Scrappy Stars in the Red Range

I've been making these stars for a few months, sometimes as leaders/enders, sometimes in earnest.  I now have 48 finished, with five more in progress.   It's time to think about how to turn them into a quilt.

My first layout idea was this.

But after looking at these a few times over a day or two, I realized the stars really need some space of their own.   They're just too mashed together and congested, creating a very busy quilt.   So I moved on to my next idea.

This is a straightforward layout:  on-point, diagonal set with alternate squares between.  I like that each star gets its own space to shine.

I'll use this layout unless a better idea comes along.

Next I need to sort out fabric for the alternate squares.  I always imagined using a light/lightish fabric, maybe leaning toward pink, since all but a few of the stars are in the red range.  I have two pieces of yardage with enough fabric to cut all the alternate blocks (and hopefully side setting triangles, too). 

This fabric looks more pink than the other because it has red vines and flowers with little grey/charcoal/black circles.

This fabric has a white background with little heart flowers.

You can see both fabrics in this photo.

The arrangement of the stars needs some work, something I'll decide after I choose fabric for the alternate blocks.  And, I guess the other possibility for the alternate fabric is to choose a darker or brighter fabric.  I'm still playing and considering.  I welcome your thoughts on these blocks, layout, fabric, and color.

If I use only the blocks I already have, the layout will be 6 blocks by 8 blocks. A 6" block set on the diagonal measures about 8½".   The quilt would measure about 51" x 68", so a smaller quilt, not even large enough for a twin bed.  But someone might like it....  Or maybe I'll make six more blocks....

I'm linking this post to
  > Finished (or not) Friday at Alycia Quilts..
  > Oh Scrap at Quilting is more fun than Housework
Thank you for hosting, Alycia and Cynthia

--Nancy.

Scrappy Stars is a Finished Top

Hooray for a finish! If you came here three days ago you saw these same blocks laid out as a quilt but they were not yet sewn together.  Now they are.  It measures 35" x 43½".

Choosing the fabric for the alternate blocks was a quick decision.  Cutting and sewing those blocks went quickly, too--started and finished in three days.  (Don't bother to enlarge the photo because it will not have the clarity you hope for.)

This may not be the scrappiest quilt with the most different fabrics or small pieces I've made, but it is the scrappiest quilt with the most different pieces in a single block.  I counted 15 different fabrics in one block and others have more.  Just to be clear, I made this quilt but I followed the lead of an antique quilt when I chose and placed fabrics.  I participated in Repro QuiltLover Taryn's Scrappy StitchAlong a year or so ago.  I raided my fabrics to find ones as close to the fabrics in her original antique quilt as I could.  And boy, are these 6" blocks scrappy!

If I had been the original creator of this quilt I think I might have placed triangles a little differently.  So many of the stars seem out of balance.

These two are my favorite blocks. I think that's because of the clarity and simplicity.

I'm thinking this quilt should be a donation quilt.  Do you think any mom would want this for her baby?

I'd like to find someone who could layer and quilt it (by machine would be fine), then donate it.  Any readers who would be interested?  One of the reasons I'm not finishing it myself is that the fabric in the alternate squares is a little denser than regular cotton and makes hand quilting too hard for my hands.  The other reason for finding someone to take it is that I already have too many quilts that need quilted, and I'm a slow hand quilter.  So, if you might be interested please let me know in the comments.

I'm linking this post to Finished (or not!) Friday at Alycia Quilts.  Thank you for hosting, Alycia.

And remember those photos I thought I lost last weekend?  I found them, thanks to Katie.  This photo doesn't show the detail of snow on branches but still, isn't it a beautiful winter wonderland?

We are having frigid temperatures here in central Ohio, but spring will nudge out winter one of these days!  Next week looks like it will be in the 40s and 50s.  It will seem spring-like!

--Nancy.

Those Oh-So-Scrappy Stars

I've been feeling unsettled today and I'm not sure why.  Does that ever happen to you?  Something's not quite right but you're not sure what?  Today, for me, it could have something to do with the fact that my daughter, who's been so present in my life over the last several years, moved to South Dakota this weekend and I don't know when I'll see her again.  She has been such a support through last year's surgeries and vertigo, not to mention how much I enjoy her energy and bright spirit.

So it's been hard to focus for longer than a few minutes on anything today.  I have scrappy stars and little nine-patch blocks to sew, but they didn't capture my interest; and I have slow stitching and hand quilting to do, but neither of those hit the spot.  Then I remembered the oh-so-scrappy stars I made with Repro Quilt Lover Taryn's stitch-along last year.  Yes, the perfect thing.

Unlike me, who usually takes hours, days, weeks to make decisions, I pulled out some fabric, laid out the blocks on a piece of it, and began cutting alternate squares.

The original quilt has fabric that leans a little toward gold/light orange, but I thought this was good enough.

This is old fabric that I sewed into a dress which, when it didn't fit, I cut apart so I could use the fabric.  This is what it looks like with the blocks.  I think it's satisfactory.  (Though a light blue might have worked, too....)

The blocks have to be sewn together yet.  Maybe a finished top by the end of the week?!!

When I made these blocks I tried to recreate them using colors/fabrics as close to the originals as I could, and the layout is like the original little quilt, too.  But as I look at it, I'm tempted to rearrange the blocks.  Part of me says to leave them because the arrangement is like the original.  The other part of me says to rearrange them to create a little more balance. 

And what mom would want this quilt for her child unless she loves scrappy?!  It's just the craziest quilt!

I found the lost photos from a few days ago on Google photos where, I guess, my phone moves photos, or at least copies them.  Now I have to figure out how to move them from Google photos to my computer.  There's always something new to learn with technology!

Wherever you are, I hope you are safe, warm (or cool), and comfortable.

--Nancy.

Dreaming of Possibilities in 2025

I might see these in my dreams but I'm not promising myself progress on any or all of them.  Since what these need is so clear cut (except for Bramble Blooms), it makes sense I should be able to do something to move them forward to become finish tops or quilts.  But then there is life....

These are quilts I might possibly work on/play with in 2025, in no particular order.

Blue (+ brown) and lights blocks

My idea with these blocks was centers with a square set straight or on point surrounded by a square set the other way, etc.  But no stars.  I chose blues and lights but when Lizzy of Gone to the Beach sent an antique brown block, I decided to incorporate several more brown blocks.  The blocks will finish at 12" and I intend to use fabric in the pink/coral range for sashing and border.  Four across will make a quilt about 65-67 inches wide.  The challenge will be the length.  Five blocks down will finish between 81-83 inches.  Add one more block to the length and it will finish at about 93 inches which is perhaps a little too long.  I intend to make square-in-square cornerstones. The patterns for all of these blocks came from Judy Hopkins's book, 501 Rotary-Cut Quilt Blocks.from where I learned that the same pattern may have different names depending on the color arrangement.  Anyway, I need to make either three or seven more blocks.

Bramble Blooms

Dear, dear Bramble Blooms.  What a failure I made of my first effort.  I unstitched all but the center and a narrow border I'd added.  My fabrics are still in stacks and I hope to get back to this soon.

rose fabric squares

I've cut about half the number of squares I need for the quilt.  My intention was a one-patch but other ideas keep popping into my head.  What about a few subtle stars?  What about applique?  What about a border around each block?  What about . . . ?  I have a length of toile with children in old-fashioned clothing, playing old-fashioned games, also with beautiful bouquets of roses which might work for the back. 

Everyday Patchwork

The quilting is in progress.  I just need to make progress--stitch and get it done.

scrappy stars in mostly the red range

I'm using these 6" stars as leader/enders, except when I'm not.  Cutting takes time....  Still debating layout and size.  Rows with sashing?  Alternate plain squares?  On point or straight set?

little 9-patch in autumn colors

This is also a leader/ender and, again, cutting takes time.  I have plenty of scraps to cut.  Layout and size yet to be determined.

100 Day Stitch Book
I don't have a photo for this because I haven't decided whether to participate or not. Ann Wood Homemade hosts the 100 Day Stitch Book sew-along in which we cut fabric pages, stitch on them for 15 minutes every day for a week (or five days), then move to the next page.  Most of the finished books are not just stitches but have layers of fabric stitched in place. The appealing things about this are the aspect of play and that turned fabric edges are not necessary.

Will I have time? (It begins on Friday, January 17 and ends in April.)  Will I have the energy or the focus or the concentration?  I certainly have plenty of fabric for this.

I was looking online about vertigo and someone asked why he or she was so tired.  The responder said the brain is working harder than usual to try to keep the person balanced.  I translate that as, I wouldn't be so tired if I stayed in bed all day.  However, that would absolutely not be good for me or my muscles, and I think both the doctor and physical therapist would agree.  But it's sure tempting some days....

Another possible time limitation will be trying to sort and clear out some of the things in our home.  Changes will be coming but I'm not sure when.  We have too much stuff!

Yesterday it snowed.  It was cold and beautiful.

Today, well, this afternoon, it's much colder even though we have clear skies and sun.  I sometimes think how bored I would be if every day were the same, always summer or always winter.  I love living in a temperate climate.  How about you?  Do you love the climate where you live?


Wishing you a good day!
--Nancy.

The Path of Least Resistance

It turns out having cut and mostly-ready-to-sew pieces of fabric for a specific quilt block makes it easier--a path of least resistance--to make those blocks when one's creative juices aren't flowing, or one doesn't have much energy.  Over the past few weeks I've finished 23 scrappy stars.  They're brighter than in the photo below.

Some are more appealing than others. The ones that are less appealing to me are similar to this one, below, because the star points get muddied with the medium triangles at the edges. The ones I like best are like the ones below where the stars stand out strongly..

Though I like some arrangements better than others, I think all of them together will be interesting.  I'm planning an alternate star - plain fabric (what color?) - star setting.  I like that each of these will have its own space.

That's it for my quilting endeavors except for the little plaid baskets which I'll post about later.

Here are a couple of photos from being out and about.

We saw these at the thrift store and thought they looked like robots. I don't know what their true purpose is.

The angles and shadows of the railings in this photo caught my attention while I was waiting for my daughter after a physical therapy appointment.

And the grass in our yard is less like grass and more like straw.

We haven't had rain in weeks, maybe a month or more.  So much of the grass is dead and many of the trees are losing leaves because of the drought.  They drop to the ground, brown and brittle.  I doubt we'll have much color this fall.  In the countryside, we saw that much of the field corn has been harvested already, which usually doesn't happen till at least October, and the soybeans are as dry now and they are in late October other years.  The weather app will predict the possibility of rain several days in advance, then change the forecast a day or so later to no rain.  As I write this at 8:30 in the evening, it's 81 degrees outside.  Please come soon, rain and autumn weather!

I'm linking this post to
> Finished (or not) Friday at Alycia Quilts. 
> Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework
> Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts Thanks for hosting, ladies.

--Nancy.

Scrappy Stars, Scrappy Nine-Patch Blocks

It feels like I haven't accomplished much these past few weeks (or months).  I'm slow, slow, slow.

I'm making scrappy stars (a la Taryn of Repro Quilt Lover).  I intended them as leaders/enders but find myself cutting, piecing, and stitching them even without sewing anything else.  This one is my favorite so far.

They will finish at 6".  I love that the triangles in the stars can be made from either 1½" strips or from some already cut triangles.  And I love the scrappiness of them.

I'm making ones with warm colors now, reds, oranges, yellows and variations of those colors, and setting aside the cool colors for later.  (Unless I change my mind and decide to combine them.)  I have eleven red stars so far.

I've also been making scrappy nine-patch blocks, also a la Taryn.  She's currently hosting a sew-along based on an antique quilt.  Mine are scrappier than the ones in the quilt.  I chose to use autumn tones for these.  I hope they all play well together.  I'm making 3" blocks.

Adding these 20 blocks to the ones I have gives me a total of 98.  I need 204, if I alternate them with a solid/print fabric.  I haven't chosen a fabric yet, or even a color.  I also haven't decided whether to do a straight or on-point set. No problem.  I have as many to make as I've already made.  It will be a while before I start sewing completed blocks together.

Much of my time these days seems to be devoted to doctors' and medical appointments:  primary care physician, orthopedic surgeon (first knee replacement coming at the end of June), spine specialist (with upcoming physical therapy), dentist, gynecologist, mammogram, bone density scan, podiatrist, dermatologist.  My body is falling apart during this 3/4 century year! 

Our weather has been variable.  This week we had two grey and rainy days, so dark during the day that I needed to turn on the lights to see.  Temperatures have been in the mid-70s part of the week, so it's been mostly great weather.  I have to say I love those grey and rainy days, as long as there aren't too many in a row!  I'm wondering what weather the summer will bring.

I hope you're doing well!

I'm linking this post to Finished (or not) Friday at Alycia Quilts.  Thanks for hosting, Alycia.

--Nancy.

More Scrappy Stars and Bramble Blooms

I'm making more scrappy stars because...

I have a container and a stack of small scraps.  What a mess!  The yellow box on the left is filled with triangles of all colors and sizes.

I'm sorting the triangles by warm colors (reds, yellows, oranges, and the purples that lean toward red), cool colors (blues, greens, and the purples that lean toward blue), and pale/pastel/natural colors.   

This is leader/ender sewing but I have to keep cutting to have enough triangles to sew.  I'm working on the warm colors first.  Red stars on white, as in the first photo, or white stars on red?  I have a lot of triangles to sew together before I have to make a decision.

I'm also cutting 1½" squares for the Tiny Nine-Patch blocks from the pile of scraps on the right in the second photo.  I hope to keep up with those to finish with the sew-along.  The triangles will be a longer-term project.

And then there's Bramble Blooms.  I finally finished stitching the brown borders on Monday.  I got up Tuesday morning with the intention of cutting the arcs from tan/light brown fabric so I could begin stitching them but my indecision got the better of me.  (Or maybe the quilt's not talking to me?)  What fabric/color should those arcs be? 

I tried red arcs and they disappeared against the brown.  I tried green and the same thing happened.  I pulled out some blues-leaning-to-teal but they looked awful.  I finally decided the tan arcs would work after all, so I cut and prepared two.  And they're also awful!  Maybe it's the wrong tan, or maybe that color range is wrong (but which would be right)?  Or maybe they're too big?  Too high?  Too wide?  Or maybe the "legs" of the arcs are too wide?  Or...?  (For perspective, the top and side borders are 8" wide and the bottom border is 9".)

My daughter suggested gold but that wasn't quite right.  And then I thought, since I've used white paper to get an idea for placement, maybe I should try the background fabrics behind the flowers.

Nope, that's not right, either.  Maybe I need to change the applique but I don't have any good ideas....

So this is where I am with Bramble Blooms.  And after I finally decide the color/fabric for the arcs, I'll probably need to reconsider the fabric/colors for the "pickets."  Or maybe small arcs all the way around.  Or...?

I was grateful to read in Audrey's recent post that it will be at least a few more weeks before she announces the next prompt.  Maybe—I hope—I will be ready!

We've had a week of sunny days and warmer temperatures.  It's been wonderful!  It almost makes me think Punxsutawney Phil could have been right this year and we'll have an early spring. 

I'm linking this post to Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework.  Thank you for hosting, Cynthia.

Thanks for reading and thank you for any comments.

--Nancy.

Busy Weeks

On the quilty side, I'll show you the last eight of my scrappy stars.  Aren't they just the craziest blocks? 

If you want to compare them to the originals, click here to see Taryn's post and scroll down to blocks 13-20.  Mine are not very close to the originals but at this point, I don't think that matters much.

I think these are the scrappiest blocks I've ever made, sometimes with 12 or more different fabrics in each block.  It was both freeing and encouraging.  All those little pieces of fabric I've saved, if they're at least 1½" by ~3", could become star points for Ohio Star blocks.  I need to decide on fabric for the alternate blocks for these stars and this quilt.

I have been cleaning, sorting, editing, and organizing the room where I have fabric, my sewing machine, all other creative supplies, my computer, paper supplies, and family history papers, files, and photographs.  Either I have too much stuff or the room is too small.  It is so easy for things to pile up and I've been trying to unearth.

We had a time-consuming interruption last week.  Nona and I were outside playing when I heard what I thought was a strange, new-to-me bird, except there were no birds around.  I listened for the sound and followed it to the unfenced side of  our back yard where I found a tiny kitten.  Oh, no.  You can probably imagine how that went.  (Let me lead your thoughts away from our keeping it.)  I still haven't gotten back to sorting and cleaning.

When we couldn't find anyone who wanted it, my daughter decided she would keep it, at least on a trial basis.  The kitten will go home with her next Wednesday. 

I probably don't need more fabric but a Bernina store on the north side of the city had a fabric swap this weekend.  People who want to sell fabric bundle and price it and people who want to buy fabric shop.  I'd not been before and didn't know what to expect. 

I found mostly high quality fabrics of all kinds, clean and neatly bundled, at great prices.  I bought a stack of 24 Civil War reproduction pieces that were at least a fat quarter or a third yard each, equaling 6 yards for $5.00.  Someone sold a Primitive Gatherings red and white charm pack for 50 cents.  And someone had neatly stuffed small- to medium-sized zipper sandwich bags full with pieces of Civil War prints and sold them for one, two, or three dollars.  There are no local shops that sell the variety of fabrics in those bags and I was thrilled to see them in person.  Of course, I bought six bags or so.  If I do make more scrappy stars, I can add some of these pieces to scraps I already have.

On the tech/blogging problems. I still don't know why comments appear on my blog posts but are not being sent to my email box.  Very frustrating.  I've checked blog settings but can't find the problem.  I did resolve the problem with not being able leave comments on others' blogs.  I use Mozilla's Firefox browser and it's very protective of my computer.  I learned that I have to turn off the protection and then I can comment.  If you're using Firefox and have the same problem, click on the shield icon to the left of the url box at the top of the page.  Then click on "Enhanced Tracking Protection" to turn it off.  It automatically goes back on at the next website you visit, or you can turn it back on after you publish your comment.

Another recent blogger problem is that I can't add photos to blog posts unless I'm in a private window and sign in to blogger.  Again, frustrating.  It probably has something to do with security protection, in which case I guess I should be grateful....

We are finally getting some bright autumn colors, but we've had plenty of rain lately, too, and more predicted for the next few days.  Where did October go?!  It's usually the most colorful month but this year it was mostly green and felt more like summer than fall, at least until the past few days.
I've babbled enough.  I hope all is well in your home and part of the world.

--Nancy.

P.S. If you leave a comment I'll respond here on this post and also send you an email if I have your email address.  So sorry for the inconvenience.

Star and Centers for Flowers

I've been working on my Gwenny-Inspired Medallion quilt.  This might look like a small star....

And I'm still trying to decide on the centers for the flowers in the basket in the center of the medallion.  The "perfect" fabric seems to be elusive -- or at least not in my collection.  Ha!

I tried several yellows and they looked garish.  Blues/aquas/turquoises looked bland.  Red won't do it because the flowers are all in the red range.  Brown was too dark.  I don't think I want solid black.  This checked black layered with this yellow/coral may work -- or not.  It works with the basket better than any of the other centers but I need to look at in the daylight, too.  I may finish the quilt and still be trying to decide on the centers for these flowers -- but I hope not!

Thanks for visiting and especially thanks if you leave a comment.

I'm linking this post to
Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework
WOW at Esther's Blog
Let's Bee Social #130 at Sew Fresh Quilts
Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Happy day to you!
--Nancy.
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