gearing up for more colorful fun!!!

how is this even possible?! i've been RSCing with all you guys and our colorful scraps for 13 years now!!!

nearly unfathomable! and the scraps: they keep coming and growing!

CHEERS: here's to another colorful year, filled with colorful quilts....

  

RSC26: plans, purposes and piecing...

since Betsy and i are leaving for India on January 1, (we're going to an orphanage in Kalinga to teach English, among other things...) i've gotten a head start on RSC26. in between ALL THE THINGS with traveling internationally, getting ready for family visits AND Christmas, i've found some time in the sewing room to methodically piece with my colorful 3" squares, and enjoy some quiet, contemplative, relaxing evenings... 

i've never made a bear paw quilt (!!!), and thought i'd mix it up a bit this year and throw in some triangles with my squares. 

i also made what i hope was an educated guess, and started with green. i went through all my little boxes of squares (i have them all divided into colors) and picked out 2 of each individual green. instead of trying to find 4 greens that "read" the same, i chose instead this year to make 4 patches, of a pleasing and contrasting monochromatic color way. 

it's of course, much easier, less stressful and more relaxing to do this. and i did a few of the 4 patches into the bear paws, to see how i'd like them. after doing a dozen (!) i decided that to have the lighter patch in the corner next to the claws looked better; i'll do the remainder of the blocks this way. 

above are the plates with the yellow, pink and purple 4 patches picked out and matched up. i've already cut out all the black claws, and the scrappy low volumes to pair into the triangles. i'll work on that as i'm able, and then of course when i get home in mid-February. 

as i was going through all my boxes of squares to find the twosies for the 4 patches, i quickly realized that i wasn't really decreasing the amount of cut squares in any significant way... (i'm clever like that!) 

so back to the boxes i went, and chose any and all squares that had 12 or 13 of a print. as i am able, or the mood strikes, i'll make these 25 patch blocks. 

there are quite a few blocks in the enamel bowl; i'd guess to make at least 25-30 blocks. i've not paired them up yet, so that's just a guess... 

another interesting fact: i've never made one of these- meaning a 25 patch. i've always focused on either a 4, 9 or 16 patch sized block. maybe this will help work through all these 3" blocks that i have!

click on over to Angela's blog to see what everyone else is up to... and thanks for stopping by! 

*taps on screen* is anyone there?

it's a parade of 3" squares! i have an accuquilt studio cutter, and a selection of *favorite* dies, and i'm not afraid to use them... haha! i've been sewing quietly and sporadically in the background this year. i enjoy visiting so scrappy every saturday to see what everyone is up to... and obviously, i gather much inspiration from what you guys have been up to!

the idea for this quilt was sparked from somewhere or another, but i can't remember now... i had hoped to to the alternate blocks as hourglasses, but i didn't have enough of scrappy greys, so i did HSTs instead. (i purchased the greys from Wanda) 

this quilt layout also seems to be pretty popular. (as well as pretty beautiful!) i first saw this layout over at Jolene's. i love her style! also: i love this quilt! i wish i had made it bigger... but, i still have MANY 9 patch blocks leftover, as well as MANY, MANY 3" squares... i think this would make a nice baby quilt. 

this rainbow bars quilt i started last year. there are no repeated fabrics within the columns. many of the fabrics are special. this is a completed quilt (imagine that! it's not a flimsy. the cat and i took a nap under this quilt just yesterday...) 

alhough i didin't get any closeups of the quilting, each row is quilted about ¼" on either side of the seam. the white is just with white thread, but each rainbow row has its own color: red, pink, orange, yellow, green, aqua, light blue, dark blue, purple, brown, black, tan and grey. 

 that was definitely a hassle to quilt it so specifically, but i persevered, and in the end, i'm very glad i did! my daughter, B (she's 18 now!!!) are going to an orphanage in India for 6 weeks in the New Year to teach English, and i plan on taking this quilt with me! 

thanks for stopping by! thanks for reading this far! thanks for the comradery ad inspiration through all the years~ i started RSCing in 2014! i have some ideas, plans and lists for RSC 2026, and i look forward to a new year, with new fabrics, new ideas and new quilts with old friends! 

slow but steady wins the race...

RSC23: the inspiration of this flower basket quilt hit; sorry it's been so long ago that i don't even remember where i was inspired to create this quilt from! 

i pieced 9 different blocks. each flower was a different color, but each basket was the same brown fabric. each of the leaves, and the cornerstones in the finished setting was a different green. (i had way more greens than i thought i did!) 

 

i used a batik for the background. (and *almost* had enough before needing to switch out to something very, very similar...) sigh... 

very often i do a mock-up design and layout in my EQ5 (!!!) program. that makes things much easier to work on in bits and starts. it also allows me to remember what i'm working on, and my original idea of where i was headed... i often have ALOT of projects/WIPs going at once, so i like to have the reminder tucked in with what i'm working on... 

blogger is being super dumb, and won't let me separate the two pictures... but, above is the finished quilt. it's being auctioned off at the PA Relief Sale next weekend in Harrisburg. i donated the top, and it was hand quilted by some of the MCC volunteers. (click on over to see the details and some up close beauty shots...) 

my youngest daughter, B and i will head down to say a fond farewell to this quilt, as well as take in all the sights and sounds this sale has to offer. 

thanks for stopping by. i've been so sporadic with the blogging, but still sewing along for RSC25. go see what everyone esle is doing, too, over at Angie's blog!