Playing with Fabric - Lots of Pictures

I've been a little lax in my blogging lately, and I hope that one thing that comes out of this stay at home order is that I get back on track with regular postings.
Like many of you, I've been sewing masks, working on UFOs, and basically just playing with my fabric and creating new quilts and other projects. What I have not done, and should do, is clean up my sewing area. I'll do that eventually, but not quite yet. 

For a little while at the beginning of this whole virus mess, I found myself spending a lot of time on the internet. I have made the conscious decision to step back, plan regular computer times for news updates, and use the other time to do things that are productive. 

So, to that end I decided to join a few classes and quilt alongs, learn some new techniques, and really learn to use the new ruler I bought.  

The first thing I did was take Tammy Silvers' Scrap Bracelet class. I pattern test for Tammy and will have the opportunity to meet her face to face in September when she teaches at the Ohio's Amish Country Quilt Festival. I'm really looking forward to that!

I was starting to clean up my sewing area when I happened upon 12 -  2 1/2" strips that were left over from a project I made a while back. I didn't put these away because I just knew that I would make something to coordinate with the original project. (As we can see, that did not happen!) The bracelet pattern calls for 12 strips of fabric, and they can be of varying widths and lengths. I took the fact that 12 strips are called for in the pattern and that is exactly what I have, as a sign that I needed to learn to make these bracelets. (12 strips makes many more than one bracelet, and that's what I wanted to do.)  

The class was fun and productive. I learned a lot and completely finished two bracelets. I have completed six others since the class ended, but I didn't take pictures of those. FYI - my fabrics are all from a specific collection. That is not a requirement. These were leftovers and therefore, scraps to me. I have true scraps ready to use to make more of these. As you can see, I have some fun buttons to use too.  :-) 

Tammy has hosted a couple of free Facebook Live classes that have been very informative and fun - learning how to create fabric gradations from your stash and auditioning fabrics. (You can see those videos by clicking the link above, or by going to Tammy's Facebook page and clicking on her videos.) This coming Saturday (4/11), Tammy is offering an online class for her Peaks and Valley quilt, which is a wonderful way to put into practice what I learned about gradations and auditioning fabrics. The quilt is an awesome baby quilt, but I'm making mine larger, of course.  :-) 

I joined Gudrun Erla's Elvira Quarantine Quilt Along and had a fun time with that too. There were so many people joining along that day, it was crazy! The pattern has multiple size options and is fat quarter friendly. While Gudrun uses the Stripology ruler, she also provided information on how to make this quilt with a variety of other rulers. I can't believe that there was anyone who didn't have their questions answered, and didn't learn how to make this project using the tools they had on hand. (The pattern includes all the same information.) Like Tammy, Gudrun has all of the videos available on her GE Designs Facebook page. 

While many people finished their quilts in one day, I had to take a break and do some other things. Instead, my quilt top was done the next day. I made the lap size, which measures 63" x 84". I have not quilted this yet, but hope to soon. I used a set of Fusion Illusion fat quarters that I won a few years back from Blank Quilting. I am very happy with this quilt! 

Gudrun just posted another QAL Friday - her Strip to Shore quilt. It is nice and I have fabric and the pattern to make this. But, I have a few other things to work on first. :-)  

I bought a new ruler recently (Creative Grids 2 Peaks in 1), and decided that I wanted to learn how to use it. To that end, I have completed a table runner and wall hanging using patterns from Sassafras Lane Designs. 

Fleet Street - 16" x 64" - This is bright, colorful, and fun. I think it's perfect for Easter/Spring and I love it!

I quilted this with very basic straight lines and like the results.

Tall Tree Lane - 20" x 54" - I used a gradation fabric for the tree and really love how it looks. I like that I have one Christmas project done so early. :-) 

For the quilting, I sewed some straight lines in the tree, using the ruler as a guide. I then dropped my feed dogs and quilted swirls in the background. That was fun! 

And finally, to use the ruler one more time, I made Wing and a Prayer's Christmas Cactus Table Topper. 

I liked the block (24" x 24") and decided that since I have the fabric, I might as well make more blocks and make a quilt. You know, get another Christmas project complete. I sewed four additional blocks, played around with sashing and border ideas and will have an 86" x 86" quilt top sewn by the end of today. (I just have to add the final border.) I'll post pictures of that tomorrow. I decided to make four blocks for the quilt and keep one block for the table topper. I can put that on the dresser or night stand. 

I think I have mastered the ruler!  lol

I've been playing around with some other designing too. I worked out these two versions of a table runner. I've sewn the tops, but have not quilted them yet.

I'll get to quilting those soon, but for now I have a few other secret sewing projects on which I'm working. I'll share those as soon as I am allowed.

Enough computer time - I'm heading to the sewing machine. 

Be safe!