Glad you got back on the wagon, Julienm1.

jmoore: I’m glad you used your gift certificates. It is hard to order online. Have fun sewing!

info on QAL
 

Could you give some info on the Debby Brown QAL? sounds interesting.

It snowed here all day... so I sewed all day! I completed the last of my 25 RWB blocks. Plus I got them sewed into 5 rows. Most of that fabric was from stash. I plan to put the rows together tomorrow. I have backing fabric too, so I could finish the quilt by next weekend. Hooray!

mimisue: https://debbybrownquilts.teachable.c...-color-blocks/

I’m enjoying cutting and sewing my 2.5” squares into Color Blocks. I hope to have my January flimsy done this week.

I finished my RWB quilt top today! I spent most of 2020's first half sewing 2.5" squares into 4 patches. I lost my leaders-enders when I finished them. They were all from stash, & I have 30 16 patches, so quite a lot of stash is in those patches. I calculated they equal 1.25 yards. Then I used stash to make star points on many of them. Of course... I had to buy more fabric to complete said stars, plus the backing. I'll keep tally of all the fabric I use in the completion.

Congratulations on your finish, Conchalea. How much snow did you get?

We got 6.5" of very wet snow. The roads all cleared up today but there is a lot of snow in the yards & pastures. A snowy day made a great snowy day!

Working on mine this week too. Purple squares and I stumbled on a very light purple background. Hope I can squeeze out enough to make it work. Then off to layering, trying the spiral quilting and making more color way blocks. I have cut more 2.5 strips to add to my Birthday Swap 2.5's There are never enough. https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/wink.png

it was supposed to be "a great sewing day"

I just signed up for the Debby Brown SAL. It looks like fun and making us shop in our stash as I am doing right now. I cut 2.5" squares and just sew, sew, sew. I haven't been to a LQS for some time but headed out today to get some fabrics for a Valentine quilt-need light BG fabrics. I also ordered the "Stomping Grounds" pattern and plan to make the quilt with my bright fabrics (which I have a lot of).
Thank you for starting this post.

Conchalea: Wow! Does your new house area usually get snow? We will probably have plowable snow on Thursday/Friday. All I can say is goofy MN weather this year. Keeping my fingers crossed that the super cold weather misses us all winter season.

WMUTeach and Jordan: I’m glad you are joining in on the fun. I basically finish just the tops for my church group but I may try some basic quilting on a few eventually. I’m not ready for the spiral yet. My top is in a holding pattern until I get the UFO top done and off of my design wall. I want to play around with some cornerstone ideas.

Happy New Year everyone! I hope it was a fun and safe one. I’m getting back on the wagon this year again. Last year I fell off the wagon and bought fabric, and bought fabric and bought fabric and several BOM. So I’m sure I need to stay on the wagon for a long while. My goal this year to work from my stash 1st. I have a few projects I’m working on that most of fabric comes from stash. I just need to finish them. I too, signed up for the Debbie Brown QAL. A great beginner, ender project. I can use up some of the 2.5” squares I’ve swapped over the years. The 1st month pattern looks fun.

Retired, from what K says, these 2 days, Jan 1 & Jan10, are unusual in this area. My SIL in Michigan said her 8 yr-old son wants to come here for the snow. They've had none so far! I took a break from sewing to go out & take pictures & make a snowman, my first in 30+ years!
the snow did result in a lot of sewing, & I finished my RWB top. Now to piece a back for it. To me it seems massive, 80" X 100". I'll probably gift it to my oldest daughter & husband. He's a vet of Desert Storm & I think it'll look great on their bed.

Getting ready to start on the Debbie Brown January quilt. I think I’ve got enough scraps to make this one completely from scraps except for the backing fabric, but I’m sure I’ve got something in my stash that will do.

I’m also getting ready to start a new to me BOM that Helen Godden did in 2018. This one will involve some more difficult painting and quilting, so I’m looking forward to learning some more techniques. However, it needs several yards of black fabric and I have managed to use up all that I had in my stash. Going to have to buy some...

Rob

Conchalea: Thanks for the snow info and way to go in making a snowman. I’d love to see a picture.

happylab: Welcome back for another year. I’m glad you are doing the 2.5” square quilts too.

Rob: At least you have a plan for the black fabric.

Looks like everyone is staying focused and we picked up some newbies!!! Yah! I am focusing on precuts and, last week, pulled my Tilda FQ bundle out and started a weekly sew along with it. “Home is...” with Pat Sloan. And, I just finished the binding on this quilt that I used a FQ bundle on that I had for a year... pulled a lot of my gray stash for it and now added the gray stash to the BH mystery that I’m just about done with. I’ve got my eye on a color wheel FQ bundle I have...think I found a pattern but still considering... stay the course, my friends!

https://www.quiltingboard.com/pictur...s-t313842.html

Teen, I'm finishing Pat Sloan's jelly roll quilt. I chose to make Ripple from a stash jelly roll I had. I've made all 35 blocks & am adding sashes & cornerstones. The JR is bright colors & needed sashing to calm some of the colors. If I can finish it in time, I plan to give it to my daughter, who will have surgery Friday the 22nd. It will be 62" X 86", & all from stash. K supplied fabric for sashing & may also have the backing if I don't have anything that works.

I didn't see this THREAD until today. You will have to count me out-----I bought a tiny bit on Jan. 2. I did better last year due to COVID.

Blue Bell, join us. There are no quilt shopping police. Shopping is not forbidden, we are all just shopping from our stash first and trying to reduce our stash. Come on in!

Yes Blue Bell...stick with us. We share what we have made from our stash and if we needed to buy fabric to finish them. It's about mindful purchasing! G

Blue Bell, Are you going to use your 'tiny bit' soon? If so, it's all good. If not, take a pass and stay with us.

Blue Bell...so fun, my friend, that you will join in. We’ll cheer you on. It is a lovely feeling to see the years of beautiful collecting produce something even more beautiful!

I had to purchase backing for my BH mystery, today. I don’t have any large bolts of anything that would match cuz I’ve powered through using my bolts of stash last year!! Good for me....and, while in the LQS, all I bought was the backing even though I was surrounded by some much beauty...much of which I haven’t seen because it’s been months since I’ve been in a quilt shop. So...patting self on back!!

Welcome, Blue Bell! Like others have said, stay and join us. We are a wonderful group and support each other through our buys and finishes.

K & I worked on my Ripple quilt today. It needed sashing & cornerstones & we finished 2 of 7 rows. I've calculated 8.85 yards will be out of our stash when it's done. The fabric for sashes is from K's, & the backing is a sheet I bought for the purpose last summer. I didn't plan it for this particular quilt, I just got it so we would have a back for 1 of the many quilts we had on our list to do.

I started the Debbie Brown January color block quilt. I had enough blue scraps for all the color blocks and enough cream and white scraps for all the sashing. I may have to hit up yardage for the borders, and definitely for the backing, but it will all come from stash. This is a great pattern for sitting and doing mindless sewing, which I find to be very relaxing. So whittling down scraps and stash and getting some mindless relaxation in at the same time- I'd call that a win. Oh, and I also learned a new to me technique- webbing a 16 patch. Don't know that it’s any faster than my usual chain piecing method, but it seems to make getting all the intersections to line up easier once it’s time to sew the rows together.

I think it is going to be fun doing these monthly color block quilts.

Rob

Oh, and I also learned a new to me technique- webbing a 16 patch.


Can you explain what webbing a 16 patch is, please??

Mmunchkins- the webbing technique is a way of keeping your 2.5” squares all attatched as you sew them. To do it, you start out with your 16 patch laid out next to your sewing machine. Step one: Take the first two squares from row one and stitch them together. Then without breaking your thread, take the first two squares from row 2 and stitch them together. Without breaking your thread, take the first two squares of row 3 and sew them together. Without breaking thread, take the first two squares from row 4 and sew them together. Step two: cut your thread and pull your joined together rows out of the machine. Now, sew the third square from each row to the second. Keep everything still together and after stitching row 4’s third square cut your thread and remove your work from the machine. Step three: add the fourth square to each row. Remove from machine. You now have four rows with four square each. The rows are joined to each other at the corners of each square in each row. It’s like when you’re chain piecing individual squares, only it is the rows that are chained together. Step four: flip row one over onto row two and stitch, do the same for each row.

hope that helps.

Rob

Great job of explaining webbing, Rob. Our church leader showed us that trick quite a few years ago. I thought it was an interesting concept and have used it since then except I often divide my top into quarters to web first.

I’m hoping to finish a donated UFO top tomorrow and then work on the horizontal sashing between my 2.5” rows.

I first saw webbing via Eleanor Burns several years ago. I use it when sewing finished blocks together as well. Currently have a FG strip quilt of 5 strips webbed together waiting for me to cut the vertical strips to go between each FG strip...no lost blocks or strips, they are all neatly sewn together. I'd post a pic, but having trouble getting pics uploaded.

I'm taking a pass on Deb Brown's QA, cut working on 2.5" scraps. I want to make a 6" star block that's similar to my maverick red stars, but not wonky using my country fabrics rather than brights. So I am cutting squares and triangles using the tri rec rulers of Darlene Zimmerman for a 6" block. My EQ plan is calling for 63 blocks...I have 50 cut from just 2.5 squares and strip scraps! Just 13 more to go.. EQ shows all the same fabrics, but mine will be scrappy and not sure about border and sash fabrics...will check stash when I get the blocks together.

I absolutely agree with you about using the webbing technique. I went in with a little bit of an attitude thinking that my way was just fine, but I found that webbing is fast and much more accurate. I have been using my deep stash of 2.5's and have about 100 of the 16 patches ready to go. January is now ready for the background and quilting. Excited to give the spiral quilting a try.

I got everything pieced together, but haven’t made the borders yet. Decided to take some time to work on the UFO that I want to get finished in Feb. I’m going to try doing the webbing technique for putting together the quilt top on the next one like Connie and oksewglad mentioned. Not sure if I’m going to do the spiral quilting...I like the look, but have not enjoyed quilting with a walking foot in the past...

Rob

oksewglad: That will be a fun quilt done in scraps.

WMUTeach: You have made great progress on your 16 patches.

Rob: I look forward to hearing if you like the webbing technique for putting the top together.

I want to try the webbing technique again. When I tried with my double Irish chain, I couldn't keep the pieces from flipping.

For those of you doing the circle quilting, was it hard to maneuver the quilt sandwich around at the beginning? I would have to set up another machine - no walking foot for my Singer 301s. I dislike the noise of the walking foot.

Finished the quiltin on a UFO. Pulled out another and realized there's no back prepared for it. Want it fast and easy but no large pieces of fabric and stepping up for the task. What to do?

Maybe go get some backing, pethefabricf? It's okay to get some to finish the project!
I finished cutting out the fabrics and still have lots of 2.5 squares and strips, but think it they fit better in their basket now. I managed to sew 10 blocks tonight and decided I really like the block on point....so changed my layout...same # of blocks but on point instead

Thank you for letting me stay in the group. I have a huge stash so I really shouldn't even buy a thread of fabric. Last year, I set a goal of making 10 to 12 quilts for charity. I used the patterns for 3 one yard quilts, easy and quick. I made 12 quilts and have several fabrics picked out to make more this year. I should make a goal of one quilt a week. That would would really make a dent in my stash.

Went shopping; I needed a few yards for backing on a quillow I’m working on. I also bought backing & binding fabric for a top I won a few years ago. I have some very thin fabric in my stash and decided to donate that fabric and buy new. It’s a gift for a brother. I then bought backing fabric I will use as background fabric on a project for my niece. I will be using fabric over the next few months.

Blue Bell. Everyone can be in this group, getting better, not perfect is the goal.
oksewglad; thanks. After a good nights sleep, thought of somewhere else to look. Wha-la, success. Found a back and it's 52" wide, won't even need piecing. Success! And it's 2+ yds less in my stash.
On the other side, a delivery of fabric arrived today. It's dedicated to a house warming gift for DD. I wash everything first and it needs a bath in strong coffee.
We're experiencing very strong winds. Power's out and some roads are blocked. We've a generator. Think I'll cut out a project. It wasn't light enough in here to cut today but now the generator is going.

Blue Bell, One quilt a week is a BIG goal. https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images...es/thumbup.png I managed one about every 10 days last year but that included UFOs that just needed binding or backing and quilting. Most of mine went to charity, Project Linus. I won't be working at that rate at least for the next few months because I am teaching two classes online. None the less, I have plenty of UFO's and patterns on my wish list that are calling me as well as three quilt-a-longs with plenty of fabric in my closet. My goal is to empty the equivalent of one of those big Rubber Maid bins this year. Be gentle with yourself and dive in to use what is on hand and shop only for what you NEED, we all do that when our stash doesn't provide what fits our work.