Say Hello to Rainbow Parade!

Remember all that secret sewing I was doing a week or so ago?  It's time to unveil it.  And, boy-howdy! I'm excited about it. I had so much fun working on this quilt. It currently is hanging with pride in the entry way of our house. 

Isn't it gorgeous? (Ok I'm am totally biased but I love it.) The design is by Preeti Harris who blogs at Sew Preeti Quilts. She called me to see if I would test a pattern and share it with the world through my blog. Well why not. I've made several tops that she has designed so I knew it would be well written. (See Synergy I tested for her in April 2022 here.) 

When I first saw the pattern I realized it was a perfect pattern to use some fabric I had hand dyed years ago. It was, with one little issue... I didn't trust it not to bleed. And, I was right. So every fabric had a long, leisurely bath in my bathroom sink. Several times.  Eventually they all were dry and  ready to be ironed and find a place in the quilt. You might notice what Preeti designed was bigger and used more colors than mine. I worked with a very limited collection of fabrics and many were barely half yard pieces. So I improvised. And, this pattern definitely is easy to improvise.

I chose a light silver grey Kona solid. I wanted the colors to be the main focus. 

I had a hard time deciding which quilting pattern I would use on my Rainbow Parade.  Finally, it dawned on me that I didn't want the quilting to take precedence over the wonderful design and colors. I used a  stipple pattern that was included with my robotics.  It was perfect for letting the design and colors shine. 

A few more thoughts on this pattern -- it is easy to make. The blocks are 13" finished so you don't need lots to have a decent size quilt. Mine is about 44.5" x 57" and is set 3 x 4.  The pattern is set 4 x 5 and measures 57" x 70".  

Preeti did a great job with detailing what you need to make this rainbow quilt. She wrote it so each color is repeated in the next diagonal row. My lack of lots of fabric made it impossible for me to do it that way. But, it worked out just fine any way. Talk about versatile! 

I would like to make it again using a print fabric where the darker fabric is in my version. I make a lot of kid centric quilts and this pattern could highlight a cute novelty fabric really well. I could use one color for all of the light parts or use a rainbow of fabrics again. I could also see this as a patriotic fabric using the same concepts as for the novelty fabric. 

Have you started thinking about what fabric you want to use to make this pattern?  Rainbow Parade is in Preeti's Etsy shop now. And, even better, it will be 20% off until March 12. Check it out here: https://sewpreetiquilts.etsy.com/listing/1690533725/rainbow-parade-quilt-pattern-beginner

Would you like to win a digital copy of this pattern?  One lucky commenter will win. Make sure you add an email address if you don't have it attached to your name.  

More accurate colors 

 

Would you like some hand dyes to play with yourself?  I'm offering a give away of 4 fat quarters of fabric I hand dyed. I promise they will all have a spa day in my bathroom sink until the dye quits rinsing out. Limited to the US. One comment will get you a chance at both the hand dye and the Rainbow Parade pattern. Again, make sure your email is attached to your name.  

Here are the hand dyes I'll be sending out. Hum, it isn't smart to try to take pictures in the middle of the night and expect the colors to come out correctly.  The top one is a slightly blue green. The second one is actually what I'd call flamingo pink. The next one is a medium blue - not a grey blue. And the last is mauve.  (I might have purchased that piece as it isn't the same greige goods.)  Update -- the bigger picture is more accurate but I think the colors are a bit brighter. I left the night picture in just to show the contrast.   

The other thing that happened to my great surprise and happiness is I had a leftover backing that worked well with the rainbow concept. I actually had loaded this backing and was going to put another top on it when I realized it would work for Rainbow Parade. Kismet! 

Want to see more versions of Rainbow Parade? Preeti lined up an international group of quilters to help her out.  Check out these blogs to see more Rainbow Parade quilts. 

https://cathyscrazybydesign.blogspot.com/ 

https://quiltingpatch.blogspot.com/

https://dipteaquilts.wordpress.com/

https://sewpreetiquilts.blogspot.com/

I'll be linking with the following Linky parties (when they come on line.)  

Midweek Makers 

Wednesday Wait Loss 

Needle and Thread Thursday (Thursday)

Can I Get a Whoop! Whoop! (Friday) 

One last look at my Rainbow Parade. 

Hum...all through making this quilt I thought of the red/pink block as being the top.  And here I hung this one upside down! (Or not!) 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

Monday Meanderings 3 - 4 - 2024

What a busy week.  Did any of you get to either Quilt Con or Mid-Atlantic Quilt show over the past two weeks?  Pat and I made it to the Mid-Atlantic Quilt show Thursday morning.  We had about 2 hours to see some quilts, hit a few vendors, and then get on to Nags Head, NC.  

First, here is my friend Michele's quilt. She designed the quilt for Colchester Mills Fabric and Quilting a few years ago as a mystery quilt. Michele designs one yearly for Colchester.  This one was spectacular.  A new mystery started at the beginning of February. Check it out at Marvelous Mystery. My friend Sharon is her tester and she made air in Christmas fabrics.  I am pretty sure this one fits on a king size bed. 

I also got to see several friends from several different places I've lived.  Pat snapped a photo of Mary Beth and I.  We both lived in Maryland for years and were (heck, are still) members of Faithful Circle Quilters.  She moved to Florida so we don't see each other very often... it's been almost 2 years now. We were on such a tight time frame we really only had a few minutes to chat and get a hug. (That's me on the right.)

Despite our travels I was able to get all my goals done this week.  Or maybe it was because of our travels.  I almost always take my featherweight down to the beach house with me and work on some projects. This mess was me making string blocks on telephone book pages.  I was amazed how many I got done since every string I sewed had to be ironed and cut.  I also put together the green, blacks, and white to top stage that I'll show when the border is done. 

Here's what the goals list looks like from last week. Not bad! 

2/26/24

✅Bind Picket Fence Quilt - Done!

✅Bind secret project - Done! Come back Wednesday, 3/6/24 to see it. 

✅Make some more FCQ Equilter blocks - Some done, more needed. 

✅Attend the Mid Atlantic Quilt Show  -  Attended a short time. 

✅Sew the green, blacks, & white 3 yard quilt - Center together, borders next.

Here's a corner of the Picket Star top being quilted. Since it is done I need to take it on a photo shoot soon. I chose Random Clams quilting design.  The block was designed by Preeti who blogs at Sew Preeti Quilts.  Here are the directions for the block. 

Let's take a look at this week's list. 

3/3/4/2024

Knit on socks 

Find fabric for appliqué blocks

Mail package to FCQ Equilter from last round 

Border green, blacks, and white top

Quilt customer top 

Quilt one of my tops 

Hum, should be doable. All of a sudden I have 4 customer quilts waiting to be quilted.  I hope to get one done this week. I should get one of mine on and done this week too. The others aren't as time sensitive. 

We were working on our beach house in Nags Head.  The master bathroom is being updated but more importantly Pat needed to replace some windows. I was his trusty assistant. My job was to hold the window while Pat pulled a cord and attached it to the top of the window. (I have no clue what it was called but it wasn't a one person job!) After he got the cords installed on each window I was free to go back to quilting.  It meant I was running up and down stairs a bit too often but I did get a lot of piecing done.  Here's a window on the way out...  We had to take them to the transfer station rather than leave them in our regular trash. Nine were replaced and more need to be done soon.

It is a good thing we went down, as it turns out something is wrong with the heater. It was taking a long time to warm the house up 5 degrees when we arrived.  And then the thermostat went off twice.  Sunday morning we woke up early to a cold house. So we left around 7am to have breakfast at Stack Em High and to drive back to Virginia.  Pat will have to go down to replace more windows in a month or so. Hopefully he can get our son to go with him.  It was hard work for the "old folks." 

I knew it wouldn't last.  I was unable to sew the day we went to the quilt show and drove to the beach house.  So I missed the 29th.  But I was right back at it  including spending an hour or so on putting things away and finding some more strips for my strip quilting project this afternoon after getting home. I'm happy with the 98%.  

• 15 minute days/week = 7/7 days
• 15 minute days/Feb = 28/29 days
• 15 minute days/March 3/3 days 
• 15 minute days/2024 = 62/63 days
• Success rate = 98%

Here are the Linky parties I participate with.  Please take a look at some of the blogs listed. 

Oh Scrap

Life in Pieces: Stitching Stuff

Design Wall Monday

Monday Musing 

This and That 

Hopefully this week I'll remember to link up to all the parties I list here.  I was pretty focused on quilting and being down at the beach house.  I hardly looked at the internet over the last week. 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie    

 

Monday Meanderings 2 - 26 -2024

Hello All! I've got way too much to squeeze into this blog post but I'm going to try to keep it a reasonable length.  Just a note -- I went to the Univ. of Southern California School of Journalism. I started in straight journalism but ended up with a degree in Public Relations.  I like to write. Although I go back and edit my blog posts to tighten them up, I have been known to carry on (and on.) Ok, moving right along to goals. 

2/19/24

✅Quilt and bind two baby quilts — I turned over these two quilts to binding elves. 

✅Make some FCQ Equilter blocks -- 2 are started, none are done. 

✅Work on Happy Blocks -- Yep, made some more of various sizes.

✅Finish Feb Malted Mystery clue -- Done! 

✅Update Accuquilt Dies in app and online -- Came up with a list but didn't update anything. 

Here's my Malted Mystery top all up to date!

Bummer. The color is much more pleasing than this shows. What looks like black is actually a dark purple.

Two baby quilts were quilted. Most of the fabrics were reproduction 30s fabrics that were given to the guild. Remember me talking about washing fabric? I pulled out all the pink 30s repro animal prints and cut them up into bricks. (I used my 3.5" x 6.5" brick die and cut them all on the Accuquilt.) There were enough bricks for 2 quilts. My friend Karen sewed the blocks together. Then I quilted both of them using more 30s repo fabric for the back. I turned them into the guild on Wednesday night and they will be given off to binding elves to finish up. 

And now, here's what I will be doing this week. 

2/26/24

Bind Picket Fence Quilt

Bind secret project (Look for the reveal on Wed. March 6.) 

Make some more FCQ Equilter blocks

Attend the Mid Atlantic Quilt Show 

Sew the green, blacks, & white 3 yard quilt

Update the Accuquilt online and app

I did have one big off list project this week. Sunday I spent the day quilting the Picket Fence top that I finished in 2022.  Late last year I bought a bunch of backing fabrics including a nice teal backing for the Picket Fence top.  (You can see the finished top here.) I will post the finished quilt soon. (Unless I forget!) 

In an effort to lessen the unfinished top collection I have,  I am going to try to quilt a couple tops a month. I know I have at least 7 (probably more) with backings and some with batting. So hopefully I'll get another couple done in March. I guess I need to stop finishing tops too. (😬 right!)

On to 15 Minutes to Stitch. Not bad! 

• 15 minute days/week = 7/7 days
• 15 minute days/Feb = 25/25 days
• 15 minute days/2024 = 56/56 days
• Success rate = 100%
  

It's ridiculously late but here are my stashbusting statistics for January.  Last year I decided I wouldn't keep track of fabric in and out. Eventually, I realized I did better knowing whether I was using up fabric or just endlessly adding to my fabric stash. I don't particularly like figuring out the fabric I use but at least I'll know whether I am using up the stash.  Here's January's results. Not bad.  I hope I finish a bit more in February. 

2023	Fabric In Month	Fabric In Year	Fabric Out  Month	Fabric Out Year	Total In or Out Year
Jan	5.5	5.5	11.625	6.125	6.125

So far I haven't purchased any fabric in February.  I suspect that will change when we go to the Mid-Atlantic Quilt show.  Maybe I can have strong March finishes with no purchases. 

Later this week I hope to post a new month of Mysteries, Quilt Alongs, and Little Gifts.  I thought I'd mention one freebie you might want to check out now. Fabric Cafe has been releasing a free quilt pattern.  I haven't figured out how often they've done it so I just check back every month. However, I just checked and they have 3 of their early 3 Yard Quilt patterns available free now.  Here's the link to the free patterns. One thing to know if you haven't used any 3 yard patterns: They allow for an "economy" binding so it isn't double fold. If you prefer a double fold binding buy more fabric or use something from your stash. 

You might want to look over the other info Fabric Cafe has available there too. I was particularly interested in the sheet listing how much double fold binding you need to make for various sizes of 3 yard quilts. Note -- they base the totals on 2.25" binding. Have fun checking out their videos too. 

I'm ready to finish reading my latest novel -- I'm about 75% done and I'd like to finish it tonight. Here are the Linky parties I post to. Please go check out some other blogs. You'll come away with lots of great ideas. 

Oh Scrap

Life in Pieces: Stitching Stuff

Design Wall Monday

Monday Musings

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

 

Monday Meandering -- 2/19/2024

 

Presidents Day Cupcakes! 

Or at least that is what I'm calling them. I'm taking some to my regular Monday stitching group.  We don't plan for treats but almost every week someone (or several someones) bring something.  I'll see if anyone else brings something too. And, whether I will have any leftovers! 

Here's last week's list. I got most of the items done. 

2/12/24

✅Work on Malted Mystery Feb Clue — just need to add three small borders.

👎🏼Trim appliqué blocks; pick fabric for setting the blocks — nope. Stashed them away and can’t find them!  They will turn up one of these days. 

✅Cut out green, black floral, & black and white 3 yard quilt -- Done but not as originally planned. 

✅Make a couple of placemats -- finished two more.

✅Look at star quilt — I have a plan! 

Here are the fabrics I used for my 3 yard quilt. I had planned to use one of Fabric Cafe's pattern but I didn't read it carefully so I changed my plans a bit. I'll be sewing this in a few weeks.  Nann, who blogs at With Strings Attached , sent me a surprise package of fabric including the big floral print.  Hum, that chartreuse Kona is not as yellow as it shows here.  I'll be sharing the finished top in a few weeks. 

I was happy to figure out I can use some decorator fabric for the placemats I'm making. This piece is actually an upholstery fabric that I dipped in hot water to try to soften it up a bit. I've cut walker bags from the fabric and this was a left over piece.  The backing fabric is another one from Nann.  It was a perfect fit for the front. 

Here's what I'll be working on this week. 

2/19/24

Quilt and bind two baby quilts

Make some FCQ Equilter blocks

Work on Happy Blocks

Finish Feb Malted Mystery clue

Update Accuquilt Dies in app and online 

I did get another block made for the Dec/January Equilter.  Pat asked for Disappearing 9 Patches.  I made most of the blocks several weeks ago.  But I wanted one more and kept postponing making it.  So this afternoon I got it done and I'll be shipping them out to her in the next few days. (Not Monday -- it's a federal holiday.) 

My 15 Minutes to Stitch has been going very well.  Most days I get a lot more time than just the 15 minutes.  

• 15 minute days/week = 7/7 days
• 15 minute days/Feb = 11/29 days
• 15 minute days/2024 = 49/49 days
• Success rate = 100%

I will confess to getting a lot of reading time too.  I've just started the audio version of Canary Girls by Jennifer Chiaverini. Two hours in and I'm hooked on it.  I would recommend it to readers (or listeners) who enjoy historical fiction. I'm looking forward to spending some more time with it.

Please check out these Linky parties:

Oh Scrap

Life in Pieces Stitching Stuff

Design Wall Monday

Monday Musings

I had a good time last week reading blogs. It's fun to see what people are working on these days. 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

All-Star Sampler

Recently, I read on someone's blog that she didn't think anyone would be interested in finishing a project.  Guess what! People do finish other people's unfinished projects. 

Virginia Star Quilters received a plastic box with several finished blocks, extra fabric, a couple of sample blocks, a ruler, and a book, All-Star Sampler. The Community Outreach chair person passed it on to me to see if I would finish it -- or at least do something with it.  There were 9 blocks finished and one nearly finished.   I looked in the box soon after I got it and freaked out. The blocks were beautiful star blocks. There were two settings both with feathered star blocks. The project had been a block of the month project from a store according to a note the quilter left. She said she started it in 1999. The piecing is exquisite.  Take a look at the blocks she's finished.

I originally thought I'd finish another block that is nearly done. And, maybe make one more so there will be 12 blocks.  Um, er, I don't make complicated blocks for the most part. Most, if not all, of these have set in seams. My plan now is to pull out my trusty Circle of Nine book and choose a setting.  No doubt any of them in that book would be easier than the settings in the book, All Star Sampler by Roxanne Carter.  You know I'm not making a feathered star block -- although I have and I actually could.  But, no, not for this. 

After texting back and forth with Nancy, the Community Outreach person, we decided one of the Circle of Nine quilts would work. We think the finished quilt might be a raffle quilt, or possibly donate to another organization to use as a fund raiser. Here's what the design will (hopefully) look like. As shown it would be 68" square. The blocks are 12" and the outside border is 8.5".  I'm not sure it will end up that big but it's what we're thinking about.  

I did an inventory of all the fabric that was included.  The multicolor print on black ground has a whole bunch of fabric already cut at 6.5".  Other fabrics have 2 yards or less.  If I remember correctly the "F" rectangles need about 2 yards. Hum, I just noticed the light background squares "D". There isn't a lot of background left -- hopefully just enough.  If we're lucky,  the only fabric that will be purchased is the backing. 

I'll keep you posted as I begin to work through this challenge.  I doubt it will be high on my list to complete soon but I should be able to finish it if I work on it off and on over the next few months. Part of my issue is I'm trying to finish a lot of my UFOs and quilt some of the many tops I have.  And, a surprise group of quilts for a customer.  I'll be busy. 

Have you decided what you will do with your stash, sewing machines, UFO's and finished quilts? I mean, when you are either not around or unable to keep working on them?  

I have a plan -- my daughter will be responsible for moving out my sewing supplies. She's a quilter but she has a tiny little sewing space so she's not going to be able to keep most of what I have. (Remember, books, rulers, threads, long arm, old projects -- the list just keeps on going.) I will try to leave some ideas of where she can donate quilts and supplies to that will benefit others. 

She rolls her eyes at me when I tell her I've gotten rid of things.  A while ago I gave away a big bag of paper panto patterns for long arm quilting. *eye roll* I was happy to pass it on to a lady who had a fairly new long arm and was thrilled to take them. (I'm also working on my yarn collection making frame knit hats.) 

I am continuing to move UFOs into tops. I've cut back on fabric buying -- except for specific projects or backing. I think in the last 2 or 3 years I've only gotten a 3 or 4 books. I sporadically sell some of my supplies or give them away on the free table at the guild.  So I am trying.  But I hope to never give up on quilting. If I have any luck sewing through my fabric collection it would be some what easier.  Have you put any thought into your quilting supplies? 

I'm linking up with Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation, Alycia's Finished or Not Friday, Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, and Beauties Pageant at From Bolt to Beauty.  Take some time to visit. A lot is  going on with quilters around the world. I'll be back to link up the other posts on Friday -- if I remember... UGH! Saturday morning and I finally remembered! 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie