My green RSC block for May 2015

Rainbow Scrap Challenge color for the month of May was green.  I have a lot of greens but didn't want to use my darkest ones as they didn't seem to fir in with the rest of what I've done this year so I opted for all my lighter green scraps.  It produced a block quite similar to the yellow one but I tink it will be a great addition to the quilt I will just have to keep them away from each other in the final layout I think.

Which brings the total to five blocks and they look like this together.

 

 



I do like the darker values the best so maybe the darker greens would be amazing in this quilt top after all.  I also love seeing all the secondary patterns that show up when you place them all together!

Maybe I will find the blocks will need to be done in both light and dark values to help the over all quilt move from a dark side to a light side?  I'm thinking by the time I have nine of these done I will have a better idea if I will be needing to make extra of certain colors.

 

Keep Stitchin'

Round Robin Finish

Well close to finishing at least!!!  Some of the ladies have finished and I have been plugging away on mine and it is time to share our progress.  This fun Round Robin started in November last year when we created our center block and sent it off on it's journey.  Each month a group member added an addition according to our organizer, Bea's plan, as this was a planned Round Robin where we each agreed to follow the rules of the month.  Below is the block that I sent off 6 months ago to the group of Round Robin ladies.  I used the little bear pattern from Tartankiwi  which can be bought from her payhip site at the link.

The first month we were to add three inch blocks all around the center block that was sent to us.  Bea's block was the first one I worked on and part of the rules were we could only share a snippet if we were to blog about it...Can you believe the only pictures I seemed to have taken were of the snippet I shared that month?  I don't have pictures of my completed round but luckily you can see her finished quilt on her blog at Beaquilter.  She started off with a center block of a flag and sent a note saying it would be donated to a veteran.  I loved this chance to honor a veteran so I added 5 stars and the saying 'Liberty For All'  around her block. And sent it off for it's next addition.

The following month, December, found me adding six inch blocks the top and bottom of  Carol's quilt top.  I decided to echo her center star block with a few additional star blocks around it in similar colors.  One of the things I loved was Carol had sent a note explaining she did not want anyone purchasing fabrics for her quilt but to add something from our current stash.  It was fun choosing just the right combo of colors to complement what she had started.  I loved the border Bea had added and it allowed me to add a pop of blue in there. To make all those tiny stars happen in such a small space I just took some patterns that are available for free at the Quilter's Cache and drew them up so I could paper piece them. Those stars inside stars got pretty small and paper piecing allowed me to get the accuracy I needed. The patterns I used were all from a group called Valley of the Sun Stars.
Top row used:  Go Along #1, Carolyn's Star, and Go Along #2
Bottom Row used: Ellen's Star, Go Along #2, Linda's Star

 



In January, I had the most fun adding six inch blocks to the sides of Mary's quilt featuring her bug house in the middle. She sent a little booklet explaining her Bug Hut theme and included a little picture of a house that she admired and had drawn inspiration from for her center block.  So I sat down with some graph paper and drew up a similar house I could put on the sides to give more lodging for her bug friends.  I couldn't resist putting a bird in one of the hut's windows as I knew he would be tempted to move in with all those tasty treats living so close by.  The block had been sent to me from Julianne and she had included this wonderful low volume bee print for one of us to use if we would like.  Heck yeah!!!  Not only did I use it up but it inspired me to make the four bee blocks in the corners that I used it in. The bee pattern can be found as a free pattern from Beth of Piece By Number here.  Thank you so much Julianne as I'm sure without your fabric contribution I would not have been inspired to include them and they turned out so delightful!

 





February had me in turn working on Julianne's quilt top.  This month our contribution was not as demanding, with us only adding a row of three inch blocks to the top and bottom of the quilt top.  While a quick little addition is sometimes an easy no brainer I wanted it to have a dramatic impact on the quilt none-the-less.  Not as easy as it would appear and it took me a while to find just the right block to contribute.

Julianne's quilt was very scrappy, which I know she loves, and made it easy to pull from my stash but I just needed the right pattern.  I found this diamond pattern that was part of a pattern called feathered star in the Spring 2001 Foundation Piecer journal and it just seemed perfect as it echoed the shape of Mary's stars and even Julianne's center block in my mind. I know it looks like I added them to the sides instead of the top and bottom but a quick 90 rotation takes care of that.

 



Lastly, that left Allison's quilt top to work on in March.  Wow, this time we were to add 26 six inch blocks all the way around the quilt top.  When I opened the package containing Allison's quilt, I was simply blown away by how cute it was.  Allison also sent a little booklet explaining the story behind her quilt top.  She is turning 60 this year and having been born between Christmas and New Year's she felt she had kind of always been short changed at her birthday and wanted this quilt to commemorate this milestone in her birthday since this one was going to be a big one.  She even gave us permission to go wild, be crazy and think fireworks, champagne glasses, and even suggested using LX for the roman numerals 60. Loving the opportunity to go big and wild, my brain went into overdrive. Mary once again sent inspiration by including patterns for cake slices, ice cream cones and party hats!!!  Wow...I was on an emotional overload wanting to include them all as they all appealed to my paper piecing loving self to the max!  I found a different pattern for ice cream cones that I really fell for from Annie's Musings. You can find the pattern at the link.  It lent itself well to the six inch block if I made the cone part one of the six inch blocks and the ice cream another six inch block. I put three of them on each side and that left the top and bottom open for more block ideas.  Well champagne glasses didn't seem right with all that ice cream so I decided if this was to commemorate her 60th Birthday I should just put Happy 60th on it.  So I paper pieced it out and had it up on the design wall for a while before deciding it ruined the "Oh how cute" feeling that I first felt when I opened that package and saw her quilt top for the first time.  I loved that "Oh how cute"  I had felt on first glimpse and needed that to be the overwhelming response when looking at this quilt again. It was back to the drawing board to see what direction to take next.  I decided with her center cake and all that ice cream we just needed to slice it up and serve it to everyone!  Since Mary had included the pattern for the cake slices, I set to work on adding them to the top and bottom and even got to work those fireworks into the corner to help her celebrate her birthday with the bang she deserves.  The pattern I used for the fireworks was actually a pattern called Wyoming Whirligig that I located in a book called Paper Piecing Potpourri from Quiltmaker and Quilter's Newsletter.  Allison, I had a blast adding my border around your quilt top and wish you all the best as you celebrate your birthday this year!!!  I hope your 60th birthday is nothing short of spectacular!!!

Now that brings us to April and me receiving my top back.  WOW...I was blown away by the pure awesomeness when I opened my package!

I sent him out with quite a few coordinating prints as I wanted the top to have a cohesive look that is not always found on Round Robin additions. It paid off and I LOVE, LOVE how my top looked when it came back home to me.  Mary added some bear paws right off the bat, which I certainly secretly hoped would be included in the quilt.  Bea then added some wonderful embroidery blocks and they were just gorgeous!!!  She added an outstanding bear and another block that said, 'Beary Special'.  Well, I couldn't say it better this quilt top is certainly a 'Beary Special' one and she included some more bear paws and sent some more coordinating fabric off with him.  Thanks so much!  Allison then added some chasing geese blocks on her round and hoped they could pass the muster.  Wow...she is a silly goose because they were a WONDERFUL addition to the quilt and I love them.  They are perfect and amazing surrounding him.  Carol added just the perfect mix and blend in her scrappy addition and Julianne's border of pinwheel blocks are the perfect frame around him and I love all the additional fabrics she used while still having my original fabrics to use and give the quilt it's overall unity. Uh-Mazing job ladies!!!  Thank you to each of you for all the love you contributed to Little Bear.

Now it was time for my final border around it and I thought I would just add orange bear paw units in two opposite corners on each side having about 6 or 7 of them meeting in the two corners...but I just didn't like how it looked.  I thought it would be a good frame but it was just too shocking.  So I just kept adding bear paws and making them all the different colors reflected in the quilt. I kept all the paw pieces one color hoping they would stand out and frame him.  They do indeed perfectly.  I arranged them all which ways but loose but finally decided on having the right half face in and the left half facing in, in the opposite direction.  It takes 64 of these and am only a little way over half way now.  I have two sides sewn on and look forward to it's completion but I find making any block repeatedly tedious...so it will take me a little while longer.  Then I think I will add another row to the top and bottom so I will have a nice lap quilt to cuddle under this winter in front of the fire.  Would it be awful of me to add a couple arrows to the top and bottom.  I certainly mean no harm to him but having done daycare for 12 years while my kids were growing up, I loved the story Going on a Bear Hunt...I'm not scared.  We loved echoing the words and running back in reverse of the story to get back home just to say again...I'm not scared!  Good memories and this quilt will be my good memories quilt of all those enjoyable years raising my children and so many others!

What more can I say?  I just adore him to pieces!

Thanks again to the wonderful group of ladies who devoted their time, energy and love into creating this outstanding quilt with me!!!  Thanks Bea, Mary, Allison, Carol and Julianne---you girls rocked this---Thank you so Beary Much!!!  Bear Hugs and loads of Grizzly Gratitude :)

Pluging away on many things

I have been busy working on multiple projects at once.  I just get too bored working on any one thing, so lately, I just juggle projects as the mood strikes.  I currently am juggling these projects:

My gnome project for a swap on Instagram with a June shipping date.  I decided on making a mini wall hanging.  I put together the gnome and mushrooms by Cyrille of Bubblestitch and created a Gnome house for my Gnome and am bordering it with bellflowers from the Secret Garden pattern from the Spring 2004 All-Time Favorites Quiltmaker magazine.  I am considering putting a bellflower on the other side of the project as well,  it is quite a bit of additional work but I am sure it would be worth it.  I love the idea of the gnome living in it's own Secret Garden and it seems fitting to have it nestled between the bellflowers.  It currently is 13 1/4 inches by 16 1/2 inches so adding another bellflower should finish it up as an almost perfect little square.  I took all the original patterns and made them 50% of their original size.

I love all the low volume and the little fox and deer living with the gnomes just are so sweet.  I love that whole wee wander line.  I hope my partner will love it, too!  And the little frogs from the Heather Ross print...too cute and a few chickies scattered in for good measure...what's not to love...right???

Today, I finished my pillow that I must have put off to the side a couple of months ago,  I want to be able to use this pillow on my deck this Summer and since this is suppose to be a really nice weekend it was time to do it.  I've been procrastinating because I had decided to put a zipper in the back this time but it really wasn't hard at all... but I need to do it a few more times and perfect the size of fabric to cut.  This time I just over sized and winged it from there and I need something more precise in the future.  Bottom line is it has a functional zipper in the back so... yeah good job me.

I just threw an old pillow inside that was in need of a face lift.  Sure looks better now. 

Finally, I made the April Rainbow Scrap Challenge block for 2015.  This month brought the color purple into play.  I am using the Circle of Friends pattern found in the May 2014 American Quilter issue.  The pattern is by Katie Wells and I love how these are turning out.

I love how the group of them are looking together so far.  I really wasn't sure what to expect using a different color each month and putting these together, but am excited to see this one grow each month.

My only regret so far is wishing I had used a lighter yellow in the outer corners of the yellow one. It is definitely a mistake I will keep in mind when choosing colors in the future.

I am still working on my round robin quilt top.  I got it back in March and will be sharing it at the end of April here when Bea from Beaquilter does a linky party with each of us who participated and I am dying to see everyone's quilt top and what has been added to them since I last worked on them. In the meantime, I am supposed to be adding 64 blocks to mine and I hate making 64 blocks of anything...Yikes!!!  I had better get busy...so far I only have 12 of those done.  Glad I have a little more time but so many things get me sidetracked.

And of course, I now have those piano key blocks to add to my Technicolor Galaxy quilt top.

Keep Sttichin'

Technicolor Galaxy Start

My new IG obsession has kept me away too long but I finally remembered I need to update my blog with my latest activities.  I am finally getting around to starting my Technicolor Galaxy quilt using the pattern from Pile 'O Fabrics Alyssa Lichner.  It got off to a slow start in mid January and then everybody participating in her 2015 skillbuilder lessons spent some time working out our color schemes and color options while waiting for our templates to ship from her. 

I first tried out all my center blocks fabric choices for block #1 on a miniature sheet of paper and tweaked a couple of choices and then finally got them cut out and glued onto make center this last week.  I still have to do the bias strips for the stained glass effect the center will get but haven't located the clover bias maker that is required yet.  I am in no rush as it looks to be a lot of work but following everybody on IG sure has made me drool over what others have accomplished and look forward to catching up.

Next up for block #2, I picked out 144 different fabrics that make up the color wheel portion of my quilt top.  If you checkout the hashtag #technicolorgalaxy on IG you will see some outstanding beauties that are being created with this pattern. 

Last week, I completed the 12 sections that comprise the next round.  I LOVE how this is looking and have to trust that with Alyssa's lessons will be able to figure out how to put this thing together at the end of the year.  In the meantime, I need to commit to quilting each of these pieces but I have so many things to balance and juggle it seems impossible to finish anything as I love starting new projects.

 

Within two days time, I had the blocks done and put away to make time for the next project.  I made a practice block for the beehive I'm in this year but I will need to redo it as it is not up to my standards.  Next to procrastinating a finish, my hatred of redo-ing a block comes in a close second.
But since it is not due to ship until late April...I will just add it to my ever growing list of things I am procrastinating to do.

In the meantime, I am spending some time drafting my mini quilt for the gnome swap that I need to complete by June and since I know my propensity to not finish things, I need to at least get my favorite part done so I can move on to the finishing phase of it on time.  Plus, Spring has arrived in the Pacific Northwest and along with continuing to clean my new sewing room space, I am sprucing up the flower beds --- don't you just love Spring!!!

 

Keepin' Busy and Happy,

Scrappy Trip

After sitting out a couple of rounds of Julie Hirt's Scrappy Trip Around the World Quilt Bee I decided it was time to participate again.  Of course, Julie's announcement that she would be ending it after a few more rounds this year certainly lit a fire under me to get back to this quilt. I currently have 18 of these blocks from past rounds and am not sure how many or big I am making this quilt but a couple more rounds sound perfect.

The hive I am in this time are speed demons and quickly set to work on their blocks so I decided to join in and get them off the to do list.

Here they are:

For Lee...Loved her color choices

The pink and orange really shine in my Kaffe Fassett fabrics

 



For Jennifer...these are her color choices

 

For Jane...she wanted modern and bright

I must admit I struggled with this one. Most of my moderns are text and not bright.

 

For Sandy...Black and White with a pink center stripe

Love the typewriters and all the text prints

 

For Laurie...Black and White with a red stripe in the center

 

I had a great time picking out the fabrics and putting them together.  Everyone's color choices were so much fun to work with.  I can't wait to get all my blocks. Three of them are made already and look fantastic!!!  Can't wait to put them with my current group and arranging them.

I have been busy over here moving my sewing room from upstairs where I had a 13 by 26 foot area to downstairs where I have a 10 by 10 foot room.  I am also using our sunroom for over flow and set my handiquilt frame up out there that hasn't been in use for over...I don't really know the last time I used it...maybe 6 to 8 years ago.  I never really liked it since I just use my domestic on it but with all the modern quilting embracing straight line and squiggles I thought it was time to give it a shot again.

Keep Stitchin'

Progress Update for February

February hasn't been my most productive month for me. It started with us out of town and then last weekend we spent the weekend moving my sewing room from upstairs to a downstairs room.  I have had a knee bothering me for the last year and my husband thinks being downstairs will help it so I am moving the sewing room from a 13' x 26' room to a 10' x 10' room.  YIKES!!!

 

Good news is I am back to being able to sew and this weekend got quite a lot of things caught up.

 

I have my round robin addition on and ready to send on it's way to it's March destination. The pictures I took turned out terrible so I will try to get a couple snaps before I send it on it's way so I can show a tidbit.

 

I spent the week carousing my fabrics looking for the right combo for my beehive block this month.  It is the first block for the swarm and this month Melanie is our Queen and picked out the Chainlink block from  Alyce at Blossom Heart Quilts.  I was a little unsure of all the pieces but it went together so smoothly and Alyce's directions were super!!!  It has been so fun to see all of our blocks as they are added to our IG feed.

Second up was the second block for my RSC blocks.  This month the color selected was pink and it only seemed fitting for Valentine's Day to use all the heart fabrics.  I love how these are going to look in all the colors and I really love how it looks next to last month's block.

Then I worked on two more blocks for the Sew Simplicity block of the month by Jacquelynne Steves.
This one I adore by itself but seems so muted next to the others.  I still have to do the applique to the center of these last two but am excited to get them this far.  These have SO many pieces!!!  I think if this one is going to work I am really going to have to use the dark values in the applique pieces because right now it seems so washed out.

No wonder, look at it compared to the others it seems so light, too light.  It totally reminds me of the awesome Spring weather we had this weekend but is so unlike the other blocks.  If there was going to be 9 or more of these blocks I could make it work in the center but this BOM only has 6 block and I do not want to do all of these twice.  Jacquelynne suggested a setting of 4 or 6 blocks so maybe I should just settle on 4.

 

I have been having fun over on IG.  More checking out what everyone else is up to but in doing so found a couple of IG only swaps that I simply could not pass up.  First one is a gnome swap and the second is a Fairy tale swap.  Both have June/July finishes so I am anxious to get partnered up and start planning on what to create for both of these swaps.

 

Still Stitchin'



Manzanar Trip

Not much sewing done this last weekend as we traveled south to California to drop my daughter off for a three month internship at Manzanar National Park.  Located near Death Valley in a valley between the Inyo-White mountain range and the Sierra Nevada mountain range it sure is a very picturesque spot to spend some time.  Unfortunately it marks a dark time in American history during World War II when about 10,000 Japanese Americans were relocated to Manzanar from as far away as Bainbridge, WA to spend three years there before finally being allowed to leave. 

The building behind my daughter houses a very nice museum recounting the three years the interment camp was being used during the war.  During the war, this building was used by residents as a community center and held regular dances there according to the video we watched inside. 

In this picture you can see the barracks that stood row upon row.

 

 

This map shows the layout as it was during it's use.  Today only two barracks remain and they are actually resurrected buildings as the camp was torn down after it's closure and the wood was sold off by the government. 

What a dry and arid area to have been forced to live in.  It is also very windy at Manzanar as it is so closely nestled between the two mountain ranges that the wind is pretty steady through here.

This is a monument that is erected in a cemetery area of the site. 

In 1992, Congress established Manzanar National Historic Site and entrusted the Park Service to preserve the site and its stories.  It serves as a reminder to todays generations and to future generations of the fragility of American civil liberties.  For over 10,000 people were held here behind barbed wire and armed guards with no due process and they deserve for us to know of their stories and learn from the events of this time in American history. If you would like to learn more about the Manzanar site you can go HERE. 

During my daughter's internship though the Student Conservation Association she will be doing some repair work on site and pruning and grafting trees.  She will also be there during a college Archaeological dig and be present during the annual pilgrimage to Manzanar for internees and their families wishing to visit.

The trip down there was about 950 miles from our house and while you would think I had lots of time in the truck to do some hand sewing all I got done was this.  Well this and about 20 hexagons that I didn't take a picture of.

I had the center part done but added the white embroidery stitches between the border and the center.
Hopefully, I can get this up and hanging on the wall this month as it is from the Year of Bertie blocks from 2014 and is the February block.  Seeing as how the January block has been hanging in the kitchen all year long it would love to be replaced by this beauty soon.  Hopefully it won't be a year before the March block is done but I wouldn't doubt it.  Seriously, I think I should start on the June or July block and hope it is done by this June or July. We do have another long trip to go down and bring her back up so it just might work out that I can get another one done this year.

Don't you just love the Circus Circus carpet in the above picture. Can you believe I was against staying there because I wasn't sure I could stand to see it all the time but it quickly grew on me.

Despite the limited hand sewing on the way down to California and back through Reno I seemed to have developed some rather large muscles which I attribute to the muscles used doing the minute amount of sewing I did accomplish.  Good thing I didn't over indulge!!!

Keep Stitchin'

Another Flimsy completed

Sophia's quilt top is complete. I hope to be able to complete it with the quilting by the end of February.  Why does February have to be such a short month?  I think it turned out really adorable.

I had planned on adding the heart row to the top and bottom of the quilt but to fit an even number across I ended up making them almost 7 inches high and it was just too much to add to the overall size of the quilt.  I really like the color scheme, not quite the traditional colors you would think of but I just love the royal feel with the purple and blues. It is now 42 x 51 3/4 inches.  The blocks are a set of paper piece patterns by Kristy from Quiet Play. Her patterns can be found here.



I've been a busy little bee over here and made a few bee blocks this last month to prove it. Since they belong to a secret project I can only show you one but it certainly does make you smile right?

It is a free pattern that I found at Piece By Number and I think I'll have to add it to another upcoming project that I'm still working on the design of. 



I also got block Two done for my Sew Simplicity Block of the Month. I now have three of these BOM blocks done.

Keep Stitchin'