Some Bee Blocks

i have been sewing some Bee blocks.

 

this is a fun one that i did for Charlene
a great way to feature a design in the fabric that you like.

 

this block was fun to make as well.  it took me a bit to get it right in my head.  making sure that i didn't mix up any of the fabric placement.  i hope that Robyn likes them.

 

i made these two blocks for Sara.  i think i read the instructions about 5 times.  but i got them done.  the blocks are a mirror image of each other.

 

i like making bee blocks.  its fun sewing with fabric that are different from my style and its also challenging at times which expands my skill level.

 

these two blocks are for a project that i am helping with.  all applique.  yes the icky word that i am not a huge fan of in the world of quilting.  i can do it but its not my first choice.

 

so tell me.  are you a fan of applique? 

 

happy sewing

A Picture Is Worth.....

unsewing.

i did this block a few weeks ago when i did my other bee block and i took pictures of both of them.  i was uploading those pictures to do a blog post when i looked at the picture below and discovered my error.

the bottom two outside corners are right.  however the top two outside corners are wrong.  i put the block together.  took the picture above and packaged it up to mail.  thankfully i hadn't mailed the envelopes when i first uploaded this picture.  it was then that i caught my error.  i unsealed the envelope.  unsewed the block.  and......

like magic its all better.

repackaged up and off in the mail to the bee block member.

it always surprises me what you see when you take a picture of something and look at it on screen.  i have read various blog posts about doing this when laying out a quilt to see if something stands out or looks wonky in your layout.

lesson learned.  double check yourself to make sure you are getting the look you want and a picture is a great way of doing that.

happy sewing

I've Bee Sewing

I have been back at my machine sewing.  getting caught up on some bee blocks.  this one dang near sent me over the edge.  after what seemed like a gazillions hst's and some trimming.

a block began to form and take shape.

let's just say this was a challenge for me.  I am always saying 'make sure and read the directions'.  I read them.  I read them again.  and again.  maybe after about the 10th time through I was comfortable in sewing this together.  something about the color of the fabric and it being someone elses fabric had me on edge.

now that its done I love the block.  i think.......

thanks Bailey for letting me play with your fabric and for getting my brain back into the sewing world.

Misc Stuff

i haven't been up to much in sewing land.  i am getting ready to tackle my next quilt for quilting.  i think 4 more left to go after this one.  i think.  although i try and not to think about it too much.

i plan on spending sometime this weekend with this quilt.

i did have some happy mail this week.  i got 16 fat quarters in the mail of Flea Market Fancy that i won from the H2H Challenge that i did.  the fabric came from Miki who blogs over at mikisquilts - thanks for the fabric i have been wanting some of this for awhile now.

last week i got these two blocks in the mail for my bee block group.  they came from Charlene and Christina.  thanks ladies.

happy sewing

Bee Blocks

another sewing project i have worked on is bee blocks for the online bee group that i am in Let's Bee Together.

i made this one for Melinda for the month of April.

May is my month and i got this one back from Erin.

this one from Linda.

this one from Bailey.

this one from Shannon.

and, i made this one.

i have more of the fabric that is in the corners so i will be setting the blocks with that fabric.  i have had this fabric for some time but never really knew what i wanted to do with it.  now i know.

happy sewing

WIP Wednesday

i'm back. i think. for awhile there i thought i had lost my mind and then someone told me 'you haven't really lost your mind. you may have stopped paying attention to it, but it's still there.' very true statement. so, i am going to start paying attention to it & maybe i will get some stuff done.
so this is what i have been up to with regards to sewing.
a few bee blocks for the different bee groups that i belong to.

i am caught up with my July blocks & now i need to get to work on the August blocks.

i have also been working on a baby quilt for a gal i work with. its roughly 48" by 48" so i went to my scraps of batting to see if i had something that would work. i didn't but i did have 2 pieces that i could sew together to make work. have you ever done this before? i just put the 2 edges together and zigzag down them.

it works great for using up those scrap pieces of batting.

i found this fabric on my trip to Sisters & knew it would be perfect for the baby quilt.

i did simple squares just alternating the 2 fabrics. i had lost the light by the time i got it quilted last night so its a bad picture. once i get the binding on i will take another one to share with you.

the backing is flannel except for 1 corner of it. somehow i did the math wrong on that trip and was short. that was the 1st part of July when i had lost my brain. now that i know its still there i shouldn't be having issues like this. right??????

hope you all are having a great week!

WIP Wednesday

whew, what a week it has been. thanks for all of the kind words regarding this post. its nice to know that i have support from all of you. some progress has been made in the sewing department of my life. i was able to finish up my bee block that i needed to get done for April.

this block was a 1st for me. very modern & not a traditional size at all. it was fun to make.


i did get to spend sometime working on my Opening Day quilt.
flying geese all done & blocks matched up.

3 down and 33 more to go.

this past week i also got 1 set of fabric for one of my Hands 2 Help quilts. i love the color range of these batiks & i am looking forward to making a quilt out of them. sad to admit that i have never made a quilt only using batiks - so this is a 1st for me. i also have sent out my fabric to my 2 partners. Barb who is local already has it & Larissa who is in Australia will be getting her's soon.

i have gotten a little further on my hand stitching project as well. i am on the last line & then i have some boarder work to do & this block is finished.

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now for (what i think is) some fabulous news.

i got my confirmation packet for my class with Tula Pink at The Quilter's Affair which is held the week before The Sister's Outdoor Quilt show. the class i am taking is going to be on her Cartwheels pattern. my friend Shelly is taking it with me & we both are looking forward to it. this will be my 6th trip to Sister's & probably will be the best one yet.

"to change the world start with one step"

WIP Wednesday

back to quilting stuff for wip Wednesday.

i finished up block #10 for the Fat Quarter Shop Mystery BOM.

then in yesterday's mail block #11 showed up so i have the fabric pressed & ready to go.

i have also been working on some bee blocks. like this one.

then i have decided to dig out what i think is my oldest wip.

i got this pattern on my 1st trip to Sister's which was 6 years ago. then on another trip to Sister's i got the fat quarters for the pattern. i think that trip was maybe 2 years ago. about a year ago i cut it all out & started sewing. then i hit pause on it until now.

why now???

i have the perfect person to give it to. funny how that works.

so, what are you working on???

If you give you begin to live.......

if you are a reader of my blog then you know that i am a fan of the Dave Matthews Band (DMB) & if you are new to my blog..... well now you know.

DMB has a song titled You Might Die Trying which is one of my favs. there is a line in the song that says 'if you give you begin to live'. i am a huge believer in the idea of giving & not just giving of money but of time or talent as well. therefore i am always looking for ways to give with my sewing/quilting talents. i think i get this from my grandmother who was very big in helping people out & donating her time to great causes.

i have completed blocks for 2 causes.

i have made 10 blocks for Beth over at Love Laugh Quilt who is putting together quilts for Japan. go check it out & participate if you can. thanks to Sarah over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict for featuring Beth on her blog if it wasn't for that i wouldn't know about this great cause.

i also have made 8 star blocks for Moda's Just One Star project which i learned about from Rachel over at ps i quilt. go check it out & participate if you can as well.

its a great feeling knowing that i have contributed to some amazing causes. i know not everyone has the time to do a whole quilt. me included. but a block or a few blocks is something everyone has the time to do.

my motto is

You Get What You Give

Catching Up

this weekend is all about catching up on sewing related stuff.

while i was gone i got some envelopes in the mail.

which contained my Let's Bee Together blocks.

this one is from Carolyn.
this one is from Melinda.
& this one is from Bailey.
{thanks for the little gift}
********
now onto some recent fabric purchases.
while i was in Boise i visited a few fabric shops.

1st up is Quilt Expressions.
i found the floral print & darker lining for another Cosmo bag & got some dark basics for my stash because we all know i don't like setting quilts with light colors.
i also got this Moda Candy Bar box. i have been wanting to get one of these for awhile now but could never find one that i really, really loved. this one hit the spot with 'bliss'.
the best part of it was that is was on sale. the box was beat up a little but 'on sale' HELLO of course i had to snatch it up.

the next stop was Quilt Crossing.
1st of all i about pasted out when i saw Neptune there let alone the other Tula Pink that i picked up while i was in that shop. i also got some laminated fabric for yet another Cosmo bag.

my last stop was Hobby Lobby
i found this yummy fabric there which i think i am going to use to make another (what i am calling) the zipper bag. i can't remember the name of the pattern. i made one at camp which i have yet to show you but i will soon & then we will all know the name of the pattern.

currently i am working on some star blocks for Moda's Just One Star project which i learned about from Rachel over at ps i quilt. go check it out & participate if you can.

i am also going to make some blocks for Beth over at Love Laugh Quilt who is putting together quilts for Japan. again, go check it out & participate if you can. thanks to Sarah over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict for featuring Beth on her blog if it wasn't for that i wouldn't know about this great cause.

i hope you all have a great Sunday & check back soon for a quilt camp wrap up post. its nice to be back home & back into my normal routine.

Bee Blocks & A Tip

this past week i got 3 more bee blocks in the mail from my Let's Bee Together group.

1st up is this one from Colleen
next is this one from Mollie

last but not least this one from Wendy

i am very please with how all of the blocks are turning out.

thanks ladies you all have done a great job!!!!

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TIP ALERT

yep, you read that right. i have a tip to share with all of you. its not my tip but its a tip that i found on a blog that i read. i was over at Red Pepper Quilts which is a blog that i read often & i came across this post. at the end of the post Rita talks about the type of gloves she wears when machine quilting. to my shock & awe they are work gloves that have rubber on the palms of them as well as the fingers. i read that post & thought 'why not'. so off to the hardware store i went where i bought these.

not the brand that Rita talks about in the post however they work amazingly well. better then any machine quilting gloves i have tried in the past. the best part is that they are about 1/2 the price of 'quilting gloves'.

i have so much more control over the quilt with these. my hands do not slip at all. thanks Rita for sharing such a great tip. i suggest everyone give these gloves a try.