Scrap Crystals -- Now Where Was I?

I'm being productive by making lists.  I'm joining Tuesday To Do.  I am working on my Scrap Crystals quilt (a Bonnie Hunter pattern in her book More Adventures With Leaders & Enders.)  I started this project back in 2015.

I remember making all of the little sub assemblies (four patches).  Then I put them all in a shoebox and took them camping with us.  I cut up an old picnic table cloth into large squares.  I arranged the sub assemblies on them.  The fabric pieces stuck to the table cloth like magic.  It was easy to stack and fold in half and fit back into the shoebox.  I could work on it in the RV while the others were still sleeping.

My only problem is that I couldn't find my book today.  I know I have all of Bonnie's books.  Where could it be?  I just cleaned off my shelves and put away all the magazines that didn't have sticky notes marking projects I wanted to do someday.  I kept busy sewing together the sub assembly units.

FINALLY, I looked in one more box.  There was the marked up pattern.  Sometimes I photo copy the pattern so that I can write all my notes in it and cross things off.  I was sooooo happy to find it.  Then I found the notes of the REST of the patterns in that same book that I want to make.  I'm going to try to finish this one before tempting to start another.  The sub assemblies went very quickly today.  I'll be moving on to sashings in no time.  Oh how I love organized progress!

This week I hope to accomplish the following things:

1.  Make all of the Scrap Crystal star blocks (from above).

2.  Clean the top of my desk by cutting the pile of scraps into 1.5" Accuquilt squares.

3.  Pull light/bright blue solids for Full Stop asterisk block row.

4.  Longarm quilt my Soul Searching quilt.

5.  Put away green scraps and get out more light/bright blue scraps for Stay Centered quilt.

Soul Searching is on the Frame

 I have started quilting my Soul Searching quilt.  I am quilting it with a design from Urban Elementz called Ba Da Bing.

The Frankenbatting that I put together was too long, hence the large pile at the other end of the longarm.  That's okay.  I will cut it as I go instead of rolling it unto the back roller.  I will most definitely find another use for it eventually.  I keep my batting piece parts in bins according to batting thickness and brand.  It's time to purchase batting soon.  Do you have a go-to online place that you purchase batting?  I prefer cotton or a cotton blend for my quilts.  Sometimes charity quilts have a polyester batting in them.

Oh this texture is so much fun!

2021 Biking -- Week 2

 This week the great biking adventure of 2021 continued.  It was really, really nice in the beginning of the week.  It hit 70 degrees on Tuesday!

Monday, 3/29/21, found us on a new spot on the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail.  We had a short ride because we got stuck in a little traffic jam on Route 30 and had to change our plans so we could get at least an hour in before dark.  Here's where we started -- it's by one of our favorite simple magnet fishing spots.

I realized that he wore his ratty garage sweatshirt because he broke the zipper pull on his Christmas bike jacket.  Dang it.  It's going to be hard for me to repair.  It will require a lot of patience.

We rode a smidge under four miles from Wooster Street in Navarre to the Craig Pittman Park in Navarre.  This was taken near the Craig Pittman Park.

Here's a map of the Ohio & Erie Path which we hope to finish in 2021.  The areas we have completed are marked in red and dated along the path.  Luckily I have taken photos on each part of the trip so that I can find the date if I forgot to log it.  Owen likes to show his virtual teacher our bike path progress.

I'm a little nervous about the top portion of the map.  I think it goes along major roads in Cleveland.  We may need to skip that one due to safety issues.

On Tuesday, 3/30, we completed the section from Clinton then north to Vanderhoof Road.  The plan was to go to Wolf Creek, but there was a huge hill right before Vanderhoof Road and we decided to turn around.  Now we know where to start next time.  This was an 8 mile ride.  8 of 28.5 complete for 2021.

It was 70 degrees!  I could feel the sun and see a little tan on my arms after our ride.

Follow Your Own Path QAL

Due to some recent finishes, I am starting a NEW project.  I haven't picked out my fabrics yet.  But the QAL officially starts today and runs through June 15th.  I should have time for that.  LOL.  Sandra says that this is a slow-paced QAL.  She blogs at Musings of a Menapausal Melon .

RSC21 Transitioning from Green to Blue

 I have a great WIP for transitioning from scrappy greens to scrappy light blues -- Scrap Crystals.  This is a pattern by Bonnie Hunter in her book, More Adventures With Leaders and Enders.  

I started these blocks for the RSC15.  It's a good point for me to pick them back up and work until there is a finished top.Some of the baggies are labeled.  Some of the blocks are made.  I see the sashings are cut and wadded in the box.  There are some really fun green fabrics in the bottom of the box.  Woohoo -- bonus!  I forgot all about them, but the memories come rushing back when I see them.  I need to just keep working on these.  Once I sort them I don't want to put them away and sort them again.

I needed two more owls for my Owl's Well That Ends Well quilt that I started for the RSC19.  I didn't have dark green owls, but now I do.  Hooray for moving another quilt closer to a finish.

I had enough blue scraps in the 2.5" bin to whip together these GO! ABC quilt letters.  I only needed the C and the O this month.  Now I can put this bin away until May.

I put the first row together and I think it's going to be a great charity KIDS quilt!

The scrappy black background is really making the letter colors pop.

I finished a project I started in February this year!  I made the yellow coats for the Santa.  In March I made the scrappy green trees AND finished the tree skirt!

I finally made a dark green Picadilly Circle block.  I also made a few more rail fence blocks.  I now have 81 of 900 complete.  These add up in no time at all.  :)

I hope I can be as productive with the light/bright blues this month as I was with the greens in March.  I'm linking up with Angela at SoScrappy for the RSC21.  The party starts here.

Patriotic Folk Animals Quilt

 The Patriotic Folk Animals Quilt is complete.  I took it outside this morning to get some pictures in our light dusting of snow.  I really like the effect of the quilting on the neutral blocks of the flag stripes.  I used my ruler to give it a fun texture.  (The 3D dog's ear is flipped up in this photo.)

I did not do an edge-to-edge design on this one -- surprisingly.  I experimented with a template in the corners, waving lines, straight lines, ruler work in the neutral pieces of the stripes in the stars, stippling, stars & loopys, and outlines.  I'm happy with it.  It finishes at 

Here's the pieced back.  The center blocks were pieced cheater blocks that were in a scrap bag that a friend gave to me earlier this year.  I purposely tried to not center it on the back.

First it was inspected by Newman.  He did not walk on the quilt.

Next, Cooper came by to check it out -- but did not walk on the quilt.

Newman comes back for another look and struts away...  I wonder if he is wondering if I am going to add button eyes to the animals.  I don't think so at this point.  I like it as it is.

Next Newman, Cooper, and Ezra have a meeting.  It seems that they deemed the quilt unsafe to walk upon.  They did not give me their approval.  I guess they won't make it into the Pets on Quilts show.

This quilt measures 55" x 61".  I carried it with me in my sew-to-go bag for a fun embroidery and applique project.  The pattern for Patriotic Folk Animals can be found in the book, AMERICANA QUILTS, by Sandy Bonsib.

I'm linking up at Michelle's Romantic Tangle for Let's Make Baby Quilts.

I'm linking up at Alycia Quilts for Finished (or not) Friday

I'm linking up at Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I get a Whoop Whoop?

April OMG -- Soul Searching

 The quilt I have selected to complete for April is my Soul Searching quilt.

I made a big yellow pieced backing for it in February when yellow was the color of the month for the RSC21 (Rainbow Scrap Challenge).  I made a green dot binding for it in March when green was the color of the month for the RSC21.  Little by little it is getting it done.  It's time to move it up on the priority list.

I'm linking up at Elm Street Quilts for the OMG April Link-up Party here.