Rainbow Connection #LittleBlocks365 Quilt

The quilt I made with my Little Blocks 365 is back from the quilter and I bound it - not a big job given if is only 43" square.  

I'm calling it Rainbow Connection.  I started with a fat quarter bundle of solids and made the blocks gradually, selecting from the blocks released each week in the Little Blocks 365 program.  Because my setting used only 56 blocks, I did not need all 365 blocks in the program and could finish before the end of the year.  Note, I adapted my setting from a quilt made by Brigette Heitland of Zen Chic.

I had it longarm quilted by the folks at Olde City Quilts in Burlington, NJ.   The quilting pattern is a panto or edge-to-edge design of large paisley-like feathers in white thread.

The quilting pattern is not too much on the blocks and shows up really well in the white borders.  

The back is solid white because I was afraid any print or darker color might show through to the front in the white borders.  Did you know that Kona comes in wide widths (60" and 108") in a variety of colors?  The 60" wide version was perfect for the back of this wall hanging size quilt.

I really enjoyed making these blocks and am tempted to start another set using a different color combination.  But that will probably wait until late this year as there are some other projects I need to finish.  And first I need to clean and declutter my sewing room - it looks like a cyclone blew through!

Little Blocks 365 Wall Hanging

I have a finished flimsy.  It's the wall hanging I've been making from the Little Blocks 365 sew along.  In this sew along, the organizer releases seven blocks each week; keep up and you will have 365 blocks at the end of the year.  But as my chosen setting requires only 56 blocks, I've been selectively sewing from the blocks released so far and have enough for my finish.  

I started with a charm pack of solid colors from Michael Miller, quickly saw it would not be enough fabric, and added a fat quarter bundle.  

A few weeks ago, I was here:

And now I have this finished top.  

It was hard to get a good picture as no one was available to hold it up so it is stuck to my design boards but they are not quite big enough for this 42 inch square top.  (Ignore those gray-ish smudges, it is just water from when I steam pressed the top right before taking the photos and they've since disappeared.)

The block layout is from Zen Chic; you can see her original quilt here.  Brigitte Heitland of Zen Chic participated in the Moda Blockheads 3 sew along and this is the setting she used for her finished blocks.  However, her blocks were 6 inches and made a quilt 81 inches square.  My blocks are 3 inches and the top is 42 inches square.  

I'm very happy with my top, I just need to get it quilted.  Given that the sew along has more than six months to go, with more than 180 blocks yet to be released, I am thinking of making more for a second wall hanging.  I just need another creative setting suitable for these eclectic blocks.  I am thinking of using this selection of solid color fabrics that Kona put together in a color combination they call "Dublin."

But I need a rectangular setting that will work in my kitchen space, ideal for quilts that are 35-40 inches wide and 50-60 inches long.  Any suggestions?

I think these tiny 3 inch blocks are perfect for solids and blenders because you don't lose any of the fabric design when you cut them into tiny pieces (many of the pieces in these blocks are smaller than my finger nails).  I found another fat quarter set in my stash, this collection is called "Speckled."

If you are interested in doing something similar, the Fat Quarter Shop has a broad selection of fat quarter bundles of solids.  They have bundles that match the colors in fabric lines by various designers, like this "Me & My Sister" bundle, as well as other themes like "pinks" and "birds of paradise" (I particularly like this one).  In case you are interested, I used 11 fat quarters in my top (though did not completely use up any of them), as well as a few pieces from the charm pack for contrast.  And the blocks that include white use Kona white (which I also used for the border) and some scraps of a small text print.

There is not enough time to take advantage of the all great fabric available now!

Little Blocks 365 Update

I've been working on my blocks from the Little Blocks 365 quilt along.  These are 3 inch blocks constructed using the foundation paper piecing method.  The organizer, Sentimental Stitches,  releases seven new blocks every Friday and after a year, you will have 365 blocks.  I'm enjoying this project, though foundation paper piecing is not my favorite method so I have pieced some the simpler blocks using traditional piecing.  

This is where I was at my last update:

This is where I am today:

Sorry for that glare; the sun was shining in the window behind my "design boards."  To keep organized, I'm working on my blocks in rainbow color order, currently tackling yellow and green.  I only need 56 blocks for my setting so I don't make every block released, just those that especially appeal to me.  And I've subbed in a few favorite blocks from other sources, like the heart.  

I need seven more blocks to complete my planned setting, though I will probably make more so I can be picky and just include the best ones in the final quilt.  I'm getting a lot of enjoyment out of this quilt along and may join another next year.  

Little Blocks 365 Update

My additional fabric arrived so I've been working on some Little Blocks.  

It is pretty easy to make two or three blocks in the late afternoon before dinner and I feel really satisfied as I finish each one so there is a lot of positive reinforcement in this project.  It is not without its frustrations though!

I have occasionally lost track of which piece goes where on a block or reversed colors.  And most of the blocks are foundation pieced on several foundations that are joined together at the end.  Getting the seams to match up without nipping of points, etc. has been tricky, even impossible for me, on a few blocks.

My plan is to make a wall hanging size quilt to put up in my sewing room so I'm not using the setting from Sentimental Stitches.  I've picked out another setting, tentatively, and I have a Pinterest board of sampler block quilt settings; you can find it here if you are interested.

In my planned setting, the blocks will be arranged "in rainbow color order."  I had been making the blocks randomly, just whatever color took my fancy at the moment, but decided I better be more methodical about it so I have the color distribution I need when I am finished.  So my last set of blocks focused on purple and I am currently working on red and orange.  

I put all the purple through orange blocks I've made so far up on a design board so see how the color flow is working so far.  This is not the final arrangement but I can see that I will need to re-make a few as I get closer to finishing.  That orange block with the pink cross does not have enough contrast to work for me, I think I'll replace it.  

Little Blocks 365 and Portable Design Wall

I joined the Little Blocks 365 quilt along hosted by Sentimental Stitches.  Every week, the host emails participants directions for making seven blocks using foundation paper piecing.  I saw the blocks Nicole had made and decided I had to join.  

So far, so good.  I'm using this little rope basket from Target to hold my finished blocks.

The fabric I'm using is all solids, in a rainbow of colors.  I had this charm pack of Century Solids in my stash (that makes this another stash quilt, right?).  It's an extra large charm pack, about 85 squares, each a different color.  I'm planning on making a wall hanging size quilt using a different setting than that suggested by Sentimental Stitches and for what I plan, I need 56 blocks instead of 365.  I had the idea I could make all the blocks out of this one charm pack plus some background fabrics but quickly learned otherwise!  So much fabric is consumed in the seams when you are working this tiny.  So I have a fat quarter pack ordered and on its way to augment the charm pack.  Actually, it is the other way around, the charm pack will augment the fat quarters.  

This project is christening my new design boards.  I made two of them to use in my sewing room; each is 24 by 36 inches.

I visited our local Hobby Lobby when they were having a going-out-of-business sale (just that store, the chain is still around) and got the idea when I saw these big artist canvases.  My original plan was to "upholster" them with flannel to make portable design walls.  However, our staple gun, about 30 years old and last used about 15 years ago, was not working.  Rather than get another staple gun just for this project, I moved on to Plan B, "slipcovers."

Basically, I made a pillow case that slides over each canvas.  The flannel side is a product from Kaffe Fassett, gray flannel marked in a 2" grid.  I used an unidentified white solid from my stash for the reverse side.  The canvases are 24" by 36" and less than an inch deep so I cut the fabric 26.5" by 38" and sewed around three sides then made a narrow hem at the bottom edge.  They fit tightly but with enough room to slide them on and off easily.  This slipcover method has the added benefit of being washable if necessary.

I got the flannel from my local quilt shop, Pennington Quilt Works.  They are doing a big online business now and can send it to you if you can't find it locally.  

I have my first seven blocks up on the board and they stick pretty well, better with the paper removed from the back of the blocks.