Mon-Ochre-Matic

In keeping with my monochromatic attempts at these color challenges, here is my ochre block.



I'm not nearly as pleased with it as I am my mauve block, but it did teach me a lesson that I can apply to future blocks -- use more contrast!

And if it won't play nice in my sampler quilt when I'm finished with all twelve, I'll just remake it!

And how weird is it that I was standing in the utility room last night, wondering what color we'd have for this week, and I said to myself: "I bet she'll pick 'avocado' . . ." and wouldn't you know it? I sorta feel like I have a head start on this one, which I'll need, since I'm traveling and not getting much sewing time in . . .

Mauve Overload?

I really went overboard with the mauve in my block. It's just all . . . well . . . mauve!

Here are the original fabrics I chose.

My intention is to make a sampler quilt . . . I'll see what happens as the challenge progresses and I end up with more blocks.

I'm planning to save all the leftovers from each color and piece my backing from them.

This was fun, and I can hardly wait to see what tomorrow's color is!

I Can't Stop Starring!

I'm hooked on making these Triangles Galore blocks that V got us started on.

Now, I'm not fast at it or anything, but I've made 6 so far, and am working on my 7th.


This is my spare-time project, and lately, I don't have much spare time!

I do have a plan in mind already, though.

I want to make 25 of these . . . I'm 1/4 of the way there!

Stash Swap

I got fabric in the mail! What better mail days can there be than that?

My swap partner was Marian.

I told her my favorite color was red. She sent me all these . . .
There are LOTS of Civil War prints in this bunch. I didn't even tell her that I'm making TWO Civil War quilts and hardly have any Civil War prints in my stash, so these are going to come in really really handy!

Oh, and the best piece? Cowboy fabric, of course. How does everyone know? Heehee!Thanks, Marian! You were a great partner!

Busy Bees

I finally got my blocks made for Brenda. I found this assignment difficult, but I'm going to blame it on the drugs I'm having to take because I'm having a major cold and DO NOT have time to be sick right now! (Or it could just really be me ...)Apparently, said drugs gave me a bad case of boring, and my first attempt (on the left) is kinda blah. I became only slightly more imaginative with my second attempt, but I'm hoping Brenda can kind of blend them in with the other better blocks and still make do with them. (Maybe I'm not taking the right kind of drugs!)

Luckily, I finished my Operation Uniform block before I got sick, so I think it came out OK. It's a variation of the traditional Army Star block, which I thought would be appropriate, and I used most of the camo V sent, and made fabric for the center and corners. I messed up my star points a tidget, but you only know that because I just told you, right?And now I need to get to work finishing up the quilt I'm making out of all the Bee blocks I received from everyone else. I'm loving it so far -- more on that project later.

Solid Segments Swap Success

Say that really fast 3 times.

I finished my swap quilt. I have to say . . . this is the first real online swap I've been in. I've done blocks, and I did the Pay It Forward thing once (and got my favorite table runner in the world from Victoria), but never just a swap for a swap's sake. I didn't tell them that before I signed up, just so they'd let me in . . .

I waffled for quite awhile on picking a painting as my inspiration. Then I picked this Diebenkorn one:

Then I saw a photograph that looked like a painting, and wanted to do that, but got to thinking: "Are we supposed to really use a painting? Is using a photograph that looks like a painting cheating?" So I went back to my original idea.

Inspiration is about all I took from it. Some of the basic shapes are there, but I wanted my colors to be a bit more vivid. Why does everything I do turn out DULL in the end? I wanted COLOR. I also discovered that my stash is woefully understocked with solids, because I LOVE prints!

So I landed somewhere in the middle, still not sure that mine is any brighter than his:I hope you like it, Lisa.

All Over The Place

I've been playing with everything! I made Bee Blocks for Charlotte . . .

I got un-stuck on my Intuition Quilt, and added another round, and I already know what I'm going to do for the next round as well. I want it to be big.I made my large triangles from "made fabric", then pieced Flying Geese out of them with other scraps. I'm currently working on some really large pieces of "made fabric" to use in the next round. I'm having a blast rummaging through my scrap bin!

I've been deciding on a painting for the Solids Segmented Swap, and am just about ready to get started with that.

And I need to get crackin' on my Bee Blocks for July next.

I certainly hope that you all are having as much fun playing as I am!

Spinning My Wheels

I'm stuck not making any forward progress on my Intuition Quilt. It's keeping me awake at night. Does that mean my intuition has stopped working? Here's what I wanted to do:

I didn't like it and changed my mind to this:
It has stopped speaking to me, so I'm not sure whether it's saying it's done and wants to be a table topper, or if it went to sleep and I need to do something to wake it back up?

Meanwhile, I've been playing with my blocks from the 15-minutes bee, and here's what I have so far, with a lot more playing and slicing and dicing yet to go. I'm having sooo much fun with these. I'm pretty sure this is going to be one of my favorite quilts EVER!

And speaking of the bee, I need to get off of here and go make some blocks for Charlotte. I don't want to get behind, because . . .
I wanna get in on the solids challenge. It's just too good to resist!
Catch ya later . . .

for Shelly

I made some blocks for Shelly.

Now....to get them posted!!!!

I'd rather sew than go to the post office....

Wouldn't you??

It's My Turn!

I'm participating in the 15 Minutes Play Monthly Bee, and it's finally my turn to say what I want to get from everyone!

Believe it or not, I'm actually ready and have made a decision . . .

I'm going with blocks that read as one color, made of strips and strings. Here are the ones I've made for myself so far.

Here's a closer look at them, individually.

As you can see, the strips can be pieced from shorter strips, they do not have to be even widths or the same widths or any particular widths, or even straight. Just grab from your scraps and sew!

All I'm asking is that the block "read" as one color . . . any color . . . and the more colors I get, the happier I'll be.

OK, so that's not really ALL I'm asking. I'm also asking that the strips "read" as all going one direction, and that the blocks be at least 12" square. That doesn't complicate things too much more, does it? You can send me one or two of these, whatever you feel like whipping up.

I'm a bit annoyed that some of mine came out so "linear", but that was the nature of my scraps and strings.

I think I like my brown one the best because it's the most crooked!

I have plans to make more for myself, starting with a yellow one, and an orange one, and another pink one, and . . . I'm a bit addicted to them already.

I'm also cooking up a plan as to what I'm going to do with these, and while I'm waiting for my blocks to roll in, I'll be experimenting to see if what I'm dreaming up will actually work . . . which remains to be seen . . .

JUST TO CLARIFY: I'm NOT putting these together plain! I'm just collecting colored blocks of fabric made from strips (and your strips can be made from pieces, and I like them crooked) so that I can cut them up and do something else with them. But since I haven't decided exactly how I'm cutting them up just yet (don't know if I want them all the same or different, PLUS I need more colors so that I can mix and match) I'm not doing the cutting until I've collected all my blocks. I know . . . boring for you . . . just sewing strips together, but it's what I need to complete my idea! I'll post more later as I get started with the cutting and mixing . . .

Everyone have fun with this. (Give me lots of colors!) I can't wait to see what you do! Eeeee!!