ScrapHappy - May 2026

 Welcome to Scrap Happy Day where we post about the scrappy projects we've worked on over the past month.   

Be sure to check out what everyone else has done with their scraps this month - Kate, Eva, Sue, Lynda, Birthe, Turid, Tracy, Jan, Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys, Claire, Jean, Dawn, Gwen, Sunny, Kjerstin, SueL,  Vera, Ann, Dawn2, Carol,  Preeti, Viv, Karrin, Amo, Alissa, Tierney, and Hannah

This month was one where multiple quilt pics on Pinterest caught my attention and made me want to recreate them.   The quilts were scrappy, so of course I've had to work with my scraps in making them.

First up was this simple 2 fabric quilt.   It wasn't from Pinterest, but was quick and easy.  Scraps were cut into 6.5" squares. The black on white print squares were cut from a stack of scrap pieces bought at one of the local thrift stores near my house.  The blue tonal ones were cut from fabric leftover after all the masks I made back in the midst of mask mania in 2020.

This came from a photo I saw on Pinterest.  I made a PP'd pattern for the block because it is a half-rectangle block.   I worked from a quart-sized ziploc baggie of purple batik (mainly) strips and strings.  The scraps had been pulled for probably 5-10 years now....definitely time to use them!   Did not manage to get them all used in this quilt.

A couple of remnant WOW pieces were used for the background, and a third remnant was used for the final border and to make the binding.

And this is the final scrappy quilt top for the month.  The inspiration came from several photos I saw on Pinterest.   The black on white print is the same as the first quilt and used up what was in the original stack of scraps that I'd bought.   The white on black prints were from another stack of scraps that I'd bought at the thrift store.  The bands of colors were out of the multitude of scraps that I had in my stash and about half are batiks.

All three quilts are slated to be donations once finished.

Gratitudes:

1. For complete healing from the hernia surgery

2. For the final bit in settling my  Dad's estate (bank has some unclaimed money for the estate I'm trying to deal with) to be almost finished.

ScrapHappy - April 2026

Welcome to Scrap Happy Day where we post about the scrappy projects we've worked on over the past month.   

Be sure to check out what everyone else has done with their scraps this month - Kate, Eva, Sue, Lynda, Birthe, Turid, Tracy, Jan, Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys, Claire, Jean, Dawn, Gwen, Sunny, Kjerstin, SueL,  Vera, Ann, Dawn2, Carol,  Preeti, Viv, Karrin, Amo, Alissa, Tierney, and Hannah

First scrappy project was getting all blocks for this quilt completed and then getting them together.  I'm currently debating on what to do for a border.  Would love to use the remaining solid strips that I have, but that might not happen.

I also managed to get this scrappy top quilted.   The churn dash blocks were from a long-ago swap and are all scrappy.  The bars in-between the rows were pieced from teeny scrappy pieces using adding machine tape.  Border was a remnant found in the stash, and the batting was a leftover piece someone else gave me that was big enough for this quilt.  Backing was from an end-of-bolt sale piece.

Gratitudes:

1. I've healed well from the hernia surgery and feel better than I have in several yrs.

2. A bit of a cool front is going thru the area this week so temps are back under 90 degrees here in the southwest.

ScrapHappy - March 2026

Welcome to Scrap Happy Day where we post about the scrappy projects we've worked on over the past month.   

Be sure to check out what everyone else has done with their scraps this month - Kate, Eva, Sue, Lynda, Birthe, Turid, Tracy, Jan, Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys, Claire, Jean, Dawn, Gwen, Sunny, Kjerstin, SueL,  Vera, Ann, Dawn2, Carol,  Preeti, Viv, Karrin, Amo, Alissa, Tierney, and Hannah

Life gets a little crazy at times for all of us.   For me that was the machine I always piece in needing to go in for an urgent "spa day" due to deciding it didn't want to feed the fabric through anymore (still sewed I just had to pull the fabric) and a cleaning.  And at the same time the long awaited hernia surgery was schedule for the end of February.

I've never been one to just sit around and twiddle my thumbs, so as the surgery date approached I used the machine I do my quilting on to piece up a bunch of various strings that I had pulled several years ago when sorting through my stash.  The strings filled gallon sized bags and were stuffed to the brim.

First up were the yellow strings.  These are the strips of strings.   Enough for 2 toddler quilt tops when added to focus fabrics (yet, to be pulled from the umpteen remnants or FQ's that I've got in the stash).  Along with these I trimmed the pieces that were big enough for 2.5" or 3.5" squares into squares for 2 additional quilts.   All of these likely will be donated.

Next up was the biggest bag of green strings, triangles, and odd shaped pieces.  Two sizes of squares were trimmed down first (3.5" and 2.5").  Then i sorted the strings into groupings based on width and sewed lots of 'yardage' with them.   Multiple quilt tops will be made with these.

The third bag of strings to be worked on was the pinks - from pale pink to bright fuschia.  For these, I started with making random squares or sections approximately 6"  "squarish" in size, give or take.   I then bordered them with a remnant of fabric I'd bought years ago that had brightly colored stars on a black background.  When that ran out I finished bordering the sections with a similar fabric that has larger stars.  Blocks are trimmed to 9" unfinished (why, I don't know...but they are).  Finally I finished off the pink strings by making a stack of string blocks to the same size.  These will go into toddler quilts as well, and ultimately be donated somewhere.

Gratitudes:
1. Surgery went well, albeit not quite in the way that I had hoped (ended up old-fashioned incision vs robotic, laparoscopic).  Thankfully recovery is going ok so far.

2. For friends who have helped out while I was in the hospital and now in these first few days after release.

Revisiting Art Challenge Quilts From Previous Years

 The sewing machine that I use all the time for piecing and sewing is in the shop after the feeddogs decided they no longer wanted to feed the material (still sewed I just had to pull the fabric...sigh...).   

So one of the things that I've been doing is to update my list of quilt tops that need quilting, along with documenting all of the finished quilts that I've got stashed in multiple totes. As I do so, I'm looking at the finished quilts remembering when I made them and considering what to do with them (gift them, donate them, sell them, or keep them).     When you've got 4+ large or very large totes of finished quilts it's time to make decisions.

Here are three of the quilts that I made for the annual art quilt challenge:

This one was made the year that I turned 50.   The theme was 'Decades' if I remember correctly.   There are 5 rays of 'flames' representing each decade of my life when this was made.  Each ray had 10 'flames' representing each year of my life.   The butterfly charms stood for all the years that were to come in the future.

Backing and label for the quilt.

Made in 2018, this quilt was my experiment in 3-dimensional elements.  The succulent has 3-D leaves, with the bottom round of leaves fully appliqued onto the quilt top.   The ladybugs are 3-D and are stuffed with polyfil.   There are safety pins on the underside of them that allow them to be fastened to the quilt in whatever locations the owner wants.

Backing and label for the ladybug quilt

Back in 2019 I made and named this quilt "Tessellation Zen".   I don't remember what the theme for that year was, might have been "20".   I made 20 circles in  from 20 different silk upholstery samples.  They are raw-edged appliqued to cotton.  

Label and backing for the quilt.

Gratitudes:

1. Cooler weather with some rain this week after weeks of no rain is wonderful.

2. A job that allows me to work around doctor appointments.

ScrapHappy - February 2026

Welcome to Scrap Happy Day where we post about the scrappy projects we've worked on over the past month.   

Be sure to check out what everyone else has done with their scraps this month - Kate, Eva, Sue, Lynda, Birthe, Turid, Tracy, Jan, Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys, Claire, Jean, Dawn, Gwen, Sunny, Kjerstin, SueL,  Vera, Ann, Dawn2, Carol,  Preeti, Viv, Karrin, Amo, Alissa, Tierney, and Hannah

Two scrappy projects were completed this month and a 3rd made progress. First up were these two potholders that started out from the leftover fabric from the quilted casserole carrier that I made her for Christmas.  These will be part of her birthday present this month.   All fabrics and the Insulbrite used in them were remnants or scraps.

The second scrappy project completed was this mini wall-hanging.  The top started with a cross-stitch piece that I'd finished years ago.  I then added fabrics from the specialty fabrics that I'd collected over years for CQ projects.   Binding was made from a scrap piece of batik.

With the cross-stitch piece being a kitten in the garden, I added embellishments and embroidery to add a further sense of a garden setting.  The fabrics used were also meant to add to that feeling.

Tree branch made from a sketch I'd found online.  Branches and leaves are embroidered.  Flower clusters are beaded.  2 hummingbird buttons were added.

Prickly pear in bloom embroidered is a nod to AZ where I currently live.

Tree was added in the upper left corner.  Various trims were used to make the tree.   An owl charm was added to the tree.

More of the same trims were used to make a tree branch.  Specialty threads were used to make the birds nest, and 2 pearls were used for the eggs.

Specialty embroidery threads were used to add a flowering vine to wrap around the cross-stitch.  Variegated thread was used for the flowers, and beads for flower buds.  A hand-dyed dragonfly applique was added.  Both of these were meant to add depth to the piece.

A scrap piece of fabric was pieced together to make the backing for the wall-hanging.

One completed block and leftover strip sets meant for more blocks.  The blocks used in the original 2009 swaps were the reverse of what is shown here in terms of coloring.   

More block sections and strips sets from 2009 were found and cut up. These made the top set of finished blocks in the pic below.

And the final outcome of blocks.  These will be added to actual swap blocks that I'd received to make a couple of quilt tops.  

Gratitudes:

1. Surgery for my hernia has finally been scheduled.   I'm thankful that I'll be getting this resolved before the end of this month.

2. For making some progress on dealing with stuff around the house.

2026 Stretching Art Challenge Quilt

 I'm so thankful that my vision troubles from the last year are all cleared up, because that meant I could once again take part in the annual Stretching Art Quilt Challenge.   This is year 26 for the challenge and I've participated in about 20 of the challenges if I remember right.  I'd have to actually dig out all of the wall-hangings to count all of them for sure.

The theme for this years challenge was "My Belief", based on the series of stories NPR had done years ago of people telling why they believed something.   I saw a picture that my parents and pictures on the internet that inspired me to design this layout.   The story of my belief is written on the label shown in the third picture below.

Leaves were done with a combination of machine stitching and hand beading using bugle beads.

Label with quilt info.

Gratitudes:

1. Glad that there is only 2 weeks left till the hernia surgery.

2. For the beautiful weather here in Phoenix....altho I'm wishing the temps would cool off some.