Four Patch Fun--"Pink Lemonade"--post 1

Pink fabrics

Our Mystery Mavens group is planning to share strips to make Bonnie Hunter's Four Patch Fun Leader/Ender challenge. We were going to share the strips in September but some us forgot! I was one of those who forgot! So we are exchanging strips in December. 

One of our members said the colors reminded her of pink lemonade and so that has become the name of the project. We are sharing strips so we will have fabric from other members of the group. Some of us have pink and yellow fabrics. Some of us have pink and little yellow. Some, like me, have yellow but almost no pink!

Yellow fabrics

We decided any pink from light, to bright to dusty and to dark would be accepted. We also made the same sort of allowances for yellow. We could look at our stash for yellow gold, bright yellow, mustard, dark yellow and light yellow. 

My oldest granddaughter was over for a visit. She helped me find the remaining pink fabrics. (I already had pulled pink for Bonnie's mystery that will begin in a few weeks so I had little left!) We also pulled the yellow fabrics. 

Again, a lot of the yellow fabrics came from Rita's Temperature quilt fabrics. Although, I had quite a few. The really bright yellow fabrics, I picked up from the free table a number of years ago. 

I thought that I would start cutting strips. Then, I decided
that at the least, I want to pre-wash the fabrics first. Some, I have pre-washed; but, there are a lot that haven't been pre-washed. I will likely pre-wash the strips I get because I don't want to be surprised with a fabric bleed when the project is finished!

In process sewing

Then, I decided that I wanted to make a block to see what it was like. I asked my granddaughter if she would like to cut the pieces and sew a sample block. She did!

Chain piecing the block

That quarter inch seam proved to be elusive in some places; but, as she stitched, she hit the mark most of the time. She was impressed she remembered how to lower the presser foot and provide an even speed with the foot pedal. I was impressed with how quickly she corrected her seam allowance.

Finished block

Once she had finished, we both liked the block. So over the next week, I pre-washed fabric, dried fabric, pressed fabric and cut strips. If there wasn't enough fabric to cut a strip; but, there was enough fabric to cut a block, I did. For two days, I spent the majority of the day cutting!

15 pink and 80 yellow strips to exchange

Next,  I raided my precut strips and was able to come up with a few more fabrics. I pre washed the pink leftovers that my friend, Rita had cut for her Temperature quilt. These were the leftovers that would work for this project. I dried, pressed and cut as many blocks as I had fabric. I cut steadily for a couple of days!

Pink leftovers

I'm ready for the exchange. I have a great amount of fabrics cut for the leader/ender. I do need to cut the background fabric. I'm saving that task for another day!

Yellow fabrics ready for stitching

All my yellow and pink fabrics are in a project box awaiting background fabrics. I'm thinking that I will cut 20 strips to start and replenish as I need. My project box is about full; but, I believe I can squeeze in some background strips! When I finish this project, I will have used a lot of scraps!

Pink fabrics ready for stitching

Goal number six on my November list was to gather and cut strips for this leader/ender. Linking to Oh Scrap and Sew & Tell.