One of 100 Days of Modern Quilts

I'm trying to make a better effort to post a blog entry at least once a week.  Not much going on this week behind the sewing machine... or at least that is ready to be blogged about. 
In other news... To my shock and surprise Alissa Haight Carlton of handmadebyalissa contacted me regarding one of my quilts.  She was asking to feature my Single Girl quilt during the 100 Days of Modern Quilts - Week of Participation at The Modern Quilt Guild.  I was so honored, of course I said Yes!  Quite some time ago I took part in my first Quilt Along for Single Girl, a pattern by Denyse Schmidt.  It was a quilt I had wanted to make and finding the Single Girl Support Group in Flickr gave me the boost I needed.  You can see my finished quilt below and read a little more about my experience here.  Please make sure you check out all the other awesome featured quilts at MQG, they are so inspiring! 

There are 16 rings total, the top row is hanging over the fence.

A close up of the bubble quilting*... yum!

One lone aqua ring... love the pop of color.

*The quilting on this quit is one of my favorite parts about it.  My best friend Monica quilted it.  I'm so lucky to have her... she did a magnificent job and it was exactly as I had imagined it.  You can see more of Monica's lovely work at her blog.

Got Gray?

Yes I do... and a Rainbow to come.  I'm super excited to finally have found a Rainbow Charm Swap to join... my first.  Seems like I was always a day late (and a dollar short) to join this swap or that.  Elena decided to host a swap on her blog and I was lucky enough to get a spot.  Finally!  My color assignment was Gray... not my usual pick, but I was up for the challenge.  I quickly found some nice modern fabrics online here, they arrived quickly and are already cut and ready to send to Elena for distribution.  Since this is a 5 yard swap, we (56 of us) each purchased 1 yard each of 5 separate fabrics, one solid and four prints.  We will each receive 280 Rainbow Charm Squares.  Weee! 

Cut and collating...

All stacked up and ready to send.

Modern Mini Challenge - Complete!

I'm always up for a challenge!  Especially if it's fabric related.  I am a very devoted blog hopper and happened upon this blog some time ago.  Every couple of months I start again at the beginning of the list (there are only around 200 or so ;o) and just wander down the list till it's time to start again.  It's so inspiring to see what all the blogger folks are up to and I just love finding new blogs, I mean... things to make, a new technique to try... you name it, I love it all. 
A couple weeks ago I was checking in on Ellison Lane Quilts again and noticed there was a challenge to make a modern miniature quilt.  I have been wanting to make another tree quilt using a pattern for Lilly Pilly by Australian designer Kellie Wulfsohn/Don't Look Now.  I already made one regular size for my mom's 60th birthday and had all of her friends attending her surprise party sign a leaf.  It turned out very neat.  So... for the last year and a half I wanted to make one for myself.  I decided to reduce it to half size and had the pattern reduced and ready to go when I came across the Modern Mini Challenge.  I decided to kick it into gear and give myself a deadline to get it done!  Of course, the Flea Market Fancy FQ's were a wonderful incentive as well.  After some careful planning and discussion with my Robert Kaufman classic and bright charm squares, I knew what color all 148 leaves wanted to be.  There are 74 colors.
The quilting inspiration came along just a few days ago when I was on yet another blog.  The leafy branches really fit with the leaves of the tree.  I practiced it with paper and pen and I am pretty happy with how it turned out.  I used pebble quilting in and around the colored leaves and still need some practice on that... it's very "organic". 

So here is my Modern Mini Challenge entry...
Rainbow Tree
18.5" x 30"
74 Kona Colored leaves raw edge appliqued under white tulle
on Kona White background with Kona Black binding.

It's Been Awhile!

I want to be a better blogger, I want to be a better blogger, I want to be a better blogger...
It's been almost 6 months since I last made a post. My how time flies. Really, this blog is just my way of keeping track of my quilt-y adventures and sharing with my friends and family all in one place. Unlike the almost 150 inspiring blogs I visit and have saved on my favorites list, I am in no way here to try and inspire and teach (someday maybe) as I am still so new to blogging. What a wonderful world in blog-land... what did we ever do without the unending daily doses of inspiration, color, tutorials and fun?  Have you ever found a blog (by accident or on purpose) that you just loved and then a list of that blogger's favorite blogs, only to see one that sounds interesting and click on it?  Then on that next blog, yet another list… before you know it you are 11 blogs removed from the one you started!  Fun.  Someday I’ll post a list of some of my favorites.

Anyhoo… this is a block I made for a local art quilt bee I’m in. We were supposed to give up an orphan block to which we have no sentimental attachment. Well, not having any orphans, I needed to make one.

This is a block I first saw on quiltdad blog about a year or so ago.  I have since seen this block on quite a few blogs.  I'm not big on triangles, but triangles in a circle... I'm sold!  The fabric I used is from just one strip of one fabric.  I like all the different colors from just one fabric.  If you haven't ever tried paper piecing, I suggest you give it a try.  This block is made of four smaller blocks, and is a pretty easy if you are new to paper piecing.  Here is the link for the Colorwheel Geese pattern I used. 

That's all for now.  Till next time... not another six months!

Valentine Love Bird

A couple nights ago I realized that I wanted to make a small gift for my son's preschool teachers.  Nothing like last minute, but that is how I usually roll!  I Googled (images) "Valentine gifts to sew" and quickly came across this cute little stuffie.  Love Bird Tutorial  (Confession... that is my first blog link.  Woo Hoo, it worked!!!)  I'm new to blogging and I'll figure all this out sooner or later!
I LOVE Blog-Land!  Here is my version.  

I packed each in a clear bag with a little bit of a nest. 

Now back to what I should be focusing on... The Single Girl Quilt Along starting on Monday 2/14/11!  More on that later.  Then there is the LQS Quilt Challenge I am involved in and that is due by months end.  Better get a move on!

Wicked White Winter Week, aka... Blizzard 2011

It's been a wild week.  As predicted, we got hit with a blizzard here in the Chicagoland area.  For once those weather people were right!  We were in and ready to stay put Tuesday afternoon.  School got called off on Wednesday and Thursday.  The kids had fun out in the snow on Wednesday.  I definitely had time to continue folding fabric... yes, I'm still working on it.  It's a little like re-shopping or Christmas... I've forgotten some of the fabrics I have had put away in drawers.  It's nice to have a refresher of what I have "in stock".  I definitely encourage you to go through your fabric stash or collection once every few years.  You don't have to fold them like I have been so busy doing, but it is nice to visit with the old friends and have a chat.  I also took time to put away a years worth of magazines.  I just love most of the quilt magazines out on the market today and can't seem to part with them.  I have found that I might not have liked a pattern or two on my initial look through a magazine, but in the years since, I have definitely changed my mind a time or two.  Any ideas on what to do with the ones that many years old? 
Here are some of the photos I took of our blizzard.  Hope you are all warm and happy and busy quilting, crafting, or doing whatever it is that warms your soul.

Here it comes... I  thought it was fun to watch the mailbox disappear.



The Great Fabric Fold

Well, the New Year has started and with that I am in the mood to be more organized in my fabric corner.  It seems I am always bringing more fabric in and starting more projects that I will ever finish and it's starting to get a bit overwhelming.  Last weekend my mom and I attended a "Get Your Stash Together" class taught by a local quilter.  It was a two hour session geared at how to organize and store fabric, tools, thread, books, patterns and magazines so that they are readily accessible.  The main "Ah-ha" moment for me was simply in the folding of fabric.  I know!  Who knew that how I thought I had it all folded and organized wasn't quite, well... organized!  I did already have most of my "stash" (separate from my "collections") separated by color, and that is a good start.  For the most part I now have it separated into sizes too... scraps, 1/4 yard (or FQ's) to 1/2 yard pieces, and then anything bigger than a half yard.  Using two different sized rulers I've been wrapping and folding, wrapping and folding.  I can now see at a glance what fabric/color I have and roughly how much is available.  Here are some before and after photos.  I've only gotten through 6 smaller drawers and plan on folding every last fabric I have.  Could take months!