Postage Stamp Scrap Quilt

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My solid scrap postage stamp quilt is complete and I love it!

Creating this quilt was my 100 Day Countdown to QuiltCon project.  During those 100 days, I made 100 blocks at 6 1/2'' x 6 1/2'' each of which contained 36 tiny squares (1" finished).

I used scraps of whatever solids I had and sewed together strip sets with all different shades of white and light cream.  

To quilt, I used my walking foot and went diagonally through the white squares.  This really frames up the color squares nicely so they look like they are popping out of the quilt.

After auditioning several fabrics for the binding, I went with black because it looked the best.  The backing is a light aqua which you can see in the photo above.

The quilt stats:

• Overall size is 60'' x 60"
• Contains 1800 squares of color and 1800 squares of white/light cream
• Finished block is 1"
• Fabrics used were solids from all different manufacturers - whatever I had leftover from other projects.

I started the quilt on November 16, 2020 and had all the blocks done 100 days later in time for QuiltCon together.  Making a postage stamp quilt had been on my bucket list for a long time.  It was way more work than I had anticipated but so worth it!

Have a wonderful day! Patty

100 Days to QuiltCon Project is Done!

Back on November 16, I decided to start a 100 days to QuiltCon Together project encouraged by others who are doing the same.   My goal was to use up all these miscellaneous scraps of white-ish fabric and a whole bunch of solid scraps by making baby 4-patches.

My "make a baby 4 patch a day" goal quickly morphed into joining 9 together into a 6 1/2'' block.  At first this seemed much more satisfying but it later morphed into way more work than I anticipated.            

Several times I considered not continuing.  What was the point, I thought?  I certainly wasn't actually doing work on the project every day - I'd just batch things up every 2 weeks or so.  For example, all the seams were pressed open as I went - I'd batch up steps for pressing too which meant the creation of a single blocks was also spread across many days.

But once I got close enough, I decided to make it happen.   

Ta da!  100 blocks!  And QuiltCon Together begins tomorrow!  Sometimes I surprise myself when I actually get something like this done!

My next step is to square them up and sew them together in groups of 4!  And I've already got an idea for my next 100 day project.  This time I will keep it small and doable in a day!

Have a wonderful day! Patty

100 Day Project Update - 29 Days to QuiltCon

When I started this project 71 days ago, I thought I'd make a little 4-patch block each day for 100 days.  A few days into this, I thought that was too easy of a goal and gave myself an additional stretch goal to sew together a 36-patch block each day for 100 days.

Here I am 71 one days into the project (which means 29 days to QuiltCon!!!) and much to my surprise I have 67 blocks done.

I'm only 4 blocks behind.

Wowza!

Now I need to ask myself why I did this?  The actual construction doesn't take much time, but the prep sure does!   Diving into my bottom-less bin of solid scraps, trimming to 1 1/2 '' strips, sewing things together, and then, pressing all those seams open.

I've got enough pieces prepped for 12 more blocks which mean they will go quickly.

I have not been working on a block each day.  Instead, I find myself batching them up and doing a whole bunch at a time.  

At this point, I believe I will make all 100 blocks.  But, I am equally confident they won't get done before QuiltCon. 

Have a wonderful day! Patty

100 Day Project Update - 53 Days to Quiltcon Together

Back on Tuesday, November 10, Cassandra kicked off the 100 days to QuiltCon countdown.

I decided to join in and make as many 4-patches as I can with the goal of having enough to make a 60'' x 60'' quilt.  Into my bottom-less bin of solid scraps I went and started trimming down to 1 1/2 '' strips and then sewing things together.

I'm sewing the 4 patches into 6'' blocks with the secondary goal of having 100 of these pieced together.

How am I doing so far?  I've got 36!   With 53 days to go, I should have 47 of these altogether.  I've likely got enough 4 patches to make 11 more blocks so I think I am in ok shape although I am falling behind every day!

Probably no surprise to anyone who has made one of these quilts in the past, they take a lot of time.... probably more than I anticipated.

The project is very satisfying though so I'm off to make some more blocks!

Have a wonderful day! Patty

100 Day Project 2020

For my first 100 day project in 2018, I made hexigons and sewed them into a pillow.  For my 2nd in 2019, I hand pieced drunkard's path blocks.

Sticking with the hand work theme, I choose to do 100 days of hand quilting for 2020.

I chose Essex linen for the quilt top and used 8wt thread for the quilting.  The grid was created by sewing a 1 1/2'' grid over the linen fabric to frame out the daily areas to quilt.   Each day, I'd pull up the stitches between two of those squares and quilting in the 1 1/2 '' x 3'' rectangle.

To add a little fun, I decided on ten simple stitch combinations and used a roll of the dice to assign that day's pattern.  Double sixes gave me free choice and if I rolled the same as the previous day, I rolled again.  

I had fun trying something different each time I rolled a combo - there are a lot of ways you can combine an 'x' and a dash!

Just for kicks, I kept a tally of which pattern was chosen each day.  I only rolled a double 6 twice and choose a circle each time.  The circle was both the quickest pattern to stitch and one of my favorites.

I kept myself a bit restricted by always choosing a rectangle which bordered an area previously stitched.  I gave myself the freedom to use whatever thread color I wanted.

The back is fun to look at (but hard to get a good photo of!)  Most of the time, I did a good job burying the knots but there are still some knots on the surface that will just live there.

It took awhile to decide on binding color and I finally chose with 2 fabric colors that were really good matches to thread colors used in the quilting.  I had fun adding some extra stitching to the binding to better tie things together.   (There are several tutorials on flange binding that I considered - this is the one I used.)

Have a wonderful day! Patty

100 Day Project - 50+ Days Done

I'm at the halfway point for my 100 Day Project - a controlled improv hand quilted whole cloth quilt!  (I officially started on April 7 but you can start your own 100 days of creativity anytime you want.)

This project is impossible to get a good photo of! 

The texture feels amazing and I enjoy running my hands over the piece.

I am a little concerned with the bumps and puckers you can see.  Some of this is just wrinkles as I handle the quilt sandwich every day - it is linen afterall.  They should go away once the quilt is blocked. 

Some of them though may be because the thread is being pulled too tight? 

This next picture gives you an idea what it looks like at the halfway done point!

Just a few basic rules to guide my 100 day journey.

Rule 1: The pattern each day is chosen for me by a roll of the dice - each possible combination from 2 through 11 has a assigned pattern.  A lucky roll of double sixes give me free choice!  My only other rule is I can't quilt the same design 2 days in a row.

Rule 2: The 'block' I'm quilting needs to connect to a previously quilted area in my basket weave like grid.  Each rectangle is 1 1/2 '' x 3''.  To get started, I sewed a 1 1/2'' grid over the linen fabric to frame out the daily areas to quilt.

Rule 3: Enjoy it and don't sweat the details.

Have a wonderful day! Patty

My 100 Day Project

Have you heard about the 100 Day Project?  While it officially kicked off on April 7, you can certainly start your own 100 days of creativity anytime you want.

Last year, I hand pieced 100 drunkards path blocks.  The hand quilting on the resulting quilt is about halfway done and I think it is time to pick it back up again!

Since I find handwork to be a very satisfying and relaxing, I wanted another handwork project for this years 100 days effort. 

I'll be making a whole cloth quilt using this yummy texture Essex Linen, hand quilting a new design each day.

Before the quilt sandwich was assembled, I sewed a 1 1/2'' grid across the entire piece of linen.  Each day, I will hand quilt two squares which will be a rectangle measuring 1 1/2 '' x 3''.   Threads are snipped as I go.

The resulting pattern will be a grid that looks like this -  a bit like a basket weave perhaps.

The pattern each day is chosen for me by a roll of the dice - each possible combination from 2 through 11 has a assigned pattern.  A lucky roll of double sixes give me free choice!  My only other rule is I can't quilt the same design 2 days in a row.

Today is day 23 - I wonder what today's dice roll will be?

Have a wonderful day! Patty

100 Day Project - on the Home Stretch!

Have you heard about the 100 Day Project?  While it officially kicked off on April 2, you can certainly start your own 100 days of creativity anytime you want.

My original goal was to hand piece one drunkards path block each day starting on April 2.   I've since modified the goal to hand piecing 100 of these blocks in 100 days.  This gives me 'permission' to make more than one in a sitting and not worry about missing a day here and there.

As of this posting, I should have 72 blocks and much to my surprise when I laid them out - I have 72 blocks!

There are some days where I don't stitch any blocks and other days where I make time to do several of them.   I wasn't certain about the reverse blocks at first - where the 1/4 circle is the low volume fabric - but I am really loving it now.

This isn't necessarily my final layout.  There is much to be decided!

If you'd like to give it a try, checkout my tutorial on hand piecing curves.

Have a wonderful day! Patty

37 Days of 100

Have you heard about the 100 Day Project?  (While it officially kicked off on April 2, you can certainly start your own 100 days of creativity anytime you want.)

I decided to hand piece a quilt starting with a whole bunch of drunkard's path blocks.  

This is not going to be my actual layout but it is fun to color match!  My daughter isn't yet home from college and her floor is a convenient place to lay out the blocks!  I've got a few more with color to do and then I'm switching to some made from low volume fabric.

Piecing curves by hands is MUCH easier (for me!) than by machine.

So far, I have stuck to the schedule and pieced one every day.  Fingers crossed I can keep this up!

Fabric is Alison Glass and various low volume for the background.

Have a wonderful day! Patty

My 100 Day project

Have you heard about the 100 Day Project?  While it officially kicked off on April 2, you can certainly start your own 100 days of creativity anytime you want.

I decided to hand piece every day starting with these drunkards path blocks.

 I don't yet know if I'll make 100 of these blocks or some of these and some of something else - that is part of the 100 day journey.   

So far, I have stuck to the schedule and pieced one every day.  Fingers crossed I can keep this up!

Fabric is Alison Glass and various low volume for the background.


Have a wonderful day! Patty