Hands2Help Gingham Quilt

This is my third quilt for Hands2Help this year, and my eighth year of participating. This one was a DrEAMi, as in a Drop Everything And Make it project. It is not a true DrEAMi, in that I did not drop everything until it was done, but it did definitely take me away from regularly scheduled sewing for two separate chunks of time: cutting and constructing. From starting to piece until finished quilt it took just 24 hours!

It started with making a string placemat for the RSC challenge, which happens to be forest and sage green for this month... I had the squares all cut and on the design wall on May 9. And then a couple of other necessities preempted its completion: La Mer (I behaved, and finished up a UFO) and making the Pop Star flimsy for my QAL.

La Mer

I have finished the second of my hopefully twelve UFOs for the year. I bought the pattern, 'Sea Glass' off Craftsy several years ago (details below), collected a few turquoise, aqua, sea-green, and lime fabrics for options, got started on it within a year or so of purchase, and then it sat for a few more years. I cannot tell you how satisfying it is to have it finished, and how much in love with it I am.

These are MY COLOURS! And yes I sort of yelled/sang that. Oh, they speak to my soul. So does the fuchsia of the crabapple tree. Makes me want to make a quilt in pink and turquoise, mmm.

Pop Star - Borders and Quilt Top Assembly

Are you ready?! We just have to make one giant nine-patch and two borders, and we will have our quilt top! I am loving the fabrics and colours I am seeing on Instagram. Thank you all for joining in with another QAL. Let's get to it!

I can't tell you how gratifying it is to see the quilt on that little graphic, the one I put into EQ8 a few months ago, come to life! I also can't tell you how annoyed I am that I somehow got off my original schedule of posts, which were all supposed to be on Sundays. When I did the one for Hands2Help, I had to move the Pop Star over to Saturday, and then I just continued posting the steps on Saturdays!🤭 Even though I am finished with menopause, it is not finished with me, muddled brain-wise. So here we are, back to Sundays.

Pop Star - Centre Star Unit

Have you put your four pop star units on your design wall to admire all week as I have?! Well this week we are going to fill in the centre.

Betcha can't wait out the week to put the whole quilt together, just sayin'...

Whirling Petals - A Hands2Help Quilt

I am happy to report that my second H2H quilt this year is a wrap! Hands2Help is being hosted this year by Mari at The Academic Quilter.

I had a goal this year to use up a bunch of leftover floral scraps, and some stash that I knew I wasn't going to use for the intended purpose. I made a dent, albeit small, in the pile.

DrEAMi! #62

A great photo for our "Oh look! A squirrel!" party aka DrEAMi which stands for Drop Everything and Make it! was the lead in Kate's of Arts and Socks post:

Read the explanation of her foster kitty Mystique taking this chipmunk's drive-through order by clicking the photo.

Adorable and smart on the part of the foster family and the chipmunk! This month's DrEAMi party where we celebrate those projects we saw and just had to make, like NOW, is a day late because of publishing Step 2 for my Pop Star QAL. It's not too late to join in! The link to all the details is also on my sidebar and may I remind you that there are some sweet prizes?!

Pop Star Centre Units

I have heard from quite a few people that they really enjoyed making No Waste Geese from step 1, either for the first time, or using the method once again. I love it because there are no triangles to trim off and guiltily toss. If you're like me, you save them to sew back together for another project (but sometimes they languish). With this quick method there's just a little trim for each geese unit. Now that I think about it, I should have used the eight-at-a-time method for the HSTs....file that away for the next pattern! (which has been tech-edited as you read this, and awaits me looking it over)

Eleanor Burns devised the No Waste Flying Geese. I love her work and her attitude and sense of humour. I had the pleasure of attending Benartex's virtual Fabric Show this past week, and she was there! As bright and funny as ever. Her latest line is Judy's Bloom, out in fabric shops right now. I had another pleasure: I was asked if I wanted to make a project to showcase her line, and of course I said yes! You can view the post here, and see the quilted tote bag I made, and enter the giveaway. I've used it already to take to yoga and got compliments on it. So spring-like!

Back to this project! Let's sew some Pop Star centre units!