Playing With Blocks

Two or three months ago, I played around in my craft room and put together this improv'd quilt block. I didn't have a plan for it so the block stayed in one of my many piles of stuff.


Last week I decided to turn it into a decorative pillow. I added a few more strips of fabric to bring it to 20 x 20 inches--the size of a pillow form I had in the closet.


I liked the way it turned out and put it on our bed for some summer color in the bedroom. Coincidently, this week, a woman in one of my Flickr quilting groups asked the group "What's on your bed?" She said she's had a lot of fun asking quilters this question and has discovered that many haven't yet made a quilt for their own bed and sleep under a purchased comforter, etc.


I definitely fall into that category so I posted this photo in the group and said this was as close as I've come to making a quilt for our bed! One of the more prolific quilters in our group laughed and said "Well, it's a start, right?" I hope she's not holding her breath while waiting:)

Edited to add...

I couldn't stop with just a pillow for "What's on your bed?" because Emma is often on our bed too!

In another Flickr group, Stash Busting Bee International, this is the block I made for Shannon. She's making a quilt for her 9 year old nephew and wanted it to have a hunting lodge look. Well, I can tell you that I never felt more challenged! Shannon sent the deer?...elk?...fabric patch (like I said, challenged and totally out of my element) and the rest of the fabric had to come out of my stash--yikes!


Fortunately, I remembered a set of fat quarters I bought on a trip to Seattle that depicted scenes around Puget Sound. One of the pieces had pine trees on it and on another I found an eagle and a duck--challenge met! And, actually, I ended up enjoying this block:)

Marilyn

Updates and Sneak Peeks

This little couple sat on the railing of our deck for quite a while yesterday afternoon.


I'm not sure what that little plop of something is on the top rail, but if it's what I think it is, I'd be inclined to move this rendevous down the railing some!

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Remember this little quilt that I made for Doll Quilt Swap 6? It made a long trip and is now living at its new home in Australia...how fun! My swap partner, Lurline is the sweetest gal and I'm so happy to say she loves it:) Please check out Lurline's Place! for a most enjoyable visit that includes pretty quilts and her wonderful life Down Under!

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These are two "fill-in" blocks I made for Jacquie's Project Improv charity quilts. The deadline for blocks for the project was April 1st and at that time Jacquie could see that she would need a few more blocks from each color combo (pink/orange, red/aqua and blue/green) to make the quilts come out even. I said I could help out and was asked to make two blue/green fill-ins.



While sewing these, I remembered how fun those improv-style blocks are to make!

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My picnic table runner made with blocks from the Flickr group, My Favorite Quilters 4-patch block swap is quilted and finished. I really love the fabrics and colors and the combination of blocks that were sewn by other quilters around the country.


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I'm going to close with just a sneak peek of what I put in the mail this morning.



It's for another Flickr group, Swap Til You Drop, and is my creation for the "Spring Flowers" mini quilt swap. Partners for this swap are not kept secret so I want to wait until my partner receives her mini before I post a picture of it--you know, to keep the suspense going for just a couple more days:)

I hope you're having a nice day...we actually had some sunshine here today--woohoo!

Marilyn

Playing with Puppies, Fabric and Gifties

On Saturday, Shawn, her daughter, Bethany, and I drove out to Karla's for Craft Day. Beth, and a new crafting friend, Mary were there too. We actually did get some crafting done, but I didn't take a single photo of the gorgeous papers that were being added to journals, tags and atc's. I couldn't resist just taking pictures of the three puppies playing around us in Karla's studio. Her yorkie, Twinkle, recently had puppies--six girls. Three had already moved to their new homes, but we had so much fun playing with the ones that were still there. They were so sweet and cuddly!


Isn't this one of the cutest faces you've ever seen?!
And that's lucky me getting to cuddle with her! (Shawn took this photo.)


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In a different kind of playing, I had some time yesterday to work on, and finish:) my red and aqua charity block for Project Improv, the project I talked about here.


Also, please, take a peek at two more wonderful gifties I won during the One World~One Heart giveaways.

From Nikki, a lovely fabric ATC. The hearts are cut out of fabric paper she makes that really sparkles! She also dyes the wool for her pieces. Thank you, Nikki!


And from Melissa, this grand assortment of collage sheets and accents from Paper Imagery Designs. Thanks, Melissa!


I think crafty gifts are one of the best kinds of mail!

Marilyn

Project Improv

Just last weekend, I signed up for Project Improv on Jacquie's blog, Tallgrass Prairie Studio.

I really have to thank Jacquie, and good timing, because it was just what I needed to quiet the scattered, restless crafter in me yesterday! I needed something I could get lost in, something spontaneous, something with no rules. Improvisational quilting was exactly what I needed.

There are two parts to Project Improv...one is to provide a place of support for one another (127 quilters at this writing) to quilt improvisationally, without patterns, to explore possiblities outside of our comfort zone.

The other part is collaboration. Each quilter who joins the project commits to making one 12 1/2" improvised "log cabin-ish" block to donate to a charity quilt. There are three color schemes to choose from...red/aqua, blue/green or orange/pink. I've chosen red/aqua for my block.

The deadline for the blocks is April 1st, so I have plenty of time...isn't that what I always think? LOL! Nevertheless, yesterday and today, I played around with some batik fabric scraps from my stash and made eight different 6-inch blocks, like these...



Most of the fabric was already cut up into strips so all I had to do was sit and sew...free form...it was great!


Then I sewed the eight blocks together and I'm thinking I'll make it into a table runner or wall hanging.

Yep, this was really fun...and I think I'm hooked!

Marilyn