City Sampler QA

today i spent some time getting caught up on my Tula Pink Modern City Sampler QA blocks.

block #13

'wisdom'

block #14

'satisfaction'

block #15

'imagination'

chapter 1 is now complete with blocks 1 thru 15.

i am looking forward to starting chapter 2.

happy sewing

City Sampler QA & Block Names

here are blocks 10, 11 and 12 of my Tula Pink Modern City Sampler quilt. 

i am doing the quilt through the quilt along that is being hosted over at Sew Sweetness.  hop on over there and check out the blocks if not for inspiration at least for a little quilting eye candy.

block #10

this green fabric was my original plan.  however, plans change.  it accented the greenish color in the print really well it just didn't read enough blue for me and since i am trying to make the quilt like the original.........

i ended up switching it out to this.  i am very happy with my choice.

'clarity'

block #11

'real'

block #12

'miracle'

i have finally gotten to the names of the blocks.  i knew what i wanted to name them i just had to take the time to dig out the inspiration for the names.  several years ago i bought myself a necklace that had 100 tiny silver beads on it.  it's a '100 Good Wishes' necklace.  i am not big on jewelry but this was a simple piece that i really liked.  so when i learned about Tula's concept for the book and how we got to name our own blocks and tell our own story the idea of 100 Good Wishes came to mind.  

this past year has been a challenge for me and i could really use some positive/good things in my life.  so i have decided to take the concept of the necklace and apply it to this quilt.  it will be my '100 Good Wishes' quilt.  a therapy of sorts as each block is made and named and as each day passes and my new life develops this quilt will be a reminder to me of the progress i have made and what good things are awaiting me in my future.  once its completed i will be able to wrap up in it and be surrounded with 100 Good Wishes and remember the journey that has brought me to where i am.

starting in the top left corner going from left to right.

block #1 balance

block #2 compassion

block #3 trust

block #4 luck

block #5 peace

block #6 kindness

block #7 love

block #8 strength

block #9 wish

block #10 clarity

block #11 real

block #12 miracle

i am looking forward to continuing this journey with the building of this quilt and my new life.

happy sewing

Hex On The Beach

i have never done english paper piecing before but the moment i saw this quilt i knew it was a must for me. the name alone was enough to buy it let alone the fabric and design of it.  the kit came in a neat box with just about everything needed to make it.

the fabric is all pre-cut and organized in little bags by print.  a fabric chart was included to match the print up with the number. which is very helpful if you have bad eyes like me and are not able to tell from the picture which fabric the pattern is talking about.

the quilt goes together in rows and each row is clearly laid out in the instructions.

when i first started i put the fabrics in order for the row and then made the hexi's and then sewed the hexi's together to make the row.  then i watched a few You Tube videos on english paper piecing and changed my process.  i sew all of the hexi's of one color at one time then i put the hexi's in order and sew the row together.

i keep the hexi's by pattern in their little bags and i have written the pattern number on the bag.  again to help with the bad eye sight thing.

i have been working in sets of 3.  so once i have 3 rows made i stop and sew those rows together.

i have rows 1 thru 3 sewed together as well as rows 4 thru 6.  rows 7, 8 and 9 are next.

40 rows.  25 hexi's per row.  1,000 hexi's total.

when i explain to people what i am doing they think i have lost my mind.  i simply tell them that i am getting my money's worth from this project.  some quilts you spend money on and have them done in a week this one i am hoping to have done by the time my oldest niece graduates high school.  she is 5 now.

this quilt will all be sewed by hand.  its a great project to take on trips.  in fact it has already traveled thousands of miles.

its not about the destination its about the journey.

happy sewing

City Sampler QA

here are blocks 7, 8 and 9 from the Tula Pink City Sampler QA that i am doing.

block #7 gave me a bit of trouble with picking the right fabric.  like i said in an earlier post i am trying hard to stick to Tula's color choices because i love her quilt from the book.  the browns in block #7 were not the issue for me.  it was the four corners that i just couldn't seem to get right.  in Tula's block the corners are Parisville.  in looking for color i picked the following for the corners the 1st time.

when it came time to sew the block i wasn't feeling my 1st choice.  it was reading too much teal/blue and not enough green for me.  so i came up with a 2nd choice and made the block.

still not 100% happy with it but in the overall scheme of the quilt with 100 blocks it shouldn't be an issue.

then i came across this.

a roll-up of Parisville.

side note - i have moved all of my mail sewing stuff to my new location however i have not moved all of my fabrics to my new location.  i thought all of my Tula fabric was in one container but to my surprise and luck it wasn't.

i un-sewed block #7.  found the exact fabric in the roll-up.  cut it and sewed it and now i am at peace with block #7.

in this case the third time really is the charm.

block #8

block #9

i have blocks 10, 11 and 12 cut and ready to sew.

happy sewing

Toes In The Sand

i have continued to make progress on the blocks for my Toes In The Sand quilt designed by Julie from Jaybird Quilts.  let me just say that it is very beneficial to double check before you cut.  i have a couple blocks i will be remaking because my brain had temporarily vacated my head during the cutting process.  i have decided that the not so accurate blocks will be incorporated into the back of the quilt.

Blocks #4

Blocks #5

Blocks #6

Blocks #7

i have been trying to keep a balance between the colors, the lights and the darks and the scale of the prints.  who the heck knows what the finished quilt will look like but i am really loving these blocks.  i might have to lay out all of the blocks and do a post with them and get some input on which direction to head.

happy sewing

City Sampler QA

into the 2nd week of the Tula Pink City Sampler QA.

i highly recommend this book to anyone who sews. these blocks are fun to make and there is nothing fussy about them at all. just cut and sew.

block #4

block #5

block #6

here are blocks 1 thru 6

as you can tell from my pictures i am following (as much as possible) Tula's quilt blocks from the book with regards to fabric choices. i don't think that i have ever made a quilt exactly like or close to the picture that came with the pattern. however, i am in love with Tula's quit on the cover of the book. plain and simple its all about love. i am even considering setting the blocks in white. i know. it has to be love for me to consider a light background. not to worry. i already have plans spinning in my head for a second quilt using scraps and setting the blocks in black or brown or dark grey.

hop over to Sara's blog Sew Sweetness to check out the other blocks or to even join the quilt along.

happy sewing