New York Beauty Quilt is Finished!

When the weather calls for 'no venture out', what do you do?!

SEW! EAT! Drink COFFEE! SLEEP! REPEAT! 

Well, this apply to all rainy days, not only last week when 'Garance' passed close by. 

My February goal was to finish the NYB quilt, and I did! 

It has 48 blocks + 4 corner blocks.

It measures 74 x 58 inches / 188 x 147 cm

All batik from my stash, except the backing (batik too) I had to purchase. 

Once again thank you to those of you who suggested thread color and design!  (here). Much appreciated!

You may remember I'm on SSD (Strict Stash Diet) this year. I didn't want to purchase thread and pay a fortune in shipping! I went through my Aurifil, King Tut and MasterPiece. I kept in mind some of the suggestions were 'light lime green'. 

The only suitable thread I had, and enough for the quilt (except grey), were two light green Aurifil. I used Aurifil 2902 Light Laurel Green for the top and Aurifil 2912 Platinum for the back. It blends in perfectly. I forgot to take photo of the back, but you can see it here. I'm not a big fan of pastels, but I think this one suits the quilt.  

Closeup of the quilting. Click on the photos to enlarge.

It took me 'forever', but I'm so glad I decided to custom quilt each block. It took me about 60-65 hours to quilt the blocks only. 

This is the corner block. Isn't it cute?! 

It measures 4.25" / 10.5 cm

It was a cloudy day, not the best light for photos. 

First block made 2020 (no records, maybe during Covid lockdown and no I-net connection) 

All blocks done March 2021

Thread basted January 2023

Finished February 18, 2025

********************

Next up to quilt: 

'Keep the Home Fires Burning'

It's a big quilt, but should be relatively easy to quilt, depending how I decide to do it. 

This is my goal for March. 

Updates to follow. 

RSC Week 9 - March is Yellow

HAPPY MARCH!

It's the first Saturday in March and many of us are ready for RSC (Rainbow Scrap Challenge) show and tell. Angela at SuperScrappy has chosen YELLOW  for spring! 

I prefer doing the RSC blocks at the beginning of each month, after Angela has chosen the color. When they are done, I'm 'free' to do whatever. 

My goal this year is to finish some UFOs, so let's see how that works out his month. 

I had almost forgotten I'm doing Pat Sloan's '182 Day Solstice Challenge'! 

I started the BOM in May 2024, and you can see the blocks here, here, here, and here. 

The blocks are different sizes; smallest are 12-1/2", biggest is 32-1/2", and a few other sizes in between. There are 19 of the smallest size - 12-1/2" - I made 13 last year. 

I have put off the bigger blocks, waiting for the 'right' color. 

Solstice, what color comes to your mind? I'm thinking Summer Solstice; YELLOW! 

The center block is called 'Among the Stars'. 

Summer Solstice & Stars = YELLOW! 

Among the Stars - Block 9/25

Block measures 32-1/2" / 82.5 cm square

I kept it to SPRING

Spring fever - block 17/25

Other yellow scrap blocks

Coffee with Dad - 4 blocks

...and it happened I had a yellow cat too! 

5 Scrappy blocks

Does any of you know what this block is called? 

2 blocks for Eclipse

(House cores are calling, I'll make a few more later)

Linking up with Angela and RSC (Rainbow Scrap Challenge) 

Rainy and windy all week while cyclone 'Garance' was in the area. We got 'cyclone warning class #3', which means most of the island were shut down. Its center passed about 136 miles / 220 km to the west on the nearest point. Yesterday the cyclone warning was lifted and we had the most cyclonic conditions with gusts up to 62 mph / 100 kmh with heavy rain and thunderstorms! Go figure! The neighbor island Reunion got it very bad as it passed very close to the coast with gusts at 142 mph / 230 kmh.

 

Country Charm is a Flimsy

I'm thrilled to have 'Country Charm' as a Flimsy!

What is a flimsy, you may ask? A completed quilt top that is not quilted, nor does it have batting or batting, just the top. 

I finished the top in January, but never got around taking photos, until some days ago.

I did not intend finishing the top this quick, but I got totally obsessed by all those 2" squares collected from swaps. The 2.5" (HST) are from my own cut squares. 

Look at all those yummy squares! 

Who does not go dizzy or cross-eyed working with all those squares?! 

I did! Do you see the errors? Two HST's were sewn in the wrong way. So glad I discovered it at this stage, not when the quilt is under the needle! 

All fixed! 

According to the pattern, it is made of 2412 2" squares and 504 2.5" squares (the latter  used for the HSTs). 

Did it make a dent in my boxes containing 2" squares? It sure did, but it's not even visible! 

The floral 108" wide backing I bought recently, is for this quilt. 

I'm not sure when I'll sandwich and quilt it. I have a few other quilts already thread basted and ready for quilting. Yet to decide which one I will try to finish next month. 

RSC Week 8 - Blue Cups and Curves

Last Saturday in February already!

 

More blue blocks have been made for the RSC (Rainbow Scrap Challenge) hosted by Angela at Superscrappy. 

Curves for 'Eclipse'

3 big blocks

...and 3 small blocks

Cups for 'Coffee with Dad'

I LOVE the gecko fabric and I had just enough left for one cup! 

Two scrappy blocks

These will go together with the accumulation (!) of 36-patches (made from 2.5") I've made earlier. You can see some of them here (UFOs/WIPs #2) 

Linking up with Angela and the RSC (Rainbow Scrap Challenge)

SSD, and look what got delivered yesterday

This year, is the year of SSD and finish UFOs (at least some)! My goal is one UFO a month, so let's see how that goes. 

You all know what UFOs are and how they accumulate when we are sleeping!

SSD, you may ask? Strict-Stash-Diet! Yes, this year I'm on SSD, which means I won't buy 'unnecessary' fabrics 'just because' they are beautiful! That said, there may be some Advent Calendar panels for my Etsy shop later this year. 

Look what got delivered yesterday! 

While I was working on 'Tomten's Quilt' and 'Dwellings' (House quilt), I ran out of grey and red to finish both tops. They are UFOs #16 and #18 on my UFO list.

The beautiful 108" floral is backing for 'Country Charm' - UFO #33. It's a big quilt and I don't feel for doing another pieced backing.

Well, maybe not necessary, but some notions were added too

Mat cleaning pad and cleaning brushes for the sewing machine. 

A needed Aurifil thread too. 

I have yet to try the mat cleaning pad. My cutting mat is long overdue for cleaning, I hope it works! Have any of you tried it? 

Sometimes we deserve a little gift to ourselves, don't we? 

I've been quilting like a mad woman the last couple of weeks (every day) to finish my New York Beauty UFO. I'm happy to say the last stitch on the binding was done February 18! (Another blogpost coming soon). 

This is my deserved gift:

A MUG!

'COFFEE. QUILT. WINE. REPEAT'.

Well, not wine these days, it's way too hot. Coffee & Quilt; definitely YES! 

I just couldn't resist this one! 

Do you have a soft spot for coffee mugs? 

I have! 

Early Thursday more here, I'm off to make COFFEE! 

 

RSC Week 5 - February is BLUE and a Squirrel popped In

Happy February!

Where did January go?!

February; it means a new RSC (Rainbow Scrap Color). Angela at SuperScrappy has chosen BLUE for this month. 

Three blue cups are made. 

I'll make maybe two or three more.

I didn't expect the squirrel to visit! It was good in a way, I needed a short break from quilting ten place mats for a customer. 

This is what the squirrel got me to do:

 

5 scrappy blocks using pink (January RSC color) in the center. 

...and three blue. 

Do you see the pink and blue cats? 

I got to use a few more pink (5" squares trimmed to 4.5"), a variety of 2.5" squares and bits and pieces of white and cream. Everything counts to reduce stash!

Does this block have a name?

My idea is to use these together with some of the 36-patches I've already made.

UFO / WIPs #2 - UFO list 2025 

I have made so many 36-patches using 2.5" squares, now I'm running out of variety. I had a lot from swaps (all used up after making bed quilts!) as well as my own cut squares. I have cut squares from 1.5" to 5". This was March 2016, and I'm happy to say quite a lot has been used!

Linking up with Angela and RSC (Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2025) 

Linking up with Melva Loves Scraps for Sew & Tell Monday

This photo was shot a few evenings ago. Fog rolls in at Corps de Garde mountain.

I never get tired of watching clouds / fog, especially during the rainy- and cyclone season when it can be quite impressive.  

 

How to Quilt and Thread Color, Suggestions Please

 This New York Beauty was done and thread basted January 2023.

The blocks were finished March 2021, when did I start it? Let me dig some more...

Can't find anything.... most probably end 2020 or beginning 2021.

UFO #1 - UFO list 2025

Why did I put it aside, you may wonder? Because; 

1) How to quilt it?

2) What tread color to use? 

As you can see, it has a variety of colors; pink, yellow, teal, turquoise, grey and more. 

(The photos don't do justice to the colors. It's cloudy and raining cats and dogs here right now. Photos are taken inside in not so good light). 

For the thread color, I'm thinking grey since grey seems to blend easily with other colors? 

It will be quilted on my domestic sewing machine (no longarm or hand quilting for me). 

Any suggestions? Please let me know. 

HAPPY QUILTING! 

RSC 2025 Week 4 - January is PINK

A new year is here (already end of January!) and so is RSC (Rainbow Scrap Challenge) hosted by Angela at Superscrappy.

I've been participating in RSC since 2023 and now I'm running out of some colors. PINK is one of them. In 2023, I had approximately 13 yards, + already cut squares in different sizes. Arreli's quilt was made the same year, using pink front and back, all from my stash. Pink blocks were made as well as some items for my Etsy Shop. You can see them all here. 

I've been looking for more pink in my stash but there's nothing (except squares in different sizes). I have 4 pieces left, the biggest approximately half yard. 

I've been pondering what to make in RSC colors this year. I already have block sets made; squares, rectangles and HST (half-square-triangles). Isn't it time to try something else, I was wondering?! 

I was looking through FQS's free pattern and my eyes fell on 'Eclipse'. Yep, there's a lot of curves! I'm not new to curves, so that should work out. Will it work in RSC colors too? We all have different taste and opinion. I like the pattern, it's a fun one. The colors used are perfect for eclipses, but I know I couldn't have made it in the those colors, too dark for me. There's no quilt police in this house, except me, so I'll decide on colors! LOL When all the blocks are done and pieced together, then I'll see if I like it, or not. It's worth a try. 

The background will be pretty much the same colors. Here I have used Moda Marbles 'parchment' and Grunge 'Onyx'. 

I have to admit the pattern / layout is a bit confusing / challenging, but eventually I'll get there, I hope!  

Another quilt that has caught my eyes is 'Coffee Conversations with Dad'. As a coffee lover, I just love those coffee cups and I think they would look even better in RSC colors! 

Don't you just love that pink cat?! 

I have used Moda Marbles 'parchment' as background for these blocks too. I'm also cutting the required squares in the same fabrics as used for the cups.

Required fabric yardage:

'Eclipse': 8.25 (front) + 5 (backing & binding) = 13.25 yards

'Coffee Quilt': 6 (front) + 5.75 (backing & binding) = 11.75 yards

 

Linking up with Angela and the RSC (Rainbow Scrap Challenge)

Purple Finishes

After joining RSC in 2023 - purple was chosen for April that year - and after making the monthly blocks I had chosen, I decided to make a purple & white/cream quilt.

I got a copy of Quiltmaker May/June 2022 and fell in love with 'Bases Loaded' by Becky Rico (Scroll down to the Green/Cream HST quilt). Why not make one in purple, I thought, and so it happened! 

I had to focus getting it right! lol

Using up as many purple fabrics as possible, I made a pieced backing for this one; 12 blocks + pieces of fabric. It wasn't enough though, I purchased a gorgeous floral hibiscus purple for the back, enough for both quilts.

Closeup of the pieced backing

Binding is Aubergine purple 

'Bases Loaded' measures 63 inches (1.60 m) square

Finished May 13, 2024

UFO #22-1 - UFO list 2025

My goal (previous post) was to finish 'No Name Purple' by January 15.

I did it! 

The last stitch on the binding was done January 12. 

UFO #22-2 - UFO list 2025

The centre is a fabric I bought years ago, just because.... it was pretty! lol It has soft shades of pinkish, purple and teal, truly a beautiful fabric. I had in mind to make a baby quilt, but that didn't happen. It has been one of those 'in-and-out-of-the-shelf' umpteen times. 

It was an easy one to quilt. I did FMQ (free-motion-quilting), loopy swirls, on the centre. All the blocks were quilted in straight seams in the seamlines and inside the triangles. Even if the quilting is easy, it took some days. 

Maybe it's easier to see the quilting on this closeup.

Sashing and border is aubergine purple and binding has a variety of purples.

The back is the same floral hibiscus as 'Bases Loaded'. 

'No Name' measures 54 x 61-1/2 inches (1.37 x 1.56 m)

I can't believe I made a quilt using HSTs only! Me, who has always dreaded HSTs!!! 

My feelings for HSTs IS getting better after doing these quilts! (Don't ask me how many HSTs I have after making RSC blocks for two years!!! lol)

 I didn't keep track of how many hours I spent machine quilting these two, but sure it was some! 

 

UFO under the Needle

 As you already may have noticed (if you read my previous post), my UFOs/WIPs list is long as a freight train! How did that happen, btw?? 

The RSC color for April 2023 was purple. I pulled out all purple yardage, about 12-13 yards. After making the monthly blocks, I decided to make a purple & white/cream quilt. By March 2024, all the blocks for the quilt were done + I made a smaller quilt using up more purple yardage. You can see part of the quilts here. I did quilt and finished the biggest purple quilt (yet to take photos), but not the small one. 

It was thread basted and it has been sitting on my sewing table since last year! I know why; I got tired of detail quilting all the HST in different colors. 

Yesterday I counted 1-2-3!!! Here we go, lets quilt it! lol

I did part of the free motion quilting (the centre) last night, the remaining this morning.

I have started quilting the HST, which takes time. My goal is to get it done by January 15. 

This is UFO #22-2 'No Name Purple'.