Swap Happy

Round 2 of the Table Top Swap 2 on Flickr is all finished and I'm so excited to show you what I received!  Its so cute and its the perfect colors.  My current kitchen color scheme is moving towards shades of aqua or light blue along with red and a dash of pink, so that is what I requested.

When it arrived, I was so excited to take a picture that I didn't wait to clear off the table.  My sweet partner Dorothy also sent along two table runner patterns as extras.  Wasn't that thoughtful? 

I just adore the fabric choices, and that giant red rick rack is to die for!  Here it is on my dining table, with one of my favorite bowls that inspired the new color combo. Perfect! 

This is the table square I made for my partner.  I did the sample block in scrappy pinks and yellows.  My partner asked for 32 inches square, but didn't ask specifically for any color scheme so I went with the sunny, summery colors of Lovely by Sandy Gervais.  The photo session for this was rather hurried, so these aren't the greatest shots.  It is bound in a solid turquoise to make the center patch pop, and the backing is a yellow floral on white.  I had thoughts of adding turquoise embroidered flowers to the coral squares, but I didn't like it so I scrapped that idea.

 

I became awfully fond of this topper while I was working on it, and I think I have enough fabric to make one for myself, so you may see this pop up again in the future!

You've already seen the Owl Scissors Keeper I sent along with her package, but its so cute I'm showing it again!

My partner let me know that she's received it and she said she loved both the table square and the owl.  Yay, success!  This was my first swap of finished items and I can't wait to start another!

Summer Swap Sample

Do you know what its like when none of your friends are interested in the same activity that you are interested in?  It gets a little lonely, doesn't it?  When I started out knitting I had a friend who liked to knit, and she had other friends who liked to knit so we all got together a couple of times a month for a Stitch & You-Know-What for drinks, dinner and knitting.  It was fun to see what the girls were working on and inspiring to see new techniques, not to mention how we got downright giddy over sales at the local yarn shop.  Now that I'm in Florida, my knitting is at the far ends of my radar (its just too hot!) and I am all about sewing.  But I have no one here to giggle with me over my newest Amy Butler stash or sympathize with me over how many times I sewed fabric wrong sides together on my first paper piecing adventure.  What's a girl to do?

(Ok its not that bad, but I thought he was kinda cute.)  I've started blogging more regularly, and I've been delving into groups on Flickr to find some fabric loving peeps to virtually hang out with.  I'm tickled pink with my do Good Stitches circle and we've just started up a secret swap so we're learning more about each other and that's tons of fun.  I also joined an ongoing swap group - its called Table Top Swap and this round is devoted to table runners and table toppers.  Swappers have been assigned, and my swap-ee requested a square so of course that's what she's getting.  I've been stalking my partner by looking through her Flickr photos of finished work, see the photos she's favorited, and I've been reading her blog to learn more about her.  I decided to do a sample of the finished piece that I'll be creating for her, with the intention of posting the photo to see if she gives me feedback.  Here it is spray basted & ready for quilting.  This is 24 inches by 24 inches.

She seems to like stars in various forms, and I found myself drawn to one particular block full of half-square triangles.  After a little while I realized its very similar to the Love in the Mist block I did for the HGTV discussion board swap last year, and I knew I could handle that so I supersized it.  I was aiming for something traditional but not too simple.  

Do you have local friends who quilt too or are you joining online groups to find stash-a-holics who'll understand you?  While I'm thinking about it, thanks for reading about my quilting adventures.  I'd love to hear from you & learn about yours!

Pumpkin Patch

I've finished my pumpkin patch of blocks for the second HGTV swap that I joined this summer.  Our assignment was to create 9 blocks with a decent sized pumpkin and a fun background.  I started off trying to use a log cabin background using what I had at hand, but I decided it was too busy.  They pumpkins just didn't stand out as much as I would have liked.  So I switched to a simple cream on cream background and a plump appliqued pumpkin.  I used blanket stitch around the edge of the pumpkins, but I did needle turn on the colored stripes that are supposed to give a little depth and interest.

The autumn leaves fabric is full of rich color and I wish I'd stashed more of it.  After the attempted log cabin blocks, I didn't have enough to sash all nine blocks, so I found another lovely fall colored print.  Oranges and rusts and golden yellows.  Here's my pumpkin patch full of pumpkin blocks!

The fabrics used for the pumpkins are from Connecting Threads.  Its the first time I had ordered from them, and I've been pleased with the quality. Their thread is quite nice too and oh the colors!  do Good Stitches blocks are up next!

Red and White Swap Blocks

I wanted to show you my bounty of Red & White swap blocks!  Aren't they marvelous?  Every one did such a lovely job and I am so tickled.

I haven't decided if I should stick with the 9 blocks and make a wall hanging, or if I should make a few more and create something larger.  Four more blocks would make a bigger quilt, and could be placed in the four corners.

Red & White Love

I'm very focused on these red & white blocks.  One of the lovely ladies in the swap pointed me to a quicker way to make the square in a square shaped parts of the Love in the Mist block, and that seems to be speeding things along.  I have also discovered that chain piecing and doing this assembly line style makes it feel like I'm progressing faster, whether I am or not!  Get all the corner sections done ... check!  Get all the square in a square sections done ... check!  Get all the top rows sewn together ... check!

I am using a second red fabric and I sewed up the cutaway portions as leaders and enders.  What to do with all those cute little HST's?  Why, make a mug rug of course!  Here she is, all quilted and bound.

I really wanted to finish a project, so I snuck this in along with the blocks.  Are you getting the impression that I'm a wee bit impatient?  Me too!  I've got 7 of my 9 blocks all finished and squared off.  I've been listening to an audio book as I cut & sew - its Amazonia by James Rollins.  Very interesting, and it's almost over.  Wouldn't it be funny if I finished the book at the same time I finish the blocks?

A little progress here, a little progress there

I spent alot of time this weekend working on my Love in a Mist blocks for the Red & White Swap.  These bias seams are killing me.  Using Best Press is very helpful, and I'm getting better but this block requires some serious concentration and some time.  It still takes about 2 hours to get one done.  Don't get me wrong, I'm loving it!  None of these are perfect, but I do think they are swap worthy.  I'd love to do a whole quilt in these one day, maybe in 30's fabrics?  One of the ladies on the board suggested a short cut for the diamond shaped portions and I'm looking forward to trying that.

After spending so much time on these I thought I needed a break, but not a sewing break!  I grabbed a charm pack that I bought at Joanns a while ago (at a great price of course), and thought I'd try the Disappearing 9 Patch that I see all over.  Its kinda fun!  First you make several of these:

And then you cut it in half both ways and you get to play with these:

It seems that I wasn't paying attention, and I rearranged a row without noticing it until the 9 patch had been cut, so I have 2 different blocks to work with here.  There were only enough charms in this little pack to make three 9 patches so I need to get more because this is just not big enough for anything.  When I go to add more, I think I'll repeat the mistake so I have a consistent set of blocks.  Its fun to play around with these.

And this morning before work I had a fabulous lightbulb moment!  My part time lady rearranged part of the store on Monday, and a bench we sell is now facing the front door, surrounded by a display of bird baths.  I like where its sitting, but I felt the display needed a pop of color.  While I was getting ready this morning, it hit me - I could whip up a little pillow for the bench!  So 40 minutes later I had a great little prop for the shop.

And a closeup - I love the fabric.  Its from the Robert Kaufman Joie de Vivre collection, which happens to be part of their breast cancer awareness lines.  I didn't realize that when I bought it, but I'm really happy I have it. 

These pictures look so much better on my computer.  What's up with that?

Love In a Mist Sample

A little late for the Fourth of July, but here's my sample block for the HGTV discussion board swap.  The block is called Love in a Mist, which is a free block from the awesome site Quilters Cache.  (It also happens to be a lovely flower in the buttercup family, properly called Nigella damascena.  Its a gorgeous star blossom.)

Isn't she pretty?  The Swap Hostess had asked for star and star-like blocks and I thought this would be a fun one for me to try.  The final blocks will be only in red & white of course, but I thought my sample needn't be restricted.  One of the swap participants said she was doing sample blocks in a particular theme, and I thought that was a great idea.  I had originally thought to do my sample in 30's fabrics, but since I wanted to get started this past weekend the red, white & blue seemed appropriate.

I'm making progress getting my points tidier, but I still seem to foul up the seams.  Must drive slower over all those speedbumps!  What a messy back.

Jumping into June

Can you believe its June already?  I have a couple projects languishing because I've been busy with the shop and with guests for Memorial Day weekend, but now I'm back to getting into the fabric, instead of just daydreaming about it.

I've decided to participate in two group quilty events this summer.  One is hosted by the lovely Elizabeth of Don't Call Me Betsy. She's doing a Kaleiscope QuiltALong and I think it will be lots of fun.  I love this block, and I'm hoping that having more of a deadline will keep me steadily at work. Self imposed deadlines don't always work for me when it comes to crafty projects.

My current plan is to use a selection of stash fabrics from Pop Garden.  They're so cheery and I'm anxious to use them in something bright and fun.  I added the top one from Meadowsweet.  I think it'll work.  I'd like to look for something in blues to add, so I'll have 4 basic colors: yellow, hot pink, green, blue.  No clue what the background will be for the blocks.  I'm thinking a pale yellow.  What do you think? 

In addition to the Kaleidoscope QAL, I also signed up for a red & white block swap over on the HGTV Quilting Discussion Board.  This is a great group of ladies who like to talk quilts and do swaps.  I was a member of the discussion board several years ago, but when I switched crafts I abandoned them for a time.  I've joined up again and its fun to chat and see what everyone else is accomplishing.  They are full of encouragement, advice and fun!  The swap is for 12 blocks due September 1 and I'm really looking forward to it.  I've chosen a fairly detailed block that will be a challenge for me, and also great practice.  You can never have too many red & white quilts, right?

Are you in any swaps or quilt-a-longs for the next few months?