ScrapHappy - January 2026

    Welcome to Scrap Happy Day where we post about the scrappy projects we've worked on over the past month.   

Be sure to check out what everyone else has done with their scraps this month - Kate, Eva, Sue, Lynda, Birthe, Turid, Tracy, Jan, Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys, Claire, Jean, Dawn, Gwen, Sunny, Kjerstin, SueL,  Vera, Ann, Dawn2, Carol,  Preeti, Viv, Karrin, Amo, Alissa, Tierney, and Hannah

This month saw me starting a new project.   This is part of a group sew-a-long that I'm doing with long-time quilt friends.   The pattern most people are doing has 12 different center blocks in it, but I'm using some old UFO heart blocks.

Years ago (probably back about the time I was in grad school in Indiana, 2009-2012 time frame), I had made dozens of scrappy heart blocks.  Assorted WOW's were cut to make 6.5" blocks, assorted color scraps were made into hearts and fused onto the WOW's.  Buttonhole stitching was used to finish the edges of the heats.   Years later I bought a "honeybun" roll of 1.5" strips of Kona Cotton.   I have no idea why  I did because I rarely ever use that size strips.     As such, I'm counting these as scraps and using them to get them out of my stash.  =)

Background fabrics are cream scraps that I'm also working to get used up and out of my scrap stash.  5 blocks are sewn and just need final squaring up.  11 more heart blocks are waiting to be sewn up.

And because I have a short attention span and am easily distracted (squirrel!!!), I've also started a second scrappy quilt.   I'd put together a stack of scraps several yrs ago, but then like normal never done anything with them.  There will be 9 blocks total, 5 of the 'Irish chain blocks' and 4 of the alternate blocks.  Background squares are assorted WOW fabrics that I'd cut from scraps years ago.  The squares in this are cut at 2.5", and the blocks finish at 18".   Am still debating on whether to add sashing or just assemble as is.

Gratitudes:
1.  After almost a month of being on a liquid diet because of a hernia, I'm finally able to eat some solid food w/o major pain from the hernia.....now if only I can get the referral I need for the 2nd surgeon so I can actually get it repaired......

2. The nice mild winter weather that has allowed me to continue walking outside as I work to improve my health

Re-purposing UFO/Orphan Blocks

More than 5 yrs ago a gal on one of my quilt lists gave me a handful of embellished crazy quilt blocks.  Two of them were given to someone else because I never figured out what to do with them.   Part of me wishes I hadn't done that now....but too late....lol, and it's not like I don't have anything to work with here at the house.

One of them was this baby themed block with machine stitching embellishing the seams.  Almost gave it away, but at the last minute decided to re-purpose it.

 I've a double baby shower (one boy and one girl) coming up in 10 days and need cards of some sort for it.   So I started the process of making them by ironing two pieces of pellon fusible stiffener onto the back of the block and then trimmed around them.















I then took the largest of the pieces left and sewed it to a third piece of pellon.   The addition of a few gold scraps to fill out the needed space and the card was covered.

Some lace, ribbon, and a silk flower and the postcard tops are completed.  Next up will be adding the backs and the edge-stitching.

The top right and the bottom cards will be used for the shower.  The other one will be either saved for the future or displayed for sale.

Gratitudes:

1. For the new glasses really improving the issues I was having with the old pair

2. For the smooth commute to the office today

Scrap Happy November

Unexpectedly I was invited to have a booth at a Christmas Craft and Small Business Bazaar in a small town near where I live on Saturday this week.   So all week I've been pulling things together to take with me to sell.   Thankful that I've got a lot of things that are already made, but wanted a few more things to sell.

I ended up pulling out a gallon sized bag of UFO Hst blocks that were left over from the wedding quilt I made for my niece 18 months ago.  I'd sewn the blocks months ago just had never trimmed to size or pressed them.  Pulled out ones that would make 2.5" trimmed blocks and ended up making two more Christmas stockings for the show.   Backing and lining were from remnants in the stash.

I still have more of these scrappy blue HST's to use up, and I've an idea for another layout for stockings so more will be coming.

Gratitudes:

1. For friends who let me borrow baskets and a table so I can set up what is needed at the craft show on Saturday.

2. For being being able to find most anything in my stash that I need for my projects.

Snails Are Congregating

One more part of the bottom section is almost together.

Filler blocks at the top right of the section are from Sharon H., Debbie C, Elaine G, Karen W, Jean I, and Lois G.   All friend from the one quilt list. 

The snail in the bottom left corner were orphan swap blocks that were sent to me and the two that have names on them are from Sharon K (now Sharon H) and Marjorie Y. 

The shell of the upper left snail was made with charms from the Lotto quilt I made for the Sacramento get-together of the same group the signature blocks are from.

And as I get more of this last section together, I'm seeing that I won't have as many extra blocks as I had feared.   So they might end up pieced into the backing.  Or I might be lazy and find an inexpensive wide backing and use that. 

Once all the sections are together then I need to put a 4" or so border around the whole thing, but I haven't decided what I want to use for that.   Any ideas?

Gratitudes:
1. one paycheck (out of three behind) has been received and in perfect timing to pay bills for the rest of the month.  God's timing is perfect!

2.  Not running the AC to save on the utility bill is proving to be bearable.

Snail quilt Progress...........

I've started putting the final 30" tall section of the snail quilt together.   And it's looking like I'm going to end up with a bunch of the 12" tall snail blocks leftover..........oops......  Two UFO blocks were added to this section beside the snails.

Bottom strip is made of UFO/orphan blocks made back in 2002 sent to me by a friend.  Signatures on them are from Diane N., Jean I., Trenace W., Monique M., and Heather G. all friends from an online quilt group I've been a part of for over 20 yrs.

This section is 30" square and is approximately 1/3 of what i need to put together for the final strip of the quilt.


Gratitudes:

1. For  options.........

2. For the house not being overwhelmingly hot even tho I'm only running the AC very, very occassionally.  Guess I haven't lost the desert rat part of me....lol.

Progress on the Snail Quilt

The first complete band across the quilt is almost to full width before any border is added.  I still need 6-9 inches to square it up to the width that I want before I think about a border.

Second band is started.  These will be on the left side of the band.  May be adding onto the bottom of the blocks depending on what goes next to them.

Gratitudes:
1.  No accidents on the way to work.

2. The pickle juice is seeming to help my legs after driving to work today.

H2H quilt finished

Found myself not able to sleep early Sunday morning so I got up and finished pin basting this little quilt and then quilted it before getting ready for church.  Got it bound in the afternoon.

It will be going to Jack's Basket as part of the Hands 2 Help challenge this spring.  You can read more about the challenge by clicking here.

Backing was the perfect size and color and from my stash.  The four blocks in the quilt were all samples that I made as I was testing new block patterns several years ago.

Gratitudes:

1. Found the beads and other materials I needed to make the bracelet portion of the medic alert bracelet that I really should be wearing but haven't been.

2. For friends who challenge to keep growing in my faith instead of remaining stagnant.

UFO Block Quilt Top

When I test out new block designs, whether for submission somewhere, a new quilt or for self-release, I always end up making a test block or two to make sure it all works ok.  And usually when doing that I use the same colors for them, such as red, white and blue, so that I can put them together in a sampler quilt at a later date.

Sometimes though I use a different color scheme because something catches my eye.   This was the case with the four blocks in this quilt.  All of the blocks were made at least 3 years ago but then had sat in a tote with nothing being done further.

In finishing the top, I used up as much of the leftover fabrics that I could in the piano key border, along with the HST's in the corner that had been leftover from one of the blocks. 

The quilt finished at roughly 39" square and at this point will be finished and donated to one of the groups for Hands2Help this year.   Even better this is one that won't end up as a UFO quilt top because it needs to be finished so I can donate it.  =)

The final strip set that I didn't use in the border, and all the leftover bits of strips were put into these two 12" blocks and they are destined to become snail shells for my quilt.








Gratitudes:

1. For friends at church who anonymously give gifts when they know that finances aren't as sound as they could be thanks to no pay at work (and yes they know me pretty well to do it anonymously because I'm horrible at accepting help)

2.  For the two new commissions that are coming in before I've got the current two (memory pillows/stockings and pants hemming) finished up.

Weekend wrap-up

I made progress on a couple of fronts and found new/old projects to start or restart as well......although not as much as I might have wanted to make, but that is the way thing go at times..


First up was finishing this passport wallet.   It was to be the last of the commissioned ones, but the gal doesn't think the coordinating fabric works well with the wolf fabric.   So I'll be remaking it and using black Kona for the coordinating fabric.

Will end up listing this one for sale.

Outside shown here.






And the inside of the wallet where you can see the coordinating fabric better.












I then got distracted by the state of things and started going through things in the craft room and the fabric room.   As I worked on condensing and emptying totes, one of the things that I found was this piece.    The strips had been leftover from a long ago project and I'm not sure now what I was going to do with it. 

However, I've decided to make a snack mat out of it, but think it needs some sort of applique scene on it.  Not sure what though, anyone have an idea?



And this next UFO project that was found in my stash as I went thru stuff this past weekend started with a reminder of it when I saw this fabric on eQUilter.com.

I love it and would love to use it for the backing on my London Tea  Towel wallhanging.........however, I just can't see buying more fabric (even with the gift cert. that would at least pay for shipping) just because I love it.

My London Tea Towel quilt.  Started with a challenge to use a tea towel to make a quilt.   I bought a souvenir tea towel on ebay and then designed blocks to be added to it to showcase fabrics I had bought while in London back in 1997.  

It has been aging since making it several yrs ago and is time to get it quilted.

I already own this fabric, so will most likely use this for the backing of the above quilt rather than buying more. And this really does tie in better with the quilt top.

The final new start over the weekend was a new design that will be submitted to Make Modern digital quilt magazine for possible publication.


These blocks (more than 100 of the string batik blocks, and two 3D bowtie blocks) have been in my UFO block totes since at least when I was in Lafayette....and that has been almost 10 yrs now.   Time to use them!

I've a new design sketched out and have started making the remaining 3D bowtie blocks that I need to complete it.  I've made about 22 blocks and need about 3 times that many more.   Precut squares of assorted WOW's are being used for the backgrounds, and assorted precut scrap batik squares are the centers.

The design is a modern interpretation/layout of traditional blocks.

Gratitudes:

1. I love rain, but am thankful for all the sunshine these last few days after all the rain that we've had.

2. For the blessings of my church small group and their prayers.

UFO Weekend wrap up

Made progress on several projects -

Binding was sewn down on this wall hanging.  Now to write up the pattern for it so it can be released with the next BOM block.

The binding was sewn down on this UFO quilt.  Finished size was approximately 48" square.  Blocks were from a long ago Favorite Fabric Swap with a group of online friends.   There just enough left of the border fabric to make the binding with no scraps leftover.

This has gone in the mail to my niece as a baby gift for her new daughter.

Backing and label.

And close up of the the Label for the quilt.

Final thing finished was this commissioned passport holder.   Finally figured out how to easily put in a zippered pocket on it.


Gratitudes:

1. Unexpected half day holiday here at work today....woohooo


2. Rain held off over the weekend.

UFO's Coming together

there are times when I'm easily distracted.........started to look for something over in my shelves.   Didn't find what I was looking for but did come across two sets of UFO blocks that were ready to be sewn together.

First UFO that I worked on was this set of swap blocks from a long ago online group of quilting friends.  I'm  not sure how many years ago the swap was, but probably 10 yrs at least.

Blocks are 9" finished size and made with various batiks.  The border fabric and the light pink were supplied to everyone from me, the coordinates were supplied by those who made the blocks.

Finished size of the top is 40" by 60".

The scraps of the light pink batik that had been returned to me formed the "quilt seeds" for a swap block that I also made this weekend but can't show on the blog yet.

Next up was this set of Swap blocks, also a UFO.  Blocks came from a swap with the same group of online friends as above.  And again I'm not sure how many yrs ago the swap was.

I sashed them all out to 12" finished to deal with some size differences.  Sashing strips were all from scraps.  Finished size is 40" by 60".

Both of these will probably sold once finished.


Gratitudes:
1. For the wonderful soaking, rains over the weekend.

2. For the encouragement and prayers of friends in the midst of troubles at work.

3. For friends who fix up things to sell, and hold on to what I need till I can afford to pay them for it - in this case an electric mower.  =)

UFO Weekend

Made progress on several projects over the long weekend when I wasn't hauling stuff to the new house. 

First project up was finishing off the HST's used in this quilt top and then putting them together.  These were a UFO that I bought from the scrap barrel from my local quilt shop here.  I added a remnant  of a Kona red that I had in my stash and cut the needed triangles and squares.  This is 32" square and still needs a border or two to finish it off.   It will be donated at some point.







I then switched over to working with these rail fence blocks that came from somewhere.   I don't even remember where now.   Fabrics are both batiks.   Blocks are 4" finished, so this is definitely not finished at this point.  I'll need to add multiple borders to this to get it up to a size for donation, but have no idea at this point of what I want to add.   Stash-diving here I come to find something.  =)

And the last project that I worked on this weekend were adding a border of WOW fabric to these blocks.   Made with 30's repro fabrics they are from a long ago swap with online friends.  They will be set with scrappy 30's repro sashing and cornerstones cut form more of the WOW used as block borders. 

Gratitudes:

1. Between switching back to 100% cotton sheets (from microfiber ones) and antihistamines, the hives rash seems to be well on the way to being routed.

2. I'm glad for almost 2 more weeks to go before the big move is upon me.

UFO Weekend wrap-up

The house blocks are no longer "yelling" to get out of my UFO block stash because they are now in a finished quilt top.   Top finished out at approximately 50" by 80". 

The black Kona and the blue star print used in the borders were both from my stash.   The outer border is 3" cut, and the upper border (the "roof") is 15" tall unfinished because that was the largest square I could cut for the HST's I used for the sides.




Final 7 blocks were pieced into the backing for the quilt.  The black that appears solid is actually a black with blue dots all over it.



Next quilt to work on will see me back to working on the art challenge quilt.   Prepping more fabric for 3D leaves is on the plans for tonite.









And under the needle this morning is this commissioned t-shirt with an origami crane on it.  This will be finished up this evening.

Next commissions up are a bunch of fruit cobbler/pie potholders.   4 for a friend in Austin, and a friend in Idaho wants to order 8 of them.  Gonna have to get more cherry print fabric, but I think I have enough for this order....just not any more afterwards.....lol.....


Gratitudes:
1. I now have an answer to the question on whether the buyers of the town house are going to live there or rent.......and they are planning on living there.

2. As one of my best friends said, the time between now and when I have to move (end of July) will give ME the time to find what is right for me at this time instead of having to either rent something totally blind as I did in Wyoming, or depend on someone else looking at a property for me, or having a scant 2 hrs to find something to move into and hoping that the place and neighborhood were ok.

UFO Stitching, Part 2

One more set of UFO blocks came to mind as I was looking through things.   These blocks were given to me by an online group of quilt friends back in 2006 or so when I bought a house in Phoenix.   Then came a cross country move to Boston and then one to the Dallas area where I bought a second home.....and then I lost both homes in 2009 when i was laid off.  =(   Through all of that I never did manage to get them put together.

However, now that I've got 6 months to figure out what I'm doing next for housing, I thought it would be a good time to at least get the top put together. 

This pic shows 15 of the 30 blocks that I was gifted with.  All but one of them have a black background.  I will be making one to replace the one that just doesn't fit  with the others.   I'm going to set them 5 wide by 6 tall, and then add a pieced border.   And I'm going to find something in my orphan blocks to use for the main part of the house.  =)



This is the one that just doesn't fit with the others, but I'm thinking it might make a cute cross-body purse if I can find coordinates for it.    And would be the perfect size for one like i've been making.

Gratitudes:
1. Having a stash of blocks to "play" with

2. For temps that are ever so slowly warming up this week.

UFO stitching

I'm in a group that purposely takes time out each month to work on making progress on our UFO's.   The first one for 2018 is Thursday through Saturday this week.  Those of us that can participate will sew at least 8 hrs on a UFO of our choice.

For this month I've pulled out a couple of sets of UFO blocks from years past.   These were done with two different online groups.  Pics are horrible for lighting and color this morning in my sewing room, but you can get the idea.

The first set of blocks were from a swap where the "winners" sent out a focus fabric and everyone else made a block and sent it back.  I sent out a bright fuchsia batik that has touches of pink, gold and blue in it.   I also sent the light pink batik used as the background I believe because it seems to be in most of the blocks.

I'm going to make one more block so that I have 16 of them, and then border all blocks with either a dk grey or a black so that I can trim them all to the same size.  Border and/or binding for the quilt will be the same fuchsia batik.

The second set of blocks that I pulled out are these batik / black Kona snowball blocks.  Each person in the swap made sets of 3 9" finished blocks of each type.  I've got about 8-10 sets worth of blocks.

This one should be an easy one to put together.    I plan to border it with a narrow border of black Kona and then a wider batik border.

Since I don't plans for the finished quilts from these, I'll get them to the top stage and then put them with the other finished tops that I have.

Gratitudes:
1. The winter storm/cold front didn't dump any snow or ice on the area where I live

2. Fabric for the table runner being published arrived this week from Hoffman.

Final 2017 Progress

Made progress on several more projects while out here in Phoenix.

Got the sections for my mini swap quilt for the Modern Quilt Guild.   Will press and trim them to their 2.5" size once i'm back home again.


















Put these 6" blocks together.   They were one of my many UFO's and as best as I and friends can date them, are from a swap back in 1998.  I've got 5 more blocks, 4 of which will be used for the corners of the first border.   Remaining border will be the same WOW that I used for the corners on the top and bottom rows.   And then a final border will be a green 30's print.

 And I finished off this small Cross-body purse that is my last Christmas gift for the year.   It will be mailed off with the other gifts for my friend and her family this coming week.

Gratitudes:

1. Wonderful weather while I was out here.

2. Hopefully an ok forecast for when I'm driving home (once back into Texas)

Weekend doings

Worked on binding the heart quilt this weekend as my hand allowed me.   It kept wanting to go numb and that doesn't help hold onto the needle so that I can sew the binding down.   =(   Did get almost half done, and will finish it up this week.

In between working on it, continuing to work on taxes and on my Bible study, I also pulled out a set of UFO blocks and worked on getting them ready to sew together.   Most of the 4-patches and heart blocks were already made and had been for yrs.  They were leftovers from a quilt top made back in 2003 for a group project in a quilt group that I've been a part of since 1997.

I added the white strips on two sides of the blocks to bring them up to the same 9.5" unfinished that the hearts are.   I did end up making 4 more heart blocks and 3 4-patch blocks to add a 6th column so that the pattern would be symmetrical.  I also added another little heart to the block that is #3 from the top in the left most column.  There was just too much empty space in it for me to be happy.  Without a final border this will be 54" square.  I've a couple of potential fabrics pulled for a final border.

I haven't decided what I'll do with this one - keep for a future gift, sell, donate.....or?

Gratitudes:
1. It's Monday and I have a job that I like.

2. I can go to bed early tonite (hopefully!) after a night where I didn't sleep much at all.

Shifting priorities

When working on commissioned quilts along with stuff for myself priorities often shift and now is one of those times.

I'm still working on the Teddy Bear quilt, but don't have a due date since I'm waiting on payment.  So while I still continue to work on it, I'm also starting to work on a lap quilt that has been commissioned by a high school friend for another long time friend of both of ours who is going some tough times right now.  She wanted to pay for it, so I'm charging only for the materials.

It is to be heart blocks with all in reds, and with one blue block.   In my stash of orphan blocks I hold onto things like leftover strip sets for just times like this.    I've got all of these prepped with wonder-under ironed on and am waiting for them to cool.  After supper I'll start tracing hearts onto the paper and then cut them out.  I need 41 red heart blocks, and will be cutting 6", 4", and 3" hearts out of what is here.   Once all this is cut up then I'll go onto my scrap bags to see what else I can find for the quilt.

I'll be making 10" finished blocks, with a 3" border around it.   Haven't decided what I'll do for the border, maybe a piano key of scrappy reds.   I'll be using various WOW's for the block backgrounds.

Am hoping to get a bunch of the blocks done this weekend, along with another teddy bear or two.

Now if I can only remember where I put my templates......

Gratitudes:
1. Being able to make something that will bring comfort to a friend.

2. It's the weekend and I can sew all I want!

Border Options on Sunshine Quilts

Still thinking about the borders for these blocks.   I have decided that they will end up in two different quilts instead of putting them all together in one quilt.

For borders, at the moment I'm thinking of doing an inner border of a golden yellow around the orange blocks.   Then followed by a final border of either the polka dot or a blue print.

Trying to decide which I like better - the blue seems to draw the blue background out,, while the other seems to highlight the fish.......but trying to make up my mind on which looks better.

Good thing that these don't have a deadline on them with me not being able to make my mind up.   Wish they'd "talk" to me...lol.

Gratitudes:

1. Spring is almost here

2. Making progress with the business stuff

I Tried, But.......

While I was at Quilt Con my friend and I visited three different quilt shops.   One of the lovely fabrics that I found at the last one was this polka dot fabric that I thought would go with the yellow and orange I remembered being in these UFO blocks (made by someone else) meant for Sunshine quilt.   And it does go well with those two colors....just not as well with the fishy print in the blocks...lol.

So now I'm debating whether putting an inner border would be enough to mean that I could use the fabric for a final border or if I need to find something else.    Any ideas?

Gratitudes:

1. A job where the management cares about the employees

2. The encouragement that comes from knowing people like my patterns