Barcelona hst wall quilt ...

About half way done with the matchstick quilting. Not sure if I should quilt in the dark areas. Used double batting but not sure if I can really tell a difference. 

half square triangles

half square triangles are usually not really my thing. i find them fiddly and hard to tame. that said, when i saw the blocloc ruler i thought it might help.  when i was at quiltcon i bought one for 5.5" hsts. the very helpful saleswoman showed how they can be used for smaller sizes as well.  since they are not cheap, i started with one that i could use for charm squares as well as smaller scraps.
i haven't played with it until today and i think it's a keeper:)

even though i usually don't work with hsts, i have been inspired lately by brooke's work, especially this  and this.  also, i love low volume. i mean really really love.  i took a class with cheryl arkison at quiltcon and it got me looking into her book, a month of sundays and i want to know more of what she has to say about low volume. i love using low volume fabrics in my projects but i'm not always happy with how they look.  it's like i have some preconceived idea and i can't recreate it in real life.  i see it in others' work, but not usually mine. <sigh>  so much to learn,

i was in the latest schnitzel and boo mini quilt swap on instagram and i got an amazing mini made with indelible. 

plus some other goodies.  i decided to use the barcelona charm pack with some low volume scraps and practice with my blocloc ruler.

to

so far.. not sure if i should make more hsts with lv and the more medium value fabrics. not tonight anyway. time to clean up my mess and go to bed. zzzzzz

ALYoF February 2015

alyof for February was to finish a boxy pouch for a gift. I did it!

unfortunately I'm blogging on my iPod touch and the photo of the finished bag is on my phone. figures.

just kidding. found it! 😜

she loves it and shows it off to everyone she can. 

this a super horrible shot of the inside. I added a pocket which wasn't perfect but not bad for kinda just winging it. I even put darts in the pocket to make it have more room. 

i followed the tutorial by pink stitches

linking up with sewbittersweetdesigns for February 2015 ALYoF

yes, i'm still around

i really can't believe its been a year and a half since i blogged. seems last year got away from me. well, i plan to put a little more effort into this blog, even if it's only for me to document projects and other things:)

so first off ... a lovely year of finishes.  i missed january but i think i'm just going to make it under the wire for february.  this picture is really nothing because i've barely begun on this project but it's something i promised my spouse that i would make for them:)

it is the beginning of a boxy pouch. i'm following the tutorial by pink stitches

wip wednesday

i haven't been disciplined enough lately to participate in wip wednesday lately.  i missed 2013 finish-a-long linky but i think i'll still make the goals. my sewing time has been going to bee blocks lately but i think that i found a new project. scrappy trip around the world. tutorial by bonnie hunter.  i've cut enough 2.5 in strips for 11 blocks.  this was my initial fabric pull-

but i've narrowed it down to mid to light greens, oranges, yellows, pinks and peach/corals.
i also finished my  July cheer circle of do. Good Stitches blocks.

airplane block tutorial by badskirt.

and since i've already missed the linky for the finish-a-long. i post about it later.

linking up with lee at freshly pieced

half of 2013 is already gone...

i feel like all my sewing time is going toward bee blocks. and it is. i'm in 4 bees until september.   i also started 2 quiltalongs earlier in the year (which for the time being i have abandoned.)  i have overextended myself a little bit. i love being in bees but 4 at a time is too much for me. i don't have any time to work on any other projects. so lesson learned. and enough bitching.
these are the bee blocks for june so far. i plan on more sewing today so there may be more later:)

1. modern mavericks michelle 1, 2. bee sew modern sara, 3. bee sew modern allison, 4. union jack for sam 2, 5. churndash, 6. upload

linking up with lily's quilts - fresh sewing day

i didn't make any q2 goals for the finish-a-long at she can quilt, but i do plan on some for q3 (i like the linky starts on july 8th)

i am a member of the cheer circle of do. Good stitches and my quilting month is september.  i've been contemplating my design since march 27th (the day rachel sent me the email.)  i really want to use the freewheeling block by tacha bruecher from 99 modern blocks.  my thought is that the correct and courteous way to do this is to ask her.  her website (blog) is not working right now. is it inappropriate to ask her on twitter?

bloglovin

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claiming my blog on bloglovin.

my first finished quilt!!

i finished my first non-mini quilt today! it's the first quilt that i pieced and quilted myself.  it was always meant to be a quilt to donate to charity, i just wasn't sure which one.  then a little while ago i was perusing flickr, i came across this

the oklahoma city modern quilt guild is collecting quilts and raising money to help the victims of the tornados that hit oklahoma recently.

i'm so happy that this quilt will be going to a new home soon!

happy sewing!

fresh sewing day

today i'm linking up with lily's quilts for fresh sewing day












this is what i finished today

union jack bee block made with this tutorial from tracey jay

bee blocks for modern mavericks using this tutorial from badskirt

on another note..my previous 2 posts were for naught. i missed the cut off to join the linky for the blogger's quilt festival. :( boo.  there is always next year.

and for the rest of may...this is what i have to show for it :)

1. nubee sara may 2013, 2. nubee lisa may 2013, 3. bee sew modern anna may 2013, 4. nubee anna may 2013, 5. nubee may 13 test block, 6. dgs cheer may 2013 2, 7. dgs cheer may 2013 1, 8. stars in their eyes lisa 2, 9. stars in their eyes lisa 1, 10. bwg dresden 2, 11. +ABsailing, 12. +ABleprachaun, 13. +ABlaundryday, 14. +ABbrassmonkey, 15. bwg dresden 1, 16. ablowpressuresystem


june is a lighter month as far as obligations.  do. Good Stitches takes a break in june and i'm not going to join a monthly bee for a few months. i will have blocks for modern mavericks, bee sew modern, stars in their eyes and if i have time i can work on some of the add a border bee blocks and some other wips

blogger's quilt festival ..part 2..

my second entry for the blogger's quilt festival is also a quilt i made for my best friend's wedding. i actually made it for their cat, minnie.  the front is my quilty representation of my cats.

front

back

this quilt is about 16x20.

blogger's quilt festival

when i came across the blogger's quilt festival hosted by amy at amy's creative side, i thought...wow that is so cool. too bad i don't have any quilts to enter...but i do!

my first entry is a quilt that i made as a wedding gift for my very best friend.  it is the very first quilt that i ever made and actually finished.  i decided to make it "2 sided" to be representative of the bride (on one side) and the groom (other side) and their union. the bride is an artist who loves stars and red.  the groom is a jazz musician.

bride side

groom side

the quilt is lap quilt. it's roughly 50 x 70

the beautiful quilting is by lynn o'neal of creative clutter in beaufort, sc.

close up of the starry swirly hearty quilty goodness :)
i am entering this quilt in the professionally quilted category.

rachel made my day!

rachel at stitched in color
i'm in the Cheer circle of do. Good Stitches!

SUPER EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

testing out blogger app on my new ipod touch

these are the first two 6 in blocks for add a border block swap on flickr

i missed wip wednesday

i did take some pictures last night. never got around to downloading them though.

i did make this a few weeks ago.

front

back

i was fun making these journal covers. i used this tutorial from stitched in color

i will definately be making more of these.

and my design wall...

one more bee block to arrive and then to figure out placement of the blocks.   tbc....

yay for sewing day!

today i'm working on the first block for




i'm using pat bravo's rock'n'romance mostly heartbreaker palette with a few oval elements
 and a light grey background.  i'm doing the 9" blocks for a final size of ~60x60.
i may also try to get some work done on the plus quilt. it is on my list for the first quarter of the 2013 finish a long with leann.

i just realized that i never posted pictures of the complete wedding quilt.  (they loved it by the way)

happy sewing

13@13q

YAY!! ( a post from a few months ago...)

it's finally working:)  so it's friday so i'm linking up with tgiff. i finished the mini quilt for my bff's cat. her name is minnie.

i also finished the nybeauty pillow!

i've also finished the top of the plus quilt. no pictures yet. and the wedding quilt is at the quilters:)  i have made no progress on the groovy quilt.

it's been a long time

i want to sew more and blog more this year. we'll see...

i'll be participating in 2013-finish-long

so here is my list:

1) starla: front and back.  the binding is ready.  just needs to be basted quilted and bound.

2) bronwyn: front and back. binding is ready. needs to be basted, quilted and bound.

3) plus quilt: this one has a one piece back and will not be bound (i think some call it the pillow case method. i use this one from red pepper quilts. i've used it for small projects but never a quilt.

i think that is a feasible list  to get done in a quarter.