Another Quilt Block Completed!

I finished my Churn Dash Block for the My Favorite Block Quilt Along Block-Number 3 hosted by Kim at Persimons Dreams.   Katy Jones from I'm a Ginger Monkey Blog shared the Scrappy Churn Dash Block.  Thanks Katy!

I cut out the pieces, but I couldn't make up my mind, if I wanted to make more than one of the 6 inch blocks.  I cut some pieces and then laid them out.  I cut more pieces and I laid those out too.

I cut so many pieces. I made six blocks!

I cut one of the half square triangle block wrong, so the one on the center top has one dark triangle that is smaller.  Oh well.  It is wonky!

I had fun mixing them all up!

I could use four of them together like this to form a 12 inch block.

It's looking great with the other 2 blocks.

Or I could lay them out like this and just use five of them.

On Twitter, on Talkin' Tuesday, one of the topics was, "What makes a good Quilt Along?"  
I have been thinking about it all day:   
#1 easy quilt blocks with good instructions
#2 time in between to get them done
#3 incentives - chance to win prizes
#4 Scrappy -- to help use up your stash of fabrics.  
My Favorite Block Quilt Along has all four! 

And the coolest part is, if you are reading this right now and you have been thinking about doing the quilt along, but you haven't started yet. You still can start it!  You can start anytime!  You can read about each block, print out the instructions, make a binder, and then make the quilt blocks on a sewing weekend or whenever you want.

I am trying very hard to stay up to date, but if I have a week where I can't sew a block or two --- oh well!  I will just make them the next week.

Thanks for following along with me!
Marcia

Minutes for Me Linky Party #28

Glad to see so many sharing last week!
That means you are finding time to take a few minutes for yourself!  Yes! 
Time to share! Join in the fun!

There will be a party open all the time and every week a new one!  Each party will over lap, so every time you hop over to share a link to something you have created, there will be a party to share it at.  

Check out the simple guidelines here about Minutes for Me Linky Party.

Don't forget the backlink to my blog --- Important do the Backlink FIRST!  http://marciascraftysewing.blogspot.com/

and/or the Minutes for Me Button. Thanks!

So others can find this and share too!

You may share 2 to 3 posts a week!  

If you have made it, created it, cooked it, drew it, painted it, quilted it, sewed it, or even grown it - you can share it!

If you are NEW to Linky Parties and you need my help -- Email me directly with any questions. Marcia@craftysewing.com

If you have a problem and something doesn't up load right -- Email and I will help you fix it!

Take time to share...

Just for Fun...

... while waiting for the mailman, I got out some 6 X 6 scrap booking papers.

 I selected 4 colorful prints.

I cut the pieces to make a paper quilt block.

Today's block for "My Favorite Block Quilt Along" is a Scrappy Churn Dash Block.  I cut my pieces (minus the seam allowances), so that I would have a 6 inch block for the front of my quilt binder.

You may have noticed that I picked a 5th print as I needed another color for the scrappy look!

I printed the title for the top of the page

and the logo button for the bottom right part of the page.

Each time there is a new block, I print the instructions --- usually in a draft print (uses less ink).  Then I three hole punch and add them to the binder.

I also printed the photo of my fabrics in draft from my blog --- just for the memory when I look back at this binder years from now.

 The cover for my quilt binder is complete and it took only a few minutes to make it and keep it all organized. It actually took longer to write this post, but you know me --- I like to share.  My husband says, when I like something and I think it is really cool, I have to share it with everyone. He says I am like a walking commercial for everything I like!

If you are doing the My Favorite Block Quilt Along, please do not think you need a binder, just because I have one.  But it does keep me organized.  I need to have a place to put the instructions or I will loose them!

Just for fun!
Marcia
Shared at the Minutes for Me Linky Party !

Hodgepodge Patchwork Tuesday "Scraps Completed"

You know I am doing the Scrappy Trip Along Flicker and Bonnie Hunter.  Well I am hooked!

I am having so much fun sewing together strips of scraps of my fabrics.  I had scraps leftover from my daughter's table runners from her wedding last summer. I thought it would be nice to sew the scraps together and make something for her. 

Of course, I kept all the scraps, plus some other scraps, all in a ziplock baggie.

Started with one and then decided I needed 4 blocks to make a table topper.

Then I decided I needed a couple mug rugs as there were still scraps leftover.

Quilted them.

I used a couple different cream fabrics for the binding. I am using all my scraps for these projects.

I added some vintage plates to get the idea of how it will look with my daughter's plates.

It even looks great with this 50's vintage pink plate! This plate reminds me of the counter tops from when I was a little girl.

Added some tea cups to photo the mug rugs.

I stitched my name and the year into the quilting on the mug rugs and on the table topper.

She can use the table topper on either side. I used the leftover green fabrics too!

I am sure she will love the quilted pieces all made from scraps!

I will share more about the cream quilted table topper that I placed under the green ones later in February.

Thanks Bonnie Hunter for the great scrappy ideas.  Thanks Kim from Persimon Dreams for sharing the links to the Scrappy Trip Along.  I am going to post some of my photos on the Flicker site at The Scrappy Trip Along. 

Having fun scrapping!
Marcia

Do You Remember Gum Wrapper Chains?

I made the chains when I was a little girl.  I seem to remember making them mostly in the car when we were on family vacations.

I started my project with several blue and white fabrics and  a white fabric.  I cut strips from the blues and squares from the white.

Then I cut them into 4 equal parts.

Then I laid them out to create patterns.  This pattern reminded me of the gum wrapper chains and I loved it!

 I lined up my blocks like this.

Stitched them together in long rows.

 Added a border to all four sides and chose a grey quilting thread.

I quilted with a wiggle line along the chain on the blue fabric.

I added wiggle lines to the borders.

The back.

The quilted table topper looks great with my blue and white plates.

And it looks perfect on my dinning room table.

Full view.

I added my Quilted Gum Wrapper Chains to the flicker site for Project Quilting.  Click on the link and you can see all the quilts that took the challenge this week for Project Quilting.

Kim posted about the 53 entry quilts also - click here.

I found a link to an origami blog that has a tutorial on how to make the Bubble Gum Wrapper Chain.

It was another fun challenge! Thanks Kim!
Enjoy your day!
Marcia

Update:  I started with a 3 inch square of white fabric and my strips were 2 inches wide.  That way the squares all end up being the same size.  The finished white center square measures one inch and the finished side strips measure 1 inch and 2 inches.  The block measures 2 inches square.