New Year, New Projects!

Kandy, our lovely list moderator on BQL (British Quilt List) has devised a 'scraptastic' challenge this year.

Januaries challenge was to create some scrappy 'trip around the world blocks' based on the Bonnie Hunter method.  I only made four blocks, which has given me this centre of 24" square.

In fact, just this afternoon I added borders to it and brought it up to 34" square - just the right size for a piece of fabric with teddy bears on that I have from my late MiL's stash.  It's basted and waiting to be quilted.  It will be my first finish for 2014 and I hope the first of a set of 12 charity quilts.  Having rather let my charity quilting fall by the wayside last year I'm hoping to make one each month this year - although they may be loaded towards the back of the year, as I'm hoping to get my C&G to the moderators in May, and I've still got three modules to complete!  

With the remaining bits and bobs of fabric and jelly roll strips I made up four 8 1/2" square blocks - they will get used in something later in the year, I'm sure, and will be more fun to add in as blocks (they aren't sewn together in this pic, just giving an idea for a layout if I want a medallion - but they might be used separately.

Of course, it was only when I was photographing these blocks that I realised that I hadn't left myself anything to make a binding for the 'trip around the world' quilt - doh!  I shall raid my stash for a bit more of something brown.

All the bits that were left from these (not very much!) were cut into 1 1/2" squares ready for this next little project.

I'm making these little (3" square finished) 9-patch blocks as leader and ender blocks.  I plan to sash these and make something fun later in the year.  I've been cutting 1 1/2" squares for ages now but I've finally got some of them into sets (aren't binder clips great?) and in a small tin by the front of my sewing machine.

The pale fabrics are all scraps of my husbands work shirts.  He almost always chooses pale blue which is fine by me!

Finally, I've made some cards.  I've used up a bit of sweet paper quilting and some amazing hand printed paper from Avril to make some fab cards.  Always good to have something on hand.  The space at the bottom of each card can house an appropriate sentiment. 

This all sounds sane enough, doesn't it?  It's only when I have to admit that I actually had to piece a 1 1/2" square in order to have four of them so that I could get a matched 9 patch kit out of one particular scrap it that things start to sound just a little obsessional!

I'm off to work on my Love Entwined top now.  I've almost finished the third corner - one flower and 8 tiny circles to go!