UFO Bonanza: Two Down, More to Go, Giveaway #2
If you’re new here, WELCOME! I’m Diane Harris and I’m happy to meet you.
Immediately after piecing the daisies and baskets UFO sampler below, I started another one.
I was on a roll and it was the weekend between Christmas and New Year’s. You may have noticed…
…that my project didn’t begin to use up all of the little baskets. There were about 40 and I used only 16. So that is where I started. I pulled out every bit of patchwork with a pink/red, green and aqua/teal color recipe and started putting things up on the design wall.
At first it didn’t look good but I’ve learned not to lose heart. I went to bed on Friday night and thought maybe things would look better in the morning.
And they did!
This block went in, and it has a story behind it. My friend Carolyn Beam from Quiltmaker days designed it for a 100 Blocks issue, and later remade it for a 100 Blocks video.
Eventually it made its way to me because people at the magazines realized that I loved making things with castoffs and leftovers—they once sent me an entire box of orphan blocks.
Since Carolyn’s tent was fused but never sewn down, I warmed it up under the iron and pulled it off. I thought I’d just use it as a tree block in the Christmas quilt.
But—no. The center tree has no trunk! (No need to do that piecing just to cover it up with a tent, right?) So I considered remaking the tent red and thinking of it as a Christmas campground, but then I had another idea. Could I draw a sleigh? I decided to try.
When I put my pencil to the fusible web, this is what came out. Voilà! A sleigh in place of the tent. I will applique it by sewing close to the edges with matching thread and a short straight stitch.
I found a place for my improv snowman and a little gnome friend on green. My husband called it a “gnome-tree.” ?? I guess?
This funky basket block made the cut. I’d seen a couple of similar baskets on antique quilts but mine just looked weird so it never went any further.
And these! The first thing I remember Bonnie Hunter doing on her blog was making ugly blocks on purpose with less-than-appealing fabrics. I thought I was going to jump on that bandwagon and these were my prototypes. But I lost focus and they languished in the UFO cupboard.
And this super cool block by Paula Stoddard, also from 100 Blocks, fit right in as well. It took me just over a day to arrange the whole top and sew it together since all of the parts were already made. Then came the border auditions. But that’s a story for another day.
Now it’s time for a GIVEAWAY! Up for grabs today is The Weekend Quilter, 25+ Fabulous Quilts to Make in a Weekend from Landauer Publishing. Who wouldn’t want a copy of that?
Think of it as your go-to Quilting 101 textbook! And I know you’ll want this next one:
The brand-new Pillow Talk by Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts, published by It’s Sew Emma. As you would expect, it’s full of beautiful images and gorgeous pillow projects. Edyta’s signature style is part of each one. You could start making Christmas gifts now and sew pillows all year long!
And several of the items from the last giveaway are included, too! The winner will get the Cutting Gizmo, my favorite pins, and Mundial scissors perfectly sized for use at the machine. Sew much fun!
For your chance to win, leave a comment telling us your current city and state. I’d like to know where my readers are from! Giveaway ends Monday, Jan. 6 at midnight. Prizes will ship Monday, Jan. 13 when I’m back home. Another giveaway coming soon! The winner of this giveaway is meylonie, comment #20, who has been notified.
(Hey, if you want to be sure you never miss a post, sign up to be notified by email, also known as “subscribing.”)
This sampler quilt will go into a new trunk show I’m building called Taste Test: Unexpected Sampler Quilts. Booking now for Spring of 2021. Get in touch and Let’s Talk Quilts!
Tags: make extraordinary scrap quilts, sampler quilts, scrap quilts, taste test, trunk shows
Candi
| #
Oxnard, CA
Reply
Anne
| #
I’m a fan from Walpole, NH
Reply
Darla Hunt
| #
Shepherdsville, Kentucky
Admiring your creativity!
Reply
Mattie valle
| #
I’m from OH . Have many patterns from old Quiltmaker’s issues, and from you. Love every one designed by you. Wish I can made all. Happy New Year
Reply
Sally
| #
Oak Harbor, Washington
Reply
Marti Dyer-Allison
| #
Diane, your orphan blocks posts are inspiring! I’ve lived in Parkland, WA for two years now.
Reply
Sara Holmquist
| #
Burwell, Nebraska
Reply
Jean
| #
Blair, Ne……LOVE the new sampler!
Reply
Margaret Kennedy
| #
Winchester, Virginia
Reply
Cindy L Weichel
| #
I live in an itty bitty town called Harbine Nebraska.
Reply
JESSICA GRENI
| #
Kearney Nebraska
Reply
Barb B
| #
Hebron, Nebraska
Reply
Deb McD
| #
Dallas, the little one in Oregon not the big one in Texas.
Reply
Diane Oakes
| #
Mattawan, Michigan – love your creations with the orphan, extra blocks!!
Reply
Deb McD
| #
Hello from a former resident of Kalamazoo.
LeeAnn
| #
Wilcox, Nebraska!!!
Reply
Alyson
| #
Wailuku, Hawaii
I think/hope you will be visiting our guild in March!
Reply
Patty McArdle
| #
I am another Nebraska girl from Elkhorn, NE!
Reply
Ramona Johnson
| #
Mountain View, AR! Love your Blog!!
Reply
Linda Theriault
| #
I am an from sunny 🌞 Flagler Beach, Florida!
Reply
Karen Anderson
| #
San Diego, CA.
Reply
Maggie Nichols
| #
Cave Creek AZ
Reply
kathy sorkin
| #
Deerfield, Illinois!
Reply
Kay
| #
Rural Madison NE
Reply
Beth T.
| #
Clatskanie, OR, USA
Reply
Mary
| #
Trees and sleigh is so cute!
Enjoyed the retreat in Holdrege Ne this weekend.
Mary
Reply
Betty
| #
Daykin NE
Reply
Deb
| #
Holland, NY
Reply
Sally Christiansen
| #
Kenner, Nebraska
Reply
Monica Gerhart
| #
Papillion, Nebraska
Reply
Cindy
| #
Kearney nebraska
Reply
Edwina Smith
| #
Lee’s Summit, Missouri!
Reply
Kaye Mattson
| #
Chapman, Nebraska
Reply
Trish Davis
| #
Hello from Wichita Kansas!
Reply
Jan Turner
| #
Live in Marysville, KS, but my heart is still a Nebraska girl. So enjoy reading your blog. I met you at the museum in Lincoln.
Reply
Deanna Klintworth
| #
Marquette, nebraska
Reply
Nancy
| #
I love in Columbus, Ohio. Thanks for offering the giveaway!
Reply
Marty
| #
Panther Creek, ID (inside a National Forest) ❄️🥰⛄️
Reply
Elizabeth Clark
| #
I’m a “mostly modern” quilter from Grand Haven, Michigan.
Reply
Diann Jones
| #
I’m from Rio Vista, in northern California
Reply
Denise
| #
Calgary, Alberta Canada eh! I’m a regular lurker and enjoy the time spent here!
Reply
Diane Paul
| #
Tinton Falls, NJ
Reply
Vicki
| #
Grand Island NE
Reply
Connie Luers
| #
Wahoo, NE
Reply
meylonie
| #
Lincoln, NE
Reply
Beth Salistean
| #
Hi Diane! Omaha, NE
Reply
Jennifer Simmons
| #
Garden City, KS!
Reply
Marty
| #
Elwood ne
Reply
Liz A.
| #
East Wenatchee, WA
Reply
Donna Amos
| #
Decatur, Arkansas
Reply
Maryln Fleming
| #
Prairie City, Iowa
Reply
Julie Lechner
| #
Grand Island, NE Love your UFO stories!
Reply
Kay
| #
Grand Island, NE
Reply
Dorothy Lange
| #
Omaha, Nebraska
Reply
Robyn O
| #
Salt Lake City, Utah
Reply
Barb K
| #
Hi! I really enjoy reading your blog–I’m from the Sandhills in Bassett, NE.
Reply
Chris H.
| #
rural Pierce, Nebraska
Reply
Janelle Vogler
| #
Omaha, NE! This was a great blog post 🙂
Reply
Kathy
| #
Took your class in Lincoln,, int
Reply
Mary McIntyre
| #
Common Threads Quilt Guild, Lafayette Indiana. Love your patterns.
Reply
Terri Costa
| #
Hello from Gig Harbor, WA! Love following your adventures!
Reply
Kathy
| #
Bark River, Michigan
Reply
Erika N
| #
Fishers, Indiana USA
Reply
Erika Nickens
| #
Oops wrong email in previous comment!
Fishers, IN USA
Mary Weich
| #
I love your color choices, I to am known for scrappy quilts. But like Kaye Petta Im slow as I still get to watch grandkids, daily.
Reply
Cathy Richardson
| #
Your creativity always amazes me. Candy for the eyes and soul.
Reply