QUBM and MMMRR peeks

Hi hi!  I just sent off the last rounds of the Quilt U Be Mine Round Robin to my two groups.  I had a blast doing all the rows!  I can't wait to see the reveal on Valentine's Day.  I also can't wait to see my two mini quilts.  I sent off the exact same block to both groups so it will be interesting to see what the differences are in each (or similiarities?).

For some reason I only took pictures of the last two additions that I made.  By far my three favorites though!  The first is a Dresden fan row.  Didn't get enough of the Dresdens when I did Dare to Dresden.

The second and third are both paper pieced rows.  They took me most of the weekend to do, but I still really liked doing them and am very excited for the lady who gets them - I could frame them and put them on my wall by themselves!

 

I am also sending off my center block for the Modern Mini Mystery Round Robin 2013.  I've been staring at a box of batiks from my Safari Quilt that I dug out of the closet a few weeks ago.  When I saw the pictures that Heidi over at Fabric Mutt took at the Road To California Quilt Show, I was inspired by one of the quilts to make my wonky centered block.  And those batiks were calling to me, and the giraffe fabric was REALLY screaming at me.  This is what came out.  I love it!

I hope the other ladies in my group enjoy working with it - I can't wait to see what happens to this one too :o)  Off to work on the baby quilt for my sister in law - lucky baby, all these great batiks, I want it!  I'll just settle for being the first to drool on it instead ;o).

woof woof meow

A little bit of what I am working on

First, I want to mention that B has a new recipe up on her blog Trobairitz' Table d'hote, Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip looks yummy as most of her stuff is!

Just a peek at what I've got sitting in my sewing room - staring at me..

Blissful Confection Quilt

Pattern: Blissful Confection by Ruby Blue Quilting Studio here

Fabric: Cuzco by Kate Spain for Moda here. Layer cake and accent fabrics (embroidery tangerine and citadel fuschia)

Intended for: ME finally a quilt for me.

I picked up the layer cake from Green Fairy Quilts after I saw it the first time - Love.  The accents I have been waiting for Fabric Depot to get them in and knew as soon as I saw the lines which two I wanted to put into my quilt.

Charmed Living Table Runner

Pattern: Charmed Living Runner by Ruby Blue Quilting Studio here

Fabric: Charm Pack of Simply Color by V. & Co. for Moda here

Intended for: dunno yet....

I got the pattern and another as well as a book as a giveaway from Ruby Blue Quilting Studio's blog.  Mr. Random liked my suggested name for a squirrel: Grizzly or "The Grizz".  Can't wait for the book to get here, it hasn't been released, but I'll be sure to post up about it when I get it since I am sure I'll have a project or two to come out of it!  I picked up the charm pack during my last trip to Fabric Depot.

Costa Maya Quilt

Pattern: Costa Maya by Snow Days Designs here

Fabric: Hello Sunshine Flannels by Riley Blake here

Intended for: Its a secret until I get it done!

Since it is a secret, I can't say much more.

Lucky Stars BOM Quilt

Pattern: Lucky Stars BOM Patterns from Don't Call MeBetsy here

Fabric: Blues, Greens and Browns from Wilmington Essentials Filigree here

Intended for: dunno yet...

I love paper piecing.  I love BOM.  Perfect match.  So, when Elizabeth put out the notice for her Lucky Stars BOM this year, I jumped.  Yay.  Definitely going to be some custom quilting on this one too.  The fabric selection/audition was fun, I found a bolt of a print that I liked and picked out 10 fabrics that matched.   Since it is a bunch of pp stars, I put the print away and kept the coordinates.

Starburst Quilt

Pattern: Starburst Pattern by Melissa Correy of Happy Quilting here

Fabric: assorted fat quarters and yardage

Intended for: dunno yet...

Another Melissa Correy Quilt A Long for me!  I am way behind in the quilt along, but couldn't resist when I saw how simple the quilt was and how stunning the final result could be.

Can we add a few more hours to the day?

 

woof woof meow

Dare to Dresden ... with ME!

Hello hello!  Long time no see.  But I have been busy in my sewing room!  My latest finish is what I get to share for the Hop today!  First I want to say - Christine from Quilt Monster in My Closet and Mdm Samm from Sew We Quilt - ROCK!  You are experiencing another fantastic Blog Hop put together and cheered by them.  And, as for cheering, don't forget to visit the rest of the fantastic bloggers that I am sharing my day with and show them some bloggy love:

Gingersnap Quilts

Busy Bee Quilts

She Sews the Blues

Traveling Quilter

Grand Mama's Stories

Cherry Blossoms Quilting Studio

Sew at Home Mummy

The Slow Quilter

Pig Tales and Quilts

AnnieOak Designs

Jane's Fabrics & Quilts

Tea Time Creations

Mo Broker My Creative Side

Just Let Me Quilt

Words and Stitches

Just Keep Swimming

Sew Many Yarns

Sowing Stitches

Jane's Quilting
My Patchwork Life
2muchfun

Pumpkin Patch Quilter
Quilt Monster in my Closet

When I saw that there was a Dresden Blog Hop happening, I knew I had to jump in.  I had purchased an Easy Dresden Ruler a while ago after seeing a few blogs and tuts (like this one, this one, and this video) that made Dresdens VERY intriguing.  So, a hopping I went :o)

I pulled a charm pack out of the back of my fabric cabinet and picked up a neutral background for whatever was going to come out of this unknown adventure.  Followed the instructions from a few tuts and voila!  Easy peasy blades - 80 of them.  20 make a plate, so I figured I could make three whole plates and put the four quarters of the fourth into the corners of a table runner.  For each blade, I pointed the bottom as well since I wanted to leave the inside of the plate open to see the background.  Inspired by *surprise* Melissa Corry's quilt here.

Yeah, my math never was great and it didn't do me much good here.  So, I only had room for the three whole plates.  Cool - off I went!  I stitched with coordinating thread around the outside of each plate, then the inside as well.  Then, just for some fun, I stitched down a couple blades on each plate.

 After I got them stitched down, I made my sandwich and brok two nails basting the durned thing.  Had a little trouble with the quilting - I forgot to take the painters tape off my machine table and kept getting the backing caught.  Luckily, the quilting is the same color as the background and I can't see the goofiness unless you're really looking.

I bound the whole thing in the same color as the background during lunch at work and hung it on my blinds to take the final pics.  I think I like the way it looks on my sewing table though... :o)

I am going to use the rest of my background fabric and the remaining plate pieces to make a couple placemats, haven't decided on two or four yet.  I don't know when that will happen...definitely before our quilt show this Fall, I want to put them out together.

Thanks for sharing with me today - my project isn't as inspired as some of the other projects - A-M-A-Z-I-N-G - that my fellow bloggers are putting out, but I had a lot of fun and definitely know I will be making more in the future.

Have fun on the hop and at the other blogging sites.

woof, woof, meow

Inspiration - Melissa Corry

Have you ever encountered someone that totally inspires you?  I am not one of those people who slavishly follows someone, whether they are a celebrity, musician, co-worker or character in a book (cue visions of crying Beattles fans and Twilight fans camping out to see Bella, Jacob and Edward), I can't put that much of myself into something or someone.  It just isn’t me – I’ll follow a pattern, but usually end up making something different from the original.  Unless it is a matter of time constraints – then I just follow the durned pattern and churn it out. 

But I found one of those people that totally inspires me - inspires me to follow her pattern EXACTLY and to do my own thing with a little nudge from her genius.  I even say her silly little sayings in my head every once in a while (Hoolay Moolay cracks me up) and stretch myself to keep pace when she challenges her followers to something.

That person is Melissa Corry of Happy Quilting – I just want to sew, sew, sew when I read her blogs and see her progress on her own projects and ideas.  I honestly can’t tell you how I got to her blog the first time; I probably just followed from someone else’s page. 

What snagged me first was the Tetris Quilt-A-Long.  I enjoyed playing Tetris as a kid and had wanted to try a QAL.  Seemed easy to me so I jumped in.  First thing – I wanted to make a girly quilt so I went off and bought some fabrics that didn’t quite line up with the traditional primary/secondary colors.  Then I went to town.  I missed two of the six block deadlines, but managed to keep up and got my top together for the final reveal.  It is still hanging on the wall in my bedroom.  I see it every morning when I wake up and every night when I go to sleep.  It keeps me going in my quest to develop myself and my skills.

Second was a baby quilt I wanted to make for my husband’s cousins.  They were having a baby boy and my first quilt for their daughter was frightful.  I wanted to stretch myself and make something not so kitschy and more traditional.  I found Melissa’s recipe for her Snuggly Squares II quilt at Moda’s Bakeshop and new it was what I wanted to do.  This was the only pattern that I actually followed everything shown – fabric, cutting and layout instructions.  It went together fast and turned out great.  All I was left with was the quilting and I knew from the fabric I wanted bunnies and vines.  Quilting it was the icing on the cake – I loved it!

Lastly, I tested a pattern that she had designed and I was floored.  For the longest time I have struggled with a ¼” seam and ironing long, thin pieces straight.  This block turned out perfectly.  I didn’t even have to trim it at the end or have wonky lines on the long pieces.  Maybe I am just getting better at things – practice does make perfect, but I think it has something to do with Melissa and the way she inspires her followers to keep it up and have fun doing what you’re doing.

Now, enough with all the gushiness – I just wanted to say that Melissa is one of those people that make you stretch your boundaries, build on your strengths and enjoy yourself and your creations.  I’ll never get an award for essay writing (research writing is my thing) and I know this is all over the place, but Melissa ROCKS.  Now I am off to get the fabric cut for my Starburst QAL.  I am too excited to see what happens with this one!

woof woof meow