Spiderwebs for Nichole

Nichole in the Quilter Bees group asked for spiderweb blocks this month. This was another I-always-wanted-to-make-this block for me. Honestly, I was a little intimidated by spiderwebs, but the tutorial at Quiltville was awesome, again.

What a Sewing Teacher Would NOT Say About Me...

• She measures acurately.
• She cuts accurately.
• She sews beautiful 1/4" seams.
• She completes projects in a timely manner.
• She prefers to press seams open.

However, that same sewing teacher may say...

• She shows great persistance.
• She learns from her mistakes (after she makes them 3 times).
• She is definitely not afraid of a seam ripper!
• She gives it the "old college try".
• She sure can drink beer!

For the Quilter Bees in May, Dorrie asked for this great scrappy block. She sent all the scraps and gray border strips. All we had to do was trim down the scraps to be 1.5" square (two sides were already done) and sew them up. She shared Little Miss Shabby's tutorial. The first part makes it perfectly clear that acurate seams are vitally imporant. Crap.

I joined quilting bees for the challenge of learning new techniques and skills. I would not let this block beat me. Oh, it tried, but I put up a fairly good fight.

{All the 1.5" square scraps. Don't they look happy in there?}

{Randomly chosen squares for the center}

{Chain pieces for speed and ease. Ha!}

{I even pressed the seams open like Dorrie asked}

{These helped A LOT}

Isn't it scraptastic? This should be an awesome quilt, Dorrie! =]

Quilter Bees ~ February Drunk Love

I've had my eye on the Drunk Love quilts and blocks since I saw them a couple years ago but never truly tried to make them until Sharon of Quilter Bee's asked for them. Why do I do that? I know I can do it. I know I will love doing it. But I still put it off. Silly me.

She sent darker and lighter gray fabrics to everyone and each of us got a different bright color for the pop. I loved how bright the yellow is against the cool grays. Again, only one got to be the full 12.5" but I made two other starters for you, Sharon. I hope you don't mind finishing them. I had a lot of enjoyment in making them. =]

Quilter Bees ~ January Jewel Squares

Again, catching up on bee blocks that are due. The second set I stitched together on Tuesday were for Theresa of the Quilter Bees group. My camera couldn't quite capture the colors of the fabrics. It's pretty unfortunate because they were lovely-vivid but mellow and comforting.

I managed to make one 12.5", three 6.5" and three 3.5" after the learning curve I got from Gretchen's in the November round of Snip.Sew.Send. This time I was able to maximize the use of fabric a little better. =]

Quilter Bees blocks catch up

In an effort to catch up with all the behind blocks I owe, I pumped out these two for Quilter Bees Heidi and Lisa.

In December Lisa asked us all to make stars from Amanda Jean's tutorial. I was pretty nervous about this block. I had used Amanda Jean's tutorials before and didn't have any issues with that, I am just not that great at straight lines. Drawing, cutting, walking, driving...I don't do any of these straight. I wanted to wait until I had the time and attention to put into doing this block right.

Unfortunately that didn't come until last weekend. (Life got a little hairy and my sewing machine was inaccessible for about 6 weeks.) When we got my new sewing space situated and Midge back from her hiatus this was the first on the to do list. By the way, I recently decided my sewing machine is a Midge. I've had her for about two years and didn't have any inclination to name her until the new sewing space was made.

I didn't have any trouble with the individual blocks that went to the construction of the whole block, but after sewing everything together I was about 1/4" short of 12.5" So I ripped the seams and shrunk the seams to about 1/8"-3/8" to make up for it. I hope that doesn't create any problems. I don't think it will, they are secure. Minus the scant seam allowance I surprised myself with this block. And it taught me a lesson for Lisa's block.

Lisa chose another Amanda Jean block tutorial and I was able to kick this baby out fairly easily. And I measured as I pieced each section. No ripping this time. It's not perfect, but again I hope it is C.E. (close enough).

Neither of these are blocks I imagined myself choosing to make, which is the whole point of joining quilting bees. I forces me (nudges me?) to create outside my comfort zone. If nothing else these two blocks are getting me into the habit of slowing down and concentrating on what I am sewing. I appreciate that to no end. =]

Quilter Bees - October - Houses for Anna

For the October installment of Quilter Bees Anna asked each of us to make 9.5" square blocks with little (3-4") houses on a light gray background (to mimic the cloudy skies of the Pacific Northwest).

I am really angry at Anna for requesting these. Although she did warn us that the house blocks are addicting, she has really started an obsession on my end. As soon as I started the first block I wanted to make more. Addictive doesn't even begin to describe how fun these blocks are.

{I didn't have enough gray left over to finish out this block, but Anna does have more gray, so don't worry.}

Living in the warm, beach area of the south I decided to make a pink house taking inspiration from 1950s Miami. Jeffery T. (my cat) is peeking out the window. I appliqued him on the window sill so that the edges frayed a little for his fur.

{Pea sitting by her house}

I had some fabric left over so I made a dog house. Again, I appliqued on one of our dogs Black-Eye Pea. She can't fit inside the dog house because the door is tiny, but that's OK, she wouldn't go in there anyway. She would rather be outside chasing squirrels.

As Anna suggested I looked over the tutorial on Quiltville. It is very good and was very helpful to me since I had not made a block like this.

I already have a sketch for a quilt using little houses and all of our pets. Like the "To Do" list needed another member... =]

Meagan's Quilter Bees Block

Meagan of Quilter Bees started us out with a great challenge. She sent an array of rich, solid colored fabrics and asked for a 12.5" square block with the theme "Them's a lot of squares".

[Them's is a lot of squares!}

Again, this block ended up a little different then I initially planned, but I am pretty happy with it. Another member had commented that squares are hard, and they really are. At least little squares are hard. Meagan had asked for squares 1" to 3" in size. I was able to stick with that, but I had to add the red fabric when I ran out of gray.

I'd like to make a whole quilt like this, but I think it would be one of those quilt tops that take years to finish, just adding squares here and there with scraps. And with larger squares.

Meagan, thanks for such a great block challenge! =]