Show and Tell and Then Some

When either hauling a quilt to guild meeting for sew and tell or passing a giving committee quilt from member to member for the next step, I've often struggled to find a bag both large and sturdy enough, let along my preference - hand-made. So when Amanda Jean/crazy mom quilts offered up a copy of her Show and Tell Bags pattern, I was on it!

I'd been in a scrappy mood, but when I saw the pattern actually suggested a layer cake, I reached back in the stash for one I'd stored for too long. I opted to make the middle version of the bag, which measures 20" wide x 19 1/2" tall x 5 1/2" deep, and is definitely large enough for my intended purpose. (Note that the largest "Jumbo" bag is large enough to hold a young child!) For lining and handles, I used Essex linen blend in natural, and though the pattern includes instructions for a removable bottom insert, my bag stands alone well enough.

Obviously, the bag would be awesome made from scraps.... next time!

Linking up with Finish It Up Friday!

Crosscut Showing One

With many folks still working on finishing up their Crosscut projects, I realized that waiting until next week to share them all just might overfill a blog post. So I'll begin today and show off some of the very first finishes.

I'm going to let these Crosscut pieces speak for themselves, as they each can do so well. But do watch for the ways the makers made this quilt-along their own. Whether it be in block or project size, fabrics chosen, quilting, the type of end product, or even using a different block entirely to experiment with the piece/cut/re-piece technique, it's cool to see the uniqueness in each. Inspiration is one thing, all well and good, but seeing where folks go with it is the very best reward.

beckymac1

britta_rioc

dizzyquiltsblog

ellynz

gunnelwr

kamicombes

knitandpurl2012

malu27117

mtweedel

ogginelle

pippaspatch

seesherrysew

selinaquilts

snippetsofsweetness

Susan Samuel

Awesome, right? Stay tuned for more!

The Show Continues

Since you enjoyed the mini quilt show last week, here's more! Darting Birds by Whitney (the peacock tree) of That Stash Bee had us using Whitney's own tutorial {here} for 6" finished blocks. Her palette is one of my favorites, and I really enjoyed how she arranged the blocks. Isn't it fun?

A current photo of my ástərisk, currently hanging in the Modern Metallic exhibit of Quilt!Knit!Stitch! in Portland, OR. I'm not able to attend the show, so it was nice that Cath of Wombat Quilts kindly took a photo of my quilt . . . which just happens to be hanging next to hers! Feel free to check out more of the goings on under the #quiltknitstitch hashtag on Instagram.

photo by @wombatquilts

And finally, here's a pair of snapshots taken during Sew & Tell last night at the meeting of the Seattle Modern Quilt Guild. We had each just shared our MQG Fabric Challenge projects before gathering together for this group shot. Boy there were some beauties there! See them closer plus all of the other projects shared last night in our guild flickr group.

photos taken by Rachel/snippetsofsweetness/@snippetsofsweetness

That's it for now! Hope you enjoyed the show!

Showing Off

Though sewing IS going on in the studio, I really have nothing new to show for myself, so why not show off other projects I've been a part of?

Here's a recent finish by Mary Ann/SoapsByMareMare on behalf of the FAITH Circle of do.Good Stitches made with Greek Cross blocks using the tutorial from Fresh Lemons.

This lovely star quilt was made by That Stash Bee as a sort of "baby shower" gift for Michonne/Watch Meesh Run, all thanks to the planning and final execution by Toni/HoosierToni. I can't remember for sure, but I think we were all to make any star block using the designated palette.

And finally, this quilt was made by members of the Seattle Modern Quilt Guild for our co-member Yeechi/kirianth in celebration of the birth of her baby boy, Elliott. Thanks to Chandra Wu for coordinating and finishing this one. The 'E' was made from Paintbox blocks using Oh, Fransson!'s tutorial.

It's always fun to see completed group quilts, and from my few times hosting one, I certainly appreciate the vision that makes them happen!

Random: Short and Sweet

Blair, my bee-mate in the SMQG, wrote a book! It's called Wise Craft: Turning Thrift Store Finds, Fabric Scraps, and Natural Objects Into Stuff You Love. I know some of you are thrifters, so I thought you might enjoy hearing about it. 

Blair also has a blog called wisecraft. I'm really enjoying a series she's started sharing her "friday favorites," such as a recent post on vintage quilt photos.

I love a good quilt finish whether it's mine or not! I had just a very small part in FAITH Circle's recent finish (that row of Courthouse Steps on the left), planned and completed by Debbie/Blue.Ridge.Girl. Isn't it something?! Click here to read all about it.

Do you sew with leaders and enders? If you don't know what that means, click here. I often piece two or more projects at a time, cutting my threads and restarting as seldom as possible. Just curious if you do that too.

I'm also wondering if you've ever done a Round Robin quilt. "A round robin quilt is a quilt made by a group of quilters rather than by one person." At our upcoming guild retreat, we will have the opportunity to participate in an improv round robin experience. {kinda scary}

We will be divided up into groups of 4, each of us bringing 4 fat-quarters, plus a baggy of scraps to incorporate into the quilts in our group. I believe we will each start our own quilt, then rotate every 15 minutes, so every person works on all the quilts in their group. Have you done this before?? Any tips for me? Yikes. I'll be sure and report back.

Linking up with Really Random Thursday.

It's Show and Tell Day

I love when I've gathered up a few completed bee quilts to show off to you! I've contributed a block or more to each of these but my bee-mates get the glory!

Melissa/~Me1issa from FAITH circle asked for Palace Steps blocks a while back. One block measures 24.5" wide by 12.5" tall.

Just look at Melissa's final layout! This quilt was donated to our bee's chosen charity, Restore Innocence.

For Katie/kldemare in That Stash Bee, we made 4 Rugby Stripe blocks using the tutorial by Teaginny Designs, 2 in each of 2 palettes.

They seem like simple blocks, each measuring 7" x 14", but what striking quilts they make. Kelly made a pair for her nephews!

And the last bee quilt I have to share today is from Elizabeth/occasionalpiece of the Mid-Century Modern Bee. Elizabeth was making a Santa's Village by ThimbleCreek Quilts and had us make the green and cream blocks surrounding Santa. Be sure and hop over to read her reveal post to see some close-ups and also the way she incorporated our siggy blocks into the back. 

So aren't those lovely?! Besides the great camaraderie, one of the fun things about being in a bee is seeing how all our blocks come together!

Nothing Like a Finish {Even If It's Not Mine}

Bees are alot of fun, and I seriously am so pleased every time I see one of our finished quilts! Recently there's been two and I can't wait to show them to you!

When Mary/Mary on Lake Pulaski asked for x and + blocks for our Mid-Century Modern Bee, I couldn't believe it! I had just finished 80(!) for myself. But it's a great block, and just look at it all in pink! The individual blocks measure just 7 1/2", so this quilt is baby-size, just right for one of Mary's new little granddaughters. Here's Mary's post about it.

Celeste/Celeste Johnson sent the Always Bee Learning both the fabric and template needed to make hexagon blocks. This block was different than anything I'd done before! Here's Celeste's finished quilt! Isn't it something?

Here's some close-ups - an amazing variety of placement options is available beginning with the pretty basic 60-degree triangle blocks.

So there you go! Some more inspiration for you!

Showing and Telling Once Again

A bee finish is so fun to see, whether it's mine or not. Neither of the bee quilts I'm sharing today are mine, so of course I've also enjoyed seeing where my little contribution fit into each, as well as my bee-mates' visions of their quilts come to life!

First up is a finish by Carla/Grace and Favour with blocks made by the Mid Century Modern Bee. We were given our choice of making 6", 9", and 12" blocks in whatever pattern we chose. See those 3 pinwheels hanging over the fence? That was my block. 

A fun twist was Carla's use of the signature blocks we sent her in the front of the quilt! Look in the bottom right corner, and you'll see 4 of them lined up. Isn't that a fun idea? There's so much to love about this "Mid Century Modern Sampler".

Next is a quilt I actually told you about a little while ago, but I didn't have a photo to share. But now I do, so here's Valerie/Between Quilts' lovely quilt made with the help of That Stash Bee. Take a moment to read Valerie's post. This quilt has quite a story, made for a grieving family, and as you can see, it is just full of encouraging words and colorful stars. I made the little star to the right of the 'e' on the front . . .

and the wonky star under the 'o' on the back. This really turned out to be one cheery quilt, didn't it?

And this last quilt for today isn't a bee quilt, but it is one shared in my Falling for Modern Maples flickr group, which has really turned out to be alot of fun. 76 members strong, there is such an awesome variety of maple leaves swirling around! This particular quilt, "Pumpkin Spice Latte" is by Jessica/Quilty Habit, and I am so fond of it! Jessica chose some really special fabrics for her maples in such a wonderful mix of fall colors, and the addition of those geometric elements makes this quilt really striking.

And this, my friends, is the back! It's truly a double-sided quilt and do you see the wind swirling diagonally through the center? Jessica's post also has plenty more photos that show off this delightful quilt.


I hope you've enjoyed these quilts as much as I have. Nothing like some beautiful finishes to motivate us to get working on our own!

More to Show

Last month I shared several really special quilts - quilts that had been made by bees I am in. Even when I play just a small part by making a block or two, it's still very gratifying to show off the finished quilts. And this month there's a few more!

Anita/RhubarbPatch of FAITH Circle had us each do eight simple 6 1/2" blocks, but what a sweet quilt they made! I think the loopy quilting Anita did just made it!

Next is "Birds of a Feather" by Susan/PatchworknPlay from the Mid-Century Modern Bee. When I saw our assignment that month - to make an Anna Maria Horner feather block I was scared silly! But it turned out to be quite fun - and just look at the finished quilt! Each block is so unique and pretty, and yet again, Susan's layout and quilting just pulled them all together in the lovliest way!

Again, when I saw the month's assignment for That Stash Bee from Valerie/Between Quilts, I didn't know what I was going to do! A scrappy rainbow was the general theme, with the specifics being either scrappy stars or words of encouragement, as the family this quilt was going to had been through a very difficult time. I opted for stars, but admit to being just so impressed at the creativity of my bee mates. I'm pretty sure I gasped when I saw this completed quilt for the first time! Do click through and take a quick look - both at the front and the back - such a unique and lovely quilt. (If I hear back with an affirmative from Valerie, I'll add the photos here - meanwhile see them on flickr!)

And lastly, "Common Affection," a quilt I made back in April with the help of the Mid-Century Modern Bee is in the limelight - at least at my house! It will be displayed in the 2013 American Quilter's Society QuiltWeek in Des Moines, Iowa this October. Over 100 quilts will be shown, and then a selection of them will be chosen by the judges to travel with this exhibit through September 5, 2014. Either way, I'm pleased, and grateful to my bee girls for helping me step out into new territory with this quilt.

That's it for now . . . hope you enjoyed the show!

Show and Tell Bee Style

There's one thing about bees. And I don't mean this negatively towards anyone, honest. I know life is busy and it is what it is, but after you send off blocks, you don't always see a completed quilt any time soon. To be totally up front, I have blocks from two bees stashed away, plus the quilt I'm working on now. All that to say, it really is something special to see a quilt finish with some of your blocks in it pop up online. And I thought I'd share some I've seen . . .

Toni/HoosierToni actually finished her Chicopee Herringbone quilt in May; I just never got around to showing it off. She made this quilt with the help of the Always Bee Learning bee, having us all use this tutorial. The ABL bee is one where you send fabric to your bee-mates along with the block plan. We were all pretty pleased to receive the Chicopee!

More recently was Melissa/~Me1issa's FAITH Circle quilt. We made "butterfly" blocks, even though Melissa chose a non-butterfly layout. (You can see a sample of a butterfly layout here.) You can't really see the lovely mitered corners or contrasting flange, so you might want to check out her post. This quilt was donated to Restore Innocence, the charity our bee supports.

Also with the Always Bee Learning bee, Leanne/shecanquilt asked for Octagonal Orb blocks, which were somewhat intimidating looking but really pretty straightforward. We all used stash fabric to make these large blocks, which measured 16 3/4" finished, per the tutorial. I really like how Leanne finished it off, before hand carrying it to London to donate to Siblings Together at the Fat Quarterly Retreat. This bee isn't a charity bee in general, but we had a free month, and it was really nice to work on this quilt together for a good cause.

 

Finished just this week, is Debbie/Blue.Ridge.Girl's FAITH Circle quilt, made with scrappy triangle blocks from our personal stashes. I thought Debbie chose a fun layout for these blocks, and the staggered squares border adds a fun finishing touch. This quilt will also go to Restore Innocence.

Lastly, I discovered Cathy/blueberry patch cathy's Black & White TV quilt just today! It's made with depression blocks from That Stash Bee. It really is striking, isn't it? And look at that one little bit of red she added!

Isn't that fun? I've seen another one or two in the works recently, so hope to share more soon!

Show and Tell

A short report on my machine quilting class. . . It was really fun, and I learned a lot about needles, stitching designs, tips on marking, using a walking foot, and free-motion quilting. There was also a lot of practice. One of my goals in taking the class was to master stippling. I have in no way mastered it yet. But I’ve come a good way in just a few weeks. Practice really is helping, but I still feel pretty out of control with it, and am not quite ready to use it on a real project. Hopefully soon.

2/5/11

2/19/11