RSC Week 21 - Orange

Another week has passed (how did that happen?).

What has happened in your sewing room?

This is the only orange that happened in my sewing room - one 9-patches from 2" squares

In between working on my UFOs - mostly quilting - I've been piecing some scrappy 16-patches. As I've mentioned earlier; I have thousands (I'm not exaggerating!) of 2" squares from swaps as well as my own. Some are used, but there are still a lot. I just have to start somewhere, right? I've yet to decide what to do with these blocks.

Seven 16-patches (2" squares) from swaps

Now that I have 'Dear Nina' back home and in perfect working condition, I uses it for piecing and 'Helena' is set up for quilting. That way I can alternate between the two. It's good to take breaks from quilting big quilts, and piecing together squares is a no-brainer.

Daily life in Mauritius

Quatre Bornes fruit- and vegetable bazaar

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Linking up with

SoScrappy - RSC 2026

Melva Loves Scraps - Sew & Tell

Small Quilts & Doll Quilts - DWM (Design Wall Monday)

 

RSC Week 20 - Orange / Small UFO Finish

Another week has passed and it's time to show what I've been up to with orange.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I don't have any orange yardage left. There are squares in different sizes. I have a few orange 5" squares left and I just couldn't leave these cute cats in the box! 

Two squares + leftover black = two mug rugs! 

The quilting will happen another day.

After finishing four big UFOs (I need to take photos!), it felt good working on something small. 

UFO #22 is FINISHED!

This is the table topper or candle mat I wanted to finish two years (!) ago! I ran out of the black garland lights fabric (narrow border) and it was put on hold. Some of the pieces were already cut, it was an easy UFO to finish!

Measures 14.5 inches / 37 cm square

Small table topper / candle mat, measures 11.25 inches square (28 cm square)

I had some leftover fabric in that bag and whipped up some cute Snowman mug rugs. 

I'm not in a hurry to finish these, the quilting will happen eventually. 

Linking up with

 Angela and RSC 2026 (Rainbow Scrap Challenge)

Melva Loves Scraps - Sew & Tell

Small Quilts & Doll Quilts - OMG (One Monthly Goal) 

RSC Week 19 - Orange - An RSC FINISH - BOM 2026

Remember '70s has moved from my UFOs/WIPs list (UFO #14) to FINISH! 

I got the idea to make a quilt in orange & brown in May 2023. That year/month, orange was the RSC color as well. Who does not remember the 1970's when orange and brown were popular? I think I had enough of these colors at that time! Orange is not amongst my favorite color, but if I had to choose between orange and pink, I know I would have a big problem! LOL

I have to say I like how this quilt turned out, mixed with Moda Marbles Steel and Slate blues. Such a pity Moda doesn't do these two colors anymore. 

The idea was to make it entirely in orange and brown, but I ran out of Moda Marbles Chocolate Brown. I didn't have any other brown to match and I didn't want to purchase more fabric (and pay a fortune in shipping!). I had to come up with another solution and ended up with the Steel and Slate blues, which was just enough! 

Sashing, or no sashing, I thought? 

I decided on sashing. The only fabric I had enough of, was one in orange/yellow, also used for a few blocks. It was not enough for the outer border. I found a very dark brown in my stash, which was just enough too! The binding has some tiny lighter brown flowers. 

I love pieced backings, but for this quilt I fell in love with this 108" wide backing from Rubin Design Studio (eQuilter) and had to purchase it! It fits perfect in the colors.

How to quilt a quilt, is always my question. 

For this one I went for custom quilting each block. It takes more time to quilt, but I love the look when it's done. 

First blocks made: May 2023

Flimsy / Thread basted: Jan / Febr 2026

Started quilting: Beginning April 2026

Finished: May 5, 2026

Hours of machine quilting + burying thread tails: 39 hours

Threads used: 

King Tut: 911, 992, 930, 1029

MasterPiece: 168, 180

Size: 70.25 x 59 inches / 178 x 150 cm 

A Quilting Life's BOM 2026 - May

was posted this week

An easy block to make

Testing Serpentine stitches

Quilting the Zip Quilt today. 

My goal is to finish this one by end of May.

It has been nice and sunny all week

...this is what we woke up to this morning; dark, dreary, rain. 

Don't even see the mountain in the distance. 

We took advantage of the nice weather and did quite some yard work

These are pink guavas. On the photo they are still a bit 'green' (not 100% ripe). We have to pick them before the birds and fruit bats eat them! 

Ripe pink guava

Linking up with 

Angela at SoScrappy (RSC - Rainbow Scrap Challenge) 

Melva Loves Scraps - Sew & Tell

Small Quilts & Doll Quilts - OMG (One Monthly Goal)

RSC Color for May is Orange / A Squirrel popped in

Who sent the squirrel?!

...and one can't work on UFOs all the time, right? 

 

I've been admiring the '99 Charms quilts' in RSC colors at GraceandPieceQuilting. Nancy has done a fabulous job on those quilts, using 5 inch squares from scraps, and quilted beautifully! 

I got inspired! 

I have a shoe box full of 5" squares and wasn't sure how to use them. Not that it was a priority to use them, but after admiring Nancy's quilts, I decided to do the same. Thanks for the inspiration, Nancy! 

There were squares  in colors I have more of than other colors;  

'99 charms' quilt in red and red & white

Blue and yellow

Brown, orange, green and some neutrals to fill in.

I'm out of orange, no yardage. The squares used in this quilt is what I had left from other projects. I have orange squares in sizes from 1.5 up to 4 inches, but no yardage.

(Dark and dreary today, the photos don't give justice to the colors)

It did make a dent in the box, but I think I still have enough for 2-3 quilts in the same size. They would be more scrappy in colors. 

I loved making these quilts. They are fun and really fast to make. They are all flimsies and I'm not going to finish them now (unless I get bored with other projects). I think I have some flannel pieces I can use for backing. 

Since the RSC color for May is Orange, I continue quilting 'Remember 70's' UFO. I've given it that name due to the colors that were popular in the 70s; brown and orange. Thinking about it now, not a bad combination actually, but after having those colors in the kitchen for some years, I really hated it! ..and I know for sure I'll never use these colors as interior colors in any room! lol

I have a couple of flimsies and a finish to show, but that'll be for another post. 

Linking up with:

Angela and RSC 2026 (Rainbow Scrap Challenge)

Melva Loves Scraps / Sew & Tell

Small Quilts & Doll Quilts - Design Wall

 

RSC Week #23 Orange for June / Last of Green for May / Not Getting Rid of the Squirrel

How come it's June already?! Before we know it's Fall and Christmas again!

Been busy quilting, I know I have missed a lot in blog-land. Hope you all are doing well and enjoying summer, or 'winter' on the Southern hemisphere. 

Over the last days, I'm caught up on RSC (Rainbow Scrap Challenge) for May, which was Green. Orange is chosen for June and all blocks done! I have mentioned earlier I prefer to do the RSC blocks beginning of the month. By doing it that way, I can work on anything I fancy the rest of the month. 

In my previous post, it was about that famous mischievous squirrel. I thought it would leave after getting me to pull out those panels and UFO, but nope! It was still hanging around some days ago and got me to do this!!! 

Last year (2024), I did Sherri McConnel's BOM. She's doing a BOM this year too, which I decided not to do due to all the other projects I have. 

It lasted almost 5 months! LOL. I've been following her monthly blocks and I think they are really cute. 

Squirrel asked; 'why haven't you put away the green fabrics?'

Me: Hmmm, not sure, I was thinking I make 1-2 green blocks for 'Eclipse'

Squirrel: 'Just admit you won't do it'! 

Me: 'Hmmm... I think you are right'

Squirrel: 'You like Sherry McConnel's BOM 2025, don't you?!'

Me: 'Yes'

Squirrel: 'Go ahead! Make it!!!'

...and so she did! LOL

Since the RSC for May was green, I decided to make the block for April in green. It was an easy choice, since the pattern is printed in green! 

The centre block is 6-1/2 inches (6.5 cm) unfinished / block is 18-1/2 inches (47 cm) unfinished. 

As I've mentioned earlier, I'm almost out of green. Then I remembered I have that teapot fabric somewhere.... and found it! 

The June block in orange 

Squirrel update: The squirrel is kicked out!!! I've sent it to someone else! lol

I ran into a problem quilting the UFO (more about that in another post). I needed a break from it and instead I've done most of the RSC blocks in orange and caught up on green (RSC May).

Last month, I made only one block for 'Eclipse', in green and red (here). I wasn't really motivated to do circles and left it there. Now that I needed a break from that UFO, I got to it again and made these

A mix of green and orange

...and of course the cups! 

Coffee with Dad

Don't you love that black cat?! I do! 

6 Scrappy blocks

I dived into my 5" squares box and found a cute pumpkin and oak leaf in orange. 

Not a big variety of orange, 

just enough 3.5" squares for 2 Hollow 9-patches blocks

I have 6 blocks left to do on Pat Sloan's "182 Day Solstice Challenge". I have the finished blocks in RSC colors (2 of each color). I've run out of colors! I'll make another one in orange, yet to decide which one. There are 2 blocks having applique. I'm not so eager on those. I shall see...

Update: Block #20/25 - Hugs & Kisses in orange

I made a mistake on this one! I had just finished the six scrappy blocks where I used up 120 2-1/2" squares. I was still programmed on that square size when I started working on this block; I didn't read the cutting instruction properly. The squares (white) should have been 2" instead of 2-1/2"! I discovered the error after I sewn together one block! I didn't bother to change it, who will notice? I'm happy with the block as it turned out. Do you see the error?

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

RSC Week #46 - Long Road to Catching Up on RSC

Hello! Remember me? 😊

How come it's middle November already?!

I've been busy sewing for my Etsy shop, mostly Christmas and some fall items. I love using up bits and pieces. Mug rugs, trivets and coasters are perfect items for small fabric pieces. Did it make a visible dent in my fabric stash? Nope! Doesn't look like that at all! At least I can say some fabric are used up and out of the way! What I couldn't use in those items, were cut into squares. 

The last couple of weeks I've been playing catch-up on RSC - Rainbow Scrap Challege.

First up are Sherri McConnel's A Quilting Life's BOM 2024

BOM September / RSC Dark (black and brown) 

I made this block in brown

BOM October / RSC Lights and Catching Up

Since RSC September were Brown and Black, I chose black for this one

BOM November / I 'moved' RSC October to November

and made it in light blue

There's one more block (beginning December) and I'm running out of colors! 

 AQUA from July

1 Scrap Jar

 5 Zipper blocks

ORANGE from August

4 Split-9 blocks were born.

I do love that black cat! 

2 Scrap Jar blocks

7 Zipper blocks

I had to go through a lot of 2" squares (collected from swaps) to get a variety for the aqua and orange scrap jar blocks. 

Fun, indeed! 

BROWN from September

I decided to go for brown.  I have a lot of brown squares in sizes from 2" to 5". Fun going through some of those squares, some are from years back when I started quilting. 

4 Split-9

4 Scrap Jar

3 Zippers

I could have made a few more of these, but got bored with them! 

BLACK for September too

4 Split-9

4 Scrap Jar

I added in a few greys too

I've cut fabric for black zipper blocks, I'll do them later

Pat Sloan - 182 Day Solstice Challenge

 Block #13 - Studio Time (Brown)

Block #16 - Friendship (Brown)

Block #18 - On the Go (Black)

Block #24 - Lucky Girl (Black)

As I can recall, this is the first time I've done black & white blocks and I really love how they turned out. 

Not much going on on the sewing table the last days, except sewing together some 2.5" squares, the box was filling up again. How come?! lol