Don't you love a new block?

Happy Friday! I started working on a new sampler quilt when I went on retreat in Jan. but have been so busy with classes the past few months I hadn't gotten back to it, so I have been working on some new blocks for it this week.

I am using lots of different batiks with a multicolored batik background.  I got the block below finished and started another one, not really looking at it. Later when I took the picture, I realized something was off! oops!

That's better!

I had finished five blocks on retreat, so now I have ten. Two more and I can start putting it together. One thing I really like about samplers is that you can try a block out without having to make dozens of them. Plus it's a challenge for me to design a few new blocks to mix in with the traditional blocks as well as design a setting that I haven't used before.

What are you favorite quilts to make? One or two blocks repeated or multiple blocks in a sampler setting?

Sewing day

 While I was on retreat in Jan. we decided we needed a sewing day before our next retreat, so planned one for March. We met on Saturday, bright and early and sewed and chatted through the day. Pat had her center all put together for this sampler, but was unhappy about the stripes on her border so spent most of her time recutting them and taking the old ones off. It is so gorgeous! She has the woven border ready to put on, so it's just a matter of time until she has a finish!

Diana worked on a Miss Tess baby quilt and brought this one to show us. She also brought her two finished Zigzag quilts...she made these for twins and used the same polka dot fabric for each, coordinating with the pink and purple so they will be able to tell them apart.

She also brought her finished Spiderweb Stringpiecing quilt for show and tell.

Dianne got her Against the Tide Mystery quilt finished. It's not as light as it appears in this picture, you can see the light from behind showing through. It's hard to get good pictures of larger quilts in the classroom!

She also got her border sewn on her Miss Tess quilt. She found a black with small white polka dots that seemed perfect and mirrored the black and white polka dots in the centers of the shapes.

Here's a close up so you can see the dots!

I worked on my red and white challenge quilt. I like it so far.

Awhile back, Carole emailed me from VA that her daughter loved the Circle and Spin quilt she saw on my blog and wanted her to make it for her.  I believe it was for a wedding gift. I received an email the other day with a picture of the finished quilt...it's so beautiful! I love it when people send me pix of quilts they've made with my patterns!

My daughter and I did a little thrift shop shopping yesterday...she found a rocker/recliner that looks like new so snatched it up after we determined it would fit in her Kia Soul. I didn't find anything, but that's ok since I don't really much at this point. It's always fun looking though!

More randomness ...

Dianne has finished her Miss Tess quilt top...isn't it gorgeous? She is debating what to use for a border.

Barb's Which Way is Up? quilt is quilted and ready to give as a gift.

In case you missed Kerstin's post about her Against the Tide Mystery quilt, here it is in all its glory. I can't wait to see the other mystery quilts finshed!

Diana sent me this picture of her Spiderweb Stringpiecing quilt...she is almost finished!

Cindy brought this to S & B, our small quilt group, the other night. This is a quilt she was working on during our retreat. I don't know the pattern, sorry, but if you are interested I can ask her.

Do you ever get tired of kitty pix? Smokey was sitting quietly, watching me sew. Conrad jumped up beside her and started the tail swishing back and forth, back and forth....

in her face, over her back....he eventually left and she took a nap.

I'm sewing with my retreat group today...it's our mini retreat day! Are you having a quilty Saturday!

Friday randomness

I've taught quite a few classes this past week so I thought I'd share some of the pictures of blocks from these sampler classes. I have one group that chose which sampler they wanted to make and are each making a different quilt. The others are making the same quilt. Sometimes they put their finished blocks up on the design walls to see how the new one fits in. So it's always fun and colorful. 

Some are beginners and some are seasoned quilters. I didn't get pics of everyone in the classes as some didn't finish their blocks so didn't want them taken until next time. One group has to make 10 of these friendship stars, so they definitely have homework.

                                        

 Several brought show and tell also, so I'll share those tomorrow. 

                                  

                                

                                    

I got together with my small but mighty quilt group last night. We had fun chatting and sewing...I attached the binding on my challenge quilt for that group, so it is finished! One of the gals had an accident with her challenge quilt...her dog chewed a hole in it, so she has a new challenge to face before next time! We are all bringing them when we meet in May so that we can take a picture of our challenge quilts together. They are all so different but incorporated fabrics from all of our stashes.

The CB quilt show committee met for the first time Thursday night. We felt we had a productive meeting and have chosen a theme and laid the groundwork for next time. We are going to focus on modern quilts this time, including art quilts. If you live in our area and want to help plan this event please let me know!

A quilty Sunday...

My quilting group decided to do a little challenge project awhile back. We swapped a bunch of odd size pieces and were to make something with them. We could add to them if we wanted, but needed to use most of them if possible. I had a hard time getting started on it to begin with...lots going on and I just wasn't inspired about what I wanted to do. After much thought, I decided to make braids, so took them with me on my Feb. quilting retreat.

 I cut all the odds and ends of fabrics from the swap into strips, then used my HexNMore ruler to cut them into half hexies. It is so easy to make braids this way that I quickly got them sewn together, and surrounded them with white sashings. I hadn't taken anything along for a border,  so dug through my fabrics when I got home to see what I had that would work.

This red paisley seemed just perfect for some reason so I went with it. I used one of my older pantos, Tumble and quilted it Sunday with white thread. It's a smaller quilt, about 47 x 58.

I had enough  of this floral fabric left over from another quilt for the backing and will use the red border fabric for the binding. It's made, just needs to be attached. My group meets Thursday night, so I will probably work on the binding then and have some show and tell for them!

The inspectors are always around to give their opinion and pose for a picture.

Against the Tide Mystery Revealed!

Against the Tide Mystery quilt 2014

Yesterday was the finale for the second group doing the mystery quilt so I can finally  reveal the Against the Tide Mystery quilt! TaDa!

I started them off making blocks, so they worked on those for awhile before I showed them the quilt. I love how their colors are coming together!

Dianne's mystery blocks

Lora's mystery blocks

Kelli started a new job this week and had to work today, so wasn't able to come to class. She stopped in to go over the pattern and see the finished quilt.

The first group received their final clues about 10 days ago, so they probably have their quilts put together by now, right?

Marilyn's mystery blocks

The colors are more washed out in this photo than in person. Marilyn chose a muted group as she is making this for her son and wanted a masculine look.

Cathy's mystery blocks

I saw Kathy the other night. She let her husband choose the fabrics for this quilt and he has arranged them in a different manner. I can't wait to see the finished quilt!

Kathy's mystery blocks

Both groups are meeting at Cut Up and Quilt on April 15 to show off their quilts. The first group set that date to give themselves a deadline and the second group is going to try to bring what they have completed too. I think it will be fun to see them all together!

Kerstin, at Cookies Treasures, is posting about her finished quilt today too. She was kind enough to test the pattern for me. I can't wait to see it! She sent me a picture of the blocks on her design wall, but I haven't seen the final quilt yet either! She is good at keeping secrets, isn't she? I'm not sure when she will post, so keep checking back if she hasn't posted yet. 

One of the students and I decided to stay and sew yesterday after class, so she made some good progress on her blocks while I started working on the red and white challenge quilt...I couldn't wait to get started once I had finished the design. The SewCalGal Make It Challenge is from March 24 - Sept. 30. Even if you didn't design a quilt, you can make a red and white quilt from a purchased pattern. There are two separate categories for the Make It challenge. Check out the rules here and scroll down to Make It Challenge...just note that these quilts have to be made in 2014. Click here to see all of the designs entered in the Design It Challenge. 

As I was binding this quilt, I had it draped over a chair and onto a table to help hold the weight....guess it looked like a good resting spot!

Conrad approved Against the Tide Mystery Quilt

Red and White Challenge

SewCalGal is hosting a Year of Red and White Quilt Challenges throughout 2014. There are several different phases of the challenge. She began with a virtual quilt show of red and white quilts. The next phase is a design challenge which I decided to enter because I rarely use red and I like the idea of a two color quilt. I'm not sure why I don't use red as much as other colors, but maybe making this quilt will encourage me to use it more! 

I started out playing around with several blocks I drew in EQ6. I purposely drew an odd block, one that didn't look that exciting as one, but would become more interesting when putting 2 - 4 of them together. That's the great thing about having a design program like EQ...you can draw it, redraw it, color it, turn it and play with it until you like it. I won't post all the layouts I came up with for different versions of this block, but this was the first one I really liked. I liked the way there was beauty in the randomness of the finished squares as well as a lightness to the design as a whole. For the first design, I used three different red fabrics.

Ruby Red 1 (68" x 80")
White: 4.25 yd. Red 1: .75 yd, Red 2: .75 yd,  Red 3: 1.5 yd.

 I used a slightly different version of the same block, and different 

color placement for the second version below. I also used four different fabrics. By turning the blocks, I made a more organized  design, with a full block in each row, with partial blocks framing them. I really loved this design, but thought maybe it needed a cleaner, more definite line.....

Ruby Red 2 (68" x 80")
White: 4.25 yd, Red 1: .75 yd, Red 2: .625 yd, Red 3: .25 yd. Red 4: 1.5 yd.

So I redrew the block and used the same setting to come up with this design. I'm still torn between the last two, as I like them both. I like that the 3rd version has a more definite line, but still like the 2nd one too. This design uses 4 different reds as well.

Ruby Shadow (68" x 80")
White: 4 yd, Red 1: 2.25 yd, Red 2: .25 yd, Red 3: .25 yd, Red 4: .75 yd.

Now I'm excited about making this quilt for the Make It Challenge, which begins next week, and have been choosing fabrics! There are a lot of pretty reds out there, as well as a lot of different red tones, so I'm not sure I will be able to limit myself to three or four reds!

You can participate in the Make It Challenge even if you didn't design your own quilt...there are two categories to this portion of the challenge. You can make your own design, or you can make a quilt using a purchased or free pattern. There will be virtual quilt shows of each category of "made" quilts. There are also prizes to win along the way. All quilts have to be made in 2014 to qualify for the challenge.

Which one do you like best? I'd love to hear your opinion and why!