More Little Finishes

  
I got a couple more small table toppers quilted and the binding added during the last week.

Again, no fancy quilting, but they are done.

Hehehe, I "staged" the mug rug  photo.

I think I have four small table topper / wall hangings left to quilt then I need to start in on the larger quilts.

I hit the scrap bin again this week and actually made a dent in it...sorta. I found there were a lot of 2.5 and 5 inch strips that I had dumped in the bin, I pulled them out and sorted them into their own bins. I can almost see the bottom of the bin.

I've finally settled on three scrap projects to make from the scrap bin. Here are the test blocks for the first one...

Sharon at Vroomans Quilts had a tutorial for the 3-D string blocks and I really liked them.  They are not very big, 5.5 x 6.5 unfinished. These were quick and fun to make. My plan is to do a few a week. I don't have sample blocks for the other two projects but they are cut out and ready to sew so stay tuned.

It has been cold here the past week. Here's Bella snuggled / burrowed into a bunch of pillows trying to stay warm.

We are suppose to get another week of rain, so I should have lots of quilty things to show you next week...unless my house floats away.
 

The first two sets of blocks are done for the Threadology sew along...

I am still really happy with my fabric choices.

Unfortunately the colors are not showing up in the photos. 

Years ago I bought this ruler at a garage sale (really really cheap) thinking it was for cutting out fabric strips (which it could be used for), but its actual purpose is to square up hour glass blocks.

It was a little awkward at first but I ended up really liking it. I'll be keeping it close at hand in the future.

I quilted, added the binding and gifted this little mug rug.

My imagination has been failing me lately so no fancy quilting.

Nancy came over to sew yesterday. While she worked on sewing blocks I tackled the scrap bin again.  Four hours later I had some lovely piles all over the family room (should have taken a picture) but again barely made a dent in the bin. I did decide on a couple of scrap projects I going to make with the strings and the small strips. Hopefully I'll have a few sample blocks for you next week.

Cussing out the scrap bin didn't stop me from buying scraps. My new favorite thrift store is the Habitat for Humanity Restore. I could have done some serious damage there but I decided I really didn't need a pallet mover, or a claw foot tub, or wood working magazines, or...
  

 
I was not loving the fabrics I had pulled for the Threadology quilt along...which I think is why I asked for your opinions. Normally when I select fabric for a quilt I feel pretty positive about most or all of the fabrics. I was doubting 4 or 5 of the fabrics. The only ones I truly liked were the two dark fabrics.  So I pull them and went through my stash again. Then I went to the Folsom Quilt Show with Stephanie and Nancy. Here are my fabrics for Threadology:

The top fabric will be my background fabric. It is a Moda Grunge and is not as white as it looks. The black and tan leaf is a batik. Normally I don't like to mix quilt fabrics (?? don't know the appropriate term) with batiks but I really like this print with the mix - plus I didn't realize it was a batik until I got it home and laid them all out together.  I really like this group. I've already started making the first set of blocks.

This past week I finish the February blocks for Kathleen Tracy's mystery:

The blocks are four inches finished. I took the bonus triangles, squared them up to one inch, made 1.5 inch broken dish blocks (my fav) then put the blocks together...

 Hehehehe...LOVE IT. I'm going to add borders to it so you will see it again later.

I also finished quilting Stephanie's quilt. She was able to add the binding this past weekend.

The pattern is Yellow Brick Road by Atkinson Designs. 

On a non-quilty note, for years, when I could, I have donated blood. I think volunteering to donate blood is easy and has a big impact.

Last Friday I hit the eight gallon milestone. 
 

Opinions Please

I am thinking of joining the Fat Quarter Shop's Threadology quilt along. I've always wanted to make a low volume quilt and was thinking this would be a good project.

Above is my fabric pull from stash. Some are a little yellowy, some are a little peachy-pink, but all have a "leafy" look to them. For grins I put the green and black leaf print and the green bee print with them - I kinda like them - I'll probably only do a few little blocks with them. It is hard to see, but the background has little dashes of tan/gold in it - not a strong white.

Here are the prints in monotone. Looks like there is enough contrast with the background fabric.

I don't intend to make the original version, I do like Melissa Corry's universal layout here.

So what do you think? Do these all work together? Would you pull out any? There are three that are questionable to me. Would you use a stronger white for the background?

Thanks for your thoughts and opinions.
 

More Quilting

 
I didn't do much sewing this past week other that start a pieced back for the Violet's Bakery quilt. I tried to use up all the scraps for the back but there is still quite a bit of scraps left over.

This is my final January finish. A table topper that was pieced two years ago is finally quilted.

I'm not crazy about the quilting...I feel like it needs more but since I can't figure out what more is I'm going with done.

Stephanie ask me to quilt one of her quilts. I got it loaded on the frame and quilted in one day.

Notice Bella...she is not a quilt helper. She thinks quilts on the frame make great trampolines. The spray bottle wasn't doing the trick so I finally had to lock her up in my room while I finished the quilt.

I don't know how professional long arm quilters do it, even with the mat on the floor, my back was killing me by the time I finished the quilt. I really want to load another quilt this week, but I think I'm going to have wait a day - and take a couple of Tylenol - before I load the next one.