More Strips Find a Home

Made lots and lots of trees in anticipation of making another house quilt from the little kits I had put together.  I have enough trees now for three more quilts but probably will only do two more here.

Another one finished!  I have actually made a sizable dent in the 2 inch green strips!!

Each house's colorful part uses about a strip 21" x 2" so a strip from a fat quarter works just fine.  I literally have used scraps for these.

I had intended to do a "spin block" quilt but started sewing 2 inch strips together into groups of five which is what  you would use for this block so decided to do a quilt using 2 inch strips instead of the 2 1/2 inch strips I had been using.  I adjusted the length to 3 1/2 inches so the blocks finished to 9  inches instead of 12 inches.  Therefore I needed 16 blocks instead of 9 to make the 40 inch quilt.  I always like to finish a couple of blocks to see how it looks before I turn in for the day.

I finished the center of the quilt and am going to use a nice blue for a border.

The top is all finished now and I really like this one and the arrangement when you do the even number of blocks.  I have enough for a second quilt but decided I would use the blocks to make a couple of totes rather than another quilt.  

This will be the back and front of tote number 1.  I will use the same blue I used on the borders for the sides and bottom of the bags.  I have wild fabric for the inside of one of them (which I will keep).  My older more conservative daughter will get one with a tamer inside!  The bags will be 18 x 18 x 4.  I have to wait now for the interfacing to arrive in the mail as I ran out before I finished interfacing the handles.  I also didn't have enough for the second bag.

Some More Fun with Strips

Finally got this one finished!  And then of course started another one!!  

Figured I would try a focus fabric in the middle and cut it a bit bigger than I have been so there would be more of a square in the center of the blocks.  I also decided that I would iron all the seams in the strips open so that I would get more precision and that worked beautifully.  Those were the only seams that I did open though.

Here it is done with my glaring mistake!!  The lighter blocks were supposed to be in the middle.  I didn't have enough strips to do them all the same.  Oops!  Of course  I didn't notice it until it was all sewn together and I took a pic.

I am always on the lookout for a new block that uses strips (because I have probably 100 lbs of them cut by now).  I found this one on a FB post.  I had seen it before and couldn't figure out how it was made but liked it.  A very nice lady posted the instructions in detail and it is super fast and easy and makes very good use of strips although I think I need a little bit of sashing between the blocks -- matching the centers I think.

Here I have three of the blocks done and really like them.  I am constantly on the lookout for neat blocks to make with my strips and save those ideas in Pinterest.

I also spent considerable time on EQ8 designing a house quilt but wanted trees in it.  I took a Bonnie Hunter pattern for a house but didn't tilt it like she did in her blog.  This house block only uses 2 inch strips of which I have a plethora!  Will probably work on a couple of houses tomorrow.  I plan to a bunch of these house quilts as our quilt group in Wilmington makes them for Habitat for Humanity new home owners.  They need 15 for this year and I intend to contribute a few!!  

This is essentially what it will look like except the trees are different widths so it will be a little bit more random.  I will also turn some of the houses around just for variety.  
Those little areas of white are because EQ8 doesn't allow you to make anything but whole number blocks.  This hasn't been a problem before but wanted 7 1/2 inch square blocks so I could use the Bonnie Hunter pattern.The following is the link you can use to make the house block -   Bonnie Hunter Instructions .