Adding Pink Backgrounds

Pink is the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) color for January. I used most of my small pink scraps except for strings and crumbs and larger chunks (greater than a six inch square and less than a Fat Quarter (FQ)).  So for this week's color pink I dug out an old UFO that needs some pink. 

I started making Stars for an Edyta Sitar quilt called Blueberry Farm back at the end of  Dec. 2023. 

 I made one complete block and then in January 2024 I made the remaining 11 Stars but did not add the backgrounds. 

This week I dug out the Stars and pink background fabric, cut pieces and added backgrounds to 8 Stars. 

It's a good thing that a long time ago I had looked for errata because the pattern in the book was incorrect as far as cutting the background pieces. If I had followed the pattern as written I would have ended up with a lot of pieces that were too small.   It's also a good thing I looked for that errata a long time ago and documented it on the book page because I see that the link to the errata is no longer valid.  

I rarely follow a pattern to make most quilts but there are some more challenging ones I want to make so buy books or patterns by various designers just for the challenging instructions or templates.  Unfortunately I have come across errors in those books and patterns more often than not and that does not make me a happy camper. It's like gettting damaged merchandise that can't be returned. 

 

So anyway...this is the quilt I'm making  - Blueberry Farm by Edyta Sitar found in the book Scrappy Firework Quilts.  I've renamed my quilt to Peace Patch.   

  I found a new link for the errata in the book. FYI -there are two other patterns in the book with errors. 

I've decided that these blocks will move forward all the way to the TBQ (to be quilted) pile and not go into the UFO bin of partially made blocks and parts or into the SAR (some assembly required) bin.   I had not previously decided upon sashing for the blocks  - the sashing columns are different from the sashing between stars in the columns. I looked around in my brown fabrics and I think I have enough of that seedy looking fabric for the column sashing.  The sashing between stars in the pattern is strip pieced with a couple of different fabrics but I am thinking I might just use the pink and brown floral if I have enough of it. 

And sew on...

RSC ScrapHappy Saturday

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REMEMBER, TREASURE, GROW, READ (my words of the year)

The past years I've been doing a lot of scrub brush trimming (for new gardens) with pruner and lopper which is hard on the hands after awhile. Sometimes I use the chain saw which is gettting to be a bit much for this old lady to handle. I bought myself a new small lightweight battery operated mini chain saw that can cut branches up to six inches in diameter. I'm ready for warmer weather! 

 

And Then There Were Twelve

I have all twelve of my Stars finished and ready for the pink background to be added.  The quilt is from the book Scrappy Firework Quilts by Edyta Sitar and she calls it Bluberry Farm. I'm calling mine Peace Patch. 

Whew! It was close on that brown batik fabric with peace signs! I had less than the pattern called for and so thought I might have to piece together some of the scraps. 

And sew on...

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CELEBRATE! (my word of the year)

Jan. 28 -Celebrating scraps! The postman dropped off a medium flat rate box Saturday evening. On Sunday most of the box was processed. Some scraps went into project bags and boxes and some went into scrap bags kept by color. I love scraps! I also love quilty friends with scraps! And I do have a few quilty friends I love that send backing pieces once in awhile too.  Yes, celebrating scraps and friends with scraps and scrappy comfort quilts!  I get by with a little help from my friends. 

 

A Few Peace Patch Stars

Since "Browns and Blues" is the theme in my sewing space this month I decided to continue working on the quilt I call Peace Patch since it contains brown. The pattern is called Blueberry Farm and is from the book Scrappy Firework Quilts by Edyta Sitar. 

Six more stars to go. That should not take long since I have all of the star points with diamonds finished. I decided to make all 12 of the stars before I add the pink background pieces.  Then I will have to decide on sashing fabrics. 

And sew on...

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CELEBRATE (word of the year)

Jan. 7 - I finally found the perfect onion ring recipe! 

Backstory - We grow a lot of onions (from plants) every year, store them, and eat about an onion a day. Since hubby will no longer be eating food because he cannot swallow and has a G-tube I am the only one in the household now eating onions. I have a lot of onions stored but didn't get them all cured properly due to hubby's hospital visits. Now some are starting to sprout and rot.  I have given some away; however, most folks I know don't really eat many onions.  So, anyway, I have been eating a lot of onions lately. I do love onion rings and have been trying out a lot of different recipes looking for what I consider the perfect onion ring. I finally found the perfect and very simple recipe in one of my old cook books - The Settlement Cookbook first published in 1901. Now I think I could eat onion rings for breakfast, lunch and dinner! 

 

Peace

One star down. Eleven more to go. 

I've been wanting to use that brown and pink peace sign fabric for a long long time. 

A few weeks ago I mentioned I was making a few quilts I have had bookmarked for several years. This is Blueberry Farm from the book Scrappy Firework Quilts by Edyta Sitar.  Good thing I looked for errata before assembly or I would have had a few problems with adding in the background pieces. 

And speaking of errata...I made my own mistake when cutting strips for this one. I cut at 2 inches instead of 1.5 inches. I must have had my head somewhere in the clouds when I first read the directions. I only noticed after I had all 24 strip sets finished.  In the back of my mind I knew something was wrong when I was sewing the strips together but it wasn't until I started cutting pieces from the strip set that I realized my big mistake.  At first I thought I would just cut more pieces at the correct width and make more strip sets but 1) I don't have a lot of pink or brown fabrics to cut more pieces and 2) that seemed like an overwhelming task to me at this time.    Then I thought I would rip all strip sets apart and cut all of the strips to the proper 1.5 inch width. Again, that seemed like such a daunting task. I almost threw all the strip sets into a box to later cut up for Sixteen Patch blocks or something.  Then it dawned on me that I could leave the strip sets together, cut 1/4 off of the top and bottom of the strip set and then sew 1/4 inch inside all three seams within the strip sets and then trim those seams off.   That's what I did.  I was determined to get one star made before year end. And so I have. 

Now I need to change the name of my quilt from Blueberry Farm to maybe something like Peace Patch. 

And sew on...