Finish No. 2 - 3 Q

This is my second Scrappy Trip Around the World from Bonnie Hunter's Scrappy Trip tutorial.  This time I decided to raid my stash of red and white 2 1/2" strips and make a Scrappy Trip Irish Chain.

The project, ongoing as an in-between project since 2015, finally came to an end this year when I realized I had made 42 blocks!  i was shooting for a nice large lap quilt...I ended up with a really large lap quilt!

I'm so in love with it...it's my new favorite!

So many old fav-fabrics in here...

and cute little heads popping up unexpectedly...

and kitties galore!

I'm anxious to get this one washed and crinkled...and on the couch with a good book!

Some Stats for the quilt:
Size: 72" X 84"
Quilting: Cross Hatching
Started: 04/26/15
Finished: 08/07/17
Fabric Used: The top is all scrappy stash, the backing is a wide backing by Connecting Threads

This makes finish #9 for 2017...and 42 remaining UFO's (23 remaining on the 3rd Q List)

Finish No.1 - 3rd Q

Packing up my sewing room for our (ongoing) move was the perfect time to start several new scrap/stash buster quilt tops...right?

It seemed perfectly acceptable to waste spend time petting, loving and re-visiting all the beautiful fabric I have while boxing them up for an undetermined amount of time...and just as acceptable to set aside lovely little stacks of coordinated bundles to admire...

Which, of course, leads to starting new projects...

 Normal, right?

And who doesn't read Crazy Mom Quilt's blog, see her Big Nines tutorial, and run home immediately after work and start making some Big Nines of their own...

Please tell me it's not just me...

Well, anyway...I did and piecing the center nine-patch units was unbelievable relaxing and just what I needed during the great moving purge-and-pack of 2017.  Not to mention how satisfying it was to use 25 fat quarters from my stash.  (Well, 24...the top left block is from my friend's stash...)

Realizing the top is decidedly picnic-esque...

...and coincidentally coinciding with Stitched in Color's picnic blanket sew-a-long in July, my Big Nines top was meant to be a picnic-blanket!

I used a medium weight canvas from Joann's Fabric (on sale...score!) for the backing.

Now I just need to find time to go picnicking!

Some Stats for the quilt blanket:
Size: 80" X 80"
Quilting: none
Started: 05/22/17
Finished: 07/16/17
Fabric Used: The top is all scrappy stash, the backing is a canvas by Waverly that was on sale a Joann's.

Full Disclosure:  I had to bribe my mom's dog, Max, with cookies to venture onto the blanket for a picture...he wasn't real happy about being outside in 100+ degree weather having his picture taken.

This makes finish #8 for 2017...and 43 remaining UFO's (24 remaining on the 3rd Q List)