Finishing Up: Blockapalooza

I've been trying to squeeze in some sewing the past several days.  Here are the last two quilt blocks I made following along with the Blockapalooza sponsored by Quilt Dad,

And after agonizing needlessly over various fabric combinations from my stash and being so pround that I did not break down and buy fabric for the borders, here's the finished top,

For the sashing I used a relatively new addition to my stash, a pretty beige stripe and then repeated a pink from the quilt proper for the cornerstones.  The borders are a Jenny Beyer believe it or not.  I was never a big fan of her fabric,  I always associate them with dark geometrics, but this pastel lilac seemed to be just the trick.  I did not have enough of any of the other fabrics.  All in all, considering I wasn't a fan of the collection I used, I am happy with the results.   You can check out the others' at http://www.flickr.com/groups/bloggersblockapalooza/
I was playing around with some leftover fabric and ended up making another block substitution, here's that block,

The color's off a bit as I forgot the flash, :(

Moda Bake Shop started having a monthly contest.  The March contest involved making one of the recipes posted that uses charm squares.  I just finished my entry a few days ago and will post photos next time.  I'm off for a caffeine fix, a new med I started gives me the worst headaches.
Until next time, Happy Sewing!

Catch-Up

I am so behind with posting my blocks for the Blockapalooza sew along.  I've been getting the blocks finished just have not been able to take the pictures.  And then I had a totally unexpected visit from my 18 year old niece this week.  So without further ado, here's cringe Block 10 designed  by new author Amy's Creative Side,

Block 11 was designed by the team at Fat Quarterly, I love the way this one looks,

Block 12 was designed by Sugar Stitches.

Here's Block 13 from Camp Follower Bags and Quilts which I ended up changing the center as I knew I would not have been happy with the original design.  It had a nine-patch in the center with an additional strip around it to bring the segment up to 4.5 inches.

And bringing me up-to-date, Block 14 from I'm Just a Guy Who Quilts, I love the size of the large geese!  And it was such an easy block to make.

Be sure to head over to Flickr to see the other participants' blocks.
I've also been working on a new project that I can't reveal yet and oh the problems I've had.  First time working with Layer Cakes {you will notice I did not say first time buying layer cakes!} and I've gotta start reading labels. 

Apparently layer cakes are not as accurately cut as charm packs?  More about my problems next time.  I am so excited, my daughter comes home tomorrow for her term break!!!  I'd say posting might be light but that has been the norm recently. 
Thanks for stopping by.

Ready Set Sew

Let's see:  I finished the blue and yellow bento box blocks and now need to sew that together, I just love the way it turned out.  I did not run out of the fabrics just got sick of making blocks and I think it's large enough.

I have this thing where I usually sneak in some fabric with a cat on it in whatever quilt I make and it took some serious looking to come up with some that went, I don't like it to be obvious.  Sometimes I do Christmas fabric instead.

Then it was onto Blue Nickel Studios for Block-a-palooza number nine.  I had my fingers crossed it didn't involve applique.  I love what Scott came up with!  {And I also love the way he numbers his posts, wish I'd thought of that!  Sometimes I waste so much time trying to come up with a title}  He says the middle are flying geese but they are really flying goslings! so small, 

 Can you tell I loved every step?!  First time using the light green.  This Romanza line I am using is very odd.  The pinks are such different shades if it weren't for the salvedge I'd swear they were unrelated.

  Here are all the blocks, I think that purple one might need some un-sewing and re-doing at some time.  I started using a Value Finder tool.  It's a red-tinted clear window that you look through just to see the value of the fabric.  It was included in a Block-of-the-month that I bought from Joann's (!) when I was a beginning quilter.  They used to give a little notion something along with the precut fabric in the kit {whatever was I thinking?}  Anyway, it works,  I need to get a blue one that is used when looking at pinks, reds.

Thanks for looking, now it's back to the bento box. 

Never A Bride

Happy Saturday afternoon!  I do believe spring has arrived here in Florida!  We have so few days where the weather is mild and the humidity is low.  Today is one of them.

All you people in still cold and snowy climes, don't hate me!  Come June, it isn't so great living here.  Ugh. I should fill you in on my jury duty and then we can never mention it again.  I was 1 of 326 potential jurors on Valentine's Day.  Every hour or so, they'd put our names into a random number generator and choose 30.   The non-chosen got to stay in the jury assembly room and listen to a local T.V. station drone on and on loudly.  Double ugh.  [Side note:  I do not watch T.V., don't even own one]  I brought plenty to read, as was suggested beforehand, but could never concentrate over the noise!  Nine hours I and 11 others waited to be called.  Finally at 5:00 we were dismissed.  Onto much more pleasant things, here's my Block 7 of the Block-a-palooza designed by House of a la Mode,

I changed the original arrangement of the four patches more to my liking.  I didn't get to Block 8 until yesterday, and it was the dreaded "a" word!  Applique!  Isn't that against the rules of the quilt along?  haha.  It is against  my rules, I rarely do applique, machine or by hand, so here's my renegade block.  I tried to keep with the gist of flying geese and nine-patches that the other blocks have so far,

And this did not look so much like a swastika before I sewed it together.  I am hoping once it gets sewn into the quilt you will hardly notice!!  You can see the original at Moda Home Mom.
I'll end with a picture of my amaryllis that bloomed on Valentine's Day.  This is the first time I've saved a bulb and got it to re-bloom.  Good timing wouldn't you say?

Talk to you later, giveaway scheduled in the near future!

On The Design Wall

A little behind here!  I have been keeping up with the Block-A-Palooza Quilt Along just been too preoccupied with another project, more about that later, but first, Block 5 designed by Miss Print.  I love the block and the way it turned out!

The green is from my stash, the others from the Romanza line.

And this is Block 6 from Happy Zombie, love this design too!  Used all Romanza fabric, which I am getting worried about running out before the end.  I have the most of the pale yellow background so I am doing my best to use that wherever possible.  I will not be playing along tomorrow with Block 7 as I was summoned for the dreaded jury duty!  I shouldn't complain:  this is the very first time I have been called and no matter where I have lived I have always registered to vote.  If you can believe this, my daughter was called about one week before she left for college her freshman year!  The judge very kindly excused her, but what a start.
One of my quilting New Year's resolutions besides making a dent in getting my growing pile of quilt tops quilted (resolution #1) was to start making some of the quilt kits (resolution #2) I have collected over the years.  And I have a lot.  I have a history of being a real sucker for those Objects of Desire!   ~ I've started with a kit that somehow became separated from its instructions, here's the fabric along with some from my stash (resolution No. 3:  use stash rather than buy).

So sans any guidance, I started on a Bento Box design, the pictures really don't do it justice,

When I did a doll quilt swap a few years ago, my partner sent several blue/yellow charm squares that I've been able to put in the quilt.  Each Bento Box block (try saying that three times fast!) measures 8 inches finished.  I've been somewhat obsessed with working on it for the past few days, here's my progress so far,

It really reads more blendy in person, exactly what I was trying to achieve.  I hope to get another couple rows done before running out of fabric.
Talk to you later ~

Gingham Pinwheels Block

Checking in with the latest Block-a-palooza, Block four, this one designed by Cherry House Quilts.  As I mentioned earlier I'm using the Romanza line, and feeling ambivalent about it!  I'm spending way too much time agonizing over what fabrics to choose for each block.  I have to work on that. 
Be sure to check out the other blocks in the quilt-along on Flickr. 
Talk to you later.

Hello!

It's been a while so I'll attempt to update on what I've been up to which doesn't involve sewing :(. Right before my daughter arrived from England for the holidays I developed problems with my right elbow so I spent all of December and 2 weeks of last month going to physical therapy.  Diagnosis was Tennis Elbow not that I've played tennis any nor done anything repetitive to deserve the ailment. This quilt top was left stranded on my design wall since the end of November.  I finally finished it up a few days ago.  I made it from the leftovers from a Moda Scrap Bag (and charm pack) I worked on earlier.

Here's the fabric I am using for the Blockapalooza.  Oh, it took me quite a while to decide what to use.  I was just dying to buy the Sunkissed line that the designers of the blocks are using.  Most of the fat quarters are from the Romanza  line from In The Beginning (2004).  I guess my tastes have changed as for the life of me I cannot fathom why I bought them!

 

Here's the first block from Quilt Dad,

The second block was designed by Oh,Fransson!.  I wasn't nuts about it so I decided to re-vamp things and came up with another design.  That whole trimming -the-blocks-to-make-it-fit just didn't work for me.  I think what I came up with goes with the others so far,

And finishing up with Block 3,

You can see other participants' pictures at Flickr.  Talk to you not too much later!