Teal Update (Alright......Purple, Too)

I may have bitten off more than I can chew with this Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  Well, that's only because (as with all things quilty) I have to do it my own way.  The challenge is to make one or more blocks of the color chosen for each month then put all of them together into one big rainbow quilt.  The goal I have set for myself is to make an entire charity quilt each month using that month's color.  That's a big challenge, but I'm excited about it.

Last month's teal blocks are now in a top and it's basted! 

I tortured myself with this quilt, trying to make it more interesting.  I had the whole first row put together with half-inch sashing strips .....

..... then decided it would be too much work, plus it really didn't make that much difference, and I ripped them all out.

It's times like this that I'm happy I have my trusty tool made by my friend Jack the Seam Ripper.  I want to buy a bunch of them just because they're so pretty!

I used a print from my stash for the backing.  I had bought three yards of it from The Fat Quarter Shop a while back, and forgot I had it.  It's from the Dim Dots collection by Michael Miller.  

(That stash really does come in handy sometimes!  Please tell Hubby that!)

As you know the January color was purple and I made string blocks.  I have made some progress there as well.  Hmmm, I didn't realize until I started typing that I also tortured myself trying to make this one more interesting.   I wanted to make a piano key border (really just want to use up every bit of purple I can!) ..... 

..... but it was just not working.   Someone suggested it was the orange border that wasn't working.  Not so.  I love the way it looks.  Plus it brings out the orange in the white print.

I decided on a final border using one of the purple fabrics and called it done.

This one is basted, too!

The March color will be announced tomorrow, so I need to get busy quilting or I will end up with a ton of UFO's at the end of the year.   You know what?  That is so not gonna happen!

I am linking up with So Scrappy's Linky Party.  Check it out.  There will be a bunch of teal projects there.

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I Spy Another Finish

I think I have my mojo back because I just finished another quilt, the I Spy quilt I started at retreat in June.  Wait -- that means I made this quilt from start to finish in less than a month?  That sounds like the old me!  I found this really fun fabric in my stash for the backing.  It's called "Crazy Stripe" by Cynthia Rowley for Michael Miller Fabrics.  

To make the backing wide enough I inserted a 10" strip, but turned it first which gave it am interesting look.  I may need to buy more of this print.  I just love the effect.

I wanted to use another black and white print for the binding so I looked through my black and whites and found a floral that was perfect.  I had just this much left over!

The quilt finished at 49" square, the perfect size for a toddler to use for a while.

I got it mailed a few days ago so in no time it will be wrapped around a little guy with all the love I stitched into it!

  

A Special Gramma Quilt

When Jan's daughter asked her to make curtains for her kitchen from Coca Cola fabric, she was more than happy to do so.  Once she finished making as many accessories as she possibly could with the leftover fabric, though, she was sick of it and never wanted to see it again.  Being the generous friend that she is, she managed to lose it to her quilty friends in the form of three-inch strips playing Left-Center-Right at quilt retreat.  Being the fun friend I am I secretly gathered them up from everyone thinking that some day I would make her a fun surprise from them.

Nothing needs a fun surprise like a first-time Gramma so when Jan found out her Coca-Cola loving daughter was (FINALLY!) expecting a baby, I knew I had to make a baby quilt.  I wanted to use up as much of the fabric as I could, but I also wanted to add a few more fabrics for interest.  I decided on something from the Michael Miller Tea Room collection and just made Sawtooth Star blocks.

Originally I planned to use the Apron Ruffles print for the borders but just used it as the backing instead.

I did use up almost every last bit of the fabric.  When Jan's little grand-daughter, Rose Mary Jean, was born I sent the leftovers to her in a card in case she wanted to make something else from them.  

She thought that was funny!

She thought the whole thing was funny!

But she really does love her "Fun at Gramma's" quilt ……..

…….. and I think little Rose Mary will too!