Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Improvising My Scraps

Community does not necessarily mean living face-to-face with others; 
rather, it means never losing awareness that we are connected to each other.
~Parker Palmer

Quilting


Cleaning out every corner of my house has been a salutary lesson. For some reason there are stacks of squares neatly packaged in different shoe boxes. Six-inch, 5.5", 2.5", and 2". Who knows why now. And why in the world are these blocks half an inch different in size? I tried to simply toss the larger ones into the scrap bag but instead pulled out chunks from the bag and cut them into six-inch blocks to make Hatchet blocks. 

There were so many that I sorted them by color later... after they were cut. Sigh. When I tired of Hatchets I switched to this improv hourglass blocks from Cultural Fusion Quilts. Generally these fabrics run analogously from red to orange to yellow although many of these yellows look more like cheddar.  

Here they are laid on the rug. A bit too small and there is not enough red or yellow yardage for a border. Then this cheddar-orange from my stash and the dark brownish-black from the scrap bag magically called. {I think I like putting these larger pieces in the bag. Finding them inspires different designs than strings do.} 

Improv hourglass blocks 

Four red blocks could create simple border corners but there were still some squares of yellow left, too.  Here's the top sewn.  And yes, I know one block is sideways. It will stay that way.

Improv hourglass quilt top


That strong border shows off the blocks beautifully. It's not fall here but the colors certainly reflect autumn. Next week I'll quilt it... as soon as I figure out the back.

After the freeze, most of our plants died back. I trimmed the ferns and hostas to the ground and am watching them sprout new growth. Most of the jasmine leafed out but some hedges may need to be replaced. I planted all my pots with flowers or ferns and am on a mission to get the ground cover going between the flagstones so hopefully weeding won't be a daily activity in a few years.  We still need the landscapers to grind a tree stump and replant. Privacy and shade are goals, too.


Reading

The Baby Ganesh Detective Agency series by Vaseem Khan delightfully draws us into Mumbai and its varied districts. In this first book, The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra, the poor mother of a drowned boy challenges the police to discover what happened but Chopra's superiors don't want the death investigated and it's his last day of work. Then  his uncle sends him a gift of a baby elephant who is "not what he seems." Well written, engaging, and fun to read about another part of our world. It reminds me of The Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. 

Enjoy the day, Ann

18 comments:

Linda said...

What a great quilt you created from your scraps. Lovely colours too.

patty a. said...

Such a cute quilt! Did it put a dent in your scraps?

audrey said...

Love the style of improv. hourglass blocks. There's something freeing about not having to worry about every little block matching up perfectly!

Pamela said...

Gorgeous quilt top!

Ann said...

Thanks, Linda. Figuring out how to combine various scraps is always good exercise.

Ann said...

Of course not, Patty. You know they breed overnight. 😂

Ann said...

You are so right, Audrey. It’s relaxing to just use the scraps up and not worry about points, etc. I am fortunate to have so many friends needing baby quilts.

Ann said...

Thanks, Pamela. I have fun finding ways to combine my scraps.

LA Paylor said...

I loved the #1 ladies... so I have to check this out. It would be great in audio, hope the library has it.

Ann said...

Let me know how you like it, LeeAnna. I think there are audio books at my library so hopefully yours has it, too.

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

A great way to use up those improv blocks! I seem to remember trying out that improv hourglass too... now where did my trial blocks go I wonder? Love your rogue block!

Ann said...

Needing another baby quilt means my extra blocks and scraps frequently get used up quickly. Of course, there’s always something tucked away. I’m in the mood to get them out and whipped into a quilt. Thanks for writing, Linda.

Nann said...

The improv hourglasses are charming! I like the "notched" border corners. My husband enjoyed the Baby Ganesh mystery.

Kaja said...

I love the improve hourglasses - this version has much more movement, to my eye, than more traditional ones. It seems like a joyful little quilt. Fun to whip it together from your scraps too.

Ann said...

Thanks, Nann. It’s always rewarding to use up more scraps. Your husband and I seem to have similar taste in reading. I found this first baby Ganesh book charming. I like the insights into Indian society.

Ann said...

Thanks, Kaja. These little quilts are more mindless than your work but they do move the scraps along. Traditional hourglasses are lovely but it’s relaxing to just see these freehand. It changes what quilting works, too.

Mystic Quilter said...

Beautiful and bright improv hourglass quilt, perfect border colour. One of my favourite patterns in Sujata's book is this one, must sew one up some day.

Ann said...

I like Sujata's take on hourglasses, too. They still needed to be trimmed into squares so it took some time but I like the casual feel.