Bee blocks August 2012 Edition

Finishing up my bee block responsibilities.  I don't host another month so it's just the few bee packages that show up at my doorstep.  Sniff Sniff

And I have just a few more months left of the Block Party bee

{we're working within the awesome Block Party book}

hosted by the one and only Fairly Merry.

This has been a super fun group.  I'm super happy to fill in the last few months. 

This one is for the Block Party bee.

So super easy it was just WRONG!

I had this on my design wall for way too long.  My mother kept saying how fun these were so I had to take them down and ship them out!  I have some many projects going I didn't have time to think of another!

~~~
I also finally finished up these beauties for the Bee a Lone Star(burst) group using this tutorial



I finished this back in July



I finished this up this last Monday.

These were for {cough} May for the wonderful May Chappell

I'm so happy to get these out the door!

These lovely ladies are just making awesome things.  I had to step out of this group, the paper piecing is just a bit too much for me. Good to know this about myself.

~~~~

So then I also swapped outside of a bee with the lovely Ella for a few random triangle blocks that she made me in July.  She sent me some awesome fabric and here are the two blocks I came up with.

These are super triangle like. . it's just what is on my brain these days!

Love the colors and the fabrics.

I can't wait to see what happens with these blocks.

That's what I have going on right now.  There's more. . . muhahaha



My first Faux chenille blanket

You know when your just surfing the net, having a grand time. 

Checking out your flickr groups and how awesome all your contacts are. 

Looking at pinterest.

Looking at blogs.

Time . . .

Time!

Well it's dangerous!  It's dangerous to my pocketbook and my outstanding projects!

Somehow I came across a faux chenille blanket

- I don't remember where.

Well I was instantly obsessed.  It looks easy and wonderful!

I used the tutorial over at Aesthetic Nest (which is awesome).

I when ahead and purchased the cleaver Olfa's Chenille Cutter tool and I'm so happy I did.  I learned that you need to use the biggest size channel on the tool you can on each seam.  If you don't you can inadvertently wander and accidentally clip some of your stitching. Oops

So as I live in podunk rural Oregon I didn't have much choice in fabrics. I purchased some lightweight denim and 3 pieces of flannel. 

Zippdy - do - da!

Oh wait. . there was a HOLE in the middle of my fabric.  But alas I can fix that - applique the initial of the precious baby boy that this is going to be for. 

I can make anything work!  :)

So I completed the initial, applique, ALL of the quilting channels, and cutting the flannel to make the chenille pieces all in one night. One long long night after a full day of work.

Then the next evening I put on some binding - rounded corners at that. The corners didn't pucker but wow I need a little more time with curves.  I'm glad I made a much wider binding strip for this test. :)

Here it is all yummy and washed.  I had to stitch down a two spots that were cut too close - another reason to wash before gifting.  

Let me say that I'm impressed that I can make boy things. . I totally can.

I love it.  I'm sure my friend will love it too! The baby is too small to love anything yet.

Flying love

Lookie what came in the mail for me!

Sarah who blogs over at Issabella the Cat put up the cutest one seam flying geese tutorial. 
And then this happened to show up with some of my bee blocks.

I love my new wall hanging.

♥



I can even sew clothing

When I was a child, kid, teen the deal was if I cut it out. . my mother would sew it.
Let me tell you I can cut anything out and have it work every time!  I know about the grain of fabric, matching patterns and lots of other awesome sewing tricks.

{My mother is here this week and she tells me this was not the case . . whatever!}

When I first got my sewing machine I used to make clothing.  It was super fun. .and then it wasn't. 

I don't care for cutting out patterns. 

My ho-hummy attitude towards clothing is why I didn't believe that I would even LIKE quilting. But here I am really enjoy cutting out quilt patterns and even venturing into self created designs.

Sooooooo . . . the last trip to my mother's house she had a cute small top on her machine for my youngest nephew.  It was all but done.  And my mother said. . she couldn't finish it.  Poor mother is starting to lose her patience for such things.
 

I gladly took this shirt away from her and back home. I zipped it through my machine.  I even put in the buttonholes and everything!

The only issue that I was having is the amount of thread she sent me home with . . OMG I almost had a heart attack!  See the photo. . there are only a few wraps left. . ahhhhh!

But yep .. I can sew clothing. 

Don't tell my fella as I owe him some PJ pants from years ago. . lalalalala

  

While others sew

While the 4-H quilt was being made I had to give up a lot of my space and allow myself to be available when she had questions.  Being a teacher was super hard overall.  I crashed hard after it was done.

That quilt will be going to the state fair. . yeah!

While she was sewing and taking up my sewing area, I started and finished up this jelly roll race quilt.  It really came together quickly! Thankfully there was something to keep me occupied during this process! 

I got this idea from Ann that I met at my Tula Pink weekend. And I found this great video that made it where I didn't even think while finishing this beauty up. 

Since I had more time after this was done . . I canned 10 pints of blueberry jam.

Oh and I've planned out my hoopie I'm making for the Bee a {modern}swapper.
Here's a sneak peek

Totally loving summer!

4-H quilter

How did you learn how to sew, quilt, craft?

All of the things that I'm now embarking on weren't things I did as a child but they were always happening around me.

My lovely step-daughter wants to do the things I'm doing!  Good for her!

She was involved with 4-H this past year for sewing. 

She wanted to make a quilt for the country fair.  I love it!
 

She procrastinated on this because she thought that everything came together quickly because she thinks I work at lightening speed fast {hahaha}.

Boy did she learn!

But I have to say, even the back rocks!!

It's been like a sewing sweatshop in this house the last few weeks.  Poor thing wanted to take a break so many nights but she had to keep going.   Poor thing didn't really realize how long all these steps take.  It doesn't help that she's taking her time and being SUPER meticulous with her sewing - yeah it's a lot of forever to get her through this.

She finished this a whole 20 minutes before it was due. . cutting it close!

I'm proud to say that I've kept myself away from this process.  I only guided her ...for those that know me. . this was super hard for me.  It's against the rules for me to do any of this process, but I've became the teacher.

It all paid off .. she got a blue ribbon for this beauty!

Tula in Retro

I am SO lucky to have an amazing quilt shop, Stash, only within an hours drive.

The ladies of Stash are super fun and amazing. 

The three owners know my name AND they carry fabric that is just my style.  

I had to sign up for their class they arranged with Tula Pink.

Let me tell you Tula Pink is just downright awesome.  I took away a ton of information from her class and her talk about her fabric lines. 

Here are the 5 blocks I got done in class.  I can't wait to have the remaining 15 done to put together. 
These rock! And after the prep work. . super fast!

Photo taken by the lovely ladies at Stash

I met some amazing ladies throughout the weekend and  in the Stacks class.

A few of them are bloggers - whoop!

Holly blogs over at Me...and the Shedders

Ann blogs over at Renegade Quilter

Teresa blogs over at Quilting is my Bliss

and Jovanna blogs over at Sharing Jovanna Moments

I only got one photo take with the lovely (and super tall) Tula Pink. 

Photo taken by Holly K.

I'll blab on for awhile about the things I learned from Tula, I'm sure, over the next few months. Just let me say that Tula Pink is 100% all the time.  Super entertaining!

I'll get back to blogging and my own photo taking (I have a ton to share) after I get through this weekend.  I'm overseeing my step-daughter make her 4-H quilt - you know it's due SUNDAY!

Busy Summer Times

Super sorry for being so mute.  I've been on twitter or even a few emails have been sent out.

Important items I've been doing is I was an adult volunteer for my step-daughter's Girl Scout troop's visit to the Newport, Oregon.

We got to see the dock that washed up from Japan . . . big hunk of concrete!  Awesome.

We even met the Newport dog, Pepper, when we went out to eat clam chowder.  All the locals knew this dog. . hilarious!

I've been seeing RED . . not in a good way.  I'm very angry at myself as I burnt my neck to a crisp.  I didn't realize that these girls could stay at the beach for SO LONG.  Lesson learned (or re-learned) - sunscreen with me all the time!

My family went to go pick 40+ lbs of blueberries at a local u-pick farm.  Oh so yummy!  We'll have berries for the year.

I'll be working my fingers to the bone the next few days as well as I'll be prepping for my class with TULA PINK.  Oh how exciting!  If all goes well I'll have a quilt top ready to show off by the end of the day.  And hanging out with Tula all day will be awesome! 



Officially Orange Free

This is my busy summer life! 

Well the few weeks of it anyways.

Not a ton of stitching going on with family visits and a Girl Scout trip coming up 2 adult and 5 pre-teens.  I'm smiling a lot these days!

I do have a few bee's and many of them ending.  This wonky house block is the last block for the talented group of ladies in Orange you Glad.

I stitched this up for ladybug4785. A wonky Oregon cabin in the mountains - on the east side of the state with very few trees but lots of ground cover.  Not sure why they created an orange cabin in the middle of this country but it's cute, it has 'character'. 

I have to say that the clouds turned out pretty cool and I didn't even plan it that way.  I actually was very pleased with the top part of this as it's the first time I could execute this without lots of fabric waste (or bring out the seam ripper).

~~~

I'm hoping this may be my last house block for a long time. I'm not really a house block kinda person.  Le'sigh.

~~~

So this bee is DONE!

I'm sad to say goodbye to these ladies as they talk a LOT.  I like that.  I don't always join in but it's fun to catch up with their conversations every once and awhile.  While they aren't my group it still felt as if I was part of it.  Oh the joys of sewing with others.

I'm off to calm myself down before the Girl Scout trip. . .

Hope that everyone is doing well!

When it's hot outside you can sew up a storm

Finishing up my Made in Cherry quilt top (go look - it's LOVELY) just was the start of what I accomplished this past weekend.  I can not believe what else I completed.  It was a flurry of sewing and crafting.

~~~

I finished up another quilt top .. I'll be showing that once I can get more photos!

~~~

I also busted out a bee block for the Block Party Bee.



This is the Connect the Dots block from the book - The Modern Quilting Bee Block Party. This was so quick and fun. I'm not sure about window applique.

~~~

I finished another bee block but I'm keeping that under wraps . . until I finish the second one (and I have the time to take a photo of it)

~~~

I busted out a few rows of my knitted blanket. I'll have to take a photo of this soon.

~~~

Next up I'll be working on a toddler quilt! I'm pretty sure I'll be using my Sew.Happy.Quilt QAL blocks. Or something else - too many design plans in my head!

~~~

Oh and I'll be making a quilt of funky clothing ~ Super exciting!

~~~
Phew that's a LOT! Even with just one picture I've been awesome - just trust me.


How about the garden that my fella has successfully keeping alive even with the heat of the summer here. 



I ♥  that man!

Help me Chelsea!

I'm bad, no really I'm bad! 

Remember these fabrics?  Back here.

Yeah remember this QAL that I joined? 

I blogged about it here.

It wasn't until Chelsea opened this giveaway that I got this finished TODAY.

I happily dug this out as I had everything cut out so I just had to stitched away.  I'm super impressed with my piecing skills!  I took the extra time to make sure each block was cut perfectly.  I took the time to iron each block this way or that (thanks mom) so I could nest each seam together.

This is the HUGE size.  I really felt like a kid sewing these blocks together. 

I am SUPER happy I ordered more of the background color. I made the 4 corner square pieces 5" bigger and there is a edge around the whole thing. 

But it's done. . yip yip!

These are the photos that I could get because we're having thunderstorms roll in you know after a day of 90 degree weather.  Ugh is all I can say.  I've been quiet content sitting inside sewing this top together. I'll get better photos once the weather is ready for me to take some photos. :)

I'm happy to see some of my favorite fabrics come together. Finishing quilt tops isn't that scary after all!  

Everyone needs an Emergency Ash Stash

Remember my complaining, astonishment, and disappointment when I ran out of Kona Ash? 

Well I got some awesome bee blocks from Mary and low and behold I now have an Emergency Ash Stash. And a rocking zipper bag to hold it.  Whoop!



Well it was holding the Emergency Ash Stash but now it's my everyday summer bag. Perfect in everyway - zipper pull, handle, quilting, and color. Oh and look it the perfect size to hold my wallet {I got from Jovanna for Christmas}, keys and phone.

My friends know me!

Go check out Mary's hilarious post with her and her hubby talking about crafting supplies.

As a note, my fella said he's never sounded "this bad". . . bahaha!

I love how some people are living similar lives across the country, even across the world.

Thank you Mary!!

I ♥ my zipper bag, goodies and the prized Emergency Ash Stash

Gotta love a bag with Daisies. . okay maybe it's just me.