Fortunately, there are a lot strips, so I have been able to make a number of strip sets that yield more than one block.
You can also see the in progress blocks as well.
Donation Block Updates
Tag: BAMQG
More on the Clippy Pocket Hack
Yesterday, I talked about the Clippy Pocket hack and how my version came out. You can incorporate the Clippy portion into anything – pincushions, other bags, needle books. The key is making the placket/”flap ladder” then incorporating it into an existing project. You can make the placket into a piece that can be appliqued to another project.
Try to think about how you can incorporate something like this useful section into a project on which you are working. You can find the original instructions in Love of Patchwork & Quilting , issue 39. It is available digitally in the Apple and Google Play stores.
UCAB Front Pocket
I skipped over the two larger pockets in order to make sure the Clippy pocket hack worked when incorporated into the overall pattern. It took me awhile to get this pocket made even with the pieces all cut out. Adding the Clippy pocket means that there are a number of extra steps needed to make the Clippy holder. Still, I am pleased with the way the pocket came out.
It is a bit of a riot of color. 😉 I didn’t really mean it to be as riotous, but I didn’t think through the backing for the side pockets with regard to the Clippy hack when I was cutting. I hope the rest of the inside won’t look crazy.
Still, I have been making such minimal progress on sewing in general that I am pleased with this small amount of progress.
More New Blue Donation Blocks
I worked on the UCAB‘s short front pocket over the weekend. I wanted to incorporate my Clippy Pocket hack into an actual pocket. As I worked on that complicated project, I made donation blocks as leaders and enders.
I am really happy with these blocks. They are more fun to make than the white. I have a lot of scraps, but within those scraps are a lot of strips of different lengths, so the blocks are going fast and I can, sometimes, make two at a time.
Community Sew Day
Saturday was a Community Sew Day. I made about 18 blocks, some were the blocks of the day; some were the 16 patches. I’ll show those another day.
These blocks can be super scrappy. I tried to stick to a common color scheme so it would be easier to put blocks together into a cohesive whole. As the day wore on the pickins got a little slim and eventually I switched to a dark color scheme. I am not as happy with those blocks as they just seem dark. They will be good for a boy quilt, so they won’t be wasted. Perhaps I can make 6 more blocks in the same colors so Peggy can make a top.
These are similar to the Mav block I made a few weeks ago. The good thing is there are no seams to match so they make a good pattern for group sewing. You need:
- 5-4.5″ squares
- 5 – 2.5 x 4.5″ strips
- 2- 2.5 x 6.5″ strips
Use the image above as a guide for the layout.
Nine blocks make a quilt – at least they did for our project. The group ended up with 8 quilt tops and a few extra blocks. Some of us were talking about cutting scraps into pieces in these sizes and making them whenever we had spare time or needed leaders and enders.
The quilts are VERY scrappy.
Some New Donation Blocks
Since I started making the Color Strip and Improv donation quilts, I have not been making very many of the regular 16 patch donation blocks the guild collects.
However, they are really great for leaders and enders when I am not at home and don’t have my scrap bin handy. I forgot to bring them last Saturday to the mini-Retreat, but brought the bin Sunday and was able to churn out two blocks in between putting the new Running with Scissors Tote together.
I brought my bin to the Charity Sew Day yesterday and started some more, so there will be a few more for you to see later.
Finished Orange Strip Donation Quilt
The Orange Strip Donation Quilt is finished. Sue R. did the quilting and Rhonda finished the binding, so it was a real joint effort.
For once I took a photo of the back.
Now I have it at home and am waiting for the San Mateo County Fair to roll around.
Officer Thank Yous
The other day I talked about finishing up the Officer gifts that I was making. They were finally finished on Friday night before the meeting. Fortunately for me, DH didn’t get home until late, so I had some extra time to work on them.
As mentioned, these pouches are fairly speedy to make.
I am pretty happy with the way they came out except for the ending. That was my fault as I stopped reading the directions and just finished them.
I thought about using this pattern for the inside of the UCAB, also as mentioned so I have been mulling over how to add a leash. It doesn’t work with the binding used in the pattern, but the pattern calls for a super long piece of binding, most of which is not used. I could turn the ending in to a leash instead of cutting it off. That would also alleviate the problem of one of the ends. I might try it.
Finished: Improv Donation Top
I finally finished this top to the point where I felt good about handing it in. I was rather sick of it, but I also have enough pride not to donation a too-small top.
That is all I handed in. I just provided the top and will let Peggy find backing and batting. I know I could have gotten a bigger hit on my Fabric Used spreadsheet, but I wanted to move on.
I haven’t started anything new for donation, but I will soon. It will be either blue or pink. Both drawers are overflowing. I don’t feel like I made much progress emptying the white drawer, though the White Strip Donation top and this one clearly used up fabric. Since I have more white to use, I could combine it with some of the blues. I know I have more than enough blue scraps to make more than two quilts. Combining some blues with whites will spread the use of blue and make for an interesting variation.
BAM Thank Yous
A five month project finally came to a close over the weekend.
Every year for the past few years I have gotten a group together to make gifts for the officers. At first, I didn’t think they needed anymore quilt projects, so I had the idea of making them a bag and having guild members fill the bags with small gifts. This has proven to be very successful. In the last few years, I have brought postcards, so people who cannot bring gifts can convey their thanks in writing.
Both Angela and Rhonda posted photos of their gifts, which is a good way for you to see the variety of made and bought gifts. Rhonda’s bag was a quillow, so she got a bonus and the colors are perfect for her as she loves the Japanese indigo style.
We had an extra bag, so I took mine back and will use it for something else or for next year. I have to think of a way to be better organized as I forgot one person who had agreed to make a bag early on.
Now I will start working on next year.
First Raffle Basket
I have been working for a few months on getting raffle baskets for the year together, as I have mentioned.
After the last meeting, I got all of the gifts and prizes my team has collected and organized them into months. I put each month’s gifts in a ziploc bag (except the books, which were too big), so I don’t have to do much once the gifts are required.
I did organize January’s basket, which includes all the gifts you see above.
Yesterday we gave out the first basket at the attendance raffle. Yay! it was a big hit and I was pleased not to embarrass myself for my efforts.
Speedy Pouches
I am in the process of making some of Aneela Hoey‘s pouches. I pulled this pattern out at the last minute to make some gifts that I was woefully behind on making. Although I am not finished, I am pretty pleased on how these are coming out.
The pattern I am using is called Speedy Vinyl Pouches. If I weren’t trying to make 5 at once, they would have been much speedier. 🙂 Still they are fairly quick to make. I bought this pattern on spec after seeing another one of her patterns, the Boxy Clear Pouch that Angela made and looking through the site. Of course, I want all of her patterns, but I am trying to make the patterns that I have, so I limited myself.
The materials are pretty easy to gather up from what you have around the house, except for the zippers. I didn’t have 4″ zippers, but I did have 5″ or 6″ zippers and I just cut them off. It worked fine. Well, it has worked fine so far. We’ see when the pouches are finished.
The thing I really wanted to tell you is that the pattern is great! It is very clearly written, has a great font and is easy to follow — even for me! There was one line with the binding that I didn’t understand, but I made my own way and it seems to work. I guess we’ll see when I sew the binding down.
As you can see, I cut the fabric the wrong way, so the zipper is on the side. Oh well! One thing about this pattern is the orientation of the fabric. She is clear about it. I was trying to use scraps and cut the wrong way, then didn’t have more, so I am going with the flow.
Once I started working on this pattern, I thought I might be able to suggest the pattern to the Bag-a-Long group as an alternative to the ones the designer of the Ultimate Carryall Bag sells. I have nothing against her bags, but I think people might like an alternative to those pouches. I am not sure if this pattern will work as I can’t see a way to add a leash. I could add something as a zipper pull with a lobster clip on the end, but I am not excited about that option. I am going to consult with Lynette on Saturday.
UCAB Clippy Pocket – prelude to a tutorial
We are moving full steam ahead on the Ultimate Carry All Bag. members of the guild who are participating worked on cutting out pieces of the bag on the last Sew Day. Next we will begin working on pockets. To that end, I needed to work on an alternative/hack to the vinyl badge holder pocket.
I don’t want or need the vinyl badge holder pockets Natalie uses in the pattern. I also don’t like the idea of vinyl being so close to an ironing surface (front of the bag). I do need a place for a few WonderClips, however. To that end, I took the pattern for the Clippy pincushion, which was in Love of Quilting, issue 39 and adjusted it for use instead of the vinyl badge holder.
The photo shows one of the three test pockets I made. If you have the pattern, this is one of the end pieces of the front pocket. The directions for that section start on page 14. I am still working on perfecting the construction. I think I have the sizes down, but I am still tweaking the construction to take bulk into account.
I was absurdly pleased with my work on this pocket. Of course, part of that feeling was that I was relatively successful. If the Clippy/Wonderclip pattern sizes had been off, I might have felt differently. Still, I didn’t resent the time I took working on this piece of the bag.
N.B.: I will not tell you how to make the whole bag. In order to make this bag, you need to purchase the pattern from Quiltessa Natalie. She also has an Etsy shop where you can also purchase it. We would love to have you join us in making this bag.
White Improv Donation quilt
I am getting a little sick of this top. Many of the scraps I have available are the same size and the same fabric, which makes for boring piecing. I think it looks nice, but I will be glad when it is done.
Community Quilt Bonanza
Cheryl agreed to help me with a few projects, so the other day I received a large-ish box from her. At first I didn’t realize it was from Cheryl as it seems like boxes are arriving at our house 3 times a day. The YM is sending stuff here, DH and I plus gifts from out of town relatives are also being sent here. It’s crazy.
Anyway.
In addition to stuff from the project on which we are working, were three community quilts.
She asked me to bring them to the meeting in January. I am happy to do so, especially since that means I will have something to show! HA!
Clearly #2 and #3 are related. Also, #1 and #2 are in the same format as the Color Group Donation Quilt I worked a few years ago. I can’t say whether she was inspired by (or even remembered or saw) that quilt. It isn’t as thought that layout is novel in Modern Quiltmaking circles.
So, these will be the first three quilt tops for the 2020 BAM Community Quilt Project. YAY!!