More Swappy Stuff

You know, I seem to go in spurts.  I say I'm done with swaps and I'm going to concentrate on finishing up some quilts, and then all of a sudden I'll lose my resolve and commit to several swaps.  I used to joke that it was an addiction, and I'm beginning to think it really is.  And what was I thinking committing to so many that are due between now and Christmas??  Dumb.  Really dumb.  But I'm making a lot of progress and having fun, so what the heck.

This one is a Reverse Modern Maples mini quilt for my partner in the Schnitzel and Boo mini quilt swap.  My partner said she liked autumn, and what is more autumny than leaves?  I quilted it with loops and leaves and it went pretty fast.  I apologize for the picture - it's the only one I took and the package is already on its way to my partner.  I need to remember not to rely on iphone pictures.

I've been playing along in the Super Swaps group for a couple of years now, and the items to be swapped are always different.  The item this time was an ornament, and I found a cute pattern in a book called Sew Merry and Bright.  I loved the wonky tree a couple of the other projects, but the book hasn't arrived yet, so I had to fake it.  I think it turned out kinda fun.  Hope my partner likes it.

I made my pinwheel blocks for the Pinwheel Passion hive of the 3x6 Bee.  I used one of the tutorials from Rachel Griffith's (ps i quilt) Block of the Month tutorial.  I think this one was month 6. I tried another block first, but just didn't like the way it turned out, so went with this somewhat less detailed block, although I really like it.

When I receive all my blocks, I should have enough citrus blocks to finish up the last citrus quilt. 

I'm working on a gift for my ECMQG swap partner even as we speak.  This one needs to be finished TODAY, since we're exchanging them at the meeting tomorrow.  My partner wanted something a bit non-traditional, so I dug into the remainder of my Ruby FE bundle (by Bonnie and Camille) that Amanda got for me at Sample Spree at Quilt Market in SLC in 2011.  I have made at least 2 quilts and 3 or 4 other items from this FE bundle.  I am continually amazed at how far a fat eighth will go.

So, that's what I've got done so far.  I still have two more swaps to finish, and then I'll begin working on Christmas gifts.  I have big plans, as always.  Don't know yet how many will actually get finished.

Wish me luck!

Block Party

I worked on bee blocks this past weekend. 

I was in the 3x6 Bee as caretaker of the Pinwheels hive, so of course I chose a pinwheel block.  For once I chose an easy block that was quick to make, which was good because I spent most of the weekend with my foot elevated.  Hard to do that and sew!

This was a block that I found on last year's calendar.  I really like it.

One of the fun things about the 3x6 Bee is that you make the same block in different colorways.  It lets you see how the colors play together.  My friend and I have been talking about making a quilt like this - the same block in different colorways.  I think it would be gorgeous.

Apparently the only picture I took of this block was with my phone.  The blue is the same as in the blue/green block above, but it doesn't look the same here, does it?  Anyway, you get the idea.

Two of the members of this hive wanted rainbow blocks.  I was trying to figure out how I was going to do that with this block when I noticed this crayon fabric sitting right beside the sewing machine.  I had been auditioning it for something else, but it was perfect for these rainbow blocks.

I also made a few blocks for my friend Marian in the Bee Awesome bee.  The tutorial for the Bee Simple block is here.  She asked for three blocks, and I told her I would make a few more.  At first I made 7.

But they were so easy and so fun, I ended up making a round dozen.  I usually don't like blocks with gray in them, but I have to say, this color combination is so soothing, I may have to make myself a quilt using these colors.  Every time I looked at the blocks I just felt good.  Maybe gray does have its place in the world after all.

Finally, I got out my GMFG blocks and started putting those together.

Progress is pretty slow, but it's coming.  It's a great project for sitting in the recliner with your foot up.

Sorry for the distracting background in this photo, but I am making progress.  I'm out of yellow hexies again, so it's time to make some more.  I think this is going to be an ongoing project, and although it's on my 13 in 2013 list, I will be very surprised if this one is done by the end of the year.  It will be enough just to have made some progress, since it's all sewn by hand.  I am really loving the way this is coming together.  I think this may be a favorite quilt, if it ever gets done!

So that's what's been going on in the prsd4tim2 studio this week.  What have you been up to?

3x6 Times Two

For some unremembered reason, this quarter I participated in TWO hives in the 3x6 bee.  I guess it seemed like a good idea at the time, but frankly, making 12 blocks was a little bit daunting.

I was the caretaker of a pinwheel hive, and I was also playing along in a star hive.  When I found this block on Rachel's blog I knew I had found the perfect block to make this quarter.

It's funny how some color combinations are more challenging than others.  This person wanted avocado and navy in her block - both colors I didn't have in my stash.

This one wanted all red.  I wasn't sure what I was going to do until I did it, but it actually turned out well, I think (better in person than in the photo, perhaps.)

And two people wanted this color combination - lime and aqua.  I like it.

Here's a combination I would never have tried without the motivation of the bee, but I really like this one too.

Royal blue and aqua (with a little lime) was kind of fun.

I wouldn't have tried this one either, but it made a pretty dramatic block.

Too many dots?  I hope not.

I'm not sure I like this one at all, really.  It's a little busy.  This person didn't want any background.  It might have been better with a different lime, but this was all I had.

I really like the black and gold/yellow.  Very bold and dramatic.

All in all, I like them.  I sure hope the other ladies do too.

But remind me to do this bee one hive at a time in the future, OK?

I'm a Blockhead

I'm a "blockhead".

I just realized that  I never posted February's Craftsy Block of the Month Blocks.  February's blocks focused on half square triangles, or HSTs.  I actually made this block for last quarter's 3x6 Bee, although I used a little different approach.  I used a Flying Geese technique whereas this one uses the HSTs.  The blocks look pretty much the same, if you ask me.

Here's the previous one I made.

The block is called Balkan Puzzle.  If you remember, I goofed, and made it more like a pinwheel, but I actually liked it just as well or better.

The second block for February is a zig-zag block.  I really had fun with the fabrics in this one.  I think several blocks together matching the fabrics in the different rows would be way-fun.  This was a block I hadn't tried before, but it was super easy, just consisting of squares and HSTs.

I haven't gotten around to March's blocks yet.  March's blocks are string quilt blocks.  String quilt as in Val's Heroes Quilt and Spider Web blocks.

 So, nothing especially new here either, but it seems like I always manage to pick up a few tips and pointers from the lessons.

If you want to join in, the Craftsy BOM quilt-along is free (which is a good thing).

And one of my goals for the year was to do a QAL and keep up.

So far, so good.  Wanna join me?