Scrappy Trips

I finished my 24 block for the Scrappy Trips quilt. At first I found them tedious but after the first few I didn't feel that any longer.  I would probably continue to make blocks in these colors but I really don''t know what I will do with this; one thing I know for sure I do not need another quilt for my bed.
I have a fair number of short pieces left from cutting the 16 inch x 2 1/2 inch strips; I am leaning toward a piano key border. I'm not sure if I want to make another as I think I put piano keys on a lot of quilts lately. It just seems to work so well for scrappy quilts. Maybe I like it because I'm lazy and it is so easy. I will have to think about it.

I keep odds and ends of things up on my design wall. If I am trying think of what to do with something I can look at it until inspiration strikes. If nothing comes to mind and I get tired of seeing it I take it down for a while.

I've had this panel up on my design wall for a while. My friend, Kathy gave me this fabric and I cut out this section which is one repeat. It was up on my wall when I started making the scrappy trips blocks and putting them up on the wall. After I got about six blocks made and they were right above the panel, I looked at them one day and it struck me how well they went together.

 

I am thinking of cutting the framed motifs apart and fitting them into a bargello quilt using many of the same fabrics. I will  have to add some others in the smae colors. Here it is set on top of the blocks and it really blends in more than this photo shows. It really is yelling at me and demanding to be used with this pallet.  

Basement fun etc.

Saturday was our Basement Divas meeting; as usual it was a great time together.
Once again I was the recipient of something made from my non serious donations to the Jellyroll Race prizes. On the left is the quilt that Suzie made with orphan blocks that I put together in a prize pack. On the right is a flimsy that Gwen made from a pack of all scrappy leftover Disappearing 9 Patch pieces. Gwen offered to finish it but I felt guilty letting her take her time to do that so I will finish it. I never expected anyone to finish something with my donations and return them to me but with this group you never know what will happen. It is all part of the fun. 
I  also received an almost full bottle of Bubble Jet set from Fran. She read my post about buying a bottle and emailed me not to buy it that she had some she would never use and it is mine free of charge. She said I could make her a square oven mitt in exchange. I think that is a great bargain.

I have five more scrappy trips blocks made and I have 5 more sets of strips arranged on trays and ready to make into blocks. There are 9 more up on the design wall (not shown here). If I make this square I only need 3 more blocks but if I make it a rectangle I need 9 more blocks. I guess it is time to make up my mind what I want to do with this. Maybe I should just make the 5 blocks and then put it away for a while and work on things I need to finish.

A Finish

I finished one small thing this week,
this 25 inch square table topper. The center block is the Circle of Geese" Paper pieced block that we learned last week at our retreat. I was relieved when it all came together nicely with the Birds in the Air blocks I made a couple of weeks ago.




Most of the quilting is in the ditch with come echo type quilting in the center and straight lines in the birds and the air blocks where the non pieced side of the blocks comes together to make rows.
I backed it with a piece of fabric I cut from a cotton sheet. I have been rethinking my ideas about using sheets for backing. They are good quality cotton and they come in a variety of colors and prints. I see no reason to back something with $10 -$12 quilting fabric if it will hang on the wall or is meant to lay on a table with the back side down and not seen.







I am not making much progress on my Scrappy Trip around the World blocks. I am not sure why I am finding them tedious. It could be that I know I am stealing time from what needs to be done. 

When I get to this stage I begin to question my choices. this looks insipid to me. That second row from the bottom is a pale yellow green not yellow.




Once I get the block finished it has all come together much better.

I have only 4 finished blocks but I have 4 more that I have sewed in strips and sliced and unstitched and rearranged and ready to sew into blocks.


I think the sewing all the blocks in the same color order of blue,yellow, orange, yellow, green,  yellow, was a mistake. It is too predictable I am gong to mix it up a little more. I will still keep the long diagonal line in the blue color family,(blue, blue green, purple etc) and at least 2 yellow strips.  I think I will order some fat quarters to mix it up some more. I like a little surprise and even though I have a pretty good idea what the fabrics look like when I see them "in person" they are always a bit different.

Maybe tomorrow I will have my 8 finished  blocks to show.

Maybe not

Maybe I will have more.

We'll see!