Sweet Sixteen

Back in June, I made the impromptu decision to join the Summer Scrap Bash hosted by Brittany @loandbeholdstitchery basically because it would give me a reason to use the original Cotton+Steel jelly roll that my daughter Rachel @snippetsofsweetness had given me. Not once have I regretted that decision, as it gave me a fun interlude in between other more demanding projects.

I snuck in making 16 patch blocks every chance I could, even making more than I originally intended, to make a larger quilt than I initially thought. At times, I questioned that change of plans, but of course, now that it's done, I'm more than pleased.

The quilt finished at 56" x 72", a nice sized large throw-size. With the pile of leftover jelly roll strips and bits from my quilt top, and the two yards of C+S Sprinkle still left in my stash, I managed to make a pieced quilt back. I began by piecing all of my remaining 2.5" strips end to end. They were in varying lengths and the new pieced 'strip' ended up being nearly 21 yards long!! I kept sewing lengths together, eventually cutting the piece into three segments to piece into the Sprinkle. The bottom left got filled in with my last fat-quarter and another random piece. To say my C+S stash is dwindling is an understatement. But I'm pleased to have used so much of it in this quilt.

For quilting, a simple grid seemed appropriate, and with so many colors in the quilt, I just went with Aurifil 28wt 2021 [Natural White]. Not sure that was the best choice, but I think it worked ok. 

I bound the quilt with my last bit of Cotton and Steel Basics XOXO Black. I can't say I'm thrilled with the result, as the majority of the Xs ended up on the back of the quilt. Uh-oh and oh well. At 56" x 72", the quilt is a nice lap quilt size, and that's what I was after.

Meanwhile, what's left of my C+S stash is a small stack of charm squares (from this quilt) and an even smaller handful of yardage and scraps that are all getting consolidated into my general stash. It's hard to believe it's been a good 10 years+ since I started collecting C+S fabrics, keeping them together all this time. End of an era.

Linking up with Quilting JETgirl's Favorite Finish {August 2025}.

All the Sixteen Patches

As of yesterday, I've finished all of my 16 patch blocks for the Summer Scrap Bash hosted by Brittany @loandbeholdstitchery. I'm pretty sure I'm right on schedule, maybe even a little ahead, as I'd originally planned on 49 blocks for a small lap quilt, and ended up with 63 for a bit larger lap quilt.

So here are all of my blocks!

I was trying hard not to use duplicate fabrics together but I didn't quite made it. I noticed one duplicate set as I was putting them up on the design wall (gold horses with dark navy) and there could be more. After a while I started to lose track!

I've already swapped a couple of blocks on the wall, but doubt I'll mess with it much more. Time to get these blocks into a quilt top! Not my favorite chore, but it needs to be done.

16 Patch Progress

Honestly, I'm not that good with sewing along with the schedule of a sewalong. More often than not, I'm steaming ahead, and it's true once again with the Summer Scrap Bash hosted by Brittany @loandbeholdstitchery. Our first week's assignment was to choose, organize, and press fabrics, saving cutting (and labeling) fabrics for weeks two and three, and making blocks beginning in week four. Yeah, well that's not happening. As part of my choosing and organizing fabric tasks, I've dug into my original Cotton+Steel stash for fabrics to cut and add to the initial jelly roll I started with. Though the jelly roll will provide over half of the fabric I need for a lap-size quilt, it won't quite be enough. I've always kept my C+S fabrics in their own bin, and I have plenty of smaller pieces (scraps?) that are perfect to add in. So I've been cutting those, and will continue to do so until I have as many strips as I need.

As little rewards for progress on other projects (the finishing of the Ode to Joy quilt top! the beginning of a backing for Effervescence!) I've allowed myself to make another block. They are quick and fun and are making me very happy, so why not? Plus, we have a vacation week planned smack dab in the middle of the weeks for creating blocks, and I don't want to fall behind.

Truth is, between the start of drafting this post and today, I've got quite a little stack of blocks made. They are just too fun not to sneak one in now and then.

I can tell already that this quilt will be eclectic! And that's ok. I'm using bits of delicious fabrics that I don't have much of, and that was the goal from the start. Schedule or no, I'm going to enjoy them until they're gone.