June Quilting Bees and Swaps

In Bee Obsessed, one of my virtual quilting bees, June was my month to receive quilt blocks. I requested 12.5" blocks using reds, oranges and blues. Here are some created for me so far:

1. First block-June, 2. Bee Obsessed-June, 3. June "Bee Obsessed" block from Cyndi, 4. Block #2 for Bee Obsessed, 5. Block #1 for Bee Obsessed, 6. June Bee obsessed, 7. June Block - Bee Obsessed, 8. Bee Obsessed block for Marylinkb, 9. Bee Obsessed June Block, 10. Bee Obsessed #6.1, 11. Bee Obsessed #6.2

Aren't they amazing?!


I've had fun making quilt blocks too. For Stash Busting Bee International, Adrienne requested this block in blues and greens:



And in Sew Connected 2, Kristen sent out men's shirting fabrics and asked for Gee's Bend style blocks:



Modern Siggy Swap is something new for me...

I've seen some signature quilts made with blocks signed by members of a group or family, but frankly found them to be kind of ho-hum. They were made with fabrics I considered dull and uninteresting, although I guess my love for vibrant color and/or pattern could be the reason for that.

So when this swap called for fresh, modern fabrics, I was excited...make 101 4.5" blocks (using this tutorial) and receive 100 blocks back! Can't wait:)



Also new is The Bitty Block Committee on Flickr, a group swapping 3.5" quilt blocks with a theme.

June's theme was "Picnic/BBQ"...


...and a "Beach/Underwater" for July/August...



I've also purchased my fabric for Doll Quilt Swap 9.


I have some ideas for it, one I particularly like, but I usually live with an idea for a bit before starting. The deadline is early September so no rush:)

Marilyn

February Quilting Bee Blocks...and more

Another month almost over...maybe it seemed to zip by because it's a short one??!

Kinda fun to measure a month with quilting bee blocks though...here are the ones I made for February:

In Sew Connected 2, Doris is making a neighborhood quilt and asked for simple houses and, if we wanted, we could add embroidered details.


Ruth is making a similar quilt, "About Town", in Bee Obsessed.


It's my month :) in Stash Busting Bee International and I've asked for blocks for an I-Spy quilt for the grandbabies! Some really cute blocks are being created.....I can't wait to show them to you when they arrive and I've had a chance to lay them out!

Doll Quilt Swap 8 is wrapping up soon and I'm getting close to being finished...here is sneak peek #2. I'm ready to stack, quilt and bind it and it will be on it's way:)



The second meeting of the newly formed KC Modern Quilt Guild is tonight and I'm very excited--it's such a great group quilters! I think they are expecting twice as many as the first meeting.....how FUN!


Marilyn

January Quilting Bee Blocks

After my virtual quilting bees took a December break, it was a bit more fun, even more than usual, to make blocks for January.

In Sew Connected 2, this block is for Beth. I loved her fabrics!


I made this one for Alexis in Stash Busting Bee International. Her fabric colors were fabulous!


Bee Obsessed is a new virtual bee that started in January. Kim is known for her love of black, white and red so it wasn't a surprise that she chose those for her blocks. I can see the appeal.



Looks like I'm ready for February...not a day too soon:)

Marilyn

Yes, Stuff Happened

I'm guessing we all have weeks that come and go with little clue of what we did with it. Such was the case for me last week. (Week #47 of the calendar year...I googled that tidbit--I'm kind of a dork that way.) So, to assure myself that last week happened, I'll share with you some of what I sewed.....

For Jill in the Stash Busting International virtual quilting bee, I made two blocks. She requested wonky log cabins.

(10.5" blocks)

For Sudi-Laura in the Sew Connected 2 virtual quilting bee, I also made two blocks. She requested maverick stars.

(12.5" block)

(9.5" block)

And for Debbie in the Swap Til You Drop mini quilt group, I made this. I was some challenged by this one. When I looked at Debbie's blog and Flickr photos, I noticed she used more muted colors so I went that direction. My tendency towards the more saturated colors made it difficult to trust whether it was working or not. But I did hear from Debbie yesterday and she says she loves it. That makes me happy:)

(12x14 inches)

(back)

One of the little extras that I included with Debbie's mini quilt was a fabric luggage tag.


It was very easy to make and you can get a free pattern for it here along with four other free patterns for small quilting projects.

OK, before Week 48 (dork!!) becomes a foggy memory I best get on with my day... Project Thanksgiving Readiness--I'm hungry just thinking about it!!

Marilyn

Summer at the Beach House

We've had some nice cool-ish weather here this week...and one very rainy day...but today was overcast and downright cold! I'm not r-r-ready for c-c-cold yet.

However, I did have a nice distraction from it in my craft room today. I worked on finishing quilt blocks for Sew Connected 2.

(10.5 x 10.5 inches)

The blocks are for Sonja. She sent the most beautiful fabrics and her theme is "summer at the beach house".

(8.5 x 9.5 inches)

That theme, and the lovely summer-y colors of the fabrics, made it easy for me to drift into my own little world with thoughts of sun and water and lazy days.

(10.5 x 10.5 inches)

Maybe I should make one of these quilts for myself. Then, when the temps are freezing and the snow is flying, I could climb underneath it and dream of the beach!

Marilyn

There's a Housing Boom

In this economy?!

Yep, it seems to be happening--at least in my quilting bee groups...

In Sew Connected 2, our September blocks are for John who is planning, what I think is going to be, a fabulous Neighborhood Quilt. He has requested 12.5 inch blocks using the Kona Cotton "Ash" that he sent. From our own fabric scraps, we are to make little houses and trees, etc. measuring 3.5 to 5.5 inches.

When the blocks are sewn together, the quilt will be a vast background of pale gray dotted with cute buildings and trees. I can't wait to see it!

Terrie requested houses this month too in Stash Busting Bee International. Houses of a different color, so to speak--Wonky Halloween houses...


And while I had my Halloween fabric stash out and spread all over the craft room, I started putting together several different 6.5 inch blocks until I had fifteen of them.


My plan is for a table runner and now that the blocks are sewn together, all I have to do is quilt it and bind it and hopefully have it ready for October duty!

Marilyn

Quilts-I-P

Works-in-progress would pretty much describe my entire craft room at this time, so I'm narrowing down this post to quilts-in-progress!

The quilt top for Doll Quilt Swap 7 came together this week.


My (secret) partner said she/he likes blues and pastels and is relaxed, not formal...


...so I used a collection of blue Kaffe Fassett fabric and linen. I hope she/he likes it:)


There are only about two more weeks left for this swap and many have already completed and sent off their quilts--some real beauties...you can go here to see them.

I also made a block for my Sew Connected 2 quilting bee group...


This is for Alissa who requested straight lines, no triangles. I had a lot of fun with her fabrics--little tadpoles and frogs in those jars!

Yesterday, I received fabric from Terrie for September's Stash Busting Bee International blocks...


Her request? Haunted Halloween wonky houses!! How great is that?!

Marilyn

Stitching & Patchwork...and two great tutes!

"Hello"...I really like that little banner! And I really like this stitching pattern from Sublime Stitching by Emily Martin of The Black Apple. I haven't done any embroidery in a while but felt the itch again after making this door hanging for a friend.


Her doorbell is broken and she wanted something that said 'please knock' or 'doorbell doesn't work'. I went with the former but I have to say I liked the unconventional appeal of the latter, hehee.

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I'm definitely enjoying Sew Connected 2, the virtual quilting bee I belong to. I'm reminded again this month one of the many reasons why--I get to play with gorgeous pieces of fabric that I don't have to buy! These blocks are for Emily and I love the fabric she sent!

10.5 x 10.5 in.

10.5 x 10.5 in.

5.5 x 5.5 in.

The other patchwork project I've been working on are these reversible bags. I used this tutorial and it was wonderful. They were so fun, I just may have to whip up a few more of them!



There's a Flickr group, Made it Based on Pink Penguin's tutes!, where you can see the way these bags easily become one of a kind--the fabric possibilities are endless:)

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Another tutorial--this one for mini-recycle-bin-books--prompted me to make a couple of them...


I made mine 2.5 x 3.5 inches with 50 pages--a great size to do with whatever you want;)

I so appreciate the many generous bloggers out there who share tutorials--it's such a great way to try something new. Thanks a million to all of you!!

Marilyn

2 Bee Blocks

We've had A LOT of rain around here recently so it's been a little tricky to keep caught up on yard work. I haven't had to mow the grass for years, thanks to Rick, but I still like to do the trimming and let me tell you, the bushes, trees and flowers have thrived heartily with all of this rain!

Cloudy, rainy days are good for crafting and sewing though, don't you think? I especially love to sit down and sew on those days and I've been able to make a couple of quilt blocks for my quilting bee groups.

For Amanda in the Sew Connected 2 group:


I fell in love with the colors she chose for her fabrics! She also sent two embroidered pieces to put in the blocks...everybody got a strip with part of the alphabet on it and one with their initials on it. Fun, huh?

And for Lish in the Stash Busting Bee International group:


Lish requested stars, pinwheels or spinning things for her blocks. The red print is the scrap she sent and the other fabrics are from my stash. It turned out to be kind of fun to "shop" through what I already had...and my stash has now been "busted"--by a mere fraction--yay!

Marilyn

Weekend Pleasures

Really, where does the time go? Not the "where does the time go?" and a shake of the head when you see how much someone's child has grown...but the "how-did-I-JUST-post-last-Wednesday-and-now-it's-this-Wednesday-where-does-the-time-go?"!

Answers? Anyone? And don't give me that "the older you get...blah, blah, blah".

Anyway, weekend pleasures (last weekend, not this coming up weekend, yet)...

Actually, I could stop with this picture of Grandpa (Rick) holding Cole--it just doesn't get any better!

Hi, cutie!
The weather in Kansas City last weekend was gorgeous--perfect spring days--so nice to be out and about!

I did manage to do some sewing. These blocks are for Tine in the Sew Connected 2 quilting bee group.

I loved working with her fabrics. The colors were so inspiring.


While I was sewing Tine's blocks, I got to thinking about the blocks I've received so far. I hadn't laid them out altogether yet and was anxious to see what it would look like.


I love it already! Everyone is making such beautiful blocks with my fabric...more to come...yippee!

Marilyn

Flickr Quilting

Having completed one of my sneak peek quilts and nearing completion of the other, I'm thinking ahead to a couple of new projects--also quilts.


In my virtual quilting bee group, April is my month to send out fabric packets for the others to use in making quilt blocks for me. I'm so excited--the members in this group are very creative and have sewn up some real beauties...also, the colors in the fabrics I chose make me smile! What better combination can there be? I mailed out everyone's packages this morning--fifteen of them--so all I do now is anticipate the goodness that will arrive in my mailbox next month:)


I'm also excited that Doll Quilt Swap 6 is now under way! I had so much fun with Doll Quilt Swaps 4 & 5.

The fabric I purchased for the doll quilt I'm making is a little more pastel than I would generally choose and I find that I really like it. From what I can tell, my partner, who I must keep secret for now, uses these colors in some of their work. That's part of the fun of this swap--we are given the link to our partner's flickr photostream and blog (if they have one)--so we can 'get to know' her/him and their likes/dislikes. It's a fun way to create something with them especially in mind.


This swap is a great opportunity to branch out and discover new patterns, or in this case, new colors! A creative pursuit is such a wonderful thing--always something fresh and new awaiting us!

Marilyn