Tiny Nine-Patch Challenge

Possibly you recall that nearly all the sewing I did in January, February and March was turning scraps into both 4-patch and 9-patch blocks. 

At about that same time, I discovered a sew-along on Instagram called Tiny Nine-Patch Challenge hosted by Taryn at Repro Quilt Lover. I was thrilled to find a purpose for the blocks I was making.

This link marks the end of my 1.5-inch scraps. This link shows a good bit of the background fabric purchased in FL specifically for the setting blocks in this quilt.

So here we are in June and I find myself making a quilt top with my 9-patch blocks. All the tedium of making those blocks is definitely paying off. I am whizzing through this quilt top! What a great idea to do the 'grunt-work' in spare bits of time in FL. They have been waiting in the wings for their time to shine.

And gosh, do they ever shine! Yeah! I feel almost maniacal about creating this quilt. To be able to cut that background fabric into 3.5-inch squares and whip out the rows for this quilt is exhilarating. I decided to make 3 sections about 10 rows wide and sew those sections together at the end so I would avoid having to wrestle the entire giant quilt at the machine if I were doing the quilt all in one section.

And this is absolutely gonna' look amazing. I love the background I am using, and while these next two pictures don't exactly look as pink as real life, there is enough detail in these photos to see the print, I think.

While I was making this first part, I explored the hashtag for this quilt-along - #tineyninepatchchallenge. I ususally find a lot of inspiration when I search hastags, and this time I found a genuine beauty. When I saw this quilt set on point, I was stopped in my tracks. Oh my. I want mine to be on point, too! 

Come back tomorrow or Wednesday to see if I was successful in turning my straight set into a diagonal set. 

Would you try such a change of direction in the middle of making a quilt?

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

Welcome Summer!

Officially summer arrived Thursday. Now it's Saturday, and I wouldn't want to do anything in a timely manner, now would I? Close is good enough for me.

Yesterday, the first full day of summer, was a scorcher and I found myself immersed in a range of activities, some of which occurred in the quilting room, but most did not. It wasn't until late afternoon that I made my way to the sewing machine to stitch on a hugely satisfying project. More on that in a bit.

First, let me mention one thing that made the first day of summer special this year - the incredible full moon. Did you see it last night? It’s called the Strawberry Moon in folk lore probably because of strawberry harvesting time. Here in southern Ohio we are well past strawberry harvest, but the moon was the exact color of a strawberry, especially just as it was rising above the horizon. We took a walk late in the day to avoid the heat  -  yeah, I dragged myself away from the sewing machine -  and in the twilight the moon was a breathtaking sight.

 

Now back to the stitching. Below is an old photo from March when I was working madly to turn scraps into blocks. This represents just a few of the gazillion 9-patches and 4-patches I made while snow birding.

I show you this because last evening was spent working on turning the 9-patches into a quilt top. I’m super-excited about this one! I bought several yards of discounted fabric from Quilted Twins specifically for the setting blocks in this quilt. I'm loving how it looks! In fact, I am so stoked to work on this quilt that I had to force myself to stop sewing and go to bed. (This is the equivalent of a reader saying 'just one more page' or 'one more chapter;' I was saying 'just one more seam' and 'one more row.')

And here’s a tease for the goodness to come - a couple of 9-patches sewn to setting blocks. Stay tuned! I promise, it's as gorgeous as can be.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

A Reveal!

Sorry I've been away from blogging for awhile. I hosted 2 women's events this week, and we got called to Columbus for an unexpected day of babysitting for our granddaughter, consequently tending to details here at JQR sorta' fell way down on my to-do list.

With that all behind me, let's get back to talking quilts.

I've been slow to restart my quilting gears this year what with that 3-month snowbird getaway. Finally, now in mid-May, I’m getting back into the groove and at last, I’ve got some projects and finishes to share! 

First, let's focus on the quilt that waited all those long 3 months strung out on the long-arm frame - Floral Explosion. I put it on the frame before Christmas with the hopes that I'd be able to quilt it and take it with me to Florida. The tension on my machine had other ideas, though, and I could foresee problems, so I left it. Just walked away all through the holidays and then all through those snowbird months.

 

I didn't even really try to address the tension issues for a good long while after we returned to Ohio. Troubleshooting tension requires tremendous focus which I was sorely lacking.

There comes a point in time, however, that one has to engage the 'mind over matter' mentality. I had so many quilts to get done! Baby quilts especially. I needed that machine to work properly. 

Yes, it was as aggravating as I expected. It actually took me a couple of sessions before I finished the quilt. I am not entirely happy with the results, but done is better than nothing, and a finish is something to celebrate.

I admit to having some ambivalence toward this quilt. There are definitely so many things to love. I love all the happy florals. I love the simplicity of the big 9-patches. I love that I shopped the stash for borders and backing. I love that I used a layer cake (below) with very little waste.

But for the poorly-managed tension, the quilt would be perfect. Alas, I will use it here for my own purposes, and ignore how dreadful the back of the quilt looks.

Details on the quilt: I bought the layer cake in 2022 at Mae-Lynne Makers while on retreat. Last year, at the '23 retreat, I made the 9-patch blocks and constructed the quilt center. (In re-reading that post, I mention that I wasn't planning to add borders; I am glad I had a change of heart on this!) This post focuses on border issues. The borders, backing and binding are all from existing stash, and are similar to the happy, spring-like flowers represented in the layer cake. The backing is pieced, and the binding is hand-stitched. The size is 67"x75". Nice for draping over the back of the couch.

I am happy to report that since correcting the long-arm tension, I have successfully finished 2 more quilts. I love how the quilting looks - both top and bottom threads appear to be perfect! It sure is satisfying to complete the quilting process when all systems are working properly. 

And, yes, I will definitely be sharing both finishes in upcoming posts! 

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

Done With Little 9-Patches

On the first of March, I officially quit working with 1.5-inch squares. I'd spent about 6 weeks digging around in these small scraps of fabrics to make 9-patch blocks, and I very nearly used them all. 

 

My tub was full and running over when I began. Now it is empty, and I have 402 9-patch blocks to show for my efforts. Additionally, I made about 100 4-patch blocks, in the hopes that I could use them all. This picture of an empty tub is truly one I am celebrating. I thought I'd never see the bottom!

However daunting the task, I did stay with it and I'm really glad that I did. There is some future quilt waiting to be made out of these blocks, and I will be so glad I have this tedious part of the process finished. HINT: That floral fabric under all those blocks might be involved in whatever quilt comes next.

Next on my agenda is to work with 2.5-inch scraps. My supply of squares and strips cut to 2.5-inches absolutely dwarfs the 1.5-inch tub. Gracious! This is a very common go-to size, though, so I admit that I've prepared more in this size than in any other. Wish me luck!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

February Wrap-Up

I've missed a lot of posting this past week because I was having trouble loading pictures here on the blog. I don't know who is doing something different, but I have done things the exact same way for ages, yet the photos just would not load. I ended up doing an "end-around" by iPhone to load pictures to a draft, then coming to the laptop to write and organize the pictures. Whew, so much bother.

I'd not yet posted my February collage, so even though I am more than a week into March, I will go ahead and share, just to have the record and to remind myself of all the Florida fun.

TOP ROW: We actually had hail one afternoon in early February, so to be sure such a rare event was recorded, we snapped a picture of hailstones in DH's hand. The next two photos are from our fun outing to a remote area along the gulf. We went to Ozello, a small fishing town, and found a quaint little restaurant, Peck's, for a mid-afternoon cocktail and appetizer. It was a perfect Florida day.

MIDDLE ROW: For sewing updates, we need only look to my efforts in scrap control. I brought all my 1.5- inch squares and strips for some focused efforts at making 4-patch blocks and 9-patch blocks. I did that until I had no more! (Well, nearly no more; I admit to leaving a few odd bits unused.) Because I found an Instagram sew-along called #tinyninepatchchallenge hosted by Taryn @reproquiltlover, I made as many 9-patches as I could (402!) and tried a super-small 9-patch made with 1-inch squares. Only one, thank you very much. *wink*

BOTTOM ROW: The lake by Moonrise Resort is called Tsala Apopka; DH and I went out with cousin Dave for an early morning fishing excursion. Oh, what a beautiful lake! So peaceful, and so pretty! No fish were caught, but I sure do love the gentle rocking of a pontoon on the lake! More sewing - making slipcovers for 2 "cubes" that slide nicely under our kitchen bar, and a cushion re-covering for my cousin Sandy; this matches her kitchen valances and table runner.

With a new month, I have turned my attention to the tub of 2.5-inch squares and strips. I piled a few of the 9-patches alongside some of the new blocks, and the size difference seems massive. I feel like I am working with giant-sized squares after 2 months of those little 1.5-inch pieces. It is a refreshing change, that's for sure.

So far, all I've done with the 2.5-inch squares is to make 4-patches. At some point, I might switch over to 9-patches, but I am content to continue these for awhile longer. Since I don't really know what will be next for these blocks, I can just keep producing them in the hopes that some amazing quilt will present itself. I get ideas eventually. Just trust the process, right?

Wish me luck at future posting. I swear these photo-loading issues are about enough to cause me to just quit blogging altogether. I hope whatever needs to be done becomes clear to me at some point.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

300!!

I haven't been blogging too much because all I do is make 9-patch blocks. From scraps. Endless, it seems!

What you see here is 300 blocks, all made with 1.5" scraps in a little tub I brought with me for sewing in Florida. I also brought 2" scraps and 2.5" scraps, but I have taken this entire time (5+ weeks) making these 300 blocks. Those other scraps might just go back to Ohio untouched. I guess I just wanted to be prepared.

I stack 10 blocks and then pin them together. This prevents me from losing count, and from having to repeatedly count and recount.

What do you think of this pale pink background? I am considering using it as my setting blocks for the eventual quilt I'll be making with these 9-patches. You'll see better pictures of it in these next pictures.

I will set the blocks on point and use this pale pink floral for the alternating blocks. I have 4 yards of it, so I think it will do.

On Tuesday, DH and I drove down to Dade City to shop at Quilted Twins. I'd been there twice before, but never felt as though I could spend a long time looking carefully at all the variety - gazillions of bolts in about a dozen rooms, organized by theme or color or design. I went to consider options for a background for these 9-patches, and this pink is my choice. 

I do see the end of the proverbial tunnel on these 1.5" squares and the 9-patches I'm making with them. I can probably make at least 100 more, and then I plan to use whatever remains in some bigger blocks - either 16-patches or 25-patches. Everything left over is a total hodge-podge, so those larger blocks will be just the ticket for using every last one.

I have to tell you what we did yesterday. It quite possibly is the most active day I've had in years. We rode the recumbent bikes to Inverness (5.5 miles), then we played 3 games of shuffleboard, rode bikes home from Inverness (5.5 miles), fixed supper for us and 2 guests, played 2 games of spades with those 2 guests, then walked 3 laps around our block (.8 miles). Whew! I sure slept well last night!

Happy Quilting, Friends! 

Change Of Pace

 I am still working my way through the tub of 1.5-inch squares with the goal of making 9-patch blocks. Here's how the tub look when I started.

The tub also contained a good number of 1.5-inch strips which I mostly have not yet touched. I say mostly because I did use a couple of the lighter neutral strips. My grand total so far is 194 9-patch blocks  - all from the little squares in this tub. See them below in stacks of 10; they are a thing of beauty!

Most of my 9-patches are pretty; I mean that the colors or fabrics work nicely together. Complimentary, in other words. However, several look quite bizarre, and I would never, ever use the combinations together in an actual planned quilt. Since these blocks are all made from leftovers and the purpose is a scrappy quilt, then the occasional "ugly" block is permissible and expected. When one limits the options to just the squares available, the definition of a "pretty" block gets stretched quite a bit.

So, my title today says change of pace; let me share what I mean. Because I have gotten to the sad and scrappy bottom of the barrel of the 1.5-inch squares, I can no longer come up with '5 darks and 4 lights' with which to create a 9-patch. I can, though, make 4-patches. These will work right in with a collection of 4-patches I have worked on back home - a 'Leaders and Enders' effort. I brought all those with me, so I have scads of 4-patches as well as scads of 9-patches.

It was fun coming up with these simple combinations; the resulting block (2.5") is such a perfect size for some yet-to-be-determined project. I've made more than what you see above! Check out the stacks below! All told, I believe I've made about 100. This is definitely the way I will continue to use up the bits I'm having trouble using in 9-patches. It's much easier to make a 4-square combination than a 9-square combination.

I continue to follow Taryn over on Instagram as she leads quilters through her fun little sew-along called Tiny Nine Patch Challenge. Some of those participants are using 1/2-inch squares! That's too small for me! I ought to make one just to show the difference. Others are using 1-inch squares. I am content to go no smaller than 1.5-inches. 

It won't be long until I need to put these away for awhile, as my sewing room will be turned into a guest room! Sharon is coming for a visit! Yes! Isn't that grand? Can't wait!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

More of the Same

 In the few snippets of time I find to sit down at the sewing machine, I continue to make tiny 9-patch blocks from the tubful of 1.5-inch scraps I've accumulated. It amazes me how these bits of fabric are becoming parts for a whole quilt! Most people would have thrown these bits in the waste basket. 

I mentioned in a previous post that I was originally against the idea of organizing the bits into colorways. Then after spending so much time plowing through the little tub, I figured I was wasting too much time looking for that one piece of fabric I knew I had. It was time to organize. Working on one color at a time has made a huge difference!

I suppose you figured out from looking at the pictures that I was working my way through the red bits, and then the blue bits. That rosy pink block must be a renegade.

I believe I now have over 70 of these little 9-patch blocks made. Plenty more to make, too, as I am ready to tackle the green bits, the brown bits, and the yellow bits next. My little tray serves as both the pressing station and the organization (such that it is!) station.

I select the bits for each block and then line them up along the sewing table. When I have 10 or so ready to go, I chain piece them and have them finished off in no time.

Take a peek at my itty-bitty sewing corner. I don't need much space when I'm working on itty-bitty blocks. How do you like that nifty little desk? My color choice still appeals, too.

Time for sewing is at a premium here in Florida. It seems there is always something to do, and I try not to miss out on any of it. On Tuesday afternoon, we rode 8 miles on our recumbent bikes. There was quite a gang - 6 of us - heading out for who knows where. When we got to the 4-mile mark, we turned around and rode back. Good fun, and so peaceful.

After 2 weeks of chilly, gray days, we are finally getting the warm sunshine that one expects in Florida. Yesterday we got up to the low 80s with lots of sunshine. Perfect morning for playing shuffleboard. Today is supposed to be warmer, but cloudy. I think I can handle that. *grin*

Happy Quilting, Friends!

44 and Counting

So far, my total number of tiny 9-patches stands at 44. It has made a world of difference in speed by having my colors organized and separated. It has been quite the enjoyable and gratifying process of sitting down to do "just a couple" and in no time have about 10 or 12 more finished. 

Stacks of 10 line the back corner of my new little sewing desk. These are 3.5" unfinished when made with 1.5" squares. 

Rearranged in this pic to show off the variety of colors and prints. Sometimes I change out the center square when I don't have five of the same, and that will not matter in the least.

I like to keep my stacks of 10 in order so that I can more easily count my totals.  I intend to finish off the next 6 today and depending on the activities later, there's a good chance I'll do more.

And speaking of activities, let me tell you we seem to have plenty! When talking to friends and family back home, I've said more than once that it's as if we are different people here in Florida than we are at home. It is nothing for us to walk several times a day. We ride the recumbent bikes whenever the weather is pleasant (so far, we've only ridden 3 times, as it's been chilly for Florida); we play shuffleboard 3 times a week. We go gallivanting off to flea markets, estate sales and thrift stores whenever someone has a whim to do so. Plus there's plenty of ongoing work around the house as we fix up this place.

The only thing we are NOT doing as often as in previous years is eating out. Having our own kitchen affords us the alternative of staying in which means saving money and eating healthier. Restaurant dining is as bad on the wallet as it is on the waistline. We went out for my birthday on Monday, and we went out again on Wednesday when an Ohio cousin was here to visit. Those are the only two times we've gone out this entire month! That's remarkable for us.

Hope everyone is staying warm and snug!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Finishing Up Loose Ends

Trying to figure out why I sometimes have such a propensity for procrastinating, and it is completely mystifying. In late August, I cut this fun green print and leftover grunge combination. My plan was to make a snowball quilt. 

And I went straight to work on making the blocks. In fact, I shared a couple of posts about my progress - first here, and later here where I am focused on saving the cut-away triangles off the snowballs.

So, started in August; ignored in September. I made all the blocks and then just left them untouched for an entire month while I worked on William Morris. I suppose my thinking was that this quilt would be so easy, while I was expecting quite the challenge with William. And if I were in the mood to work on a challenge, then I'd best do it while my mind was focused.

And so, my precious little snowballs and 9-patches sat untouched for a very long time. Finally this past weekend, I decided that putting this quilt together was long overdue.

My goodness, I had no idea I'd finish it so quickly. It went together like a dream!

I love how it is turning out. Now, it's not very big, as the 6" blocks are arranged 7x9. The good news is I have several snowball blocks left over, and more fabric, so I plan to make the necessary additional blocks for a quilt that will be 8x10. If my sharp, math-calculating brain is correct, that comes out to 48"x60". Still small, but very much acceptable for a cozy lap quilt or throw quilt.

That's my agenda for today. Sharon is coming to sew later on, and this will be my top priority. Pics to follow!

Happy quilting, Friends!

Plans for the Week

I've spent the morning watching coverage of the Queen's funeral. What a great show of respect. I was moved to tears more than once. 

And now I need to redirect my focus to figure out what will be my week's priorities. On Friday we have Frankfort Girls, so it is always nice to have a finish to share with those sweet gals. Maybe I can make that happen this week.

If I find myself being super-industrious, I could have this William Morris top put together.

I haven't touched this green/cream snowball project in about a month. This would be super-easy and fast to stitch together.

Any available stitching time over this past weekend was devoted to hexies. I am really motivated to make more of these, yet I don't have a precise plan at this time. 

Rather than to work on any of the other starts I've made in recent days, I think I MUST focus on William Morris and Snowball.

Check back in with me through the week to see how effectively I maintain my discipline. I really will try!

Happy Quilting, Friends!