Rainbow Bears' Square Dance - is finished!

 

Here it is then: quilted and bound.

My Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilt from 2016. The top has been finished for about a year, but now it's finally finished.

The quilting is quite simple: FMQ motif echoing within the "paws" and zig-zags in the block sashing, with gentle curves with the walking foot in the background space. I don't know why it took me so long to decide on that!

I like the whole top, but I think the back is the tops:

I just love the back! It makes me feel so happy!

Now just one more photo, over the railing:

Quilt statistics:
Size: 58" square
Fabric top: assorted scraps from stash
Backing: assorted solids, but mainly Bella
Pieced and quilted with Aurifil 40wt.: background with dark grey (2630), front with assorted colours to match the fabric, more or less.

This is my second finish for
the 2018 finish along Q1 which I posted about here.

this is my first finish for April's One Monthly goal, which I posted about here

 Click on the buttons to visit the link ups.

Happy Sewing

Marly.

April's One Monthly Goal

I'm going to link up my quilting goals for March at Patty's "One Monthly Goal" at Elm Street Quilts.

Firstly, for the third month in succession, is this:

Rainbow Bears' Square Dance (my RSC project 2016)

It could be my only goal; will I get it finished in April? Hopefully! It's about time! So, just in case I do, I've added a few more goals!

Secondly, to make a theme block for the Dutch Modern Quilt Guild April Challenge. The name says it all doesn't it? It has to be finished this month! No pictures yet (no stitches either!) but the theme could be patriotic - or not!

Thirdly, To get started on my centre block for the Round Robin Challenge at the District West Bee of the Dutch Modern Quilt Guild. It's not due until the middle of May, but I've never taken part in a Round Robin before and don't know what sort of hidden pitfalls lie ahead, so I need to give myself plenty of time.

Fourthly, if I still have time over, to finish piecing the backing of:

En Provence (Quiltville mystery 2016-2017)

Some of the orphan blocks and parts to go into the backing.

I had quite a few parts that weren't needed in my final layout which was smaller than Bonnie Hunter's. The same happens every year - I have to frantically make extras of some units; and have too many of others! That's part of the mystery!

Now to link up to

 

Click on the button to see the handicraft plans of others.

Happy sewing

Marly.

March's OMGoal almost finished!

At the beginning of March I set trying to finish this quilt as my goal:

(and, incidentally at the beginning of February too!) Unfortunately it's still not quite finished. I don't know what happened to March, except that it quick marched all the way and April starts in seven and a half hours!

The picture below doesn't look very different, but appearances can be deceptive.

Rainbow Bears' Square Dance at the end of March.

The difference is in the detail:

All the rainbow blocks are now quilted, the label is attached (nearly forgot it!). The extra wadding and backing could now be removed and the quilt bound but I can't find the last piece of dark grey fabric to make the binding! If I find it, I'll try to finish it tomorrow evening, and otherwise it will have to wait until later in the week as the LQS is closed until Wednesday.

Guess what's going to be first on my list for April!

I'm linking to 

 

Click on the button to visit more finished projects, really finished, that is! 

Happy sewing

Marly.

February OMG

My goal for February is to start the quilting of this one: my Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilt from 2016.

The bears' rainbow square dance.

This has been a top since February 24 2017. I would like to get it quilted this month, but it's a short month, so I'll settle for layering and starting quilting. If I get it completely finished that will be a bonus.

This is my One Monthly Goal for February; I'll be linking up when the link is open.

Click on the button above to see other wonderful goals for February.

Happy sewing

Marly

2018 FAL Q1 list

Once again the Finish-A-Long is open and sewers, knitters and crocheters have been invited to submit their lists of ongoing projects they hope to get finished in this first quarter of 2018.

I don't have any ongoing projects that will be finished within the next three months, but I do have a number of completed quilt tops. If I can finish one a month that will be good going, so here is my list of three tops plus a small item I haven't yet started sewing:

1. En Provence, Quiltville mystery 2016-17
2. Bears' Rainbow Square Dance, RSC 2016
3. The Sky at Night, RSC 2015, which is complete, there are no longer two missing blocks.
4. Blue/aqua scrappy basket from a pattern by Fiona at BubzRugz     

1.  En Provence, Quiltville mystery 2016-17

2. Bears' Rainbow Square Dance, RSC 2016

3. The Sky at Night, RSC 2015

4. Scrappy baskets: waiting for blue

It is really shameful that these have been lying around for up to two years. I hope I can get this lot out of the boxes and onto beds and laps and in use!

I'm linking to Leanne at "She Can Quilt" where there are already more than 90 participants with a finish list.

Happy Sewing

Marly.

Scrappy weekend

Each month Angela gives a colour for scrap using, and some suggestions for blocks to make with that colour. This year I've been making Bear Paws instead of Angela's row quilt. One month  I misread the instructions and made extra pink blocks instead of red. Silly me! This week I made a set of red paws so now I've caught up for now:

although I'm not sure how I'll pair them up with some of these:

I've decided to continue with these blocks next year until I have enough for a lap quilt. Incidently those 2" b/w HSTs make very good leaders and enders!

I also sent off two blocks for a charity quilt:

both are gloriously scrappy: a mixture of  civil war and 1930's reproduction, and some modern pieces as well. They're not trimmed because the only measurement given was 26cm square, but no mention of  whether that was the finished or unfinished size, nor of whether the width of the seam allowance  was to be 0.5 or 0.75cm, both of which are common here. Whoever has the task of joining the donated blocks will have to decide that one for herself. I do have a question though for those of you using metric measurements: how wide do you make your seam allowance (when you're not using 0.25", that is!)

I'm linking to 

  and to  

so go and visit them and see more beautiful scrappy creations

Happy sewing

Marly.

Autumn Sunshine

Angela at Soscrappy gave yellow as this month's colour.

Bear's paws basking in the sunshine

I had lots of 2" yellow strips left from last year's Quiltville mystery from Bonnie Hunter. But if  I needed confirmation that my guest bedroom/sewing room needed tidying I got it when I couldn't find them anywhere! Yesterday evening, having just finished sewing these, guess what ... I found the 2" yellow roll already set aside and ready to use!

A week or so ago I laid out all my bear's paws to date to see what I had and how I could mix the colours. 

I still have to make two red pairs and at least one more blue pair, and split the purple and pink combination (top right) as there's too little contrast. I'm certainly nowhere near being finished with this one! I don't even have enough for a lap quilt, but I hope to have some of these units joined into blocks before the end of the year. Next year will see the same quilt moving along with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!

I'm linking this post to

Pop over there and look at all the creative yellowness!

Happy Sewing

Marly.