Quilty fun

 Just finished last night. Squared Up quilt made from all sorts of leftover pieces. Larger pieces are 2.5", and the little ones are 1.5". It was such fun to make this. I do love scrappy quilts!

 

 

Actual quilt is a tad darker. Dopey phone!

And, in progress, some lovely blocks.

 

There will be an alternate block between these guys.

And knitting? A cancer sock that I started last fall. When the Hubz was diagnosed, I went into sock mania. All those endless waiting rooms. The hospital fiasco. More waiting rooms. His catastrophic side effects from Keytruda. You get the picture. Socks are just mindless little objects and very easy to knit when under stress.

No pictures 'cause it's just a sock.

Finished!

 I really ought to keep track of when I start a quilt, but I don't. This one has been hanging out in the to-be-bound pile and I finally finished it yesterday. Just needs a wash and crinkling.

The color is pretty close. Just think a bit darker.

Scrappy quilts

I love scrappy quilts! The best part about quilting is pulling fabrics, and I have the biggest crayon box of fabrics going. And, as all you quilters know, you never ever can use up all your scraps. Still, I try. Hah!This is this year's leader/ender quilt. It's a pattern from Bonnie Hunter from 2022. I'm calling it a  Jigsaw Quilt. I had such fun with it that I'm doing it again. This time, my scrappy colors are blues, greens, turquoises, and such. I started it at the beginning of Jan, and figure it'll take me maybe a year to finish.This is just 4 block put together, not a final thing at all.

So, that's my current leader/ender quilt. The "real" quilt looks like flowers to me. I think the pattern is Road to Oklahoma, but it's not made that way. I looked at it, and thought that it was just easier the way I'm making it. 

This also qualifies as a scrappy quilt in that I've pulled lots of pinks, greens, and turquoises.  These blocks will not be sewn together. I'm going to do a sort of Irish chain block in between these guys.

It's a lot of fun, but I have to pay close attention. Good exercise for my brain.

Velcro season has arrived!

 It's finally that time of year: Velcro Season! And what is Velcro Season? It's the season of flannel sheets, flannel comforter cover, and flannel nighties.  You cannot roll over in bed when everything is flannel. Trust me. Flannel sticks to itself. So if you want to roll over, you have to do it aerobically. Lift your body, twist in the air, and then plop down. 

It's a cozy, delicious way to sleep. About as hygge as you can get. But you can't roll over. 

Here's what else you need to think about. Today I put on the flannel sheets and wanted to put the cover on my comforter. Sigh. the dopey cover stuck to the sheet. Got it on anyway, but it was interesting. 

And in honor of Velcro Season, here is one of my favorite quilts. Not flannel, thank goodness.

It's a bit darker than the picture. Can't remember when I made it. It's been around for a few years. Mindlessly dopey to make, which is my kind of quilt. I really should use this pattern again. 

And speaking of quilts, here are 4 blocks in an upcoming quilt.

Again, a bit darker in real life. Each block will have a border that will contrast with the outer triangles. I've done this design a few times, and each time, the quilt is really pretty.

And that's it. Knitting is proceeding as usual, but I have no good pictures to share. I'm working on yet another Rauma little sweater. I love these lightweight pullovers. They are perfect for fall temps. Not warm enough in winter, but great right now.

I don't remember when I started this

 I have no idea when this was started, but I finally sewed it all together today.  

In real life, it is very vibrant, not washed out as in the photos.  Clearly I have no future as a photographer, but it is what it is.

On top of the bed, hence the general wonkiness.

A brand new quilt top

 Ah ha!  I actually have a quilt to post.  Well, a top, but almost a quilt.

All wonkiness is because it's on top of the bed, and on top of another quilt.  Hence the somewhat weird picture.

Full string quilt

Taken just now on a sunny (and cold) day outside. I love making string quilts.  It's all about the color!

A new spring quilt!!

 I love making string quilts.  Anything goes, and they are mindlessly easy to do.  So this is the latest one.

A Feb quilt finish

 DD saw this in progress and grabbed it.  Pictures are of it before washing, so no crinkling.

Taken on the kitchen floor, and a bit brighter in real light.

What's new?

I started a new quilt.  So far I have one block made. I'm using at least 3 different collections of French General from Moda.  They all live nicely together. A new collection is coming out sometime this month, and of course, I'll buy a layer cake.  Those fabrics may make it into this quilt.  Or not.  At some point, I'll use it.  I do save these collections.

The red is not so bright.  The camera being the camera, it's always iffy to get those deep muted reds.  But still, you'll get the idea.  

I may border each block with an off-white, or not.  Depends on how annoying I find it to match those points. So, the way the photo is presented here, it has a little white border.  I like it!  Going to use it on the blocks.  Make less blocks and no points messing about.

Quilting and knitting

I'm back to the sewing machine!  Finally!  After months of not touching it.  Little 5" blocks with corners.  All sorts of William Morris prints.  14 rows x 14 rows.  A bit larger than my usual lap quilts.  I am so enjoying this.  It's good to have the quilting mojo back again.

Knitting is going on while I'm waiting for the first round of Sock Madness.  Finished and accepted for the qualifying round.  But you know that I cannot be without anything on the needles.  So I started a lovely shawl, Roiling Waters, and bought yarn for it from Earthfaire.  I'm using the yarns from kit A.  I rarely buy kits, but Ellen does such a lovely job of putting yarns together, and her prices are reasonable, so why do it all myself?  She also does amazing bead bracelets, etc.  Check her out!

Dresden plates

are such fun to do.  I made my first one a number of years ago as a doll quilt for Miss P.

This was back in 2011.  Miss P is now a freshman in high school and needless to say, doesn't play with American Girl dolls any more.  But I still play with Dresden plates.

Ignore the oval openings in the center; they are really round.  and the blocks are on the back of a couch in my sewing chamber, hence the bit of a backward curve.

I'd forgotten just how much fun they are to do.  The plan is for a 4x4 quilt with a border or two.  My usual lap quilt.  I think the centers will be white and also the background.

My autumnal log cabin

is finished!  Yay!  I made quite a while ago, and just finished it today.  It's my usual lap quilt.  I love to cuddle under lap quilts and never make bed quilts.  I get too bored to do that last row that would turn a lap into a bed quilt.

Next to string quilts, log cabins are my favorite kinds of quilts.  They are perfect for folks like me who argue with points matching.

I actually finished...

a quilt!  Really finished, as in it's quilted and bound and ready to be mailed off.  Took me long enough.

Yep, it's another string quilt.  I love making string quilts.  I could make them nonstop.  Easy sewing, no points matching, and the fun of deciding which strip to place next to the previous one.

More dancing blocks

A friend said that my blocks look as if they are dancing.  I think she's right.

I Spy - more blocks

Here are some completed blocks.

And some more.

More

I love these little blocks. 

Design Floor Monday

Here is my HST quilt so far.  I'm loving doing this.  Not that my HST skills have gotten better, but it is still a lot of fun.

I'm now at the I'm getting bored phase and am starting to think of the next quilt.  Might be an I Spy quilt for Benjamin.  Or not.