“Codes” is a finish. It’s been a long journey! After 6 years of learning to quilt & spending a little time on it regularly, I was tempted to attend a retreat, learn some new skills, & up my game. So in January 2015 I attended my one & only quilt retreat in St. George, Utah. My husband hiked all over the red rocks while I spent the weekend being completely overwhelmed by all these quilting people who knew a thousand times more than me & were way faster. I learned wool applique, did a class by Melissa Corry, learned to sew with tiny scraps & use a hexie template. I came home overwhelmed by all the projects to finish. I worked on them pretty steadily, except this one which languished on my shelf. I had made one block at the retreat. During the pandemic in 2020 when I started working my WIP’s, I pulled this out & realized that now that I’m experienced, there wasn’t a block in there I couldn’t make in a flash! So it came together quickly. I finally got it quilted & bound & here it is with all those fabrics I carefully chose & still love as I use up the scraps in my current projects. It’s called “Codes” because hidden in each block is a strip of traditional blocks.
On the Move Remix by Melissa Corry. I worked on the blocks this week & got rows 1 & 2 done & sewed with sashing; ditto rows 3 &4; also some blocks together in bottom half. I’m using Spotted charm squares & Grunge background.
As for yellow, it’s been a cutting & prep week. I got the sets cut for the Catching Rainbows blocks.
With all my leftovers from cutting, I got the 8 string blocks done for the Catching Rainbows blocks.
I also cut the little Tula Pink blocks so they are ready to sew. I had 4 picked out in yellow for my arrangement.
I cut all the pieces for the yellow & black star blocks for September Sky by Bonnie Hunter. I’ve previously made the green 9-patch squares that alternate with these. I set it aside since it’s a Christmas gift, but I figured the yellow month was a good time to get them going. I got the strip pieced 4 patches done, so now flying geese & HSTs. I adapted the pattern to make both these blocks with the no-waste method & 8 at a time HSTs. I hate sewing triangles for HSTs, so I did some quilt math. Which I also hate, so hope I figured correctly!
My current status for the six RSC2022 projects:
- four red & four aqua blocks from the Tula Pink 100 Modern Quilt Blocks (yellow cut)
- 1 red & 1 aqua twinkling friendship block inspired by Deb A. (yellow squares pulled)
- 3 red & 2 blue Shine blocks from the free pattern by Melissa Corry – on target because no yellow
- 8 red & 6 aqua Dancing Stars by Amy Ellis – running behind
- 14 red & 16 aqua blocks for Sweet Kisses by Gigi’s Thimble (yellow cut)
- 7 red & 7 aqua blocks, plus matching border string blocks for Catching Rainbows by Bonnie Hunter (yellow cut & 8 string blocks done)
Codes is a neat quilt! Congratulations on getting a longtime UFO finished!
love all the yellows! so bright and cheerful!
Wow!! I am making a string star so I have similar blocks ready. You inspire me to organize my RSC blocks! Have a great week!
What a fun quilt finish and another one in the works, Sue!! Nice work on sewing up some YELLOW/GOLD scraps for this month’s Rainbow Scrap Challenge, too.
Your Codes quilt is fantastic! Beautiful colors, and I love the hidden strips of pieced blocks. Can you share the pattern source? (When I Googled “Codes quilt pattern” everything that came up is related to Underground Railroad codes in quilts.)
Navajo Code Talkers by Norma Whaley. I did mine in such bright colors that I shortened the name. Hers is in very traditional, masculine colors.
Very impressive how may RSC quilts you are working on simultaneously. You have convinced me that string piecing is a great way to go. So fun to read about you going from overwhelmed by the experienced quilters at your retreat, to becoming one yourself.