Playing with fabric

Today, I finished piecing Farmer's Market.  I won't show it again until I get it quilted and bound.  I decided not to put a containment border and will rely on the binding to do that.  I don't have batting or backing material yet, so it may be a few days before it gets done.  I have four quilts now awaiting quilting.  I just need that 50% off coupon for the batting, and Priscilla and I are in business.

 Yesterday, I decided it had been a long time time since I played building fabric.  I grabbed some of the larger scraps from the top of the basket and put this 12" x 12" piece together.  I really like the pattern and the colors.  Now, I just have to figure out what to do with it.  The problem of doing things like this, using up all the similar scraps, is where to go next.  This one may end up as part of a 12" finished quilt exchange.  That is if I can part with it.

I had so much fun yesterday, I wanted to play some more today.  This time, I grabbed the left over strips from the Nature's Choice fabric I cut the other day.  I made some strata, then sliced it all at angles.  I also added some Hawaiian fabric scraps for color.  Once I played around with it and pieced this 14" square fabric together, I asked myself  "What if I .  . . . ?"  So, I sliced 2 1/2" from each side, the top, and the bottom.  Then I added a 2 1/2" inner frame of cream on cream flowers.  I made the cut strips longer and added them to the outside.  Now, it is a 17 1/2" square.

I have some gray I can use for the next border, then a wider border of the Hawaiian print.  I think I am going to grow this one to be a lap quilt.  I am so glad I discovered 15 Minutes Play. I love that I can use my scraps in a way that is unique to me.  It also pleases me to use as much of my fabric as I can.  This is all very good.

Farmer's market blocks, Sunbonnet Sue, and more

I got a yummy surprise from Bella and her Grandma Edwards this morning.  They bought me these four beautiful fabrics.  More beautiful paisleys, and the polka dots.  Bella picked the polka dots, and they go beautifully with the paisleys.

I finished all the basic blocks for my Farmer's Market basket.  Twenty-five tasty fruits, vegetables, and hazelnuts.  The new fabrics I bought the other day are the bananas, carrots, and mixed berries.  The rest include oranges, summer squash, blackberries, apples, plumbs, sliced cucumbers, olives, garlic, blueberries, and the list goes on.  I did manage to get the borders on one block.  All of them will have mixed borders made from the basket fabrics.

The most fun I had today was creating my own version of Sunbonnet Sue.  Since I was in college, I have wanted to make Sue, but I never got around to it.  This afternoon, I finally did it.  I drew up a sketch, and tweaked it until it was what I wanted.  Then, I dug through my new box of batiks and came up with fabric for her and for the background.  Making Sue entailed several firsts for me.  I did fusible applique for the first time.  I then used the buttonhole stitch for decor.  On the apron, I used a different decorative stitch.  I really love how she turned out.  She will become my next Alzheimer's art quilt.

I like the back almost as well.

Joyful quilting, everyone.

I have linked this post to Quiltstory Fabric Tuesday.