was thinking of recruiting because of the amount of fabric that comes into my place every week. Well, I did AND they responded. 

It went like this. Brought my idea to the president of Artisanat. The committee agreed to my idea. So, I exposed my idea to the group during our last reunion, that maybe some people would like to sew but don't have the room for a lot of fabric. I would make kits for baby quilts, nothing too big, and at the reunion, they can take one or two kits home and assemble them at their own speed. The instruction, picture and fabric would all be in the kit. 

10 people signed up. TEN!! I'm floored. I'm excited and scared at the same time. Okay, since we don't meet until September, I will try and kit as many quilts as I can during the summer. I got one pattern done, with 20 more patterns to go. I'll make several kits of the same pattern. All the ladies who signed up already know how to make quilts. FANtastic!! 

But did I sew? 

Yes! Just a wee bit. 

All 10 blocks for April Fool were done but I couldn't resist this one. So 11 green ones. 

Same for Flying Home blocks. Three blocks is usually what I do each month but ... 

this green-ish teal (that looks more blue against the green) just twisted my arm. So, one more for the month. 

Itsy bitsy sewing done. 

Only one green crumb block and 9-Patch, of course. There was a little bit of that gorgeous print in the new bags and I just had to get rid of that SHIB! One orange 9-Patch and the brown one was another SHIB. I did way more Rail Fence then those but it will be more fun to show them once they are assembled. Hopefully next week I'll have a few blocks to present to you. 

I thought the pile of green scraps wasn't diminishing much when I realized ... 

it's not fabric. It's Raven! He seems to like green. I caught him a few times sleeping there but he never did that with the other colours. Funny cat. 

Care to see my green garden? 

Yep, that's all. I believe a little chipmunk ate the seeds. All that's growing are a few cucumbers. No flowers. I'll plant more seeds this weekend AND store the pots elsewhere. Sigh!  

Now the end of the month comparison photos of green scraps. 

The green scraps at the beginning of May looked like this. . . 

. . . this big pile was added (from gifted bags). The piece at the front went in the stash. 

The end of the green month looks like this . . . 

Three regular-sized Ziploc bags plus a tall plastic bag and the scrap basket overflowing. I did not moved forward with this one, lol. I was looking for that pear and apple fabric when sewing the Flying Home blocks. It never showed up in time. Whatever, it will be used in an I Spy quilt. 

June is my birth month and Angela called my favourite colour: Orange. I'm so happy! 

This is all I have to play with. :^(  There might be more in the gifted bags but I'm not very hopeful as my friends are not "Orange" people. Haha. 

Phew! That was a lot. I hope life treats you well. 

Enjoy! ;^)

Good friends never let you go crazy by yourself. Love this girl! 

 

Come visit my stitching sisters for more inspiration. 

Angela at So Scrappy

Frédérique at Patchwork and Quilts

Cynthia for Oh Scrap!

Alycia for Finished or NOT Finished Friday

Nina Marie at Creations - Quilts, Art, Whatever