Another Block Party

This weekend I completed several small projects, a couple of which I can't show yet.  The others are bee blocks, actually finished in the month they were due, which hasn't happened for a couple of months.  I actually think I am caught up now.

This is a Bottled Rainbows block for Amber in the Sew Fun Bee.  She sent the block, already constructed, and a selection of fabrics and asked that we add the coordinating fabrics in ticker tape style.  I have to say, the more I do this ticker tape method, the easier I find it.  I nearly went crazy with the first one I did.  Not so bad now.  I added a couple of fabrics from my stash to give it some "local flavor".  This block is huge - I think it measures 18" x 24", but it gives a nice large palette for the ticker tape fabrics.  I'm fairly pleased with how this turned out.  I really started without a plan at all, and just fit in the fabrics where they seemed to go together.  I started in one corner this time.  If I were to do it again, I might start in the center.

This block is for Henny in the Sew and Bee Happy Bee.  The block is the maybe block from 99 Modern Blocks.  Henny gave us free rein to choose a word and colors.  It was a fun and easy block to create. 

So, if I don't get drenched by TS Debby, I may try to get these to the Post Office today, along with my other weekend finishes. Thankfully, we're not getting the worst of it this time - just occasional heavy showers and gusty winds here.  Pray for those folks in Central Florida who are getting far too much rain from this naughty girl.

Super Duper Swapping... (And Last Call for Giveaway!)

Last call for entries in the My Memories digital scrapbooking software giveaway.  If you're interested, go here to enter.  Ends tomorrow.

As I've mentioned a few times before, a week ago Saturday dawned a bout as ugly as a day can be.  Thunderstorms and heavy rain descended from the heavens as though it was the beginning of Noah's cruise.  And in the midst of it all, the poor FedEx man appeared at the door and dropped off a package.

It contained lovely swap items from marslaura, my partner in both Super Swaps swap and PP11.  Now, the first thing you need to know is that the Super Swap was for an oven glove.  Some people even sent two oven gloves, or an oven glove and a pot holder.  Even if you add PP11, which was for 2 pot holders, this is way over the top.  Would you look at this loot?  There are 2 placemats, 2 pot holders, an oven glove, a soap bottle apron and a trivet filled with scented rice!  It also contained some additional fabric in case I wanted to make some coordinating items.  What's left to make, I wonder?  I'm not sure there is anything Laura hasn't covered here.

I really love the soap bottle apron.

And look at the personalized embroidery on the oven mitt.  So cool.

So, I feel very spoiled.

And if that wasn't enough, I also received some other swappy stuff the previous week, and with all the rain and WH's surgery, just didn't get a chance to take pictures.

I received my ticker tape mini quilt from Denise.  I love the flower.  I love the mix of ticker tape, applique, and embroidery.

Denise had my name and I had hers.  In this swap, you know who your partner is, so you have to be sneaky about the pictures you post.  Denise received my pineapple mini.

Denise's creation has so much texture....  Would you check out all the French knots in the center of this flower?  There must be hundreds of them.  Wonder if she counted?

And the ticker tape fabrics she used were fun too.

Thanks, Denise, for a fun little mini quilt.

And I also received my pinnie in the Fab Little Pin Cushion Swap, or FLiPs as we affectionately call it.

Be13cca made me this lovely pinnie, and there is certainly no mistaking its purpose.  LOL

On a side note, I've been dying to try this letter piecing technique.  Now, maybe I won't have to.

Here's the back of the pinnie.  Look at the fun fabrics she used!  All that fussy cutting!  So cute.  And a little bundle of scrap fabrics.  Boy, can I have fun with those!

Thanks Becca.  I really love my pinnie.

So, it's been a great round of swapping and it's been a lot of fun.  I really love the stalking and creating, but it's fun to get these fab packages in the mail as well.

 Happy sewing!

Sick Days

I thought I had miraculously made it through the winter without being sick, but alas, it was not to be.   And you know I'm sick when I don't feel like sewing.  But I did have some scraps and hexies don't take much thinking, so I managed to get some hexie blocks done.  I'm maybe 3/4 of the way to my GMFG quilt.  That's progress, especially considering that I never thought I would EVER do this much hand sewing.

I managed 5 blocks in 4 days.  Hmmm...  at this rate, it will be a long time until I get the other 20 blocks made. 

And I actually did a block with gray in it.  I even like it. 

And I planned the block for my Ticker Tape Mini Quilt for Denise in the Mini QT Swap.  Can't show the whole thing until Denise receives it on Monday.  Here's a sneak peek.

I think even this little bit of progress is way better than daytime TV.  I think I'd go crazy if that was all there was to do. 

Here's to feeling better!

Another Block Party

Monday was MLK day, and for us bankers, that means a day off.  I sometimes joke that I went into banking for 2 reasons - Weekends and Holidays off.

I spent this holiday making quilt blocks. 

 These two blocks were the January BOM from the Free Craftsy class.  The hostess is Amy Gibbons, and the instructions are easy to follow.  The blocks are very easy and fun, and I even learned a little trick about lining up the sections so that they (mostly) match. 

Then I made 10 Bento Blocks.  Have you ever gotten a bunch of blocks put together and realized that the center block was the wrong size - and therefore the entire block is out of whack?  Well, that's what happened to me. Between the computer and the cutting table the center block gained half an inch.  Consequently, the whole durn block was the wrong size.

Being only somewhat OCD, I took all the finished blocks apart and put them back together.  It wasn't until this morning on the way to work that I realized that since they're going to be sliced anyhow, I could have just cut 1/4" off each side and the blocks would have been fine. More importantly, I would have saved about 4 hours.  Oh well...

I also made a replacement block for one of my swap-mates in the 3x6 bee.  I lost her block

and never have been able to find it.  I was worried that although this block matched her color scheme, she had asked for 30s repro squares and this one really didn't fit that model.  I think the replacement block does better.  Nicey Jane seems retro to me.  Maybe someday I'll run across the lost block and turn it into a pillow or something.

Then I made this ticker tape block for Kritta22 in the Sew Fun Bee.  I've been dying to try this technique ever since I saw this block and this one.  The ticker tape was fun, but I found it a little tricky to get the pieces the right size.  I finally ended up cutting with scissors, which I very seldom do.  Instead of straight stitching, I zig-zagged the pieces onto the background.  I hate the idea of the block raveling apart.  Still, that raw edge look is so popular....  I'm not sure if the circles at the top are dark enough, but I was afraid the fabric would come apart from all the stitching.  It actually started to bow up in the center of the circles.  Anyway, I hope she likes it.

This Garden Gate block was super easy and fun.  It was requested by Alisha in the Fall Bee.

And finally, I completed this Stargazing block for Cindy in the Sew and Bee Happy Bee.  The directions said that you could make it super scrappy by having each point of the star a different fabric, but frankly, I just couldn't wrap my mind around all that scrappiness.  It gave me a headache the first time I attempted the block, and I ended up going to bed early.  Once I decided that I just wasn't clever enough to do it that way, I had a lot of fun with it.

Of course, there was lots more that I wanted to do on the weekend that I didn't get to, but all-in-all, I am satisfied with my progress.  This weekend, I plan to sandwich a couple of quilt tops and maybe even try to quilt them, if Penny Pfaff will cooperate. 

And after 20 years, my Pfaff 1475 finally has a name.  Wonder if it will stick.  Somehow, at this moment, it just seems to fit her.