TNT Thursday - The lazy scrap HST

First off - If you have no idea what the heck TNT is . . . Check out here :)  Okay, now we are all on the same page.  Let's proceed.

So Today's TNT is sort of funny to me as I hadn't intended to do this particular new thing and the only reason I did it was because I was being lazy and procrastinating.  Here's the story :)

So for one of my bees we were asked to make a block with a bunch (like as in 32) of HST's that were all different.  So, I cut my white squares from some yardage super speedy like.  Then I rumaged through my scrap bags (which I hope to one day upgrade from zip-lock baggies)  and rounded up a bunch of small scraps.  And then placed those scraps on my cutting mat where they sat.  And sat.  And sat. Does this happen to anyone else??  Seriously, cutting individual scraps into 3" squares was just not on the top of my "I can't wait to do that" list.   Then I had  a thought.  Why trim them down now when I will trim later????

And from that thought was born the lazy man's (or woman's in this case) scrappy HST.  I don't know how often you would need to piece HST's from scraps, but if you do, this really turned out to be quite the time saving technique.  

So first I marked my line on all the perfectly cut white squares.  And then I just set them on top of my scrappy pieces centering them as best as possible.  I didn't even bother to pin them as I had wiggle room :)  (And ya, that was super sweet to not have to pin :)

Then I just chain stitched my 1/4" seam on either side of the drawn line.  I did all of the rights, and then all of the lefts :)  And then just clipped my threads between the blocks.

Then it was onto pressing.  I pressed towards the print.  I was worried I would have some issues here where things weren't even but nope, they pressed over just fine :)

Now it was just onto trimming.  I used my little square ruler and just lined up the diagonal line with the seam of my HST and sliced the first 2 sides and then rotated and once again lined up my diagonal and the 2 1/2" markings and sliced again.  And wham!!  Perfect HST's.  And I have to say, it was so much more fun slicing off some decent size trimmings instead of the little minuscule pieces I normally trim.  It made it seem like the trimming step was actually really necessary :)

So there you have it :)  The Lazy Scrappy HST :)  Now I don't think I would ever do this with yardage or pre-cuts or anything . . . But you better believe the next time I am using scraps for HST's, I will be using this little technique again :)

And just for fun . . . I used these particular HST's (and a few more) to make this bee block :)

<br /> <a border="0" href="http://happyquiltingmelissa.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src=" https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjERmOwnuoN_yJzxwDc-0EeiilcFD1-q0nwIYFJi8QgWQomMNyUe-mWSSLzpB1MHklEHvw7R3SgK4qNy-XzyNo0-QVoY6bWsu3_ACS-uXIDSqii5EEEEgawSE6dBGJI0DWhpWddnS0yvLs/s1600/TNT-thursdays-blog-button.jpg"/></a><br />

So that was my new little try for the week . . . Let's see what you have been up to :)  Let the linking commence!!!!!

Name Game Swap - My Package Arrived!!!!!!

Remember when I mentioned how exciting it was to send off packages to my swap partners.  Well receiving them . . . So awesome!!!  I can't tell you how excited I was when I went to the mail yesterday and found a wonderful little parcel that came all the way from Australia!!!  I got inside, tore it open and found this awesome package put together just for me!!!!  Squeal!!!!!

I just can't begin to say how much I love this.  It is just perfect for me and my purple sewing room!!!! It is going to match so fabulous!!  And don't you just love the little buttons!!!  What a fabulous detail.

Thank you a million times over to Quilt Kitty !!!!  Thank you for a mini that just fits me so perfect and makes me so happy.  Thank you for the extra goodies, I love the pins and I have already hid the chocolate from my kids.  Most of all, thank you for taking the time to make something just for me.  I will treasure it!!! 

Winner of the Intrepid Thread Sponsored Giveaway!!

I was so excited about the block contest yesterday that I forgot to post a winner of The Intrepid Thread Sponsored Giveaway of the Poetica Fat Quarter Bundle.  So let's get to that :)

And according to Mr. Random. Org the winner is lucky #10!!!!!

 Who happens to be Becky M!!!  Congrats Becky!!!  Looks like you will be getting a bundle of your favorite :)

Thank you to everyone for entering.  It was so much fun to get to read what everyone's favorites are :)  Happy Quilting!!!!

(Oh, and if you didn't win today it's okay, come back Friday. Well see how your Luck of the Irish holds out, Wink, Wink :)

A Wonderful Surprise

Good Morning, Good Morning ,  It wasn't so great to stay up late.  (have you seen Singing In the Rain, Love it!!!)   My little baby girl is sick (as are several other members of our family) so I was up  quite a few times in the middle of the night.  I woke up super tired and got the kids off to school. Then it was time to start the laundry.  Yup, sometimes Monday mornings are a real drag.

Until . . . You come to find that your block has been selected as one of the finalist in Crazy Old Ladies Block Contest!!!  Yippee Skippee!!!!

So here's a quick run down, if you have no idea what I am talking about.    Emily Herrick, amazing fabric and pattern designer and the brains behind Crazy Old Ladies had a whole ton of her new Hall Of Fame Line sent to her.  And she wanted to give some away.  So she came up with this fun little block contest to do so.  Now I have loved her Hall of Fame line from the second I layed eyes on it so of course, I was going to enter.  I choose some of my favorite blocks that I have completed recently and entered them.  And this morning I found that I was a finalist with my Improv Angles block.

So now it is onto a vote :)  So please, do me a huge favor by supporting Emily's contest.  Take a minute to pop on over and vote :)  The poll is on the top of the right hand column of the blog :)  Find a favorite and click on the name of the person's block.  There are some amazing blocks and I am just tickled to be among them :)

Isn't it just amazing how surprises just come along that turn your day completely around.  Love it!!!!!

Black, White, and Shades of Grey

I am hoping to get time today to slice into this lovely stack!!!  The fabrics are  from Riley Blake's Tuxedo Collection and I just love them!!!!  Don't they just POP!!!!  Sadly I won't be able to show much more of them than this.  Yup, another secret project.   Sorry to make you wait. I so wish I could share, but just think how awesome it will be when I can finally reveal them :)  Lot's of fun in store down the road :)  Let's hope I can be patient.  (Which should be interesting, as it never was my strong suit :)