Something old, something older

With moving, the holidays, and getting the kids settled into new schools, I have fallen shamefully behind on my Piece Bee With You bee blocks.  Though the bee is over, I have three outstanding blocks to make, plus a siggy block to send with a fourth that was made months ago.  And also the last block for Design Camp. 

Inspired by a recent quilt finish, I'm determined to make good on bee blocks owed.  Poor Phuong has been waiting for her photography-related Piece Bee block SINCE JUNE!  The idea for her block has been percolating for quite some time, but I finally put pencil to paper and drafted it out this afternoon (and was consequently late picking my kids up from school because I lost track of time).

Because I love vintage anything, I chose the Kodak Brownie Beau for Phuong's block.  As soon as I figure out how to do the circles, I'll be off and running.

Aside from bee blocks, I re-discovered a quilt top that I made for Martina almost two years ago.  It was the second quilt (top) I ever made, and I put it away because my tastes had changed.  Martina still loves it and requested that I finish it before I get back to her Poetica quilt.  And so I spent the morning basting it on the dining room table.

While I'm addressing old projects, I may as well add the oldest UFO to the bunch.  I bought a vintage chair at an estate sale well over 2 years ago.  My husband purchased and cut foam cushions soon after.  

 The kids have had fun picking away at the foam the past couple of years, which I've had fun vacuuming up.  So with cushions cut to fit and fabric washed, there's no excuse to put it off any longer.  I think it's time to sew up some boxed cushion covers so we can retire the blanket that's been hiding the unsightly foam.

[ETA 1/10/13] And here's a pic of Martina's Poetica quilt blocks. 

They need to be sewn into a top, then basted to batting and a minky backing (my first), quilted and bound.

I'm linking up the last two three UFO's to the 2013 Finish-Along hosted by Leanne and Project UFO hosted by Angela.  Head on over to the Flickr groups (here and here) to check out all the other great projects.

Playing catch-up

My sewing has been sadly neglected as of late.  October has been all about parents visiting, home showings, house-searching and kids activities.  The sewing list needs some attention.

Over the weekend my guild had another Charity Sew Day, so I was able to start a charity quilt (which still needs quilting).  Jennifer pre-cut strips of studio remnants donated by the ever-generous Julie of The Intrepid Thread.  Our challenge was to piece a Strip and Flip crib-sized quilt top using a tutorial from Cluck Cluck Sew.  Here's my contribution:

We deviated from the tutorial a teeny bit by using twenty 2.5-inch strips rather than the called-for twenty-seven 2-inch strips.  This is a quick and lovely quilt top, and a great way to use up half of a jelly roll.  Or you can use those favorite prints you've been hoarding without depleting them since you only need a 2" or 2.5" x WOF strip!

I also managed to start a few bee commitments despite the busy schedule.  Kate sent Metro Living and Field Study pieces for the September Design Camp block but a mailing mishap caused a delay in the fabrics reaching me.  Just a little left to do... I'm only a couple rows short of finishing the second block.

October's blocks for do. Good Stitches are EPP stars.  Rachel requested  this pretty fall palette.  I've finally gotten around to cutting the fabric, and as I've fallen in love with English paper piecing, these should go fairly quickly.

In other sewing news, I'm eagerly anticipating the Get Your Curve On class this weekend.  Time to start pulling fabric and getting my gear ready...

Linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

Simple pleasures

Sometimes all the need-to-dos get in the way of enjoying life.  We're so busy with obligations, tasks and responsibilities that we forget to just be in the moment.  At least that's how I feel.  My mind is always trying to stay one step ahead, and weekends end up feeling rushed and busy.

The family and I actually slowed down enough this past weekend to engage in some nice-to-dos.  Apart from the kids' soccer games, everything else was impromptu: breakfast at a favorite restaurant, lunch at another, playtime at the park, a movie.  Of course, that left the weekly shopping and a mountain of laundry to address this morning, but I have no complaints.

Before the idyllic weekend, I finally pieced a bee block that is super tardy.  For Design Camp (I won't even tell you which month), Anne sent out solids and asked us to make a 15" tiny house block.  The colors I received were begging to be made into a mid-century modern style house.  A huge MCM fan, I was only too happy to comply. 

I also finished up a couple of wonky pinwheel blocks for do. Good Stitches.  Isn't the color palette Natalie chose gorgeous?

I found piecing these addictive, and a small project made of these blocks is in order.  Should you want to make some yourself, Natalie provides an excellent tutorial here.

I've got one more tardy bee block to take care of, then I'm caught up and can turn my attention to other bees and swaps due soon.  But first, I'll have to go visit my stash, currently stored at a friend's house, to pull some fabric.  Or maybe I should just do a little light fabric shopping since everything is packed away so nicely...

Dash to the finish

Not one to buck the system, I find myself sewing like mad to finish up my monthly sewing commitments.  Going into this last week of May,  I still have an apron for a swap with a fellow guild member, and blocks for Piece Bee and Design Camp.  I've been blocked (har-har) coming up with ideas for the two remaining bee blocks.  It was pretty much anything goes for both, and I find that challenging. 

My Design Camp block is hot off the machine.  Christine requested playful "bumper sticker" blocks.  Something to make her smile or giggle without being too raucous.  Tough one.  There were a few phrases I considered, but my sense of humor leans towards the inappropriate.  After much dithering, I settled on "Cheers!"  Because I'd waited until just about the last minute to start, there was a steep learning curve on free-form piecing the letters.  A few mistakes were made, but all in all, not too bad.

I'd gotten as far as C-H-E-E, then suddenly this Mike Meyers character popped into my head.  Twist!  I just had to make this:

It came out a *tad* large (10"x21"- yikes!) because of the change-up.  Hopefully, Christine can make it work.

I'm still agonizing over my Piece Bee block.  Alli's theme is "Favorite thing."  How to narrow it down to one?  I love so many things, and I honestly can't decide what one thing is THE favorite.  Probably over-thinking this one.

I suppose I should get started that apron.  If I could just remember where I (mis)placed the pattern and fabric...

Flowers and bees

Remember the Retro Flowers block for the Love Circle at do. Good Stitches?  It has been unsewn, has had seams pressed open (they were side-pressed) and has been sewn back up again.  It has also been  joined by a sister block:

 

I pieced those lovelies last night while watching old episodes of The Office (US) and Saturday Night Live with the hubby.  We usually watch old episodes of Being Human (UK) or Walking Dead (we got our fix earlier this week now that new episodes are being aired), but last night I was in the mood to be amused.

Today's agenda involves whittling down my other bee/swap commitments.  This includes, but is not limited to, making a test block, then cutting into this lovely Rendezvous fabric for the Aqua and Red Bee (I may save the gray and black dots for the binding, but the jury's still out on that decision):

and cutting up these old work shirts my husband was going to recycle (due to various stains and tears) for the Design Camp [think outside the block] Swap:

All will be packaged tonight and will go in the post tomorrow.  Some of the packages are going overseas, so there may be tardy arrivals due to the short month.  

Yikes!

     My little guy loves to roll his Thomas trains all over my sewing machine.  All over.  Yesterday he kept having train crashes.  One of the crashes knocked the thread take-up spring on the tension unit out of whack.  To quote Sir Topham Hat, this has caused confusion and delay.  I didn't notice it until I tried to finish a secret swap project for this week's BAMQG meeting. 

     So now my machine has to have some unscheduled maintenance done.  I may try to do it myself... there are some good references on the vintage Singer yahoo group.  If I muck things up, I can always take it to a repair shop.  Thank goodness I have a backup machine.  Which the little one is now rolling his toy truck all over.

    There were a few things I managed to complete before the fateful crash.  Two 12.5" log cabin blocks for the BAMQG Heirloom Challenge. 

There was a third in the works, but I scrapped it.  I also made a gift for the guild's December Secret Swap, but the photo won't be posted until after the meeting.   

     My November bee blocks were mailed off just under the wire.  I usually finish bee blocks well before the deadline, but the procrastinator in me doesn't like to send them as soon as they're done.  I'm always rushing to get them off a few days before month's end.

    The November block for Piece Bee With You was Geese In A Ring in aqua and orange.  This was lots of fun to make.  The next time I make one, I'll pre-cut the fabric.  Although this isn't a quick block by any means, it took much longer to make than it should have.  Alisha also asked for a small siggy block.

     The theme for November's Design Camp [think outside the block] Swap was Ocean Dreams.  We were sent a mix of beautiful solid cottons and linens and asked to improvise a block with a beachy feel.  The block I made was inspired by striped beach cabanas along a boardwalk. 

 

It doesn't look as improvised as it is.  It sort of looks paper-pieced, but I suppose that will happen if you're rotary cutting with a ruler!

Mission (almost) accomplished

   It's such a nice feeling to have fulfilled all of my bee/swap blocks for this month early.   So different from my college days of all-nighters, pots of coffee, pleas for divine inspiration, and vows that the next paper would be started earlier than the night before it was due.

The blocks for Teal We Meet Again, Design Camp, and Piece Be With You sit on my hutch, ready to be packed up and posted.  And the Scrapbuster Swap blocks were mailed weeks ago. 

     It was such a relief to get those blocks done, because I had a commitment to this guy:

    
Yesterday was his 2nd birthday, and I promised to make him a birthday cake from scratch.  He talked all day about his birthday cake and being "2 old."  We celebrated by having our special occasion dinner (Pan-Roasted Pork Pork Loin with Leeks over rice), followed by an eggless vanilla and chocolate cake with ice-cream.  It's pretty amusing to watch a 2 year old open gifts. 

     The only other thing I've got with a hard and fast deadline is the Habitat Challenge through BAMQG.  We were given fat eighths of Jay McCarroll's Habitat in the Brights colorway .  Here they are in their uncut glory:

     There are a couple of ideas percolating in my head.  The first is one which involves a lot of applique which would be beyond my skill level and patience.  The second idea is much simpler.  Given the impending deadline, I think the second one is the way to go.  Could be cool, could be a disaster. 
     

Letting go- sort of

     I have made my first ever improvisational block.  It took most of the day yesterday because little K is in this phase of needing me to be right there alongside him.  Or he needs to be a part of whatever I'm doing.  Not good when I'm trying to sew- he's tends to make a grab at all of the pointy tools.
     Working without a pattern was a wonderful experience- very liberating.  I must confess, however, that I thought making improv blocks would be quick and easy.  Not so- there was a lot of forethought and "unsewing" in the production of this block.  I wanted to make sure that the fabrics were balanced throughout.  I also had to have a crash course in Y seams (thank goodness for youtube).  I'm very happy with the results, but I fear the little blue and white striped triangle in the bottom right corner is going to be swallowed by sashing.     
    Anyway, without further ado, here's Dustin's Red X block for the Design Camp [think outside the block] Swap:

    It was great to work with fabrics I normally don't work with in my projects (although the brown herringbone came from my stash).  The older kids saw the unfinished block on the table yesterday when they came home from school.  They both LOVE the fabrics, and when I told them it was for someone else they were sorely disappointed.  Little momma even went so far as to suggest that I go out and buy all the same fabric and make a quilt for us! 
     I feel inspired to quilt fabric other than quilting fabric.  I kept a pile of the hubby's work shirts that were marked for donation, thinking I would make them into a quilt.  I hear them calling my name.   

What's that buzzing sound?

 
     The Scrapbuster Swap blocks, both monochromatic and mixed, have finally been squared up.  They were finished last week but squaring up is my least favorite part about quilting, so they sat in a pretty pile in my living room.  I finally decided yesterday it was time for a trimming so I can post them.   

     Because four quilts-in-progress and a sweater-in-progress seem not enough to keep me occupied, I have joined two new quilting bees via Flickr.  I'm a little apprehensive, as they both involve blocks with which I have very little experience.  But I've always been a quick study, and I'm eager to stretch myself as a quilter.

     The first bee is Design Camp [think outside the block] Swap.  This is a modern block swap with improvisational blocks as the focus.  I consider myself a modern quilter in that I use modern fabrics in my blocks.  I love the bright colors and bold graphics.  But I have yet to piece an improvisational block.  Hopefully this experience will help me let go of that need for symmetry and order.  It's time to get a little crazy with the block piecing!
    
     There are some very good discussions about modern quilting and improvisational blocks out there.  I'm eager to try and hoping that the blocks look improvisational by design, not from laziness to follow a pattern or to match seams and points (matching seams and points perfectly is something I'm still trying to master).

     The second bee I joined is the Piece Bee with You Swap, a foundation piecing bee.  I've done exactly one foundation pieced block- the square-within-a-square.  Not exactly challenging.  I'd better practice before the bee starts up in October.  I bounced around the web looking for suggestions on how to create and piece your own design, but there wasn't much on this topic.  I'm sure experienced foundation piecers would think it quite easy to know where to begin piecing their own original design, but I am clueless.  Looks like it's time to hit the scrap pile and figure this thing out!  And if anyone who may be reading this has any references they can point me to, I'd greatly appreciate it!