Finshed! Heart Quilt for Pulse

I set finishing my heart quilt for the Orlando Modern Quilt Guild's drive for Quilts for Pulse as one monthly goal, and I didn't think I was going to make it before the end of July.  I was a little over half done with the binding going into Saturday, and I didn't think I'd have much time to hand sew over the weekend.

But last night my MIL was with Munchkin and Husband and I went to a minor league baseball game.  I had the quilt with me to do the binding in the car on the way there.  We arrived at the game an hour early, so I decided to take it in with me and work on it before the game. So even though it was 6pm outside in the sun in July in North Carolina, I had that quilt on my lap and when the game started, I was sweaty and thirsty but I only had about 20 inches left.  Totally do-able to finish today! (I did not sew during the game, for those wondering.)

I'm really pleased with the way it turned out.  The pattern is Summer Love, a tutorial by Quilting in the Rain.  I added a few inches to either side of each row so it would get to the preferred size as requested by the Orlando Guild.  It finished at 56 1/2" x 51 1/2".  (I'm about 3 1/2 inches short.  Does that count as off a smidge?)

The solid is Kona Citrus.  It's very, very yellow.  I like it.  But it's a very yellow quilt.

The back is left over from the back of a quilt I made my friend Jen years ago. I was a little short, so I pieced it with some rainbow stripe that is leftover from the back of a quilt I made my son and a piece of the Kona Citrus.  I love the backing fabric and I really think it captures the rainbow look that the Orlando Guild wants in these quilts.

As mentioned, this was my July goal for the motivational linkup OMG hosted by Heidi at Red Letter Quilts.  (Goal setter #24)  This was also on my list of Q3 goals for the globally hosted Finish Along. And I will be linking with Julie's linkup for Hello 2016, Goodbye UFOs at The Crafty Quilter.

Orange!

Alternate title: Orange You Glad I'm Starting to Catch Up?

I am woefully behind on the Rainbow Scrap Challenge hosted by So Scrappy.  I got a little spare time today so I decided to put at least one month behind me, since the month itself is long gone.  Here is my orange butterfly, which should have been done in April.

Orange is not my color.  I only did one butterfly in orange, and even then I had a lot of repeats in the block.  But I'm pleased with how it turned out, and even more pleased to be slightly less behind than I was this morning.

July string blocks for Sarah, plus a hive crash

Queen Sarah asked for sting blocks.  I love string blocks!  This is my first time making them without a foundation, but Sarah suggested using a 12 1/2" square ruler to be sure none of the strings came up short, and that worked great.  She requested that blocks be left untrimmed, which was hard, but I did as I was told.

Sarah asked about some of the projects that these scraps came from.  There are scraps here from:

• the wall hanging I made for my grandparents' 60th anniversary
• Munchkin's baby quilt 
• 4 wedding quilts for 5 friends from college (Vanessa, Devin, Geoffrey, and Mark & Erin)
• my first project using a zipper

It's amazing how long remnants can continue to pop up!  I had a lot of fun with these blocks.

Regular readers here will know that I love novelty fabrics.  Love, love, love novelty fabrics.  So when Tracy from Hive 6 asked for a block featuring 5" novelty squares, I had to crash.  I knew that I could potentially spend hours on fabric selection going through my 5" I Spy squares, so I grabbed a container that just had extras from fabrics I'd bought (as opposed to from swaps) and went with my gut.

Tracy asked her hive for blocks that represented each of them.  I went with monkeys with monkey babies, because Husband is monkey-crazy and we have our own little monkey. Glasses because it was one of the first novelty fabrics I bought for an I Spy swap, I wear glasses, and they are associated with my profession (librarian).  Ice cream sandwiches because, well, because ice cream sandwiches are awesome and that fabric is awesome.  The requirement was at least one string block and I used purple batiks, because that plus novelty fabrics sum me up pretty well.


I also included a 5" of a sewing machine print hoping that Tracy can use it in another block or another project.  Because that machine represents us all, right?

Q3 Goals

I love the Finish Along that this year is being hosted by nine bloggers from around the globe.  I had 4 finished in Q2.  I am hoping I can do a little better than that in Q3.  My list is long, not because I think I will finish everything, but because I tend to work on 4 or 5 projects at a time and I never know what I'll be most inspired to work on.

General Projects and Gifts
1. Verona's quilt

I've been making a twin-sized I Spy quilt for my niece. I currently have 3 of 8 double rows completed. It's unlikely that I'll finish this project in Q3, but I want to have it done for her birthday in December.

2. sewing machine cover

I've been wanting a sewing machine cover for a while now.  I found a great tutorial by Vanessa of The Crafty Gemini, and I plan to use batik scraps.  

3. scrap fish

My college roommate is expecting a baby in late July/early August.  She's a marine biologist.  She made the most awesome knitted fish mobile for Munchkin when he was born.  Her baby quilt has to be fish.  I've been making “crumb fish” modeled after these using my leftover bits of I Spy fabrics. 

4. car trash bag

Several years ago, I made car trash bags for both my car and my husband's car (though I think at the time he was my boyfriend). His is still in good shape, but mine is falling apart at the seams. I have fabric picked out and will use the same pattern, which comes from the book One Yard Wonders.

5. produce bags

I'm not sure if this is fancy enough to qualify as a goal, but it sure is a UFO! Several Christmases ago, I made produce bags for my brother & his wife at their request.  I liked them, and bought the right material to make some for myself.  And that material has sat in a drawer every since.  I've got all I need for this, I just need to actually do it.

6. Heart strips for Orlando
I have a top made for the Quilts for Pulse drive from the Orlando Modern Quilt Guild; I need to get it layered, quilted, bound, and mailed off.

7. Penguin Pillow
My son is fond of penguins. Lorna from Sew Fresh Quilts had a free tutorial for a penguin block a while ago, and I plan to make one block and turn it into a pillow for his birthday. I have the fabric and pattern, just need the time.

8. Rainbow name tag
I've been wanting to make a sewing-themed name tag for myself or a while. I mostly want it for my Project Linus meetings, because frankly it drives me nuts that we don't wear name tags, but I also see wearing to shows and other potential quit-related events. I have a pile of scraps set aside for this project.

Minis

9. batik hexies
My hand sewing batik hexie project is progressing slowly. I have the top all together. I am now making extra hexies for the back and figuring out how to finish it.

10. Hazel

I've been wanting to do a Hazel the Hedgehog quilt for a while now.  I finally bought the pattern.  I have some fancy marbled fabrics that I bought years ago that I'm finally going to use, and I have already picked out all my lovely Kona solids to go with them. 

11. North Carolina
I don't normally do Row by Row, but one of the local shops in this area really highlighted North Carolina in their row and I love it. I bought the kit and plan to make it as a mini to add to the wall of minis in my office.

Kids/Project Linus
12. dinosaur

I found this great fabric in the craft bin at my (now former) library.  I plan to do some machine blanket stitch now that I have a machine that can do that! 

13. pink & gray strips

blocks are done, I just need to figure out my layout, because I decided I don't like the original layout

Option 1

Option 2

14. green, white, & brown mini jelly roll

Did I mention that I'm into strips right now?  This was a great deal on a mini jelly roll, and I'm using the Fat Quarter Shop's Jelly Roll Jam II tutorial. Top is now complete.

15. wizards/stars

My mom gave me this wizard fabric, and I bought some batik fabrics with stars to go with it. I have a plan for this, I just need to do it.

 

16. arrow

I modified this pattern to work with 2 inch squares.  I've got the arrow parts made.

17. Current leader/ender project

My current leader & ender project involves 2 1/2" squares that are I Spy scraps.  I'm not sure that this one is realistic to finish in this quarter, but sometimes I get in a piecing frenzy and I get farther than anticiated.

18, 19, & 20 These are all I Spy quilts using existing I Spy squares from swaps or from scraps I've cut into usable, standard sizes.  One will be paired with a green polka dot fabric, one with a purple solid, and one with a blue solid (not pictured).  I kit these and take them with me to Project Linus meetings so that I have something simple to work on.

green polka dot

3 1/2" squares with purple solid