Scrap Happy Little Wishes – 30 Blocks

I have really been on a Scrap Happy workout!  My basket of scraps is still full, but I have made such great progress.  I am up to 30 Scrap Happy Little Wishes blocks.  I am using the pattern that Pat Sloan posted on her blog last week Scrap Happy Little Wishes Challenge .  I decided that I will sash the blocks, with 1.5″ sashing and 1.5″ posts.  I think the sashing gives a small bit of separation between the blocks and a place to rest your eyes.

30 Scrap Happy blocks

Back to the scraps — As I am pulling fabrics from the scrap basket, I have been pressing, folding and cutting away.  Anything that is “fat quarter” or bigger is getting folded and put back in the storage tubs sorted by color.  Anything smaller than a fat quarter has been cut.  I needed LOTS of 4″ squares to make the half-square triangles.  I had LOTS of patterned 4″ squares for the star points, but needed something a bit more “solid” or neutral.  I broke down and used some neutral fat quarters.  So, now I can’t claim the blocks are all scraps.

If I can’t get 4″ squares from a scrap, I try for 3.5″, 2.5″, 2″ or 1.5″.  This pattern is not using 2″ or 1.5″, so my storage box of those sizes is getting full. (Note – some of those 1.5″ squares are going into this quilt for sashing posts!)

I am also cutting strips of 2.5″, 2″ and 1.5 and 1″.  I have a storage box for those sizes too.  I even have a box for “strings” …pieces that are really not long enough to consider a “strip”, but might work out later in a string quilt.  And then there are the “chunks” that are just to big to toss, but might be usable at some other point in time.

I finally took my project box from the Bonnie Hunter – Grand Illusion Mystery quilt and dumped it out.  I had done 2 twin sized GIMQ’s, and figured it is time to put the rest of the fabrics away.  I had a whole box of “bonus triangles” in that box and played with them a bit,stitching them into half square triangles and trimming.

1.5″ Bonus HST

Those bonus triangles were too distracting tho, so I am planning to put them all in a box for “later”. I really needed more star points for the Scrap Happy Little Wishes block, and I built a bunch of them yesterday.

4″ squares made into 3.5″ HST

I think the trimming is what really takes the time, but it is worth it.
I also have 20 more 9 patches made. Of course, I have enough 2.5″ squares to LOTS more, but I think I need to just put those in the storage for another scrappy moment. With the 9 patches I have finished, I will put them away for another quilt.   This quilt will take some time to finish, but it has been fun!

Today there was no sewing, as we had a lengthy power outage while the utility company was replacing poles on our road.  Nice of them to give us an hours notice before they cut the power.  Gave us time to shut off the computers and get the car out of the garage and make a plan.  When the power goes out, I go fabric shopping!  I grabbed my coupons and enjoyed my 2nd fabric outing for the week!  I have stockpiled fabrics for our church quilts and some wonderful flannel for children’s bathrobes.  I even found some great fabric for a batman cape!.  The quilt project will go on hiatus while I work on some other projects.  I will enjoy looking at it on the design wall while I get on to other things.  I might be able to get some sashing done at the same time!

Hope you got to sew today!