Before I get into today’s post I thought I would answer a question that came in…
Sandi asked:
“I love the quilt in the picture where you are sitting with Izzy on the porch. Could I please get some more information on the quilt? Thanks so much and congrats on your new dog.”
This is the photo Sandi was referring to.
Here is the quilt. You can read …more about the quilt in THIS BLOG POST.
Here’s a close-up picture. It is designed to use up leftover half-square triangles.
The pattern is in THIS BOOK. I had a great time making it and would love to make one again.
Now to today’s post and what I have been working on. The answer to that is still my family. I didn’t have much sewing time again this week. I keep saying, it will slow down after ________. But it doesn’t slow down. I’ll tell you more about all of that later this week but I can at least give you a sneak peek of some of the events of last week. Kalissa, my daughter, wrote about her troubles in THIS BLOG POST.
I did manage to get a video filmed. The tutorial is an explanation of how I cut my scraps and use them. You can push the triangle play button and watch it here or you can go to Youtube HERE. There you can save the video and then watch it on your television at a later time.
In the video, I tackled my Reproduction Prints/darker prints and cream-based fabrics.
The video has already been very popular, I hope you enjoy it.
Later in the week I also got my batik scraps cut up too.
First I ironed…
As I did I noticed that there were quite a few 5 1/2″ squares in the mix.
I set them aside and will likely make another simple charm square quilt.
Here they all are ready to go into the scrap users system.
I had about 20 minutes to sew one day but everything I had out I couldn’t do. I had my alphabet letters at one machine and no project to piece at the other machine. Rather than lose that time, I pulled the first thing I saw. It is my Tribute to Judie UFO. I have several of these blocks cut out and ready to sew. I ended up working on these for a bit.
I only have 32 of the 180 blocks I need for the quilt.
I pulled some pieces for the center of these blocks. I sorted through a scrap bag I had and found some to use…and I cut a few more from strips.
I ended up with a nice little stack.
I had a happy surprise in the mail. A blog reader, after watching me with my utility scissor in my ABC video, sent me a great new scissor. Oh my, it’s the best. I’ve been using it all week and VERY much enjoying it. You can find the scissor HERE. I have a small Karen Kay scissor in my cross-stitch project bag. I didn’t know they made a larger version as well. THANKS so much!! I love it.
I cut some strips to put around my bow tie quilt.
I’m not sure what I’m going to do next with this top…for now, it’s getting 1 1/2″ inner border.
My biggest accomplishment of the week was a finished the binding on my deadline project and I got it in the mail. YAHOO!! I’m so glad it’s out of here. That was some intense sewing.
I have two sew-alongs that are tempting me. Connie from Chicken Scratch Country Threads blog will be hosting one for this quilt. You can find the book for it HERE. I really like the book…and LOVE the quilt. I’d love to stitch along…of course, I’d like it bigger. But oh, I love it.
Did you see that Lori Holt is also doing a quilt along for her quilt Tall Pines? Here is her video about them. I did cave on this one and bought the ruler that goes with the pattern. You can find it HERE. You can buy a quilt pattern HERE but honestly, I don’t know that you need the pattern as all of the info is in the video.
I’d love to make this one and just make a small quilt for a wall hanging for the winter season. I’d likely do mine in reproduction fabrics. We’ll see. Remember I was going to try to avoid things like this and stick to my UFOs. Ugh. I’m so terrible. We’ll see what I end up doing. I was my UFOs finished but I don’t want to become a slave to them either. That’s no fun.
So stay tuned and see what I ended up doing.
Are any of you joining these quilt alongs?? Curious minds want to know.
Plans for next week include finishing the bow tie quilt top and getting an hourglass video done AND another set of alphabet letters. Fingers crossed at least two of those things get finished. Life continues to be crazy so who knows…and Mary at Country Threads will be picking the next UFO number so I might work on that too. We’ll see.
I like the look of the Tall Pines quilt!
Right before you stopped commenting on mail I had sent you a box and thrown in some bonus HST. Hopefully they made it to your stash. A friend had given me a box of 6” Hst and when I saw your quilt, had an ah ha moment. I even have muslin! The Hst have no rhyme or reason to the color scheme so this would be perfect for LWR.
Your box did make it my way. THANKS so much for sending it. I think those got passed to the Cresco Ladies.
I love those Karen Buckley scissors. They are the bomb!,
Congratulations on finishing your ‘deadline’ quilt! I love the few blocks and fabric we can see for your Tribute to Judie quilt. Gonna be gorgeous. I don’t quilt but I want to make a wall size of the tall pines – 3 trees or so. Maybe. I wouldn’t get it done this year. It looks so clean and crisp!
Karen Buckley scissors are the best! I love that they are sharp to the end and are serrated. I have 2 paid of the little ones and a pair of the large ones. I think I need to ask for this size for Christmas!
Thank you for the scrap user’s video! I plan on doing this as soon as I get a bunch of other stuff finished. It is the life of a person that never puts their sewing machine away. But I plan on getting organized like you. Thank you so much for all of your inspiration. I read your blog daily and love following your family, dog adventures, thrifting, health and darling grandkids and your gardening as well. If I were not so old, I would want to grow up to be just like you. Thank you again for the video and sew on…….and God bless you!
Thanks for you kind words Jeri!!
I’m watching the scrap cutting video as I type this. Love the layering idea. My sewing room is completely disassembled (because we switched rooms and nearly everything is still in the “temporary” location – just 8 months later!). Hopefully by the time I get it back up, I remember this technique.
You can always rewatch the video. They can always be found at Jo’s Country Junction on Youtube.
Don’t forget, Bonnie Hunter just released her fabric requirements and info about this years winter mystery, Chilhowie. Great name. I’m going to try to make a small version if I can keep up.
Oh my – feeling Kalissa’s pain. I hope it is getting better and thankful you are so readily available to help her. I am surprised you get any sewing done, but you still do. It was fun to see that HST quilt again. Such a good way to use those extras.
LOVE that Tall Tree quilt, Jo, and can TOTALLY see how you might cave on joining the QAL!! I’m focused on my UFOs, too, but I’m also tempted to participate. Ugh! Decisions, decisions…
I love the Scrap User’s System! Its my go-to. I am doing the Sew Along with Mary and the Fresh Start book.