blocks, blocks blocks....

I have 3 quilts finished with binding, but no photos yet. I tried something new to me. Using bias binding and rounding the corners. I like it. I took the left over binding at finally put some on a few potholders too!

I won these blocks last year at Block Lotto. I saw a layout similar to this and thought....

that is what I will do!

Then, I thought some more....

What if I put sashing between the blocks instead. It will be a nice way to use up some of the skinnier strips of black and white fabric around here. 

The Tula Pink Project...

(mini group through the guild using the 100 modern quilt blocks)

I got them out over the weekend.

These are the first 18. Some I love, some I don't.

The next 8 for the May meeting. Finished! We bumped it up to 8 a month. They are rather addicting. So I continued....

These are June's grouping. Number 53 didn't get done. I'm thinking about making them more arrow-like instead. But I boxed them all up again.

And they look way better in person.

test pattern class....

I have never done a class before. Our local quilt shop, 

The Quilted Forest, hosted a test class with  Terry Atkinson. We are given the raw form of the pattern and told to follow the directions and sew. Are things worded right? Do we understand what it says? Find mistakes. 

And Terry is there to answer questions.

One was for a quilt pattern called Wanderlust. It calls for 1/2 yard cuts. Last week I called the quilt shop and ordered some solids. Shelly (the owner) sent me a picture. Yep, they look good and I bought them over the phone. She brought them to the class. That was pretty slick.

The first pattern was for little bags. It has 6 different sizes. 

My friend, Karen was there too. OMG, how cute when we finally finished. Karen's is the top one and the perfect size to hold the Clover Wonder Clips she had bought. These clips were pretty handy and I think I will buy some too.

The afternoon was the quilt pattern.

Karen went with text prints and dark arrows. Mine will be solids with white arrows.

We were in two classrooms. Late in the afternoon Shelly started hanging finished blocks (or near finished) along the front of the classroom. 

Here is the other classroom's collection. I'm not sure why they had less.

Shelly and Terry

They were busy getting there own pictures and taking selfies. This was a really fun experience. It was only one day, not too expensive and not too far to travel! There were about 30 of us all together. I listened to others talk about quilt retreats. I am still not sold on the idea of going somewhere for several days. I must not be a social sewer. I would rather do it at home.

 I would do another day class like this one again!

We also stopped in the quilt shop before we went home. `

Terry did the classic pattern for Yellow Brick Road. I have all those grays to use...and they could end up in that. 

Maybe.

The patterns will be coming out in May.

there must be something to blog about.....

I went through pictures on my phone to figure out what I have been doing and working on...

Yesterday was pi day, 3-14-15. If you found a puzzle cache, you would get a fun souvenir badge for your geocaching profile. So while out about yesterday, we found a few. My favorite one had you shine a flashlight into a hole in the box. Numbers appeared on a mirror and these were used to open a lock so you could sign the logbook. 

I also found a dead raccoon. Ick. No logbook to sign with that.

March BLOCK LOTTO blocks! 

I have figured out what I am going to do with the sunrise blocks I won last summer!

I want to make a large sun for the center. Using what Sophie said and did [HERE]

I started making a pattern...and that is as far as I got.

At least I know what I will be doing, It will be fun when I actually do it!

I tried machine quilting. I just eyeballed it, so my curves aren't uniform. My question is....what is the best way to mark the lines for nice uniform stitching?

making gray frames......

Last fall, 12 of us made 2 blocks for an exchange. They all have the same gray background and a solid.

We exchanged them in December.

January was spent setting these.

I had 7 strips of gray fabric. Each was 2 1/2 by the width of fabric. I found this frame in the book

Setting Solutions by Sharyn Craig

In the book it is for a finished 6 inch block. I had to do some math...

One strip made one frame with a little left over.

Each block would have its own gray frame and I went on a gray fabric shopping spree,

buying some here and there.

There will be another gray quilt in my future, I now have a ton of gray!

At first I was going to do a 4x6 layout. I changed my mind and made one more block so it could be  5x5. The background is different WOW fabrics. Some repeat, some don't. The block finishes at 14 1/2. They haven't been sewn together yet.

I started sewing Tula Pink blocks from the book 100 Modern quilt blocks.

They are pretty easy to make.

They are made with cherrywood fabrics. I'm pretty much following the colors from the book. If the block has a big chunk of print fabric, I am inserting these shoo fly blocks instead.

I am not in love yet, But I am thinking that by the end, as a group, they will all look awesome!

I snapped this the other day at school. I love all these circles! It would be a cool quilt.

the chickens are free....

The mystery is almost a top. It lost its checkered sashing and it will get a plain border.

After I did this I worried and seconded guessed myself.

Did I tone it down too much?

Maybe I shouldn't have done that....

to late, it is done.

But!

(this is the part that makes my heart sing)

I did find a place to use the checkered sashing.

In 2008 I made 16 chickens.

The pattern had them sewn together, but I wanted something more.

I never knew what that was though.

So they sat in a drawer for a long time waiting.

I absolutely fell in love when I put them with the orphaned checkered sashing strips.

The chickens will finally be free!

I have 16 chickens that need to be squared up to 12 1/2 inches.

I'll use black for the cornerstones.

It is a match made in heaven.

This months Block Lotto blocks are pretty cool.

I made 6 of them.

School started back up Monday. We got out early because of snow.

Then, there was a late start on Tuesday morning and today it is brutally cold,

so there is no school.

And I am sewing while I have the chance!

block lotto inspired.....and finished!

It isn't next year yet, but here I am. I need to get these two quilts posted before I forget again.

 I always wanted to get a better picture, You know the kind of picture where the quilt doesn't have feet. And maybe, no shadow of my head. 

I guess it doesn't really matter, does it?

Patterns for the birds and hearts....

(bird block click here)

(heart block click here)

The other quilt was part of the Polka Dot Challenge with the Blue Earth Quilters.

We bought a packet of dotted fabric and made something with it.

Anything we wanted.

I played block lotto by myself and made star-crossed blocks.

(star crossed blocks click here)

It became a pink quilt because I had some large chunks of pink here, at home, ready to use, without going shopping. I gave it to Crispy to use on his couch, in his apartment, in Ames. It had left without a proper photo. He brought it back over Christmas so I could take its picture.

Okay, now I will say it again....

see you next year!

December things....

The mystery has taken up a whole lot of sewing time. I am almost caught up. I need to put together my brown and white checks or step 3 of the The Grand Illusion Mystery!

The April blocks from Block Lotto were finished into a quilt and gifted to my brother-in-law for Christmas. He had some of these blocks ending up in his mailbox.

I won the X blocks in November and wouldn't you know....

Some of them ended up in his mailbox too!

Big O's will be added to the X's. Only not these. They are for the drawing this month at Lotto. I will make more for this quilt. 

Eventually.

These are part of the Blue Earth Valley Quilters block exchange. 

We met at the library in Blue Earth for the exchange, but one person wasn't there....so I am two blocks short. I will get them soon.

I have no idea what these will become.

I only know this quilt needs to be done by August.

It is nearly January! See you next year!