>>>>

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!

novelties 010

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

novelties 007

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!

novelties 011

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 ---

novelties 012

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:

Michele said...

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.

gardenpat said...

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!!

Mrs. Goodneedle said...

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

Me and My Stitches said...

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!

Prairiedog said...

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

Barb in Mi said...

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.

Laura said...

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

YankeeQuilter said...

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.

Nann said...

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!

Quiet Quilter said...

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

MaryLu said...

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!

Rebecca said...

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!

Loris said...

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!

Browndirtcottage said...

Cool! Great! Wonderful!!

Kathy Biggs said...

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.

Janet O. said...

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!

MulticoloredPieces said...

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

Mary said...

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

Anonymous said...

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

Chris said...

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.

cityquilter grace said...

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

Anonymous said...

Great colors

Anonymous said...

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

Anonymous said...

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.

Julie Fukuda said...

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.

Beth said...

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.

Jennifer said...

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

Post a Comment

If you are commenting as "anonymous" please leave your name at the end of your comment.

Did you know that ad space on this blog provides for all of the free patterns and free mysteries and challenges at no cost to you? Without ads, this blog would not be possible.

Thank you for understanding the many hours that go into this blog 6 days a week, 52 weeks a year. :)