Catching up - AGAIN!

 Where does the time go!  I guess it's a good thing that I get busy sewing and don't notice how much time has gone by.  Means I'm having fun, right?  Once again I noticed that I hadn't update my blog in forever, or at least I hadn't posted any new I Spy quilts since October of last year.  And here it is mid August and I'm way behind.  Hmmm.  Too many to put in one post, so I'll break it up into those actually FINISHed.  That leaves a bunch in the closet but I'll snag those later.  

Below is a recent quilting binge - I had volunteered to donate some "baby quilts" to our local guild to be sold at an upcoming quilt show in the "country store".  Well oddly enough I didn't have a single finished I spy quilt ready, just some 15 tops hanging in the closet.  Better get quilting.  Then of course since I already had the bolt of fleece on the machine, I might as well keep going.  The result is eight finished tops - though I'm only donating four.  The rest will go into the pile for future gifting.  Several of these are the result of a bunch of kits I put together to work on at a recent quilt retreat - I do love to put kits together in group - makes it nice to just sit and sew later.  

Many of these were patterns I had made before years ago but wanted to do them again.  This disappearing 9-patch is one of those.  It's so easy but always looks so cheerful and happy with the tone on tone colors to set off the novelties. 

This pattern is just an idea I had - what would it look like if you made a sort of snowball block on two corners, then combined with another, and offset the rows.  I think it looks a bit like either strings of beads or perhaps hourglasses.  But it's a little busy, not sure how I feel about it.  But it did use up a large number of 4.5" precut squares and lots of scrappy piano keys from left over fussy cutting.

This pattern called Key to my heart by Busy Hands Quilts also utilizes only 4.5" squares.  I love being able to use those precut squares - no measuring, just pulling them out of the drawer.  Four of similar color are grouped into a large snowball block of 8".  The other block is sashed with 2" strips, also making an 8" block.  I love how such simple construction makes a complex looking pattern.

Last fall I got a "wild hair" and thought I wanted to make some rectangle star blocks.  Hmmm.  Well I did make a large number and put them together in sort of dancing star layout.  The novelty fabrics ended up being pretty small pieces so I don't think it works all that well as an I spy quilt, but still interesting.  I definitely won't be doing this one again  - those rectangle triangles were too fiddly - I had to think too hard to keep it straight which direction they were going.

I sewed this one at a recent retreat.  It is sort of a cheater majestic mountains pattern.  You start with a large square, cut it on the diagonal, then sewn into a large half square triangle block.  Then you cut that into strips and sew them back together in the opposite order, making the points of the "mountain".  You end up with a rectangle block.  I have done this one years ago and wanted to do it again.  It is pretty fun to sew and the other retreaters were impressed.  I think I want to do this one at some point with batiks, the novelties distract a little bit from the pattern unless looking from a distance.

This pattern is also a repeat.  I got the idea several years ago (15?) from the blog by Melissa Corry of Happy Quilting.  She called it Jelly Beans.  I really liked the effect of the black vs white diagonal stripes.  The top uses two blocks, one made from four 4.5" squares, the other with a 4 patch in the center surrounded by 2x4 strips & 2" corners.  The layout is critical to get the colors in the right places on these blocks so the design wall was critical.

Another repeat here, just large (six inch) half square triangles, arranged in a large swirl.  Quick and Easy.  I did repeat the fabrics, but mixed up the triangles.  Not only can you play I spy, but you can play matching with this one.

I love how this next one turned out.  Another very simple idea with great results.  Just 4 patches, surrounded by diagonal fabric sashing, then turned on point with narrow black sashing.  I had that diagonal fabric forever but it never seemed the right thing to use but it looks great here with the black contrast.

There definitely is a feeling of accomplishment seeing all these completed quilts stacked up so pretty.