Four Projects Moving Forward

 My quilty mojo is running at full speed and there seems to be no signs of stopping.  Maybe it has something to do with the lunar eclipse we had this week....HAHA!  This is going to be quicky blog post.  Let's start with what took up most of my time this week .... processing scraps into the scrap saver system.

Remember the yellow scrap bin from last week? After sorting through it, I cut nearly 150 circles for the Yo - Yo coverlet and somehow managed to turn the edges under on quite a few of them.

My #1 goal for last week was to get the Cake Stand quilt blocks on the design wall.  TADA!  All the blocks I had finished last week are on the wall.  The goal was to sew together a few of the inset triangle units but I ran out of time. So that's going to the top of the list for this week.

I could have sewn a few on Sunday but I decided to finally put this quilt on the frame.  It's been waiting far to long.  The plan is to keep the custom quilting super simple and have her off the frame by next Monday.

Sorry for a short and sweet post but ..... the mojo is ready for more sewing time!

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Tricky Pieced Inset Blocks

 I put the pedal to the metal this week and finished all of the remaining alternate blocks for my Cake Stand quilt.

To make it go even faster, I broke one of my self-imposed rules: all seams must be pinned. That’s right ... I only used one pin at the end! All of the fabrics in these blocks are low volume prints, so if the seams don’t line up, it won’t be that noticeable. 

There are one or two seams in each block that are slightly off, and I think they’re hard to see… well, at least with my old eyes.

After finishing all the square blocks, it was time to start working on the corner blocks and inset blocks.

Below is a clip of the corner of the quilt image pulled from EQ8.  As you can see I don't plan to add borders so the inset pieced blocks will have triangles on the edge of the quilt.

When drafting the cutting instruction page from the information given to me by EQ8, I totally overlooked that EQ had made a huge mistake. It instructed me to cut a 2 1/8" square in half diagonally. Well, that’s WRONG, because that would make the edge of the quilt bias-cut, which would make it stretchy and hard to control. Even with the fabric being starched, it’s not a good idea.

I went back into the program to see if I had done something wrong. I hadn’t. I knew I needed a larger square that would be cut diagonally twice, but I didn’t know how to do the math.  So I used a Quilters Paradise calculator that does the math for inset triangles.  Within seconds I had the new measurement .... 3 1/8" squares.

Here's one of the leftover squares I cut in half to show you the stretch when fabric is cut on the bias.

Below I'm trying as hard as possible to stretch the fabric and it doesn't move when trying to stretch the outside of the square.  The diagonal cut(above) was easy to stretch out of shape.

With the new measurement it was time to dig through the low volume scrap bins.

Before cutting all the squares needed I made a couple test blocks to make sure the measurement was correct.  All was well!  Yippee!

This week I plan to start working on these blocks.  The blocks are a little finicky due to them being so small and the pressing has to match up with the Cake Stand blocks.  Some of the seams are pressed open and some are to the dark.  Hopefully once I do a few of them I'll get the pressing directions down pat and it will go faster.

Of course cutting the inset pieces produced some scraps that will need to be processed into the new scrap saver system.  This will be put on my list of things to do this week.

I've also pulled the yellow scrap bin and will begin cutting circles for my Yo - Yo coverlet.

Before I can do anything, the cutting table needs to be cleared.  What a mess!  First thing to do is put the Cake Stand quilt blocks on the design wall.  The inset triangles can be added to the wall as they are made.

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Nothing New~ More Yo - Yo's And 16 Patches

 Well I finished all the blue Yo - Yo's.  It wasn't planned, it just happened.

107 of them in one week is pretty good progress.  I'm not sure how the yellow and green ones snuck into the mix.  I don't remember cutting them, but obviously I did.

This week the plan is to start making more yellow Yo - Yo's.   I also need to start digging around for a new storage container.  I'm pretty sure I have a larger clear tote hiding the spare bedroom closet.

Late Sunday evening I finally found the time to press the 16 patch blocks.  24 blocks total, 12 from last week and 12 from this week.

I'm thinking it might be time to start putting these blocks on the design wall.  Maybe that will be the push I need to get them finished.

This quilt was started in March of last year.  It's taking much longer than planned.

Only 48 more blocks to go and then I can start on the set-in blocks.

This last picture is what I saw Sunday morning on my way out to the garden.  Funny thing is didn't rain at our house until 12 hours later when I was mowing the grass...and it poured!

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Canning And Quilting Update

 About every three days our small garden will produce enough ripe vegetables for a day of canning.  Twice in the last week I've spent nearly the whole day processing yellow squash, zucchini and salsa.  You may be wondering why I'm canning squash and zukes, it's for making dog food.

I've also made two half gallon jars of refrigerator bread and butter pickles for my son and a friend. The pickles are good for 3-6 months in the fridge.  I also canned 7 pints of these pickles to see how well they hold up.  I'm not holding my breath on having nice crunchy pickles because I've not had much luck in the past.  Preserving a shelf stable crunchy pickles is not easy, well, I've not found a recipe that will stay crunchy for more than 3 or 4 months.

Of course summer wouldn't be summer without making zucchini bread.   It makes for a quick and easy breakfast for Mr. Podunk.  Later in the season I'll make a few more and freeze them. 

Quilting has taken a backseat to gardening, yardwork and canning.  With Mr. Podunk unable to do much since his foot surgery I'm doing a little extra work and running a lot of errands.  In between all chaos (12) 16 patch blocks were made.  Maybe later today I will find the time to press them.

In the early mornings and evenings I've been making Yo-yo's.

Thirty-one more added to the bin.  I need to start looking for a new storage container.  By the time I finish the all the blue Yo-yo's this bin will be overflowing.

I haven't forgotten about the tiny scraps needing processed.  I think this is bag number three.

It took 3 days of working on them a little at a time.

As a general rule I don't like fussy cutting fabric.  But with these one inch squares I'm taking the time to do a little.  It makes me happy to see that little flower in the center. 

Today big project ....  making 30 days worth of dog food .... about 4-6 hours in the kitchen.

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An Old Friend Makes Local Shop Hop News!

 Coffee Cup Quilting was once a beloved local quilt shop here in Central Indiana, well known for offering the best fabric prices in the area.

While Claranna didn't stock all the latest fabric lines, she consistently offered quilt shop quality fabrics at remarkably affordable prices. As for how she managed it, I’m afraid her methods remain a trade secret. ... even if I am privy to them!

Sadly, Claranna had to pack up and move across the country to Las Vegas a year or two before the 2020 nonsense. Ultimately the nonsense forced her business to close. However, she refused to let that end her dream. She eventually decided to relocate again and landed in Greenville Alabama, where she is now thriving.

I still talk with her from time to time and follow her on social media. While she doesn’t have an online shop, I can always give her a call when local stores don't have exactly what I need. She is more than happy to text me photos of her current stock that might work for my project and ship it to me right away .... of course, I have to pay her for it! LOL.

I am so happy to see her living her dream and making new quilting friends. She is dearly missed by many of us here in Central Indiana. 

Remember the title of this post was basically an old friend makes local news?  She made the local news in Alabama!  How exciting is that?!!  Watch Claranna's video from the local news, WSFA12, by clicking here.  And hop over to the Coffee Cup Quilting Facebook page to give her a little quilty love and see how the shop hop is going.  

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Cake Stand Quilt Blocks Finished ~ Starting 16 Patch Quilt Blocks

 Hello, quilty friends! Come on in and join me in a happy dance because I’ve officially finished all 169 Cake Stand blocks! Yippee!

Of course, there were a few mishaps along the way.

If I caught the mistakes before the block was sewn together, I fixed them immediately. I might go back and repair the ones I missed later, I think there was only two from last week.

During my downtime, I also managed to make a few more yo-yos for my coverlet.

In a recent post, a reader asked about my layout plans for the yo-yos. I’ve shared my current design below, which will finish at 101 inches. However, this is still subject to change because I keep finding new inspiration on Pinterest.

This week, my focus is on finishing the remaining alternate blocks for the Cake Stand Quilt. Since these are simple 16-patch blocks, they should come together much faster.

Only 72 more blocks to go!

Since this quilt is set on point, I still need to piece together the setting and corner triangles. I have already cut the squares for these blocks, but I still need to finish cutting the triangles.

I’ve included my EQ8 design for the quilt below. At approximately 91 inches, it’s a generous size, but I’m still debating whether to add an outer solid border to help frame the design and stabilize the edges. For now, I’m keeping my options open and will see how I feel about it the closer it gets to being a quilt top.

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