July for Aqua and Red Bee

 July is my month to send out fabric for the Aqua and Red Bee.  I have been drooling over Riley Blake's The Quilted Fish Sugar & Spice line for forever and chose that as my fabric.

 I recently bought a dresden template and since I love the look of a dresden, I decided that is what I wanted from my beemates. 

 Since I asked for two blocks-- I bribed them with a free fat quarter-- I went ahead and cut all the blades myself.

This is what the dresden looks like after it is completed.  I went for the smoothed edge dresden this time around.  I think it makes it a little more modern.  I have big plans for this quilt and am anxious to get them all back!

WIP- Basic Ease

I joined the The Quilting Book Club a month late, so I am still working on catching up on May's quilt.  Here is the layout for the Basic Ease quilt from the "Modern Basics" book by Amy Ellis.

Hope to finish it up by next week!

A few July blocks

 July isn't over yet and I am not done with all my blocks yet.  But, I have finished most of them so thought I would go ahead and post what I have finished.

 First off is the Fat Stash Bee.  The blue fabric was provided and she asked for blocks for her husband's quilt.  He works with horses and cows and such in the country so all I could think of was "I need green and I need pinwheels"...so that's what I did!

 For Christmas Fabric Bee, Corley asked for improv Christmas blocks.

 In Honeybees, we did these strip star blocks.

 For Aqua and Orange Bee, Alix wanted these square in a square blocks-- the one above and below.

 In Twelve Month Quilting Bee, Cassey asked for these strip square blocks.

 For another Christmas Fabric Bee, Marci asked for strip star blocks as well... I did a lot of strippin' this month!

In the Aqua and Red Bee- Lynne asked for a block of our choice.  I have been having a thing for stars lately so I made a star... of course, right after I posted the picture on flickr, another group member made a WAY better star.  Oh well!

JUNE ALFALC Swap Received

I received this little package last month for my A Little Fabric A Little Chocolate swap.  We said extra fabric instead of chocolate since it is like 100 degrees here in Houston.  More fabric is better anyway!

4x5 Kickoff!

The new 4x5 Modern Quilt Bee is kicking off and soon the 3x6 will be back in full swing.  These groups have me making a block for each person in my group within approximately 3 months or so.  The idea is that after participating in a couple rounds, you should be able to make a sampler-type quilt out of all the blocks you have received.  I had to come up with a collage that represented the colors and types of blocks I would like.   This is what I came up with:

1. Corey's bee block - "Sew New to Me" vqb, 2. Caitlyn's Quilt Block Detail 8, 3. July Block Party, 4. Caitlyn's Quilt Detail of pieced quilt, 5. bee beautiful March block, 6. If it's a boy quilt - front, 7. Layouts, 8. Quilting Divas - block for mamamary2, 9. Pillow Swap 3, 10. 3x6 Q1- melinda, 11. 3x6 Hive 25, for Neet Designs (Nita), 12. Blue, green, and gray, 13. Dresden plate block for joanna, 14. IMG_3317, 15. [3 x 6] Bee Quilt Block, 16. Circle of Geese block for Renee

Alzheimer Quilts

 The West Houston Area Quilt Guild, which I just joined in (my momma's a member) is very active in making charity projects and asks their members to participate in one or two every year.  Well, I was excited about the Alzheimer quilts charity because these small mini quilts are just like mug rugs which take hardly any time at all to make and they are for a good cause!

I used my fabric and pieced them and my mom did the quilting... so it was a duel effort and both our contributions to the guild.

Quilt 1:

 I got a new dresden template a few weeks back and I LOVE it.  So, I used the mini dresden for the first quilt.  I used Riley Blake's Sugar & Spice fabric.  I also used a fabric from the same line for both the backing and the binding.

Quilt 2:

 Awhile back I participated in a string block swap.  I didn't make enough of them to make an entire quilt, so I have been using them in various projects that need a little something.  So, I sewed four of them together for the top of this quilt.  I also received some fun japanese fabric from my May ALFALC swap and chose to use that for the back of this one.  I bound this one is plain Kona White.

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:

First Quilting EVER!

 I've made many quilts, but have been spoiled by a quilting mother.  She has a longarm machine, so it was all to easy to just send my quilts to her.  However, since I am now not pregnant anymore and whipping out these quilts "too fast", according to her, she said I had to learn for myself!  So, I entered longarm training: an intense day long event to better familiarize myself with the machine and technique of longarm.  So, I quilted a quilt for the first time last week!

 This quilt is part of the The Quilting Book Club.  It is called Posie Patch and is from Amy Ellis' "Modern Basics book".  I used mostly Modern Meadow fabrics by Joel Dewberry.  The pattern is simple but has helped me improve my skills with triangles and matching up my seams.  It looks beautiful and I am really happy with the finished product.  It hangs in my sewing/craft room!!

 If you look close enough, you can see that the quilting isn't perfect... it is my first one though, but I really couldn't be more happy about it.  Using thread that doesn't show the quilting certainly helps.  I am excited to get another quilt on the racks and get going on my second quilting job!

In other news... I am getting excited to start putting these together:

Kick off to Stashtacular!

 Something exciting happened... I joined another group on flickr.  I know, I know, sounds crazy, but this one is therapeutic and perhaps NEEDED.  I joined in on Stashtacular.  I have pledged not to buy fabric for an entire month.  It's doable.

 Honestly I was thinking that I don't have that much fabric... I mean, I pump out quilts pretty fast, but from the comments I received after posting my stash pictures, I must have a problem!

My scrap bucket was overflowing as well, but I just went through it and narrowed it down to strips and squares so I feel a little more organized there.  Also, INSPIRED to make a scrap quilt.

The most excited part (for me anyway) for all this is that there are going to be lots of tutorials for things to make and PRIZES to be won!  I'm talking free fabric during my fabric fast!  So, you know I'm in. 

Joining Make Mine Modern Swap!

So, I have just joined the Make Mine Modern swap.  I know, another swap but I have been waiting for this one to open up because it seems like the swaps are really great and I am excited to make things for my partner!  Anyways, we needed to make a mosaic of things we like and our tastes and this is mine!

1. change purse, 2. Louise Pleated Wristlets, 3. Red and Aqua Winding Ways, 4. Australasian Bee Quilt Finished - front, 5. scalloped fabric garland, 6. "Spot On" Circle Quilt, 7. Doll Quilt Swap 10 Complete, 8. cathedral windows, 9. habitat by Jay McCarroll, 10. cosmetic pouch Riley Blake fabric, 11. Cascade Quilt, 12. Bumper in crib 1, 13. Supernova quilt, 14. Swap Ornaments from Amy, 15. DQS10 quilt finished, 16. For Make Mine Modern, 17. Breeze half apron 2, 18. Pillow in action, 19. Aviary 2 Quilt-FINISHED, 20. Blockwork Orange Quilt-FINISHED