It's a Guy Thing Blog Hop

Welcome to the first day of the "It's A Guy Thing" blog hop, hosted by Carol of Just Let Me Quilt.

For this hop we were challenged to make something for a guy or tomboy, or in manly-man colors of blues, grays, browns, etc.

Sitting in my stash was a layer cake perfect for this hop, it was full of blues, browns, and grays.  So it only took a few seconds to pick out the fabric for this hop, I just had to grab the layer cake.  

The block I wanted to make came to me quick too. There are so many different layer cake patterns, but I decided on Delectable Mountain blocks.  I'd been seeing different versions of this block pop up on Pinterest lately when I looked up other things, so it was already sitting in the back of my mind, waiting for the right time to come out and this blog hop was it.

I paired it with some Kona cotton in Coal and used 40 of the 42 squares to make 80 Half Square Triangles.  Once trimmed up, I cut each HST into four strips and rearranged them to make the "mountains". 

You have to make sure to cut half of the HSTs one way and the other half the opposite way in order to get two mirrored sides of the mountain.  I used You Tube and searched "Delectable Mountain quilt" and found a couple videos with some good instructions to make sure I didn't screw it up.

I played around with the layout for a bit and decided on diamonds in the center flanked by mirrored zig zag mountains on each side.

The back of the top looks pretty cool.  It was windy on the side lawn to get a good picture of the top,

So we moved the the side porch.

Here is the top before its quilted....

and after it is quilted and bound later in the evening.

I intended to quilt large wavy curves, but as I was echoing the first row of curves, they started turning into what I thought looked like topographical lines so I just went with it.

Pieced my backing again.  That brown in the center is the last of that fabric in my stash.  Feels good to use all of something up with little to no scraps left behind.

This was my first time making this block.  It was super quick and easy.  Way easier than I thought it would be.  I think it took me longer to square up my 80 HSTs then it did to sew the blocks together.

Thanks again to Carol for hosting the hop and inspiring me sew up some dandy delectable mountains!  

Make sure to check out the other hoppers today to see what they were inspired to make.

July 26

Creatin' in the Sticks

Storied Quilts

Quilted Delights  (Me)

Samelia's Mum

Vroomans Quilts

Karen's Korner

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Island Batik Ambassador 2021 Challenge Box #2

Island Batik Ambassadors received their second challenge box this month. It has everything we need to complete the monthly challenges for the rest of the year, minus a couple precuts that will come later on.

Check out the video below to get a close up of the goodies Island Batik and their affiliates sent for me to play with for the rest of the year.

Special thanks to By Annie, Aurifil, Hobbs Batting, and Studio 180 Designs for sending their tools and materials to help with our projects.

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Stars and Stripes Quilts for July 4th

Happy July 4th!

I finished two Stars and Stripes quilts this week just in time for the holiday.

Pattern is by Thimble Blossoms.

Around the end of June last year, I went through my Island Batik fabric leftovers and I cut out some red and blue fabrics with the intension of finishing these before the 4th last year...

Fast forward one year and they are finally complete. I added a couple different blues I collected through out this year and am glad I did.  No two blue rectangles are the same in one quilt.

I was going to make both quilts using aqua sashing as shown in the pattern but changed my mind after seeing some others on Instagram. 

When I finished the top for the aqua sashing I had looked on Instagram for some quilting inspiration and saw several made with darker sashing.

Luckily I had just enough if the dark navy fabric for the second quilt, and was able to stick with all Island Batik fabric for both tops.

These were quick to sew up.  I pulled out what I had already cut on Monday and by Saturday morning I had both tops together, quilted, and bound.  I worked on them a few hours every night after dinner last week.  

Having the long arm sure helps.  I am so glad I have that.  It only took one and half hours to quilt each one.

For the backs I dug out some oldy but goody fabric.  I have been collecting fabric as long as I have been quilting  and these guys have been waiting their turn to be used up.  I now only have a few inches of each that will go in the scrap bin for something else.

I had intended to make one for me and one to give away, but as soon as this one was finished I felt like it needed to go to my neighbor, so she is now the new owner of this one.

This one I gave away at my family 4th of July party.  I had a jar of red white and blue M&Ms and who ever guessed closest to how many were in the jar won the quilt.  It was fun.  I have been asked to bring a quilt to giveaway at every family function now.  lol.  We shall see...

I still have some left over blue rectangles and red stripes, so maybe I will make one for myself to keep for next year.

Happy Quilting and Happy 4th!

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