ScrapHappy – tierneycreates

It’s the 15th of the month and time for my monthly “ScrapHappy” post as part of the ScrapHappy group I belong. At the end of this post I have a link to the other blogs participating in this monthly event in case you’d like to check out their ScrapHappy posts.

I have an update on the VERY SCRAPPY Farm Girl Vintage Sampler quilt I am working on (see my ScrapHappy April 2024 post ScrapHappy April 2024: Scrappy Farm Girl Vintage Sampler and a Mystery), an old UFO (unfinished object for the non quilters reading) that I began at a quilt retreat after being lured in by other quilters at the retreat to work on with them (even though I am not a “farm girl”).

Last month I figured out the mystery that I’d plan to use 6.5 x 6.5 inch Haystack Blocks from Lori Holt’s book Farm Girl Vintage in the setting for the 12.5 x 12.5 inch sampler blocks, using the Square Dance setting in her book:

So far I had 19 12.5 x 12.5 inch sampler blocks completed but I want to make 6 additional 12.5 x 12.5 inch blocks so the quilt will be 25 total (5 x 5 setting), so I needed 35 6.5 x 6.5 inch blocks for the setting.

Since my April 15th ScrapHappy post I’ve completed those 35 6.5 x 6.5 inch blocks working from my basket of scraps for this project:

I did a test layout of the setting (without the setting fabric) on my design wall and it took up the entire design wall even without the additional 6 12.5 x 12.5 sampler blocks I need to make:

(Note this is a test layout, not final, and I still need to make 6 additional 12.5 x 12.5 inch blocks and to decided the arrangement of blocks)

I decided to go ahead and test out setting fabrics and I decided I couldn’t bear to use a white fabric as the setting fabric even though I have a white background in most of the 12.5 x 12.5 inch blocks. The quilt already doesn’t go with the decor and aesthetics in my home and all that white would make me just put the quilt away in a closet when I finished it.

So I decided to go with a denim like lightweight cotton/linen blend (like an Essex Linen but I don’t think it is an official Essex Linen, I found this fabric thrifting a couple years ago):

I cut a couple test strips per the setting pattern size and it seems to work with the blocks:

So next steps are to make the 6 additional 12.5 x 12.5 inch sampler blocks and then start to assemble the quilt in sections. I will be sending the completed quilt top and back out for professional long-arm quilting this time – not planning to put anymore large quilts in queue for hand quilting right now!

Oh and speaking of the backing for this quilt, I’ve decided to use my large collection of cotton flour sacks that I shared an image of in April’s ScrapHappy post, to create part of the backing for this quilt (I’ll have to of course piece the bags with additional fabric to make it large enough).

I thought they would add some additional whimsy to the Farm Girl Vintage quilt!

As promised, here are the bloggers that participate in the ScrapHappy monthly posting event, check out their blogs linked below for their ScrapHappy posts:

Kate @Tall Tales from Chiconia , Gun @Rutigt – G Adrian, Eva @bambisyr-evaj, Sue @From the Magpie’s Nest, Lynda @Life on the Farmlet, Birthe @Birthes rom, Turid @Den syende himmel, Tracy @It’s a T-Sweets Day!, Jan @The Snail of Happiness, Moira @The Quilted Snail, Sandra @Wild Daffodil, Chris @chrisknitsews, Alys @Gardening Nirvana, Claire @Claire93’s Blog, Jean @onesmallstitch, Dawn @DawnGillDesigns, Gwen @Deep in the Heart of Textiles/Textile Ranger, Sunny @The Adventures of Team Wil-Sun, Kjerstin @Quimper Hittys, Sue @Going Batty in Wales, Vera @lifebyacompassnotaclock, Ann @Ann F Stonehouse Quiltmaker, Dawn @myquiltprojects, Carol @Quilt Schmilt, Preeti @Sew Preeti Quilts, Viv @Where the Journey Takes Me 2, Karrin @Karrin’s Crazy World, Amo @View From Our Hill, Alissa @ Snakes & Cranes, Lynn @Tialys, Tierney @tierneycreates, Hannah @quietwatercraft

ScrapHappy April 2024: Scrappy Farm Girl Vintage Sampler and a Mystery

April 15, 2024April 15, 2024 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

In last month’s ScrapHappy post ScrapHappy March 2024: Revisting Farm Girl Vintage, I shared that I had pulled on a rather old quilting “UFO” – a VERY SCRAPPY sampler based on patterns from Lori Holt’s book Farm Girl Vintage, in which I had completed 19 12-inch-blocks.

Now a month later I realized I should start actually working on completing it since I pulled it out and talked about it! While going through everything in the project box I came across a MYSTERY that I will discuss a little further in this post.

First I got all 19 12-inch-blocks up on my design wall, so I could make it real that I was actually going to work on this quilt (smile):

Then I looked through all the scraps and a couple fat quarters/section of yardage I’d set aside for this project, removed them from the bag I had them in and filled the project box with them:

Now comes the MYSTERY: While doing this I discovered at set of 25 log cabin piecing like small blocks in several stages of piecing, along with scrap fabric cut for additional rows around each block:

What the heck??!!??!

I couldn’t figure out what the heck I was planning to do with these, it did not make sense. It had been several years since I worked on this quilt and all I remember was that I was tired of having the quilt unfinished and was planning to do something to quickly finish it. But what was I planning to do with these 25 blocks in progress??!!?

It was very frustrating and I started to just set them aside and donate them to one of the local charity thrift stores (fabric scraps are very popular items) when I was done with the quilt.

But then I looked (three times it took me) through the Farm Girl Vintage book and discovered there is a block in the book that looks like what I was trying to piece – the Haystack Block:

Image credit: from the Farmgirl Vintage book by Lori Holt

And I had already made one of these blocks:

But the mystery was not solved because why was I trying to make 25 of these blocks in apparently a smaller version?!?!??!

Have you guessed it yet? Did you solve the mystery with what I’ve just shared so far?

(I thought about just ending the post here and making you wait until tomorrow to find out but I am not the quilting Agatha Christy, so I will just tell you, ha!)

I remembered two things:

There are TWO block size options in the Farmgirl Vintage book – you can piece a 6 inch or a 12 inch finished sized block; and
There are various block layout/setting options in the back of the book

So looking through the setting options in the Farmgirl Vintage book I discovered this setting called Square Dance:

Image credit: from the Farmgirl Vintage book by Lori Holt

So I must have planned to make one more 12 inch block and then set the blocks in this setting using 6 inch blocks like in the image above.

I did discover that I might have needed 30 6-inch-blocks to accomplish that setting with 20 12-inch-blocks. So I was 5 blocks off, but at least I solved the mystery and now knew I had devised a plan and hadn’t lost my mind and was randomly piecing blocks – ha! (Have some fun and do the math and see if I am right…if you are really bored…)

So with the mystery solved, I was able to form a plan of what I want to do to finish this quilt:

Keep this same setting idea – use the Square Dance setting layout
Instead of 1 more 12-inch-block, make 6 additional 12-inch blocks to make the quilt 25 12-inch-blocks/ a 5 by 5 12-inch-block layout
Complete the in progress 25 6-inch blocks and make 10 additional for the 35 needed for the Square Dance layout for 25 12-inch-blocks (again, feel free to check my math/count for how many 6-inch blocks I need for the setting)

Yay! Now I can move forward and plan to report more on the progress on this old UFO in May’s ScrapHappy post.

POSTSCRIPT

While sorting through the project box I also discovered these:

I’ll discuss them next month in my post on this quilt and what I might do with them (I have to think through it). I seem to be obsessed with not throwing away these flour bags!

As promised, here are the bloggers that participate in the ScrapHappy monthly posting event, check out their blogs linked below for their ScrapHappy posts:

Farm Girl Vintage Blocks, ScrapHappy

ScrapHappy March 2024: Revisting Farm Girl Vintage

March 15, 2024March 14, 2024 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

For this month’s post I decided to revisit an old UFO (unfinished object) in my stash that I started at a quilt retreat years ago in 2017 (see post Farm Girl Vintage, Part I) – a scrappy sampler quilt (using fabric scraps and my fat quarter stash) made with blocks from Lori Holt’s book Farm Girl Vintage.

I pulled out the bag of scraps for the project:

And I pulled out the 19 blocks I had completed:

Here are close ups of some of the 19 blocks I pieced:

I think before I moved to Colorado 5 years ago, I was starting to work on finishing this quilt by making additional blocks and then selecting the setting for the sampler blocks. I also discovered some partially pieced block section with the 19 blocks:

I’ve decided to put this UFO in queue to work on next when I finish the two current quilts I am working on.

As promised, here are the bloggers that participate in the ScrapHappy monthly posting event, check out their blogs linked below for their ScrapHappy posts:

Kate @Tall Tales from Chiconia , Gun @Rutigt – G Adrian, Eva @bambisyr-evaj, Sue @From the Magpie’s Nest, Lynda @Life on the Farmlet, Birthe @Birthes rom, Turid @Den syende himmel, Susan @DesertSky Quilting, Cathy @nanacathydotcom, Tracy @It’s a T-Sweets Day!, Jan @The Snail of Happiness, Moira @The Quilted Snail, Sandra @Wild Daffodil, Chris @chrisknitsews, Alys @Gardening Nirvana, Claire @Claire93’s Blog, Jean @onesmallstitch, Dawn @DawnGillDesigns, Gwen @Deep in the Heart of Textiles/Textile Ranger, Sunny @The Adventures of Team Wil-Sun, Kjerstin @Quimper Hittys, Sue @Going Batty in Wales, Vera @lifebyacompassnotaclock, Ann @Ann F Stonehouse Quiltmaker, Dawn @myquiltprojects, Carol @Quilt Schmilt, Preeti @Sew Preeti Quilts, Nóilin @Paper, Pen and Mug, Viv @Where the Journey Takes Me 2, Karrin @Karrin’s Crazy World, Amo @View From Our Hill, Alissa @ Snakes & Cranes, Lynn @Tialys, Tierney @tierneycreates, Hannah @quietwatercraft

Fabric Scraps Obsession, ScrapHappy

ScrapHappy February 2024: Strings Attached is Done

February 15, 2024February 14, 2024 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

For this month’s post I am happy to report that my little wallhanging (measuring 28 x 28 inches/71 x 71 cm) Strings Attached, pieced from my stash of solid color scraps, is done and hung on the wall:

I quilted it with bright red thread and let’s see if it shows up better in this second photo I took:

Not really but use your imagination that you see bright red thread 😉

The pattern for Strings Attached is from August 2021 issue of AmericanQuilter Magazine, pattern by Lori DeJarnatt. I tried to mimic the color selections of the sample in the magazine as much as I could as I really liked it! (My quilting is denser than the sample in the magazine as I made a mistake on my first row of machine quilting when my hand slipped…so I made just repeated my mistake to make it consistent, ha!)

As promised, here are the bloggers that participate in the ScrapHappy monthly posting event, check out their blogs linked below for their ScrapHappy posts:

Kate @Tall Tales from Chiconia , Gun @Rutigt – G Adrian, Eva @bambisyr-evaj, Sue @From the Magpie’s Nest, Lynda @Life on the Farmlet, Birthe @Birthes rom, Turid @Den syende himmel, Susan @DesertSky Quilting, Cathy @nanacathydotcom, Tracy @It’s a T-Sweets Day!, Jan @The Snail of Happiness, Moira @The Quilted Snail, Sandra @Wild Daffodil, Chris @chrisknitsews, Alys @Gardening Nirvana, Claire @Claire93’s Blog, Jean @onesmallstitch, Dawn @DawnGillDesigns, Gwen @Deep in the Heart of Textiles/Textile Ranger, Sunny @The Adventures of Team Wil-Sun, Kjerstin @Quimper Hittys, Sue @Going Batty in Wales, Vera @lifebyacompassnotaclock, Ann @Ann F Stonehouse Quiltmaker, Dawn @myquiltprojects, Carol @Quilt Schmilt, Preeti @Sew Preeti Quilts, Nóilin @Paper, Pen and Mug, Viv @Where the Journey Takes Me 2, Karrin @Karrin’s Crazy World, Amo @View From Our Hill, Alissa @ Snakes & Cranes, Lynn @Tialys, Tierney @tierneycreates, Hannah @quietwatercraft

A Crafter Needs to Eat, Fabric Scraps Obsession, ScrapHappy

ScrapHappy January 2024 – Update on Table Runner and More

January 15, 2024January 15, 2024 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

UPDATE ON SUPERSYMMETRY TABLE RUNNER

For this month’s ScrapHappy blog post, I am sharing an update on the table runner I’ve been working on that is made from my friend Wendy’s fabric scraps and orphan blocks from a quilt she made SuperSymmetry (see blog posts Update on SuperSymmetry Table Runner and the Library Book Borrowing Bonanza, A Table Runner for the New Table, and Quilter Distractions: Good Mail filled with “Taupe” ).

I completed piecing the table runner per the piecing instructions from her pattern SuperSymmetry, and discovered I needed to make more blocks in order to make it long enough for the table as well as finish each end (more on that later). Unfortunately Y seams were involved in the piecing (shudder) but I made it through.

I ended up making 14 additional blocks.

I floated the pieced SuperSymmetry blocks in taupe-brown Peppered Cotton (a heavy duty linen like shot cotton). Here is a little photoshoot I did of the completed table runner top on the new dining room/library table:

In the last two photos you can see the new rug that arrived that I mentioned in a previous post. It is one of those Ruggable rugs that can be laundered in the washing machine (in case there is “The Great Spaghetti Sauce Spill” during a meal someday).

And in case you are curious here is how I finished the ends of the table runner with all those triangle blocks in the piece:

Thank goodness for a good steamy iron as there was a lot of pressing involved to get it looking like I hadn’t been on mind altering substances while piecing…

In addition to the SuperSymmetry orphan blocks and fabric scraps, Wendy also sent me 7 traditional quilt blocks orphan blocks for a taupe quilt she was working on. I’ve decided to use these blocks as part of the back for the table runner.

I am going to float each of them in the taupe Peppered Cotton and then add in enough length in side borders as well as a bottom and top to meet the length. I am getting ready to start working on floating each block by doing some “log cabin” style piece around each block:

AND MORE

We’ve had a run of sub-zero Fahrenheit (colder than -17 Celsius) temperatures in the Denver metropolitan area and we’ve been spending a lot of time inside. John got addicted to watching cooking/culinary themed videos on YouTube and this weekend decided to try and make a copy of the famous Chick-fil-A (very popular fast food eatery in the US) chicken sandwich and the accompanying sauce after watching a video on how to do it.

He made enough for his father, sister, son and son’s family (who all live nearby) and then delivered them to their homes! You might have heard of the popular food delivery service DoorDash – well we named John – “DadDash”!

The sandwiches were a hit and included the famous pickle like the original. Here is a little photo spread from yesterday to close out this post.

Oh and if you’d like to try and make them yourself, here is the video John used:

As promised, here are the bloggers that participate in the ScrapHappy monthly posting event, check out their blogs linked below for their ScrapHappy posts:

Kate @Tall Tales from Chiconia , Gun @Rutigt – G Adrian, Eva @bambisyr-evaj, Sue @From the Magpie’s Nest, Lynda @Life on the Farmlet, Birthe @Birthes rom, Turid @Den syende himmel, Susan @DesertSky Quilting, Cathy @nanacathydotcom, Tracy @It’s a T-Sweets Day!, Jan @The Snail of Happiness, Moira @The Quilted Snail, Sandra @Wild Daffodil, Chris @chrisknitsews, Alys @Gardening Nirvana, Claire @Claire93’s Blog, Jean @onesmallstitch, Dawn @DawnGillDesigns, Gwen @Deep in the Heart of Textiles/Textile Ranger, Sunny @The Adventures of Team Wil-Sun, Kjerstin @Quimper Hittys, Sue @Going Batty in Wales, Vera @lifebyacompassnotaclock, Ann @Ann F Stonehouse Quiltmaker, Dawn @myquiltprojects, Carol @Quilt Schmilt, Preeti @Sew Preeti Quilts, Nóilin @Paper, Pen and Mug, Viv @Where the Journey Takes Me 2, Karrin @Karrin’s Crazy World, Amo @View From Our Hill, Alissa @ Snakes & Cranes, Lynn @Tialys, Tierney @tierneycreates, Hannah @quietwatercraft

ScrapHappy

ScrapHappy December 2023: A Legendary Scrap Quilt and Honoring its Maker

December 15, 2023December 15, 2023 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

For this month’s ScrapHappy post I thought I would honor a legendary scrap quilt and it’s maker.

Harriet Powers is recognized in the African American quilting community as one of the “Mothers of African American Quilting” and is known for her famous Bible Quilt (which is a scrap quilt) first exhibited in 1886.

Image from the Smithsonian Museum website

According to the Smithsonian Museum, “Harriet Powers, an African American farm woman of Clarke County, Georgia, made this quilt in about 1886. She exhibited it at the Athens Cotton Fair of 1886”.

Two of her bible themed quilts which are considered icons of American quilt making are in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, DC.

Here is her Bible Quilt from the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston:

Image from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston website

Last year Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi, founder of the Women of Color Quilting Network (WCQN) to which I belong, sent out a request to WCQN members to contribute to purchasing a headstone for the gravesite of Harriet Powers.

Harriet Powers passed away in 1910 and the small cut stone marker, inscribed by one of her sons (she had 9 children with her husband Armstead Powers) originally marked the grave for her and her husband who passed in 1909. In 2008 this fragile marker was broken and removed.

Members of the WCQN, including myself, contributed to purchasing a beautiful headstone for Harriet and Armstead Powers gravesite and on December 2, 2023 there was a “Recommittal and Dedication Ceremony” at Gospel Pilgrim Cemetery in Athens, Georgia.

I was invited but could not attend. Dr. Mazloomi kindly sent me the pamphlet from the ceremony.

When I lived in Central Oregon in 2016 I took an appliqué quilting workshop at the Stitchin’ Post in Sisters, Oregon with the amazing teacher Janet Storton (who runs the Sisters of the Heart Foundation helping women in Uganda empower themselves through craft making).

In this appliqué workshop you could work on making a Bible Quilt inspired by the one made by Harriet Powers or another project. Janet brought in a bag of her scraps, which included African themed fabrics, to share with the class.

I ended making my wallhanging sized quilt Tree of No Hurry based on the Lao Tzu quote: “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished” with the new appliqué techniques I learned in the class.

Here are my blog posts from 2016 – 2017 related to the process of making this piece:

Adventures in Appliqué

The Backstitch and the End of Tangled Floss

Everything is Accomplished (What’s On the Design Wall)

“Tree of No Hurry” at QuiltWorks Gallery

Here is one of the Bible Quilts made by Ugandan women that Janet works with as part of her foundation that was exhibited at the 2016 Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (Janet shared the quilt top before it was quilted during our workshop):

As promised, here are the bloggers that participate in the ScrapHappy monthly posting event, check out their blogs linked below for their ScrapHappy posts:

Kate @Tall Tales from Chiconia , Gun @Rutigt – G Adrian, Eva @bambisyr-evaj, Sue @From the Magpie’s Nest, Lynda @Life on the Farmlet, Birthe @Birthes rom, Turid @Den syende himmel, Susan @DesertSky Quilting, Cathy @nanacathydotcom, Tracy @It’s a T-Sweets Day!, Jan @The Snail of Happiness, Moira @The Quilted Snail, Sandra @Wild Daffodil, Chris @chrisknitsews, Alys @Gardening Nirvana, Claire @Claire93’s Blog, Jean @onesmallstitch, Dawn @DawnGillDesigns, Gwen @Deep in the Heart of Textiles/Textile Ranger, Sunny @The Adventures of Team Wil-Sun, Kjerstin @Quimper Hittys, Sue @Going Batty in Wales, Vera @lifebyacompassnotaclock, Ann @Ann F Stonehouse Quiltmaker, Dawn @myquiltprojects, Carol @Quilt Schmilt, Preeti @Sew Preeti Quilts, Nóilin @Paper, Pen and Mug, Viv @Where the Journey Takes Me 2, Karrin @Karrin’s Crazy World, Amo @View From Our Hill, Alissa @ Snakes & Cranes, Lynn @Tialys, Tierney @tierneycreates, Hannah @quietwatercraft

Fabric Scraps Obsession, ScrapHappy

ScrapHappy November 2023: 25 Years of Scraps Exhibit

November 15, 2023November 13, 2023 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

What better way to celebrate our love of fabric scraps (what keeps us “Scrap Happy”) than to share some images of a wonderful exhibit I saw at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum on Scrap Quilts?

While I was at the reception for Colorado quilters featured in Issue 28 of Quiltfolk Magazine: Colorado (see post Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum Reception) I viewed and photographed some of their current exhibit: 25 Years of Scraps by the 19th Century Patchwork Divas.

Below is the placard on the exhibit if you want to read the background on this show:

There were so many wonderful scrap quilts at this exhibit, it was difficult to select which photos to share.

But here are my favorites – enjoy!

Scrap quilts are awesome, eh?

As promised, here are the bloggers that participate in the ScrapHappy monthly posting event, check out their blogs linked below for their ScrapHappy posts:

Kate @Tall Tales from Chiconia , Gun @Rutigt – G Adrian, Eva @bambisyr-evaj, Sue @From the Magpie’s Nest, Lynda @Life on the Farmlet, Birthe @Birthes rom, Turid @Den syende himmel, Susan @DesertSky Quilting, Cathy @nanacathydotcom, Tracy @It’s a T-Sweets Day!, Jan @The Snail of Happiness, Moira @The Quilted Snail, Sandra @Wild Daffodil, Chris @chrisknitsews, Alys @Gardening Nirvana, Claire @Claire93’s Blog, Jean @onesmallstitch, Dawn @DawnGillDesigns, Gwen @Deep in the Heart of Textiles/Textile Ranger, Sunny @The Adventures of Team Wil-Sun, Kjerstin @Quimper Hittys, Sue @Going Batty in Wales, Vera @lifebyacompassnotaclock, Ann @Ann F Stonehouse Quiltmaker, Dawn @myquiltprojects, Carol @Quilt Schmilt, Preeti @Sew Preeti Quilts, Nóilin @Paper, Pen and Mug, Viv @Where the Journey Takes Me 2, Karrin @Karrin’s Crazy World, Amo @View From Our Hill, Alissa @ Snakes & Cranes, Lynn @Tialys, Tierney @tierneycreates, Hannah @quietwatercraft

Fabric Scraps Obsession, ScrapHappy, What's on the Design Wall

ScrapHappy October 2023 – Recycled Jeans and Home Decor Fabric Scraps

October 15, 2023October 15, 2023 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

This post is a follow up to my October 9th post – What’s on the Design Wall: An “Upcycled” Work .

I’ve completed 51 blocks piecing recycled denim/jeans and home decor fabric scraps; and I put 49 of them in a 7 by 7 square so you could see a sample of a layout:

Yes I couldn’t decide which photo to use so I included all three!

I want the piece to be sort of large, and definitely square and I’ve decided to make a total of 81 blocks for a 9 by 9 square piece. I might hand quilt it, I haven’t decided but I am going to try some sample designs with scrap denim to see how the stitching would look.

There is going to be lot texture in this quilt, primarily from the recycled home decorating fabric samples I used:

Here is a collection of close up blocks to show you the textures:

There are more fabrics I haven’t cut yet that I will be adding/using for the additional 30 blocks I need to make.

The layout you see on my design wall is not the final layout, just a sample layout. When I finish all the blocks and go to layout the quilt, I realized I need to pay attention to secondary patterns that I might want in the piece.

For example I noticed this secondary pattern, from how the blocks lay together, in one of the sections on the design wall and I like it:

I want to make sure the final layout has a lot of “movement” in it.

My tentative name for this piece is What Direction Do I Go?

It is a deeply personal piece, inspired by my first recycled fabric random triangle piece Flying Triangles (2012); but about my struggles for the past 5 years since becoming a widow, selling my beloved house, moving to Colorado (leaving all I knew there), starting the 2nd relationship in my life, quitting my job, trying to focus on textile art, etc. (Yes I like to lump a lot of life changes and drama into one time period, ha!).

It should prove to be an interesting Artist Statement on the piece when I am ready to write it (not until the piece is done of course).

And you thought it was just some recycled denim and home decor fabric sewn together (wink).

As promised, here are the bloggers that participate in the ScrapHappy monthly posting event, check out their blogs linked below for their ScrapHappy posts:

Kate @Tall Tales from Chiconia , Gun @Rutigt – G Adrian, Eva @bambisyr-evaj, Sue @From the Magpie’s Nest, Lynda @Life on the Farmlet, Birthe @Birthes rom, Turid @Den syende himmel, Susan @DesertSky Quilting, Cathy @nanacathydotcom, Tracy @It’s a T-Sweets Day!, Jan @The Snail of Happiness, Moira @The Quilted Snail, Sandra @Wild Daffodil, Chris @chrisknitsews, Alys @Gardening Nirvana, Claire @Claire93’s Blog, Jean @onesmallstitch, Dawn @DawnGillDesigns, Gwen @Deep in the Heart of Textiles/Textile Ranger, Sunny @The Adventures of Team Wil-Sun, Kjerstin @Quimper Hittys, Sue @Going Batty in Wales, Vera @lifebyacompassnotaclock, Ann @Ann F Stonehouse Quiltmaker, Dawn @myquiltprojects, Carol @Quilt Schmilt, Preeti @Sew Preeti Quilts, Nóilin @Paper, Pen and Mug, Viv @Where the Journey Takes Me 2, Karrin @Karrin’s Crazy World, Amo @View From Our Hill, Alissa @ Snakes & Cranes, Lynn @Tialys, Tierney @tierneycreates, Hannah @quietwatercraft

Fabric Scraps Obsession, ScrapHappy, What's on the Design Wall

Scrap Happy September 2023 – Strings Attached

September 15, 2023September 10, 2023 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

For September’s ScrapHappy post I am going to reveal my completed quilt top for the wall hanging Strings Attached, which I previously posted about in late August – Made Some Progress on “Strings Attached” .

Last week on Instagram (@tierneycreates) I shared the nearly completed quilt top (one more border to go):

And here is the fully completed quilt top!

It will have a thin red binding after I quilt it – here is the binding next to the quilt top:

It took a while to string piece on muslin the 4 last border strips – a lot of fabric scraps were used!

Here are the completed strips – front and back images (so you can see how they were sewn onto muslin):

I noticed when I was moving the quilt top around to position it for piecing on the borders, it looked cool when in was backlit with sunlight. The sunlight was fading when I took the photos below but it sort of gives you the feeling of what I was seeing:

I am going to quilt it on my machine in similar way to how the sample quilt from the pattern is quilted (eventually…for now need to set it aside and move onto other things…):

As promised, here are the bloggers that participate in the ScrapHappy monthly posting event, check out their blogs linked below for their ScrapHappy posts:

Kate @Tall Tales from Chiconia , Gun @Rutigt – G Adrian, Eva @bambisyr-evaj, Sue @From the Magpie’s Nest, Lynda @Life on the Farmlet, Birthe @Birthes rom, Turid @Den syende himmel, Susan @DesertSky Quilting, Cathy @nanacathydotcom, Tracy @It’s a T-Sweets Day!, Jan @The Snail of Happiness, Moira @The Quilted Snail, Sandra @Wild Daffodil, Chris @chrisknitsews, Alys @Gardening Nirvana, Claire @Claire93’s Blog, Jean @onesmallstitch, Jon @writinghouse, Dawn @DawnGillDesigns, Gwen @Deep in the Heart of Textiles/Textile Ranger, Sunny @The Adventures of Team Wil-Sun, Kjerstin @Quimper Hittys, Sue @Going Batty in Wales, Vera @lifebyacompassnotaclock, Edith @Edi’s Crafting Life, Ann @Ann F Stonehouse Quiltmaker, Dawn @myquiltprojects, Carol @Quilt Schmilt, Preeti @Sew Preeti Quilts, Nóilin @Paper, Pen and Mug, Viv @Where the Journey Takes Me 2, Karrin @Karrin’s Crazy World, Amo @View From Our Hill, Alissa @ Snakes & Cranes, Lynn @Tialys, Tierney @tierneycreates, Hannah @quietwatercraft

Fabric Scraps Obsession, ScrapHappy

ScrapHappy August 2023 – All the Trimmings

August 15, 2023September 10, 2023 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

On August 15th, ScrapHappy Day, I’d hope to share the completed quilt top for the VERY SCRAPPY wallhanging quilt I am currently working on – “Strings Attached” from August 2021 issue of AmericanQuilter Magazine, pattern by Lori DeJarnatt (see post What’s on the Design Wall: Strings Attached), but alas, I’ve gotten no further than what I shared on August 9th when I last posted about it.

So instead for ScrapHappy August I am going to share the story behind this VERY SCRAPPY quilt – Recycled Hope VII: All the Trimmings

I made this quilt during the COVID pandemic and it holds a lot of meaning, and I will share the “Artist Statement” on this quilt in a moment for the full background. First I want to tell you about my “Recycled Hope” series of quilts:

From my Portfolio page:

The Recycled Hope an ongoing series of improvisational art quilts using recycled materials to include denim as the primary fabric on many of the pieces, combined with other recycled materials. “Hope” and the interpretation of the word “hope” is the primary theme of infused into these pieces. Most of the fabrics were not reusable as clothing or home decor and were destined to end up in a landfill. Reimagining recycled clothing and other materials into art quilts satisfies my hopeful desire to honor the environment and make art that is eco-conscious. Ending up in an art quilt is a better outcome than ending up in a landfill.

Okay now that you know the background on this series of quilts (if you want to see the rest of the quilts in the series, check out my Portfolio page) here is the story behind this SUPER SCRAPPY quilt which measures 72.5″ L x 57.5″ W:

Missing my Quilting Community during the 2020 Coronavirus Quarantine and inspired by Amanda Jean Nyberg’s pattern “All Sizes”, I created a quilt from 15 years of scrap triangles collected from my quilting friends at quilt retreats and “sew dates”. Most of the scraps in this quilt are from the trimmings of blocks by many quilters as they made their quilts. Instead of going into the trash, nearly 600 scrap triangles from the trimming of quilt blocks compose this cozy quilt. This piece gave me hope that someday I can return to attending quilt retreats.

Hopefully for next month’s ScrapHappy Day post I can share newly completed work (smile).

HAPPY SCRAPPING!

As promised, here are the bloggers that participate in the ScrapHappy monthly posting event, check out their blogs linked below for their ScrapHappy posts:

Kate @Tall Tales from Chiconia , Gun @Rutigt – G Adrian, Eva @bambisyr-evaj, Sue @From the Magpie’s Nest, Lynda @Life on the Farmlet, Birthe @Birthes rom, Turid @Den syende himmel, Susan @DesertSky Quilting, Cathy @nanacathydotcom, Tracy @It’s a T-Sweets Day!, Jan @The Snail of Happiness, Moira @The Quilted Snail, Sandra @Wild Daffodil, Chris @chrisknitsews, Alys @Gardening Nirvana, Claire @Claire93’s Blog, Jean @onesmallstitch, Jon @writinghouse, Dawn @DawnGillDesigns, Gwen @Deep in the Heart of Textiles/Textile Ranger, Sunny @The Adventures of Team Wil-Sun, Kjerstin @Quimper Hittys, Sue @Going Batty in Wales, Vera @lifebyacompassnotaclock, Edith @Edi’s Crafting Life, Ann @Ann F Stonehouse Quiltmaker, Dawn @myquiltprojects, Carol @Quilt Schmilt, Preeti @Sew Preeti Quilts, Debbierose @Sew Rosey, Nóilin @Paper, Pen and Mug, Viv @Where the Journey Takes Me 2, Karrin @Karrin’s Crazy World, Amo @View From Our Hill, Alissa @ Snakes & Cranes, Lynn @Tialys, Tierney @tierneycreates, Hannah @quietwatercraft

Fabric Scraps Obsession, ScrapHappy

ScrapHappy July 2023 – “Oh Scrap – It’s Not Just Black and White” is Done

July 15, 2023July 13, 2023 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

I finished the freeform scrappy log cabin quilt I first wrote about in this post – What’s on the Design Wall: Scrappy Log Cabin. I pieced the blocks as a sample for the Scrap Happy Quilt Retreat I had in May. I got it back the other week from the longarm quilter, put on a binding, and earlier this week I finished sewing down the binding.

It is now hung in the wall of the upstairs guest bedroom where I have a B&W theme going on with some framed Ansel Adams posters, Black & White wall art, and B&W photos I’ve taken (on the walls not shown in the images below).

This quilt is very “scrap happy” as the quilt top was pieced entirely from my collection of black, white and gray scraps!

As promised, here are the bloggers that participate in the ScrapHappy monthly posting event, check out their blogs linked below for their ScrapHappy posts:

Kate @Tall Tales from Chiconia , Gun @Rutigt – G Adrian, Eva @bambisyr-evaj, Sue @From the Magpie’s Nest, Lynda @Life on the Farmlet, Birthe @Birthes rom, Turid @Den syende himmel, Susan @DesertSky Quilting, Cathy @nanacathydotcom, Tracy @It’s a T-Sweets Day!, Jan @The Snail of Happiness, Moira @The Quilted Snail, Sandra @Wild Daffodil, Chris @chrisknitsews, Alys @Gardening Nirvana, Claire @Claire93’s Blog, Jean @onesmallstitch, Jon @writinghouse, Dawn @DawnGillDesigns, Gwen @Deep in the Heart of Textiles/Textile Ranger, Sunny @The Adventures of Team Wil-Sun, Kjerstin @Quimper Hittys, Sue @Going Batty in Wales, Vera @lifebyacompassnotaclock, Edith @Edi’s Crafting Life, Ann @Ann F Stonehouse Quiltmaker, Dawn @myquiltprojects, Carol @Quilt Schmilt, Preeti @Sew Preeti Quilts, Debbierose @Sew Rosey, Nóilin @Paper, Pen and Mug, Viv @Where the Journey Takes Me 2, Karrin @Karrin’s Crazy World, Amo @View From Our Hill, Alissa @ Snakes & Cranes, Lynn @Tialys, Tierney @tierneycreates, Hannah @quietwatercraft

Fabric Scraps Obsession, ScrapHappy, What's on the Design Wall

ScrapHappy June 2023: “Oh Scrap – It’s Not Just Black and White!”

June 15, 2023June 13, 2023 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

Look what is now on my design wall: a sewn together freeform log cabin quilt using my black and white (and some gray) fabric scraps that I introduced in this post – What’s on the Design Wall: Scrappy Log Cabin. As far as the name of the quilt: Oh Scrap – It’s Not Just Black and White! I’ll explain that later in this post.

So I went from this (a crazy box of black, white and gray scraps):

To this (35 scrappy pieced blocks):

To now this (all sewn together):

Here is a close up of some of the freeform log cabin style pieced blocks (if you’d like to see a summary of my method I discuss it in this post – More on the Blocks I Made at the Retreat and a Brief Tutorial).

It was so much fun to piece this quilt and to select interesting (all over the place) scraps for the blocks. As you can see in the images above, it is just a mishmash of scraps! I had a bunch of black and white fabrics scraps with writing as part of the fabric design so I thought it would be fun to work them in.

As far as the name of the quilt (I love naming quilts): Originally the quilt was going to be created only using black and white scraps. Then I decided to work in some gray. Then on a whim I decided to use some scraps that had a khaki brown color in addition to black. I liked the effect of a little bit of light brown in the piece. A pure B&W log cabin style quilt was not aesthetically pleasing to me. The name “Oh Scrap – It’s Not Just Black and White” is a play on the saying (which there are many versions):

Life isn’t always black and white (there is some gray…)

Now I am working on piecing the back of the quilt and I went shopping in my stash like I did in the post What’s On the Design Wall: Scrappy Autumnal Splendor.

And found these three fabrics to use as the pieced backing:

I will reveal the pieced backing when the quilt is quilted. I’ve decided to have a longarm quilter machine quilt this quilt also.

So after making two freeform log cabin quilts in a row I think I will try a different pattern when I am ready to make my next scrap quilt.

By the way here is an update on Scrappy Autumnal Splendor, the other freeform scrappy log cabin quilt: The longarm quilter is done with it and I get to pick up the quilt later this week! The longarm quilt sent me some photos and I am so excited!

As promised, here are the bloggers that participate in the ScrapHappy monthly posting event, check out their blogs linked below for their ScrapHappy posts:

Kate @Tall Tales from Chiconia , Gun @Rutigt – G Adrian, Eva @bambisyr-evaj, Sue @From the Magpie’s Nest, Lynda @Life on the Farmlet, Birthe @Birthes rom, Turid @Den syende himmel, Susan @DesertSky Quilting, Cathy @nanacathydotcom, Tracy @It’s a T-Sweets Day!, Jan @The Snail of Happiness, Moira @The Quilted Snail, Sandra @Wild Daffodil, Chris @chrisknitsews, Alys @Gardening Nirvana, Claire @Claire93’s Blog, Jean @onesmallstitch, Jon @writinghouse, Dawn @DawnGillDesigns, Gwen @Deep in the Heart of Textiles/Textile Ranger, Sunny @The Adventures of Team Wil-Sun, Kjerstin @Quimper Hittys, Sue @Going Batty in Wales, Vera @lifebyacompassnotaclock, Edith @Edi’s Crafting Life, Ann @Ann F Stonehouse Quiltmaker, Dawn @myquiltprojects, Carol @Quilt Schmilt, Preeti @Sew Preeti Quilts, Debbierose @Sew Rosey, Nóilin @Paper, Pen and Mug, Viv @Where the Journey Takes Me 2, Karrin @Karrin’s Crazy World, Amo @View From Our Hill, Alissa @ Snakes & Cranes, Lynn @Tialys, Tierney @tierneycreates, Hannah @quietwatercraft

A Crafter's Life, Fabric Scraps Obsession, Quilt Retreats, Scrap Happy Quilt Retreat, ScrapHappy

ScrapHappy May: Scrap Happy Retreat!

May 15, 2023July 13, 2023 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

It’s the 15th of the month and time for my “ScrapHappy” post as part of the ScrapHappy group I belong. At the end of this post I have a link to the other blogs participating in this monthly event in case you’d like to check out their ScrapHappy posts.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post What’s on the Design Wall: Scrappy Log Cabin, I am having a “Scrap Happy Retreat” at my house.

It starts today with two of my friends attending and runs to Friday where they will fly home. I only have enough space for two other quilters at the table in my studio and in the accommodations in my home (unless I install bunk beds, ha!).

My sew table is set up for the retreat, I pulled out my other Bernina sewing machines – my QE 440 with 7 million stitches (see post 7 Million Stitches+) and my little 215 that I take to classes.

I have some treats set up for my friends at their sewing stations and of course tucked inside a drawstring bag (if you are new to this blog see post The End of the Drawstring Bag Era (A Year of Finishes – 36th to 42rd Finish))!

In case you are wondering what the zippers are – I have a lot of red zippers and thought I would share in case we want to make any scrappy zipper bags during the retreat.

I am calling our retreat a “Scrap Happy Retreat” because we are going to work on projects using my fabric scraps (though they are threatening to bring some of their own to unload).

I got my scraps already sorted by color (or type as I keep Batik fabric scraps separate) and they are ready in their wine crates:

I’ve sorted my fabric scraps into these color groupings:

Black, white, grays
Reds, oranges, purples
Yellows, creams, browns
Blue, green, blue-greens (teal, aqua, turquoise, etc)
Batiks (all colors)

Next year when I teach the 6 day workshop I am slated to teach (more on that later when the venue complete the class catalogue and I can officially announce) I am going to bring this whole lot of scraps with me to let the workshop participants use them if they like. I just have too many fabric scraps, even after donating several bags of them to charity thrift shops.

At the retreat this week, which runs Monday to Friday, we are going to work on improvisational piecing log cabin quilts (I will review the “log jamming” technique I first learned in a class at the Stitchin’ Post many years ago) like the one share in yesterday’s post:

Here is a YouTube video on “log jamming” by the Stitchin’ Post if you’d like to see the technique. I’ve adapted the original technique to a process that works better for me but it is still essentially the same concept.

And here is the fabulous Jackie who taught the class I attended and has a pattern she’s published on Modern Log Jam (I miss the Stitchin’ Post so much, a lot of wonderful creative memories while living in Central Oregon happened there):

In addition to working on improvisational log cabin quilts, we are also going to try our hands at piecing scraps onto adding machine tape. I have a bunch of adding machine tape I bought from a thrift store for $2:

Here is the YouTube tutorial we are going to use (I have a small TV in my studio and we can watch and try it together on our machines):

Wish us luck on this new technique for us!

I’ll update you on the progress on our projects at the retreat!

Oh and the tierneycreates Beastie thinks she might be able to pull out her Beastnina (made by Helen of Crawcraft Beasties) and sew with us 😉

Here are the bloggers that participate in the ScrapHappy monthly posting event, check out their blogs and ScrapHappy posts:

Kate @Tall Tales from Chiconia , Gun @Rutigt – G Adrian, Eva @bambisyr-evaj, Sue @From the Magpie’s Nest, Lynda @Life on the Farmlet, Birthe @Birthes rom, Turid @Den syende himmel, Susan @DesertSky Quilting, Cathy @nanacathydotcom, Tracy @It’s a T-Sweets Day!, Jan @The Snail of Happiness, Moira @The Quilted Snail, Sandra @Wild Daffodil, Chris @chrisknitsews, Alys @Gardening Nirvana, Claire @Claire93’s Blog, Jean @onesmallstitch, Jon @writinghouse, Dawn @DawnGillDesigns, Gwen @Deep in the Heart of Textiles/Textile Ranger, Sunny @The Adventures of Team Wil-Sun, Kjerstin @Quimper Hittys, Sue @Going Batty in Wales, Vera @lifebyacompassnotaclock, Edith @Edi’s Crafting Life, Nanette @Chopin – A Passionate Quilter From Texas, Ann @Ann F Stonehouse Quiltmaker, Dawn @myquiltprojects, Carol @Quilt Schmilt, Preeti @Sew Preeti Quilts, Debbierose @Sew Rosey, Nóilin @Paper, Pen and Mug, Viv @Where the Journey Takes Me 2, Karrin @Karrin’s Crazy World, Amo @View From Our Hill, Alissa @ Snakes & Cranes, Lynn @Tialys, Tierney @tierneycreates, Hannah @quietwatercraft

Fabric Scraps Obsession, ScrapHappy

ScrapHappy April 2023

April 15, 2023July 13, 2023 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

Kate @talltalesfromchiconia hosts a monthly celebration of reusing scraps and “scrap-happy challenges” called ScrapHappy Day on the 15th of each month and thanks to Alys @gardeningnirvana I found out about this monthly event and Kate let me participate!

Here is my latest scrap-happy project, which is currently in progress awaiting my machine quilting – the Colour Wheel Quilt wallhanging which I will be using as a teaching tool.

I’ve already appliquéd down the letters and the quilt sandwich is ready to go. If you’d like some background on this piece please see these posts: Update on the “Colour Wheel” Quilt, “Colour Wheel” Quilt in Progress, and Color Sorting.

Here is a scrap-happy project I recently completed – a table runner made from my ridiculous collection of batik fabric scraps.