Happy, Happy, Happy to You!!

Since my last post, I've enjoyed some fun sewing and crafting (and I have photos of those projects which I hope to show you very soon), but this is a glimpse of what's mostly been going on the past month...

...and more to come. Family and friends, that's what it's all about this time of year:) I hope you're enjoying your days and doing all of your favorite things too! Best wishes to you and yours this holiday season!!

Marilyn

A Challenge and a Swap, the KCMQG Variety

First, the challenge, The Modern Quilt Guild "Habitat" Challenge, which was to make a quilt using Jay McCarroll's Habitat line of fabric.

At our August meeting of the KC Modern Quilt Guild, we were given 6 fat eighths from the Earth Tones colorway. We could also add any solids and any additional Habitat fabric to make our quilts. I added solids from my fabric stash to create Log Cabin blocks and bought an additional yard of Habitat for the backing--I love having an excuse to make a trip to Bon Bon;-)

The Habitat fabric is a style quite different from what I would usually choose. So, initially, it was indeed a challenge. However, I'm all for stretching myself and trying new things. And it's a good thing because I ended up liking it very much.

The big 'reveal' took place at our November meeting Thursday night. What fun!! I think there were about 50 quilts and every single one of them was incredible!! You can see them too in the Flickr group.

And now, the swap--a potholder swap with members from the Portland Modern Quilt Guild...

Susan Beal was a guest speaker at our September meeting. She is the author of Modern Log Cabin Quilting and a member of the Portland guild. I really enjoyed her presentation--it was very interesting and so inspiring. Using that inspiration, we're making log cabin style potholders for the secret partner swap. But it's only a secret till December--that's when we receive our potholder and our partner is revealed!

Marilyn

I can't deny it, I LOVE a Scrappy Quilt!

A lot of my sewing this summer has been inspired by traditional quilt blocks. My biggest project is this:

Two quilters, Angela/Fussy Cut and Amanda/msmcporkchopquilts, invited others to join them in making quilt blocks from the book, The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt. I'm going with my favorite scrappy quilt look, using colors and fabrics that call out to me when I start a block. There are 111 different 6.5" block patterns in the book--enough for a queen size quilt. I've made 19 so far:

Definitely a long term project, but that's alright, I've been having a lot of fun with them! The Farmer's Wife Quilt-a-long Flickr group is now at 651 members (after just 6 weeks!), so there is a huge variety of colors and fabrics to be seen in the blocks--fun!!

Here are a few more traditional style blocks (also scrappy).....3.5" for a Bitty Block Swap:

And these (hmmm, again with the scrappy).....also 3.5" for a Bitty Log Cabins Block Swap:

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A follow-up on the string blocks quilt.....

...finished...and delivered about a month ago, to Liam and his parents for their summer activities. I'm pleased to say they are enjoying it.

And I think it received their cat's approval too:)

Marilyn

phwoooh!!

That's me blowing the dust off my little blog:) Time flies, doesn't it? And life goes on! But enough of that...I'm on summer break! Liam's mommy is off work until August 1st, so I am too.

My first summer project is actually one I started on winter break. I finished my string blocks yesterday,


one hundred of them, and I laid them out on the floor this morning.



I really like it, but I really like scrappy quilts! I think it will end up measuring about 65" x 65" and could be a good picnic quilt. Sooo, off to the sewing room for me--I only have eight weeks to catch up on some projects, lol!!

Marilyn

No Prints Allowed Challenge

At the KC Modern Quilt Guild meeting last week, I showed the quilt top I made for our No Prints Allowed Challenge...


The challenge started in December with Kona Solids charm packs...one hundred of them, one for each member, generously donated by Robert Kaufman. We got to choose from classic colors, brights, pastels, darks and, my choice, dusty.


We could use our approximately 44 - 5" squares to make any patchwork project, any size, but at least part of every charm in the pack needed to be in it somewhere. I used all of the fabric to initially make a series of 'flying geese'...


They stayed on the coffee table and I continued to move them around for about two weeks until I was safisfied with my design.


We were allowed to use additional fabric as long as it was a solid. I added a medium gray and a dark gray.


The sun from our living room window was making it difficult to photograph the quilt top. But while I was waiting for it shine elsewhere, I noticed this view from the back--kind of a stained glass look;)


You can see more KCMQG challenge quilts in the flickr group, and several from the LA Modern Quilt Guild also...enjoy!

Marilyn

More Scrapbusting

In my move towards using up fabric scraps this year, my Scrapbusters Challenge 2011 is coming along nicely and feels really good each time I crank out another block!

So now, I've decided to add a second project that uses scraps and joined up with sarah and molly's free piecing study. There were a few other things I needed to complete before starting, but I'm all caught up...

January Mondo Bird block:

January Log Cabin House block:

and only one block for February, a Heart:

The study goes through October and we'll then have 15 completed blocks for a quilt. All of the blocks are 10.5 inches square, but I've been thinking I may add a white border to each one to make them 12 inches, finished.

I'm trying not to overthink the blocks, which isn't so easy for me at times and another good reason for taking on this project!

Marilyn

Blizzards and robins.....it doesn't seem right!

I love the relaxed feel of a snow day...no place to go, nothing pressing to do.


Strolling by the front door this morning, instead of rushing out of it, I noticed this robin helping herself--I know nature requires male robins as well, but I always seem to refer to them as 'she'--to some berries on our crabapple tree. I was happy she did--we're experiencing a blizzard here in the midwest and I can't imagine how that must feel to our outdoor creature friends.


I was tickled that she seemed to pose for me....."would you like me to turn left? right? or straight on?" Just stay warm little robin, that's what I'd like.

I hope those of you living with snow these days, which seems to be the major part of the country, are staying warm and safe too!!

Marilyn

I'm not calling it a New Year's Resolution...

...but it could be. The invitation behind Scrapbusters Challenge 2011 is to use up fabric scraps...for me, it's those pieces that accumulate after sewing projects and are tossed into a basket where they mysteriously multiply and take up precious craft room floor space.

When, in fact, those scraps can be turned into patchwork pieces like these:



These blocks were inspired by a post in the flickr group linking to this beauty. And it's really quite relaxing--I just grab strips of fabric to sew together without much thought at all, trim the block to size and move on to the next one.

There are photos in the flickr group of projects other members have completed using fabric scraps. It's quite amazing, really.

Marilyn