Cross my heart, this is the last time I show this block. I still wasn't happy so I added a second block and cut it all up again and now I am very pleased with the result. I think I'm catching on now. This block has been cut and recut so many times so many different bits of other blocks in it ... I've named it Frankenblock.

Playing with selvages

A few selvages on Kona charcoal are pretty on their own....

 but even better when framing a bunch of blocks just waiting for a few friends.

Seriously Behind

I have not visited this blog in way too long. I don't even know what is going on. I love the pictures, but I don't have time to read back far enough to really get what you all are doing!

Over at Sunshine (an online quilt guild) we have been busy making quilts in memory of our leader, Bev, who passed away in July. So that has taken up all my time. I have not been giving myself the 15 minutes play time, other than what I'm doing for Sunshine quilts. Here are a couple of pictures of quilt tops that I made using scraps. Otherwise, I haven't been doing many scrap inventions.



these blocks were my original 15-min.-of-play blocks

This place is so cool! Is it too late to join this Bee thing? If not, I'll need some sort of explanation. I promise to be more regular from now on.

Scrappy Wheel

The wheel is permanently secured to the background!

There are lot more patches to sew up.. 

It is going to be an interesting, fun and very evolving quilt! 

After my anxiety the other day with this block. I remembered that this is supposed to be fun and I am after all using scraps. So I took my block and kept slashing. I like it better than I did.

My Wild Side

I've been playing with novelty scraps this week, doing Karen Griska's Block-of-the-Month for Empire Guild. They just kept on climbing into V's block, too. Couldn't stop 'em.

Almost there!

Now 'all' there is to do is sew these patches together, cut and splice them! My stolen telephone pages sat unused as I madly snatched scraps and sewed them together! Maybe I'll try them next.

SPEEDY!

WOW!  I rcvd LeeAnn's (nifty) October blocks in the mail today, 

and it ISN'T even OCTOBER YET!

I'm so excited!

Thanks LeeAnn!

I have so many things on my plate right now, 

for my 15 minutes to play, I will make one more block per day for this quilt...

Once i get all my blocks I will start sewing some together, 

make more slashes, and just keep splicing into it, to see where it goes.. .

I love it so far!

Please keep posting your 15 minutes.

Bee folks, and everyone else...

Let's keep the inspirations flowing!

Happy sewing!

One or Two - Victoria's choice

I must admit, it was a bit difficult to slash my blocks.  I just could not roll my rotary cutter across the fabric with reckless abandon.  More deep breaths and I finally just did it.  I had originally intended to sew all my four blocks into one large block.  However, I thought that I would give Victoria a choice - one large block or two blocks.  Plus more quality slashing time. :)

FYI - I did not use Victoria's phone book paper method of piecing.   With the first two blocks, I began with four patches, as I said earlier, and  just added bits and strips, trimming as I went.  On the other two blocks I began with a piece  and randomly stitched on other pieces.  After I slashed and added the black strips, I added whatever pieces I needed to sorta square up the blocks.  I hope these will work out well for you Victoria.  Please let me know if they will work as shown or should I do more, or maybe try making another block or two?  I am not very satisfied with my results.  I keep thinking they need something. . . . . . . . .

On My Way

OK Ladies of the Bee - I've gotten a start on my block.  As this is the first time I've ever participated in something of this nature, I am a bit apprehensive.  Therefore, taking a deep breath, I'm throwing this out there for critique, appraisal, approval, what-have-you.  Hope this is what you are looking for Victoria.  I began with a couple of these small, four patch blocks that I have inherited .

Add a scrap, here and a scrap there.  I came up with this.

But these 3 blocks are not gonna go together well unless I do something else.  So I did this.  Another little block to sorta even it all out. 

Next: the piece de resistance - the slashes and insertions.  But that must wait til tomorrow.  Folks around my house are clamoring for an evening meal. 

Thanks for all the inspirations, Victoria & her Ladies of the Bee.  EeeeeIiiiiii!!!!!!!

blocks for Victoria

Two blocks for Victoria.

Phone book pages.

Scraps.

Rotary cutter.

Viola!!

I know she will do her magic

with the hodge podge of blocks

she'll receive!!!

Can't WAIT!

Good Job Ladies!

Just wanted to pop in and say how stimulating it is to see how the Bee blocks are developing. I've chosen not to participate this time around but I may end up trying out the blocks myself and making a quilt of them on my own. Wouldn't that be fun?!

I'm liking it now!

 I had another go at this and decided to insert a curved bias strip (1 inch) to add some movement and rounded edges. I inserted the strip in each 6 by 12 inch block, and then sewed them together end to end, lining up the curved strip as best as I could.

 I thought it needed some vertical curves, and maybe a little ID for the challenger this month, so here's a V!

Then I put them between my guild's challenge blocks (black and white and aqua) and I love the way it contrasts wtih these linear blocks. uh....maybe I'll just keep it....just kidding!

my block now measures 5.25 by 41 inches. I just made a width of fabric!

Apparently I am much more creatively stunted than I originally thought. I was having a good time sewing pieces and strips together and then panic set in when it was time for the block to be assembled


My "uh-oh" moment.


My block finished. But I'm not too happy with it. It doesn't have the abandon I wanted. I may need to put it aside for a day and go back and look at it again.

I love the previous post by Victoria. Possibly sewing outside of the box may take more practice than I thought, maybe 15 minutes a day will do the trick!

more on 15

Where 15 can lead:

Awhile ago I made a some wavy strips playing with curvy waveruuner type lines, 

and then I cut them apart into diamonds to play with to see how they would look as, "something else"  The pieces were cut the wrong size for stars, so last night I dug them out, and re cut them to make into these 8 point stars...

This is what I mean about playing with scraps ... Not just scraps, any block...

I work on about 10 quilts at a time... I don't have time to stop and start a new quilt, so when inspiration hits, or doesn't  hit for that matter, it gives me time to let my brain focus on something else... It gets the creative juices flowing...

Whether it's sewing the perfect block, or doing something you wouldn't normally do...

DO you always make PERFECT blocks?  loosen up. 

DO you ever try to make a perfect block?  make one!  

Never use solids? by some fat quarters... 

Batiks? give them a whirl...

The idea of this site, is to give your self permission to PLAY.  

Whatever PLAY is to you, maybe different to someone else...  

I am trying to give you ideas to take and run with, and to enjoy where it leads you.

 Doesn't have to be scrappy, just something new.

So, show me what you got!

Take your 15, I'll be here with a cup of coffee waiting!  ;-)

 

Any thoughts on this, below?

My Weekend scrapper quilt is now about 50" x 75" and I am trying to decide if I keep going to make it a twin size like this with no borders? ,

or add a BIG SCRAPPY border around the whole thing... 

or maybe a whole load of small Half square triangles... 

or just use up all the bits of fabric to finish it off...  or or or....

What are your thoughts?

Sew Much Fun

Finished Block

As I was doing the blocks below I saw things I didn't like but taking a seam ripper to those tiny stitched seams was not an option! Covering paper with fabric was a first and I don't think I would/will choose those size rectangles if I tried/try again. Yes, it's that addictive!

Made four blocks of fabric: 4.5 x 11.5

Then sliced & diced and sliced & diced

And sliced & diced some more

I can't stop!

I have to admit that I was a little unsure about this idea. I have never participated in any bee and when Victoria posted about it, I  waited until the last minute. And of course, when the list was almost full, I did not want to miss out on the fun. So I signed on for the unknown!

My fears were...

What if  I don't make them on time?  

What if I don't like the idea of the block and I am forced to make it?

But, as I started working on Victoria's blocks, soon I realized that it can be not only done on time but you end up making more... I started thinking, Ooo.... Ooo... I can make some more for myself too. May be I will make some extra for her from next batch of scraps. If I make more, I don't want them all looking as if they came out of the same load of scraps! 

So in couple of.. may be more 15 minutes' play I overcame all my fears and had fun. 

Victoria, thanks for adding a little spice to my sewing !

Can't wait for the next round and to see what you do with these blocks!

(Sqinting eyes tight) Here are my oddities

Ok, let me explain first. 

I got the making fabric part down pat!  But I tried a new method to make the fabric.  I used the telephone book I had saved from the last year's recycle bin.  (Actually I saved it and put it somewhere and never found it again until tonight.)  And it was pretty cool!  New wrinkle in the brain for this one.

I sewed 7 pieces of odd shaped pages together to make somewhat of a square-ish block.

And I got the great idea (not so great really) to use this orange and black stripped fabric that was leftover from a Halloween quilt binding last year as my slashing strips.  But when I sat back and looked at my creation the orange and black stripes had faded into the mish mash of fabrics in the block. 

So I decided that maybe it needed a totally different color.  I pulled a piece of purple fabric leftover from a binding on a charity quilt I made with string blocks.  Recycle, recycle, recycle!  Same problem of the disappearing strip is going on here.  Aughhhhh!

So I found some really nice black, I love black.  And now my block has some nice black stripes in it.

And the lesson here? you ask.

The strips need to be darker or noticeably lighter than the surrounding fabrics. 

Anywho.....it was a really nice learning experience, a good process piece and a whole lot of enjoyable fun after spending the day pulling my hair out trying to reconcile the Spay and Neuter coupons that have come in from the Feral Cat Colony Caretakers around Baton Rouge. 

glen:  First block will be soon on its way to its new home!

I'm not getting the feeling of play

I had a go at V's October challenge, but something's missing. I haven't inserted the narrow strips yet, but I'm not quite loving what's going on here. I made my fabric the the size of my favourite ruler -- 6 by 12 inches. I could send V a really long strip, or two shorter ones, or two squares.... or maybe have another go?

Oops!

These are my bee blocks for V. I read the directions a second time AFTER I made these four blocks. I didn't sew them together and THEN splice. Oh well. I did have fun, and that's the point, right?

OCTOBER BLOCK

12 of us from the site are going to be playing together, 

doing a BEE based on the scrappy making fabric concept.  

Each month we will be posting our idea blocks and the blocks made for each person. 

Please keep posting your 15 minute work as well, 

This is just an extra project all based on ideas from this site...

 Victoria's OCTOBER BLOCK

 

My INSPIRATION block was from a portion of my grandmother's quilts. 

IMAGE Above.. Her crazy quilts used many different shape, and many long strings bits. I wanted to see what will happen if I made a Scrappy block and kept cutting into it to add LONG strip bits at yet another angle to the block I have already made... I am going to tell you what I did on my block, But I do not want you to make your block the same size... I am looking for all different size blocks... ANY SIZE SQUARE, RECTANGLE OR STRIP, Make the fabric ( ANY COLORS, prefer BRIGHT and contrasty) either all in one piece or piece together a few block like I did below, Then as you assemble cut into it again to add at least TWO strips that cut through the block... Here's what I did.

 

I started with 4 square 8" pieces of Phone book paper,
set my machine to a small stitch length,
grabbed my scrap bin and very quickly
sewn down my scraps in as many directions as possible, meaning, horizontal, diagonal, vertical etc,
to cover the 8" block...

the more bits and pieces inside the block the better....

Press, trim down to 8" block , and tear the paper away...

As I started to put two blocks together, 

I spliced them and added a strip that runs through the whole thing.
Then I sewn together the WHOLE block and again, spliced 

through at another angle another long strip.

How you get to your finished block is totally up to you... 

I am only sharing with you how I did it...

I also made a long vertical strip , from two, 6" X 10" pieces, 

joined them, and cut into those as well...

So that is the basic concept...  ANY COLORS, ANY SIZES, think bright and contrasty....  

Send me an email with any questions... there is no right or wrong way to make this.

 

PLAY,  Have fun, and make it up as you go...

V and T

  

This is JOINT project between TONYA and I, 

that I have been working on since my visit to see her in August.

I recalled her working on the STAR portions when she was in Paris, and I asked her, 

"Whatever happened to that large star you were working on..."

She dug it out, and I nearly fell over, It's SO beautiful!  

I said you have to finish that!

She said, "well, I don't like WHY seams!  

I said, " do!"

"I will finish it!"

She decided she liked the orange/cheddar with bits of color thrown in, 

so I set to doing what I love to do.. MAKING HUGE PIECES OF FABRIC...  

The squares in the corners are 23" X 23"

Now to tackle those Y seams!

I saw YIPPEEE!

She says, WEEEEEEE!

I'm working on a similar one for myself...  

But for this one, I am so thrilled to have worked on it...

It's a real beauty!  Thanks T!

Name Tags

My quilt guild (Green Country Quilters' Guild, Tulsa, OK) challenged members to make a name tag that was predominantly green and that could be read from 4 feet away.

I got out my box of green scraps and came up with these two (one for me and one for my friend, Leslie).  They took a little longer than 15 minutes, but I finished them both in under an hour.

All participants were entered in a drawing and Leslie won.  But guess what? She gave me the prize--a gift card to a local quilt shop.

Flower Power

An update on my scrappy flowers .  Getting a bit bored with the log cabin flowers, I began to experiment with some other varieties.  I've pinned them on the aforementioned log cabin background where they are awaiting further inspirations.  Maybe a few more flowers, leaves and stems, maybe even some grasses and a bird or two. And I will most likely rearrange them all before it's done. What do y'all think?    So much fun in so little time.

Member project

A work in progress... twin size

Using the phone book paper, as I did on the Strip piece for my guild quilt, 

again with a small stitch length, so the paper tears away very easily.

I made a series of 5.5" X 10.5" strips of all my blues....

Scrapped them together, making note to change up the direction of the lines as much as possible.

Making sure to have many diagonals as possible helps 

make it less obvious where your straight seams are


QUILT BEE GROUP IS AS FOLLOWS.

First group:

Brenda

Beth

Charlotte P

LeeAnn, (nifty)

Helen

Lynn
Mary K 
Margaret
Shelly P. 
Sujata 
Glen

Myself (Victoria)

wknd scrapper

The WEEKEND SCRAPPER is slowly growing... 

I've left this quilt at my house, so on the weekends, I add a few more blocks to it...

How many finished Scrap quilts have we had?

I want to add a page link to all the finished quilts...

Please send me an email with your finished quilt attached...

I'm having FLICKR issues, otherwise I'd use that... 

there seems to be two different accounts for me, 

and I can't get into the one that has all my images!!

Any way I am attempting to sort that out... slowly...

 for now I'll add them to a separate link through MAC..

happy sewing!

Whole Lotta Scrap

Thanks to many of you telling me to "keep going," I finished piecing this queen size crazy.


Here's the pile of scraps I started with, accumulated over the last five years. So many memories, a story in each and every piece.


Thanks to Karen and her Selvage Blog, I decided to throw in some selvages.


I can't stop playing. I've sorted my scraps by color, and am thinking about making a series of "one color" quilts. Here are three blocks from the yellow/orange bin.



And look who popped in, Our Lady of Scrap Quilting!