Books & Block Bee

Books & Block Bee, a set on Flickr.

Good news...I'm all caught up with my bees for January.  I'm also done with the Books & Block bee that I joined last year. This bee was based on the Modern Blocks Book - 99 Quilt Blocks from your Favorite Designers. When it came to your month, you had to pick a block out of the book for everyone to make for you using their own fabric stash. 

Now I'm down to two Bees.....Liberty & Justice which ends this summer and Stash Bee that ends in September.

What Ive been working on

This post was to be part of my late Happy New Year post, but I couldn't get my photos uploaded yesterday.  Thanks to the great advice I received.....it worked!

I've been busy since we returned from Seattle on the 4th. I'm pleased to say that I'm caught up with my bee blocks from December.

Liberty & Justice Bee, Stash Bee, Books & Block Bee

I know I'm late on my word of the year..... my word is:

ˈsɪm pləˌfaɪ/ Show Spelled

sim·pli·fy:

/ˈsɪm pləˌfaɪ/ Show Spelled to make less complex or complicated; make plainer or easier:

All my bees will be ending sometime this year.  I have learned so many new techniques and have met so many nice creative sewers .  In the future, I'll keep it down to one bee instead of four which will help me simplify my sewing life.  Four is quite overwhelming.  I'll wait until the end of 2013 beginning of 2014 to find a new bee to join.

This is also my year to work through my scraps and all the material I've purchased working at a quilt store.  I'm currently cutting my scrap strips for the #scrappytripalong that started the beginning of this year.  I'm also going to make the #scrapvomit quilt using 2 1/2" squares.  This will definitely simplify my sewing stash.  It will also give me two great quilts.

Happy Quilting!

I'm finally caught up with my Bee's

I hate when I'm running behind on a block for a bee.  Nothing is worse than to still be working on it a few days after it is due.  Not this month.......I'm done!!

Left:  Liberty & Justice Bee - Warden's Cross for Danielle
Middle:  Books and Block Bee - Link's Bee for Tracey
Right:  Stash Bee - Uneven Stacked Coins for Lisa

Now that I'm done with my August bee blocks, I'm off to make some gifts. 

Have a great Sunday!

WIP Wednesday

I had a productive day down in the sewing room yesterday and was able to cross off some items from my long list.  I had plans on sewing today, but ended up working in the yard most of the day until I couldn't take the 87 degree heat here in Atlanta.

Ongoing projects: 

Neutral or Not Bee - Ella is the Queen Bee this month and she sent us all our fabric and a link to a tutorial to make this block. 

It really doesn't have a pucker on the right hand side..just a bad shot of this block.

Books and Block Bee - Kelleigh is the Queen Bee and she is having us make a pinwheel block from the Modern Blocks Book (pg 138).  I haven't mastered needle turn applique which is needed for the center of the pinwheel so that is missing.  I keep practicing on a sample and it doesn't look great.  I watched a good tutorial by Wendi Gratz but for some reason I just can't grasp it.  If anyone does know how to needle turn applique a circle, please send me some hints....please. 

Here is what my blocks look like so far from me being the Queen last month for Books and Block.

Just need to receive 5 more blocks and I can sew them together and send it off to a QOV long arm quilter.  Love being in these bees and having my bee mates helping me make my QOV quilts.

New project:

I'm making a quilt for a special lady that is retiring this summer.  I happened to ask what her favorite color is and she said navy blue.   So I went out and searched quilt shops for navy blue fabric.  Navy blue is not a easy fabric to find.  I bought 9 different blues (not all navy) and have completed a total of 72 blocks for this quilt.  Just need to piece them together and send it off to a long arm quilter.

All 72 blocks ready to be pieced together!

So much more to do on my list before family arrives in two weeks for a 3 - 4 week stay.  I'm not going to have much sewing time once they arrive but that is OK because having our 3 grandsons here will be fun.  I'll just be posting about them instead.

I'm linking up to Lee at Freshly Pieced! 

Cindy

Books and Block Bee

In February, I joined my 3rd bee "Books and Block" as I was having so much fun with Stash Bee and Neutral or Not.

I'm the queen bee for April and I've picked another patriotic block as I'll be donating this quilt to QOV.

Books and Block is based on this book   and the twelve of us will pick out just red, white and blue fabric.   I can't wait to see what the other eleven ladies come up with.

Happy Monday!

Cindy

WIP Wednesday

I have had lots of sewing time this week and have crossed off LOTS on my sewing to do list.

Quilting Bees I'm in:

Natural or Not:  Christina sent out to us all purple and grey solids.  We were to make any kind of star.
Because I'm in love with the Lone Star Block, I paper pieced my star.

Book and Board: This new bee that started in February is based on the book Modern Block 99 Quilt Blocks and using fabric from our stash.  Jane picked Boxed In and this was a fast and easy block.  Thanks Jane!! 

I'm queen bee for April so I still need to decide what block to have everyone make for me....decisions, decisions.

New Project:  A cute owl baby quilt for my husbands second cousin.  It is all pieced together and just needs to be finished.  My husband is out of town so I have a date with my sewing machine tonight and I'm going to machine quilt it and hand it off to my mom tomorrow so that she can do the binding. 

Covert Robin Gift Swap:  Ok...so being that this is my very first swap, I'm really nervous.  I don't want her to be disappointed.  After spending hours reading her blog, checking out what she likes on pinterest, and getting some great ideas from you all, so far I made her two pouches.  The first one is a zippered pouch using mostly linen fabric and a strip of button fabric.  My secret gifts are going to someone that collects vintage buttons.  I also ordered 5 vintage buttons on ETSY to go in this little pouch.

I also read that she carries her Android Tablet in her purse so I made a cover for it using Amy Gibson's pattern that she has on Craftsy.com. 

I used linen fabric with a purple accent (her favorite color) on the pockets and inside the pouch.  Hopefully this photographer non sewer likes these two homemade gifts! 

That is it for now!  I'm linking up over at Lee's at Freshly Pieced.


Cindy