Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Scrappy Trip Finished

Too often the people complain they have done nothing with their lives 
and then they wait for somebody to tell them that isn't so.
~Charles Bukowski

Quilting


This was a quick baby quilt and is still pretty. I enjoy using all my sister's scraps {and a few of my own.} So many nice fabrics. It's always fun to find new ways to combine the colors.

Scrappy Trip Around the World baby quilt

With sixteen blocks, the quilt finishes a bit larger than a baby quilt so it will be ready for an older sibling who didn't get a quilt originally. We want these little children to feel included and important when the new baby arrives. 

No large pieces for the back. It's simply some green remnants. I planned to simply cobble them together but then got the brilliant idea of piecing narrow strips of dark brown between them. So much better than the first layout. I'll remember this idea and use it again. 

Quilt back of green blocks outlined with dark brown


It's too hot to spend much time quilting so this is simply a grid with the walking foot. The binding came from my binding remnants and the excess after trimming the back. 

Scrappy Trip Around the World folded

Here are the details.
Quilt Specifics
Size: 48" x 48"
Design: Scrappy Trip Around the World
Batting: Hobbs Heirloom Premium Natural Cotton
Thread: Superior 50/3 green cotton thread
Quilting: walking foot grid
Approximate yardage: 7.5 yds

The SF Giants baseball quilt is pin basted and quilting has started. When there is narrow sashing I prefer to start with that and get it straight. Wobbles are definitely emphasized here so it's easier to handle when it goes first.  Is it visible in the photo that the stitching goes up and down on the white stripes? 

The ball players are on fields of green and I'm stipple quilting those now. 


A few pieces, such as the cap and shoes, are so small I'm undecided how to secure those. They could be quilted across them or along the seams. 

Then the ballplayers and the borders will need to be finished. My nose will be stuck to the grindstone even though it's still hot outside.

Reading

Leah Franqui's Mother Land is one of the best novels I've read in a while. Rachel marries Dhruv in NYC then they quickly move to Mumbai for a three-year assignment. Within a few weeks, her mother-in-law, Swati, arrives saying she's left her husband and moves in with no plan to leave. Next, Dhruv is sent to his home town, Kolkata, for a month leaving Swati and Rachel to work things out.

The book is written from the alternating points of view of the two women. Each of them thinks about the same events but from different sides. And eventually, they begin to understand each other.  

Nann at With Strings Attached recommended this book in an email to me. We seem to have some similar reading habits and I always note what she's suggests on her blog.

We moved all the lighter weight pots and doodads into the garage to keep them from blowing around. A quick trip to the store for final supplies just beat the first rain bands. Now we are hunkered down waiting for TS Nicholas to pass. This will be a nice evening to watch the Giants. If they win tonight, they ensure a place in the playoffs. Good luck, guys!

Post Script: I took the Scrappy Trip quilt to my son's house intending it to be a gift to an {unspecified} toddler friend but once G3 saw it, she reminded me green and blue are her favorite colors. Could she please have it? So it did go to a toddler and our family  acquired another funny story.

Enjoy the day, Ann

21 comments:

sue s said...

I love the idea of trimming the back pieces, and I will certainly do that on a future quilt! Gives it a much more "planned" look without much effort.

patty a. said...

Another beautiful finish! The quilt turned out so cute. Yes, the heat is back. I will have to go and water the plants tonight. I will just put on my new neck fan to keep as cool as I can.

LA Paylor said...

how fun this is. As a child I would have loved getting something like this, well any time. The book sounds so good I'm going to see if the library has it! Thanks for the inspiration Ann, I also like your backing.

Pamela said...

Gorgeous finish. The recipient will love it!

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

Another delightful quilt. I love it when a quilt gets claimed so quickly! Is that book fairly recent? I tried ordering it at our library but they don't have it.

Ann said...

It makes a big difference in the look and I will repeat this myself.

Ann said...

Thanks, Patty. The storm lowered temperatures for a few days here but the humidity is very high. OTOH, the air quality is excellent.
Stay safe.

Ann said...

I'm thrilled my granddaughter wants this one. It's a wakeup call to me to consult with all the grandchildren before making them any more. They are old enough to have opinions so they should be consulted. The point is to help them love quilts. Thanks for writing, LeeAnna.

Ann said...

Thanks, Pamela.

Ann said...

Thanks, Linda. It is great to have quilts wanted, isn't it? The book is fairly new. I think it was published in the last three years.

The Joyful Quilter said...

Such a lovely scrap quilt finish!

Ann said...

Thanks.

Angie in SoCal said...

Such a great idea! I will be doing this also. I love how this Trip Around the World turned out. Congrats!

Nann said...

The quilt is charming and the back design is terrific. Since G3 has appropriated it will you go for a third Scrappy Trip? (Glad you liked the book!)

Ann said...

We’ll see. There are still many squares left and a bunch of leftover strips.

QuiltGranma said...

I like that take of a Mondrian backing!

Ann said...

That's what it is. Thanks.

Kaja said...

How funny that this quilt found its home so quickly, even if it wasn't where you expected. I love that back- you may see me trying those thin strips out soon.

Ann said...

It was a lesson to me to ask my grandchildren in future since they are old enough to have opinions.
The back surprised me how much those strips elevated the scraps. I’ll be repeating this, too.

audrey said...

Great touch on the backing fabric. I find myself sort of throwing the backs together on most of the quilts finished around here. Not a horrible idea for the larger ones, but sometimes it doesn't look quite so great on the small ones! I really like how your darker squares are not all the same as per value. Adds so much movement to this quilt!:)

Ann said...

We are alike there. Backs are great places to get rid of older fabric. This little change upgraded the look, especially helpful on a baby quilt that will probably show as often as the front.
Those darker blocks remind me of some of your borders. Slight color variations add lots to a simple idea.