Oh if I had all the time in the world...

Sometimes I get sad about quilting... not really about quilting but perhaps the LACK of it.

This is a group of blocks that one of my quilt groups did as a swap.  I had big plans to make these into a tree skirt this year, but it just didn't happen.  Perhaps I will get around to it for next year.  I find that I often have so much I want to do, but never the time to make it happen.

Triangles in Progress

Awhile back, I posted about some blocks I wanted my Always Bee Learning quilt group to work on.  I received pretty much all of them back (though I think this picture doesn't include a few of them for some reason). 

They are all different and all look AWESOME.  I can't wait to find the time to get this quilt put together.  Right now I continue to have them on my design wall.  They are all quite traditional in design... such is often the case when working primarily with half square triangles.  So, I am trying to think about what I can do to make it more ME.  I plan on off setting the blocks in some way but haven't quite figured it all out yet.  I am sure I will show you when I finally do!

Ruby LOVE

I'm in the process of making up blocks for a quilt that I have had in mind for awhile.  I am using the Moda Ruby line.

The block I chose was inspired by a quilt that I quilted for someone else.  She used charm squares to make her blocks and the blocks were HUGE.  I wanted to scale it down a bit.  I had several packs of Ruby charm squares and quartered each square to compose these blocks.  I also bought some extra yardage of all the pindot fabrics.

 The blocks are 11.5" right now (so they will finish at 11").  I am thinking that I will likely make one large block and surround it with these small ones, but I am still thinking about that.

In addition to the Moda Ruby fabric, I am also including some of the Bliss line into the quilt.  I already made a Bliss quilt awhile back and had some extra fabric to work with.  The two lines, both by Bonnie & Camille, work seamlessly together.  I am still going to have a ton of fabric leftover, so I am sure yet another Bliss/Ruby quilt will be on the horizon!

Thinking about Valentines in November

I belong to a quilt group with some women that I used to go to church with and now get to be good friends with them and crash their quilting group!  Our latest project is a Valentine's project where we wanted to make blocks for each other using Valentine fabrics and colors as well as some heart inspired blocks.  I finally finished up the last of my blocks (we have been exchanging each week we see each other, so these are just the last few I had to whip up).  I did a few different blocks, but the majority of my blocks are what I have pictured below.

 I made dresdens-- both flat edged and pointed-- as well as these "lil' twister" blocks.

I bought the "Lil' Twister" template at the IQF show this year and I love it!  It is a cute little template that is great to use with Charm squares and is really easy to do.  The best part is that it looks so good when it is completed!  For my first try with the template, I used my leftover Punctuation fabric.

 My week for exchanging was a few weeks ago and these are the blocks that I have received!  Aren't they awesome!?  I am already thinking about what I want to do with this quilt to take it to the next level!:)  I am so lucky to have so many talented people that inspire me to do more!!

Triangulations

 My month is coming up for my Always Bee Learning Bee on Flickr.  I love this group because I am learning so many quilting techniques.  I was going to do Dresden blocks for my month, but since I still haven't figured out what to do with my last set of dresden blocks, I thought I would try out something that my mom uses in quilting fairly often... TRIANGULATIONS.  What it is is a program that lets you print off templates that when you sew two pieces of fabric together, you will end up with multiple PERFECT half square triangles.

This is heaven sent for me because I don't seem to make more than a few half square triangles without it looking a little stretched or forced.  They are a new love for me and I am sure you will be seeing me make lots of half square triangles in the near future!

Though it is an odd choice for me, I chose to do a BROWN quilt.  It will be completely brown and white.  I am really excited about it.  I love the fabrics I chose so I think it will be great.  I sewed up my first 16 triangles and took pictures of a few different possible layouts.....

I am giving everyone in my bee the option to lay them out any way they choose so I am excited to see what comes back to me!

Watching it all come together...

First off, the giveaway is still going on.  Only one more week to leave a comment and have a chance to win one of six great prizes!!!  Enter here.

So this is what is on my design wall right now.  These beauties were made by my Honeybees group.  I have a plan for this quilt and am excited to get a chance to work on it...some day!

Stars are still coming in the mail, then I will get an idea of how many more I need to make myself.  I am planning on adding different blocks in between these and making a cute border as well. I really am excited that the members of my group made me such GREAT blocks... seriously, these are beautiful!

DS Heaven!

If you are looking to enter my HUGE giveaway, you can find out how to enter and win one of 6 great prizes here.

My birthday was a few weeks ago and I decided that I had looked at this fabric too many times without buying that I finally needed to take the plunge.  JoAnns' DS fabric line is priced about the same as the quilt store fabric, but I did get to use a 50% off coupon to buy the 5 yards of backing fabric I bought.  Score.

I know the DS fabric is very popular, but I just love how this fabric literally reminds me of going on a picnic.  So, I am going to make, what else?  A picnic quilt out of it!  Not sure exactly what design I am going to do yet... for now it is sitting on my shelf while I keep staring at it trying to decide what to do... but it is calling to me, so I am sure it won't be too long until I dive in!

Dresden Dilemma

If you are looking to enter my HUGE giveaway, you can find out how to enter and win one of 6 great prizes here.

 What seems like forever ago, I sent my Aqua and Red beemates some Riley Blake- Quilted Fish Sugar and Spice fabric.  Usually, when it is my month in a bee, I hand over chunks of fabric and let them have their way with it, but this time I gave specific instructions.

You see, I got myself a handy little dresden template and was dreaming in dresdens that month.  I wanted each person to make two dresden blocks for me.  It seemed like a lot of work and since I did just get the template, I made all the cuts myself and just had them put them together.  To make it even easier, I opted for a smooth edged dresden as well.

Side note:  I think for quilting bee blocks, it really is best to let the other bee members be creative and make something original. Better to give general guidelines and let them do their thing. That is really the bonus of these bees is that you have others design for you, not just do your work.  I realized that after I did this bee that, yes, I got the blocks that I wanted, and they were all beautifully sewn, but there weren't any surprises or originality either.  I don't know, what sorts of blocks do you think are best for bees?

1. Aqua and Red Bee - Erin's July Block 01, 2. Aqua and Red Bee - Erin's July Block 01, 3. July - Aqua and Red Bee, 4. July - Aqua and Red Bee, 5. Dresden, 6. Dresden 2, 7. aqua and red bee blocks for erin (toerintx) for july, 8. Aqua Red Swap July 2011, 9. Aqua Red Swap July 2011, 10. aqua and red block for (toerintx) erin..., 11. erin sq2, 12. erin sq 1, 13. Aqua and Red Bee- July Sample Block, 14. Erin's Block #2 for the aqua and red bee , 15. Erin's block #1 for the aqua and red bee , 16. Aqua and Red Bee- July Sample Block

Now I have all these beautiful blocks back in my possession but haven't been able to bring myself to work on it.  I just can't come up with a great idea for this quilt!

I thought about something like this:  (This is the quilt from the book "Block Party")

 What I like most about this is the random red squares and the skewed white squares.  That being said, I don't want to copy the quilt.  I mean, I do get lots of inspiration from others and honestly, sometimes I do try do make the exact same quilt, but generally, I do like to change a few things to make it mine.  I am really stuck on these dresdens though!  I think because they are a little plain in that they all look the same.

Any ideas?  I will continue thinking about it and let you know what I come up with.


My aqua and red bee is coming to a close.  They are continuing on a second round, but I won't be joining them :(.  I love my bees, but I am also looking for more opportunities to do my own quilts!

Can Hardly Wait!!

 The quilting process is a fairly long one.  Selecting a pattern, then fabric, sewing the blocks, then putting the blocks together, then perhaps borders, then you have to quilt it and then bind it.  It often takes months and some even years to complete a quilt.  I have two quilts that are almost finished.  One just needs the binding and the other is getting quilted as we speak!!!  I am very anxious to post them because they are two of my most FAVORITE quilts yet!!  I think this is what happens when you pick fabric you are in love with!  Well, I am just itchin' to show you the completed products!

Both of these quilts are Bee quilts and both groups returned awesome blocks.... sometimes you really just stumble into good fortune with these bees I tell ya!

This first one was made with fabrics that I just LOVE.  The texture of the fabric and the colors are just gorgeous.

 The blocks are so fun and interesting and all different!!  AND I just finished quilting this baby!  Once I finish the binding, be sure I will be posting a picture ASAP!

About six months ago I started a Christmas Fabric Bee.  Almost as long ago, I sent out this vast array of fabric consisting mostly of nontraditional Christmas fabric that just "works".

 Look at these amazing blocks I got back from my group!!  I know, right!?!  They are amazing.  Not wanting to take away from the awesomeness that these blocks are, I still adding a little something to make this quilt rock a little more. 

Can hardly wait to show you!!

WIP- Wednesday

 My Knotted Squares are coming together...

 slowly...

 ever so slowly...

Done with the blocks, but now I have to sew them together.  Not looking forward to matching up all those seams!

July's Quilting Book Club project

From May through August, the Quilting Book Club has been working through four projects out of this book:

It is a great book filled with simple, fairly quilt designs and patterns.  I am enjoying improving my skills with these more basic quilts.  Plus, they're gorgeous and it is fun!!

For July, we are doing the "Knotted Squares" pattern.  It requires a Jelly Roll and a solid.  I chose to work with the Moda Hideaway line and some yellow Kona I had on hand. 

I've since been happily cutting and sewing.  I am really nervous about getting behind on the monthly projects so I have made a real effort to keep to the deadlines.  So far, so good. 

Here are the next two books that our book club will be working with:

WIP- On the Design Wall

WIP Nightmare

This quilt top was the second quilt top I completed.  I worked on it at the same time as I worked on the first quilt, but it has YET to be completed.  It has really turned into a bit of a nightmare quilt.

First, I should say that I do love the pattern from Quilt Dad, it is really easy and hard to mess up.  I also used the Moda Bliss line which I absolutely LOVE.  It is so cute and girly.  Plus, I really love the way that pinks and reds go together. 

(pardon the toes in the picture...I'm sure it won't be the last set of kiddie toes I catch in a picture!)

This quilt has just given me grief.  The blocks turned out a bit wonky, I had to cut a few down so they would all size the same, I ran out of sashing fabric and had to get more, the border I put on didn't turn out the way I wanted and NOW the backing I bought isn't working out right.  I bought 5 yards of backing and it will fit if I cut out a chunk in the middle and sew it together in a few places, but it's sort of a pain, you know?  Once I finally do that, it will be ready for some custom quilting.  However, I know since I don't have ANY fabric left over that I am going to have to figure out SOMETHING for the binding.  I just want this quilt DONE already!