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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

What a Novelty!

For years as I’ve been working on keeping up with my Scrap User’s System, I’d divide fabrics to be cut into strips by size –and that was fairly straignt forward.

But occasionally I’d be gifted things like leftover novelty prints. Just HOW do you slice those down? Because EVERYTHING loses its head or arms or legs or becomes undetectable if you start cutting it into narrow strips!

Sometimes this is a good thing! HA!

But other times---the fabrics would be better shown off if I left them in bigger chunks.

When I was in Columbia SC, working as the Charity Quilt Chairperson—The CQC if you will—We did some kid’s quilts with 4.5” squares, and I found that size to be pretty user friendly as far as novelty prints go. I never have done much with charm squares or 5” Nickles ---they always had to be cut down to something else, or at least most of the time. But 4.5”? Sounds like a nice good round number to me.

So I have a STACK of these squares! And I’ve been hemming and hawwing over what to do for this baby quilt for my new nephew who is supposed to arrive mid to late January, right around my birthday.

I need to scale back a bit. Not EVERYTHING needs extreme piecing and eensy-teensy blocks, right? Even though that is what I LOVE to do --- I gotta be realistic and realize that if I WANT this baby quilt to be used…it needs to be fairly simple. I don’t want to give something “too good to use”. I want it bright, I want it eye catching to hold the baby’s attention --- and I want it fun for ME to sew. Sound like a good plan?

I also have a big ziplock baggie of 2.5” tone on tone textures and prints. I was going to do SOMETHING with them at some point, but you know I can’t remember what? But I think they will play just perfect with these blocks!

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I got busy sewing! And having my Cheddar Bow-Tie parts right there as leader/enders meant that THIS basket was filling up too:

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Hehehe! Do you SEE that green one on the top?! It’s that lovely 1970’s style calico ----VINTAGE is IN, right?! :c) This quilt is going to come with EVERYTHING in it ---that’s for sure!

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One block! What a cutie! Nope, not rocket science or a new design at all --- just a simple Evening Star --- and I like it! No idea how I’ll set them yet, but that will come ---

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And before I knew it, I had TWO! I’m just picking a novelty square, and then digging into that bag to find 3 different colors of strips that will go with the center square. I like projects with as few rules as possible!

I’m thinking I need 16 to 20 of these blocks. But it depends on the setting ----

And of course everything ELSE on the “to do” list just got pushed to the back burner for a bit! I’m going to have to kick myself into gear and not let this top take over my whole life and lead me away from what I SHOULD be doing!

And with that --- I better head off to the gym!

Be sure to check back on yesterday’s post for our Mystery Monday Link-Up! We’ve hit 90! Whoot!!

27 comments:

  1. Great blocks and I can't wait to see the finished quilt. I'm sure it will be wonderful no matter how you end up laying it out.

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  2. I love it!!! I too need to make up a baby quilt for a newly adopted little boy and have it ready in a hurry! Usually I have a nice little selection of baby quilts I've made that are ready to be given, but there's been a huge increase in the baby population here lately and so my stockpile is gone! :(

    This quilt block looks perfect since I also have a big stash of novelty scraps! Thanks for the inspiration!!

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  3. Perfect NOVELTY solution... it will be a terrific "seek and find" quilt for the little one too!

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  4. Very cute! And a great way to use those novelty prints. Also glad to see your bow ties - I've got a stack of them here. And I am just itching to start Orca - you need to stop with all of this temptation!

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  5. I have alot of these novelties, and a new baby grandchild on the way. I won't start til January, but I've done the I Spy quilts with these and kids love them. For a baby, I might start with flannel, but will move on to the novelties. They work good for either sex, so that's good if you're not sure. Karen

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  6. Love your novelty stars - the baby quilt will be beautiful and probably loved to pieces!
    Hope you had a good time at the gym - I went yesterday evening, so I have a few hours left before I go again.

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  7. Love your novelty stars-what a great way to use those kinds of prints1

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  8. This will be a fun quilt for a little guy...I need to start working on my baby quilt stock too. Sort of let it get low this year.

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  9. I thought I was channeling you, Bonnie, when I used novelty squares in Bear Paw blocks. http://withstringsattached.blogspot.com/2011/11/design-wall-monday-orca-bay-and-more.html
    (Scroll to previous posts to see the design progress.)
    This quilt is be large enough to get Miss Sophie into kindergarten if not beyond. As I explained to the new parents when I presented the quilt on Sunday (she was born 11/22), "I begin at the beginning and end at the end."

    P.S.And thanks for introducing us to Tonya's Letters!

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  10. ....But every once in awhile it's fun to be lead....

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  11. Oh, Bonnie! I am so glad you talked about novelty prints! I have one bin for those and they are still uncut pieces. I just didn't know what to do with them. Those pretty stars will make a great eye spy quilt for your new nephew.
    As always, love your stuff, your style, and love your guts!

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  12. I have a big chunk of that exact same green in my stash! I wasn't alive for the 70s, but I bought it along with a lot of other old fabric when I first started quilting at a thrift store that was ONLY for craft stuff. Talk about heaven! I wish I could go to that place still, but sadly it's in another very far away state!

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  13. Cute idea! I have several...and I do mean several..as in I have had a problem in the past :-o ....big boxes of novelty prints! I do fortunately have some grandnephews and nieces and co-workers having babies that will give me something to do with them. I like your larger cut on these. I still love them but not enough to 'decorate' my house with them or give them to 'adults'!
    Love the Orca Bay quilt building going on!

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  14. Bonnie, the cat novelty print block is fantastic. I love that purple and green. (Those are 2 of my colors in the Orca Bay mystery quilt. lol) The novelty blocks are going to make a wonderful baby quilt. Especially if it is used as a "Tummy-Time" quilt. The bright colors and prints will entertain the little one for hours. The last baby quilt I made was for our newest granddaughter with lots of machine embroidered blocks. A friend told me it was too pretty to be used and should just be a wall hanging. NOT! It was definitely to be used; and it will be used and probably worn out. But that's ok. That's what it was made for...USE.

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  15. These blocks are a perfect solution to using the novelty prints and creating a baby quilt. I wish I had some bright fabrics now to make those stars with my little pile of novelty prints!

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  16. Hi, Bonnie. Your novelty fabric blocks are just so coooooool and so fun! They'd make such a neat quilt!
    best from Tunisia,
    nadia

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  17. Fun eye spy type stars for the baby to focus his eyes on. What a nice Auntie you are.

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  18. Anonymous3:34 PM EST

    Great blocks Bonnie! I have some of that same green calico! In fact, I have quite a bit of that vintage calico and I just can't bring myself to part with it.

    Sue
    sullivan36@sbcglobal.net

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  19. Oh My Lord! I have the SAME vintage green calico in my stash. I have used it in every Christmas quilt I have ever made and it never goes away. It is the loaves and fishes of the fabric world.

    Your blocks are adorable. It will be used and loved for years.

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  20. gorgeous as always bonnie and that green calico? i had some of that too...

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  21. Anonymous4:34 PM EST

    Great colors

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  22. Anonymous5:55 PM EST

    Just perfect! I love that idea using the evening star pattern,so sweet & simple! Thanks for inspiring us all!
    Heather
    velvet_23@hotmail.com

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  23. Anonymous6:33 PM EST

    The center fabrics are so cute and the blocks are bright and fun. This is going to be a wonderful gift for your new nephew.

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  24. I have one bin of novelty prints and have made two "I Spy" quilts and a number of alphabet quilts for my grand kids. One of them used stars similar to yours. I also have supplied plenty of alphabet prints to the members of my quilt group. I would say 4.5 or 5.5 are just about right.

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  25. Love that star!!! I have a stack of novelties that are just itchin to go into a quithis is going to be fun. Thanks for more inspiration.

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  26. Very cute blocks and what a great use for the conversation prints!

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