Scrappy picnic quilt

Yesterday I finished this perfectly imperfect scrappy picnic quilt and it is just as I like it!!

The story about this quilt starts in 2014 when I started making 1½" strips from older fabrics and then I used them to make 16 patches.  I did a blog post November 7, 2014 of how I made them using the tutorial from red pepper quilts.  The blog post is here  

I did not have a plan for them I was just going to keep making them and maybe make another postage stamp quilt.
In March 2015 I researched mile a minute blocks and started making some of them.  I called them made up blocks!

May 24, 2015 on IG I posted about a Weekend Challenge by studiojujuquilts to do something with fabric scraps.   THAT is when I decided to combine my 16 patches and madeup blocks into a quilt!!
I started making 8½" blocks from my 4½" blocks.  Ar the time I was calling it a scrap quilt.  The photo is above.

After I got all the blocks sewn together I started calling it a picnic quilt and I did a blog post on June 24, 2015.  The blog post has a photo tute about my made up blocks, the backs of the 16 patch blocks to show how I presssed them, and a photo of the finished top ready to be quilted.  That blog post is here

I used this quilt to practice FMQ.  First I did the #4 stitch along each of the block seams all over and then and I used all different FMQ designs.  In May this year Vicky of Vicky's Crafts & Quilting posted about a FMQ pattern squiggles and wiggles.  I had to try it and it was fun!!  I took a close up of that pattern I stitched in May.

 Here are more photos I took yesterday after I finished the quilt.

The last photo shows where I stitched picnic quilt and my name.  The last two photos also show the hand quilting, which I did around all of the outside and scattered in places.  I used this as a project to work on when I met with my Tuesday quilting group.  I made a scrappy binding using some of the same fabrics I had in the quilt. 
As I was doing research for this blog post from my photos, blog posts, IG and my daily log of creative projects, I was surprised how long ago this was started.  It was soooo fun to go back and review all of this for this blog post.  😍

I am linking to finish it up Friday and Linky Tuesday.

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Some of my projects I am working on this month

 Joanne Sharpe has a class online at ruzuku.com "Paint, Stitch, Play".  I started this class last year and stitched muslin pieces together to form this fabric sampler journal.  I am now getting back to the class and painted the title!  The class goes along with her book, "The Art of Whimsical Stitching".

 I am hand quilting my 2nd charm box mini.  Pattern from fatquartershop.  Different quilting than the first one and this is a little larger than the last one.

 I am doing the blanket stitch on this basket for Solstice Challenge block 5.  A challenge project designed by Pat Sloan.  I am way behind on these blocks!!

 I am doing a scrappy quilt I call strips, scraps and squares.  It will have a lot of different blocks.

 I finally opened two bunches of 2½" strips that I have had for awhile.  I really like the look of black and white with colorful blocks.  So I am using Kaffe Fassett fabric for the first time.  These blocks are 4½" long.

And this is another block of the scrappy rectangles.  I saw these on IG and just had to make some!!

I like to work on a lot of different projects and jump from one to another!!

Linking with Connie at Freemotion by the River Linky Tuesday.

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

finally quilting scrappy picnic quilt and misc...

 I started quilting this scrappy picnic quilt yesterday...
I finished piecing the top June 2015 and the link to the blog post is   here
In the blog post I talked about the 16 patches and other blocks that are all 4½" unfinished.
There is a tutorial that shows my system for making the blocks.

 Here is a quilt block for an online friend I made in June.  Photo is before I trimmed...it is a Bonnie Hunter block from a magazine.

 Here is another quilt block I made in July for another online friend that likes butterflies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The WW site has changed with the community section gone now.

I decided to continue my WW blog posts at the WW site at Connect.
Connect uses hashtags for direction to everything and  #hungrytolose is the hashtag for my blog.

There is an awesome challenge going on there...  #30daysjournalchallenge.

Here is a photo of a blueberry muffin microwave in a mug and the recipe is here  at hungry girl.
I have a tip to make it easier each time....make up separate bags of dry ingredients.
There are 6 dry ingredients....so then all you have to do is get out 5 ingredients when you are ready to make them.  Each one is 2 smart points.

Linking with Freemotion by the River...Linky Tuesday.

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Scrappy picnic quilt blocks

 Visual tutorial (and a few written ideas) on how I put the made up blocks together...
               (the numbers are the number of seams in each group)
***sew 2 fabric pieces together OR a long strip with small pieces added in a chain
***I turned each piece and straightened the sides and added another piece
***I kept adding pieces of fabric sort of like log cabin blocks most of the time
***sometimes instead of one strip...I added a strip that was several pieces (#5)            

 The size of the blocks vary a lot depending on the size of each piece...(#7 two different blocks)

 I trimmed them to 4½" blocks and combined some of these blocks with the 16-patch blocks I made..
I explained how I made the 16 patch blocks  on this blog post

 Most of the quilt has 4½" 16 patch blocks and here are 2 of the 4½" blocks together...
showing the back to show the pressing (the center seam is not pressed in this photo)
I made 8½" blocks from the 4 4½" blocks and then sewed into rows and rows together.
There are 30 8½" blocks in this quilt.

Now I will figure out how to quilt it and I might not bind it....haven't decided for sure!
I had fun making these made up blocks and the 16 patch blocks.....
and ask if any questions about this process.

There are a lot of ways to do improv blocks and now I will switch to following along with
crazy mom quilts scrap vortex QAL.  She posted week #3 yesterday.

One thing for sure I will jump back and forth between lots of projects....
I have lots of interests and am having lots of fun!!

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Linking to Connie Linky Tuesday at Freemotion by the River

friendship bag finished

 Here is my cute little friendship bag....made it with no handles...
The tutorial is at psiquilt....very easy to make.
I think everyone should make at least one of these!

 Here is a photo after I quilted it and before cutting off the batting...
I quilted loops and heart leaves.....my favorites when I haven't done FMQ for awhile!

 In between other projects I am sewing up these little 16 patches....

I am using 1½" strips cut about 5" and sew 4 together....
then cross cut into 1½" strips....
then I sew them into 16 patches.
I got the idea for this method from red pepper quilts postage stamp tutorial.

Now I have some other tote bags I have started and I need to finish them.
Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Linking to crazy mom quilts