Potato Chip Block --

 I bet you can't make just one. 

I was bemoaning the fact that I didn't have a Accuquilt Die that cuts a 2.5" x 4.5" rectangle so I could more easily cut the blocks for a potato chip block.  I do have a 2.5" strip cutter so I can cut the strips from leftover pieces or used fat quarters. 

My friend Nancy offered her rectangle die from her 8.5" Cube and bingo my brain fired a synapse. Why couldn't I use my rectangle in my 9.5" Cube.  So I got to work cutting bits and bobs of fabric that could be put to a perfect use. Lots of lights and some medium and darks. (I need to cut way more to make a quilt. 

Then the sewing. I didn't actually sew it the way I've usually seen them made.  But I realize it didn't make much of a difference.  Here's my new block. 

I know you are wondering what I did "wrong."  My center 2 rectangles should be up and down.  But wait! I checked the other 4 blocks I've made and a couple of them aren't the way I "thought" they should go. If I were willing to unpick some seams I would have the first 2 rectangles turned so the seam is up and down. Then the rest would have been the same. Hum, I'm back from a slight trip down the rabbit hole to see if I could find a definitive Potato Chip block. Um, no, not in the 5 minutes I spent looking.  So this block is fine! 

So, here's the info if you have any of the regular Cubes. Number 8 die can be used for making Potato Chip blocks.  Yep, any size Cube, Number 8 die. My 9.5" die gave me a block that measures about 13.75".  I also have a 3.5" x 6.5" rectangle that I will be trying also.  But I'm pretty sure it will work too -- just a bigger finished block will result. 

When picking colors I "try" not to pick one that will be overwhelming dark. Yes, like the upper right top piece. It is actually a dark green with a lighter design. I will be more careful in the future because I like a lighter, airier look to these blocks. 

Evidently, I now have 2 potato chip quilts going. One for my Rainbow Scrap Challenge and this one for the 9.5" Cube.  Oh boy. Maybe I can make a dent in some of my scraps and fat quarters.  

I'm linking up with Wednesday Wait Loss and Finished or Not Friday.

Now it is on to finishing a rail fence top.  Or quilting a red, white and blue quilt. Or maybe cutting some more chips, er rectangles from scraps and half used fat quarters. 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

Monday Meanderings -- 4 - 3 - 2023

Did you realize with the beginning of April we are 25% through with 2023?  Yep, time flies when we're quilting away!  

Although Pat and I had an all-day rehearsal on Saturday, I still got a lot done this week.  Here's the list: 

3/27/2023

✅Make more green and pink RSC blocks — need more green, pink is done 

✅Finish Arkansas Traveler Block — completed sewing it together

✅Finish quilting baby quilt; ✅bind it — all done! 

✅Finish cutting out another quilt — cut all but the border/s, not bad

Design Tee Shirt quilt — I’m just not motivated yet … one of these days! 

Here's the finished Arkansas Traveler Block.  It is a surprisingly easy block to make when using the Accuquilt die. Someday I need to plan a quilt using this die/pattern.

  

Here's the baby quilt I finished this month. (Sadly, it is the only quilt I finished this month.) It's about 36" square and will go to the local hospital's NICU.  They like bright quilts and small ones. (works for me!) 

All the quilting was done with my domestic machine.  Ruthie, the long arm, is still out for repairs. You can see an up close picture of the spiral flower here. 

And, finally, a picture of a little of the back and most of the front. I didn't have enough of the green print fabric so I added a small piece of a green print that I had in my stash.  So, yes, this entire quilt came from my stash! 

Now it's time to focus on this week's goal list. Here's what I should be working on. 

4/3/23

Make plan for APQ UFO Challenge #4 - a group of big flying geese blocks. 

Clean up cutting table - work on it 15 min a day 

Sew borders on Traffic Jam 

Begin sewing grape quilt together

Make more RSC blocks in green and start purple 

We've got several events to attend this week.  Saturday night we'll be joining the Spotsylvanians to sing the Star Spangled Banner at the Fredericksburg Nationals' baseball game. We sang last summer and enjoyed the game. Hopefully the weather will be decent. 

Sunday we'll be joining our family for an Easter dinner.  Hum, I wonder what I should bring to this.  I generally bring a veggie tray so the kids can snack on them before dinner is served. I'll probably do it again.  

Between these two events, I won't have as much quilting time as usual. But I should be able to get some of my goals checked off by the end of the week. 

I've redone my Mysteries and Quilt Alongs page.  See the link right above the date and headline for today's post?  I removed and then reposted the January post.  Then I redid the main page and listed all 3 postings I've done so far.  Yesterday I did the April listing.  If you are looking for a quilt along check out the listing.  (I could only find quilt alongs for April.)  If you are doing a quilt along or a mystery please let me know a month before it starts so I can include it on my monthly page.  

That's about it for me except to let you know the Linky parties I am joining. (Go check them out please!) 

Oh Scrap

Design Wall Monday

Monday Musings 

To Do Tuesday

Happy Quilting All!  Bonnie  

Mysteries and Quilt Alongs -- February

Good Grief!  How can it already be February 8th?  I completely forgot to write a post on mysteries and quilt alongs from February.   Here's what I found at the end of January.

Check out Coriander Quilts latest mystery quilt Sunny Patches.  I really like the setting she has shown here. A new announcement was made February 8 listing the start date as March 18, 2023.  It will run until October. 

The Fat Quarter Shop is sponsoring Stronger Together Quilt Pattern and Stitch Pattern to support the United Negro College Fund. They have provided free patterns and ask for a $15 donation to their campaign for UNCF.  

Carole, who blogs at From My Carolina Home, is sharing a new mystery quilt called Scrap Dance Quadrille. You can find fabric and cutting directions at that link. Clues will be posted  on the second Friday of each month, beginning on  February 10 and going for 6 months.

Join Edyta Sitar in her Season in Blue quilt along.  You will make various blocks from the book "Season in Blue" to make a sampler quilt.  $ for book 

Bess of Side Lake Stitch is offering a Quilt Along for her pattern Pine Tree Quilt.  It begins on February 8 and will run for 6 weeks.  $ for pattern.  

This last quilt along is over but the free pattern is still available.  Wendy Shepherd, who blogs at Ivory Springs, designed the pattern and used it for a weekend quilt along.  Find the link to the pattern here.  I was thinking of making it in a bit larger size so I could use my Accuquilt Go half square triangle die. 

AccuQuilt and "American Patchwork and Quilting" are cosponsoring a quilt along in February. It features Accuquilt Cubes but rotary cutting instructions are included.  Here's a link to the cutting instructions.   It is recommended that you join AQS Quilting Project Parade Group on Facebook to keep up with all the info about this quilt along. Cutting and sewing begin on February 15. AQS and AccuQuilt will be presenting a quilt along every other month. 

If you know of mystery quilts or sew alongs that are coming up in the next few months please share them with me.  I know I miss a lot of them because I also want to spend time quilting! (Who knew surfing the internet took so much time!) 

I'm linking with these Linky parties.

Midweek Makers 

Wednesday Wait Loss 

Needle and Thread Thursday 

Because I haven't shared any photographs this week I thought I'd include this little one I took of the "newspaper" fabric I plan to use as the backing of my Spider Web quilt.  I'll share more of it when I get the quilt done. (This doesn't sound as funny as the rest but I found it humorous because it is announcing the fabric that it was printed on.) 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

A Finish from November 1 - 6 - 2023

I finished several quilts during November and December.  This one was my last November quilt finished. 

I've been calling this one Economy after the block name. My guess is I'll pass this on to a charity over the next few weeks. 

Hum, older picture what with Christmas decorations around the door. 

Quilting Pattern: Ariana 

The blocks are 9" finished and were cut using my 9" Accuquilt Cube.  The fabric is Simple Abundance by Camille of Thimble Blossom and Bonnie of Cotton Way for Moda.  Interesting fact is many years ago I won all of the fabric from a blogger who had made a sample from the collection.  It was a lot of fabric and I've used pieces of it in many different projects.  I still have some left if you can believe it.  

That's it for today.  I'm linking up with these Linky parties:

Needle and Thread Thursday  

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? 

Finished or Not Friday 

From Bolt to Beauty 

Take some time to surf the web this weekend.  There are lots of wonderful blogs with wonderful quilts to get your imaginations going!  

I have two more quilts I finished in December that I hope to get pictures of soon. 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

Monday Meandering 7 - 11 - 2022

Welcome to another week and new goals to work on.  I just had a big shock. (Ok, not THAT big of a shock but an unhappy surprise.) I spent the last 20 or so minutes writing about my goals.  Everything looked terrific until I realized I had copied and pasted my 6/27/22 goals. Delete, delete. Copy and paste the correct week. I keep my goals list on the Notes app that is on all my Apple products. Generally I check it on my cell phone but it is on my Mac Book and my iPad. 

Ok, here's how I did this past week. 

7/4/22

✅Work on July’s UFO challenge Meandering Geese - Top is almost complete

✅Start on Picnic Time small wall hanging - All pieces are traced on adhesive web

✅Make blocks for FCQ Officers, more red Spider Webs - done 

✅Quilt something… decision to be made during the week - quilted a patriotic quilt and a very small customer quilt.

This quilt was made by Beth, Marlyn and me several many months ago.  I've let it sit in the "to-be-quilted" closet for way too long. Recently my local guild put out a request for red, white and blue blocks, tops, or quilts. So, I got it out and got it quilted.  Hopefully, I'll have it bound before the meeting next week. 

The block request was for either 6.5", 9.5", or 12.5" unfinished blocks.  I decided it was a perfect time to try an Accucut die I received at Christmas. So I pulled it out and some fabric to make a 9.5" block. Talk about easy.  The directions on the packaging tells you exactly what size to precut your fabric and how to place it on the die. Easy peasy! Here's my first one. I suspect I'll make more before the next meeting. Or I could use the 12.5 Ohio Star die.  Or both. 

This is the Starry Path block on board. 

Here's what I plan to work on this week. 

7/11/22

Finish July UFO to top stage

Quilt and bind July UFO 

Cut out Picnic Time wall hanging and start machine appliquéing pieces

Make June BOM from A Quilting Life, Rainbow Scrap Challenge & R, W, B blocks  

Work on Christmas ornaments for grands

Yes, I did get all of my goals either finished or moved forward! Yippee! My goals for this week seem doable.  And, maybe I'll start a new baby quilt.  I haven't been starting many quilts this year as I have been focusing on the monthly UFOs. I've also been trying to get more tops quilted.  That often means I need to buy fabric for the backing.  I'm hoping I can scrounge enough fabric for backing for at least one more top of mine this month. (I already have the backing for the UFO challenge.) 

I'm ready to listen to the end of a book now.  So it's time to say go visit one of these Linky parties and enjoy surfing quilters' blogs.  I always find great inspiration whether I want it or not. 

Oh Scrap!

Monday Making

Design Wall Monday 

To Do Tuesday  

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

Hip! Hip! Hurray! A Finish

 From start to finish this quilt only took 1 and a half years, or 18 months.  That may not be fast to you but it is to me!  You can see the beginning in January, 2021.  I often finish a top and then throw it in the to-be-quilted closet until I can get a backing for it.  

It's about an inch too long as the bottom rests on the top of the mantle. 

Here's a closer view. The blocks were made with Accuquilt's Glorified 9 Patch die and makes a 9" block. The quilt is approximately 44 x 44". 

I ended up having tried two different borders. The one below was the first attempt with several other fabrics also being auditioned. I was able to pull this border out of stash but ugh, it really did nothing for the quilt.  Neither the green or the blue did anything either. 

During the October 2021 retreat I took the top out to a fabric store with Sharon, MB, and Nancy and we found this polka dot fabric that worked perfectly. The polka dots are on a ground of typeset words.

You'll be seeing this same fabric soon as I used it for one of my Rainbow Scrap Challenge tops too. I used a classic stipple that is built into the Quiltmagine  software. I tore the length of wide back in halve and loaded this quilt and another one one after another. Hopefully I'll be showing that one to you next Friday. 

And just to show off the rest of the quilt, check out this very cool backing fabric.  I bought this at the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Show in Feb. 2022.  It will be seen a couple more times as I have enough for 2 more of these smaller quilts with some left over to piece with too.  

This quilt will be living in my house for a while.  It fits nicely about the fireplace where I rotate quilts seasonally.  Although, it really doesn't go with the decor in the room.  I like how bright and fresh it looks so no worries there.  

Time to visit the Linky parties I link up with. Remember to spend some time surfing the various blogs represented here and don't forget to leave comments. 

Needle and Thread Thursday

Finished or Not Friday  

Beauties Pageant 

Enjoy your weekend.  

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

Monday Meanderings 1 - 31 - 2022

Well that month flew by!  And, I admit I've gotten a lot done or so it seems.  First up - my goal list for the past week. 

1/24/22

✅Quilt & Bind Sailboat top (January UFO) (click here to see it.) 

✅3rd 2nd round of SAHRR

✅Finish coffee top (click here to see it without the borders I put on this week.) 

✅Make more ombré blocks

✅Cut out baby quilt 

Surprisingly enough, I finished most of these early in the week.  The only one I really spent much time on Sunday was the 3rd 2nd round of SAHRR. Here's where the 3rd 2nd round has been left.  I will finish the side borders early this coming week and move on to the 3rd round. 

Because I had made so much progress on my goals I decided to pull out a UFO from last year.  I had made one Blazing Star block with an Accucut die I got as a gift last Christmas. It is easy to sew together but not so easy to cut out correctly.  After cutting various pieces in the wrong colors or wrong section of the die,  I finally got one block finished.  I cut out one more block before giving up for the day on Saturday. 

Fast forward to Sunday when I sat down to sew the block together. I was zipping through it until I realized the "C" piece didn't fit.  Well darn, it was actually a "B" piece.  Luckily I have plenty of the fabric and got it recut and put together before lunch. 

I hope to finish sewing the blocks together, quilt and bind it by the end of Monday.  (I need some more finishes for January!)  It's doable if I don't get side tracked on the Feathered Star project!

This first week of February has a lot planned for it too.  We'll see if I can get them all done. But I am highly motivated! 

1/31/2022

Work on SAHRR.  

Make more ombré blocks, spider web blocks and begin the new RSC color

Sew baby quilt together

Sew Blazing Star table runner together, quilt and bind

Sew backing together for group patriotic quilt

I actually lucked out on the next UFO for the challenge I'm participating in.  The Feathered Star I'm working on for the SAHRR was number 7 that was pulled for February. I didn't list actually finishing the whole wall hanging but I think I'll try to get it quilted and bound too. 

I've been adding more red spider web blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  I have 4 and a half done. I really like the red on white ones I've been making. Hum, should I just make a whole quilt of red and white blocks?  Maybe. Maybe not.  I did go through my red scrap basket to get all the red scraps I have that would fit on the die.  Sad news, I have mostly strips so I was only able to pull maybe 6 different fabrics.  On the other hand, I could always use some of my fat quarters to make more.  Time will tell what I choose to do. Maybe I'll do both...

Thursday we dodged a major snowstorm.  I'm sure you've seen the reports from the states further north that got totally inundated.  We got about 2" or so but nothing stuck on the streets or our driveway.  Because of the way the house is set, the back walkway and the basement steps are now ice. (It rained first and then snowed.) Most of the backyard doesn't get sun during the winter.  Temps will be "warm" this week (in the high 50s) so the snow and ice should melt. It was beautiful when we came back from working out Friday.  Just to give a little reality to that 50 degree temp, it was 10 degrees this morning! 

Please take some time to visit these linky parties.  

Oh Scrap

Monday Making 

Design Wall Monday

To Do Tuesday

I'm calling it quits for today.  I spent most of the day sewing with breaks for lunch and dinner.  I'm worn out but very pleased with my progress. 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

 

Monday Meanderings 1 - 17 - 2022

It was a great week when I look at my goals.  I thought I had put too much on the goals list last week but surprise, surprise I pretty much finished everything by Friday.  Here's a refresher on what was planned for last week.

1/10/2022

✅Start first round of SAHRR 

✅Work on Sail boat quilt (January UFO)

✅Make RSC blocks, mystery block You can see them here. 

✅Make backing for Happy Blocks It's already loaded on Ruthie

✅Make more ombre blocks

✅Add Go dies to online list 

And, with such a successful last week I'm going to push myself this week.  

1/17/22

Do 2nd round of SAHRR

Quilt and bind my Happy Block quilt top

Finish Sailboat top (January UFO) 

Make more ombre blocks 

Keep making Happy Blocks, Twirl blocks, and Spider blocks 

I decided I was going to try using two of my unused Accuquilt dies today.  First up is a half hexagon.  Unfortunately there aren't a lot of things you can do with that die without some other ones.  But I do like this Twirl quilt.

Picture from Accuquilt.com 

Here's what I've gotten done so far. It took me several tries before I got the triangles made correctly. If you look carefully there are three triangles in the picture below.  I grabbed a bunch of fat quarters of floral prints and the beige.  I have enough cut out to make one of the "blocks"  that makes a twirl. See the light twirls above? I may go ahead and try to finish a smaller quilt with these florals and beige. 

Side note -- you know how you can't remember what you had for breakfast but you can remember where you got a piece of fabric 30 years ago? The large floral print came from a quilt shop in Los Angeles that I "think" was owned by Mary Ellen Hopkins. I forget why I had gone to LA, probably to see my dad, but I spent a bit of time checking out a couple quilt stores while I was there. For some reason I remember this fabric and that store.  (No name for the store -- memory is a weird thing!) 

Next up is the beginning of a block using the Spider web die. You can see the design on the packaging here. Here's 1/4th of the block. I think this will be a great one to use smaller hunks of fabric.  Except I suppose I'll have to have enough to make all 4 quarters.  I've got more of the white fabric but I'm not sure about the red batik.  

Time will tell how I do on these new blocks. Now it's on to my December statistics. First up - I can tell you it was a very good year for me for fabric usage. 2021 ended with me using more fabric than bringing in. 

2021	Fabric In Month	Fabric In Year	Fabric Out  Month	Fabric Out Year	Total In or Out Year
Dec	16.75.00	126.0	13.250	146.625	20.625

 

 

Year	Fabric In	Fabric Out Year	Total In or Out Year
2010	65.000	70.250	13.000
2011	186.500	72.000	114.500
2012	113.545	108.970	4.575
2013	100.710	103.015	2.305
2014	108.250	79.750	28.500
2015	66.205	77.150	10.945
2016	83.375	55.375	28.000
2017	118.625	108.125	10.500
2018	85.375	94.250	8.875
2019	55.830	66.625	10.705
2020	95.750	95.625	0.125
2021	126.000	146.625	20.625

 

 

 

Because I had purchased 2 wide backs and was given a lot of fat quarters for Christmas I thought I might have bought more than I used.  Well, no, that didn't happen.  It was a great year for me for fabric usage. Unfortunately, Over the last 12 years I've brought in  119 yards more than I used. I'm going to need to get way more productive (or give away some large hunks of fabric) to ever use more fabric than I bring in since when I started keeping stats. 

True confession time though: On January 2nd I purchased 9 yards of solid fabrics from JoAnns. The fabric was on sale and I could take an additional 25% off if I ordered online and picked it up at the store. Well, yes I will take advantage of that great sale. I'm pretty sure I've already put some of it to use. But I only count fabric used after the item is finished. 

On to a sad occasion for me. No, not really drastic but I was trying so hard.  Do you use a Kindle or the Kindle app on your tablet or phone?  I love mine.  And on January 4th here's what my unbroken streak of reading on my Kindle looked like.

I was being so careful to read on my Kindle trying to get a full year of days in a row. Alas, it didn't happen. Wait, actually it did happen. I just didn't check it on the Jan 14th, the 365th day.  Yesterday (the 15th) I was trying to finish a "real" book for book club and make progress on a book that was only available on Overdrive.  Some how I didn't open up the Kindle app and read the book on it. Sniff!  Sniff!  So I did succeed!  Hum, I wonder if I can get to 2 years reading every day? That weeks-in-a-row is almost 3 and a half years.  Yep, I am a serious reader.  Almost every night I spend at least 30 minutes reading, sometimes a lot more.   

On that happy note it's time to list the linky parties that you can visit and see what quilters across the world are working on. 

Oh Scrap

Monday Making

Design Wall Monday 

To Do Tuesday

I'll be linking up the other two once they go live. Hope you enjoy some surfing. 

Happy Quilting! Bonnie