WOW!!! I can't believe I haven't written in such a long time!

Where did August go...???!!! Well... for that matter, where did OVER HALF OF THIS DING-DANG YEAR go???!!!

I'm still in the SewConnected quilting group on Flickr. I have been a good little girl and gotten all of my monthly required blocks finished and sent back to their homes within the first week or two of the month. Well... not August... Part of it is because I've felt time-challenged (though I don't really know what I've done???), part of it is because I've been lazy and the other part of it is because the fabrics didn't even arrive until August 8th.

The blocks for August are very, very simple blocks-in-blocks blocks, but I just couldn't get up the gumption to work on them until today. I drew out the squares in CorelDraw then had to sit down and calculate how wide each strip needed to be to make up the size squares I'd drawn out. I AM NOT good a calculating anything!!!

Anyway, I was going to do 12.5" squares, but she didn't send fabric long enough for me to work with that size. Instead, I'm doing 9.5" and 6.5" ones.

AND... I've already received my September fabric: a fat quarter of white Kona cotton. We're supposed to use our own scraps of fabric to make tiny houses in the center of a 15.5" block. The houses can't be smaller than 3x3.5" or larger than 4x4.5. Dangit! Another something I'm going to have to calculate!!!

JacquieG's July SewConnected Block

I finally finished JacquieG's July SewConnected quilt block. This was BY FAR the most difficult block I've made for this group. And, it wasn't that it was THAT difficult, but it really, really made me stretch to figure out how to do it.

I wish I'd added more of the aqua color blocks.

July SewConnected Block

I'm totally freaking out about this month's SewConnected block.

#1. This is JacquieG's month, and she is the very JacquieG from Tallgrass Prairie Studio (BTW, I always have to look up how to spell "prairie") who does some of the MOST OUTSTANDING work I've ever seen and therefore am completely intimidated by her. Here's her blog: http://tallgrassprairiestudio.blogspot.com/

#2. She wants us to make a block that is inspired by a drawing her son made for her which is very Frank Lloyd Wright-esque. I'm trying to get my head around this, but I guess THINKING about it just isn't cutting it (ha! ha!)... I need to go start cutting some test fabric and see if I can figure out what I'm doing...?

Here's the SewConnected Flickr group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/sewconnected/

Mini Art Quilt for RyverChyld

RyverChyld received the art quilt that I sent her so I can finally post photos of it!

I was so afraid that RyverChyld would be disappointed in it, but she posted photos of it in the gallery, and wrote some really nice things about it. It IS cute; it's just not up to the standards of her quilting!

#1. This is the first art quilt I've ever made. It really sparked my imagination, and I can't wait to make more!
#2. Quilting is NOT my strong point. I really need to work on that!
#3. This is the first time I've sewn the binding on. I usually flip it over and stitch it down by hand. I saw a really cool Elmer's glue trick on the internet, and I tried it to tack down the binding on the backside so the stitches would catch it from the front. Worked like a dream!
#4. Speaking of glue... I used glue stick to tack down the rick-rack around the border. Also worked like a dream!
#5. I had NO idea how to add hanging tabs on the back. I kind of winged it (and it shows!!!). RyverChyld's quilt to me has perfect hanging tabs--a real "ah ha!" moment for me. Now I know how to do them!
#6. This was FUN, FUN, FUN!!!

Wonky Log Cabin Block

Yesterday morning, I started working on the wonky log cabin block that krommama wants for her SewConnected month. I finished it, but I'm not sure I'm all that thrilled with it. The house part looks rather junky to me, but it's finished, and I'm not re-doing it.

June SewConnected Block

June is krommomma's month for a quilt block. She wants us to use our fabric scraps to make her a block. This sounds really petty, but I don't think that is fair. I spent alot of money and time buying fabric, cutting it up, addressing the envelopes, driving to the PO and paying to ship out the fabric.

She wants a wonky log cabin house. We're only supposed to use scrap fabric, and not cut into our stash. I don't have much scrap fabric because I cut up what I had into 1.5" squares for TwiztidBlood. I'll have to dig into my stash to make her block for her.

I'm glad she posted a tutorial on how to make the block because I don't have a clue how.

May SewConnected block

I finished my May quilt block for the SewConnected group. I had a really hard time with this one because she wanted a 15" finished block but she didn't send all that much fabric. Another girl posted her leftovers so I thought I would, too. My block is very simple. It's a 5-1/2" center block surrounded by 32, 3" squares. It came out to exactly 15-1/2". I hope she likes it.

Oh, yeah. I had to piece together two of the little squares to even have enough litte squares to make up the block. I hope she doesn't mind that either.

72-square quilt block for twinfibers

Yesterday, I finished up the quilt block I made for Jessica/twinfibers for the SewConnected block swap. She sent out vintage sheets and pillowcases. Here's what I made for her:

twinfibers' block pattern

I recieved twinfibers/Jessica's March SewConnected fabrics last week. I think I've figured out what to do with it:

It's 72 1-7/8" squares with a micro-bordered 4-1/2 square in the center. I'll have to measure her fabric and make sure I have enough, but I think I do.

Does this look okay, though? I don't particularly care for the block in my fabrics, but maybe it'll look better in her vintage sheets?

artsymomma's block

Well! I finished artsymomma's quilt block! I used templates and did a crazy nine-patch. I had a little bit of waste from the angled cuts, but I used almost every last shred of fabric she sent me. The block is 11.5" square.

I don't feel it's a GREAT block, but it's definitely better than I expected considering how little fabric I had to work with.


I was also a little disappointed because I couldn't get one of the seams to align. I picked it out three or four times before I gave up on it. I don't know what the problem is with it (it's the top left seam below).


I kind of like the inner border. I wanted to do a solid green inner border, but I didn't have enough fabric (even a skinny stip like that) to make a solid green border. So, I miter-joined the green with a strip of tan. It's different, but I like it.

SewConnected Quilt Group

I'm in a virtual quilting bee called SewConnected. There are 15 of us. We each send out fabric during our assigned month and everybody works on a block for us and sends it back. So far, I've had alot of fun working on blocks for both myself and for other people. However... this month's fabric is VERY HARD to work with! The sender sent out 8 pieces of fabric which should be enough to work with, however, she wants a block no smaller than 10" (which means 10.5" unfinished). This wouldn't be a big deal except that she only sent out 9" x 5" pieces of fabric! I'm going to have to piece together the fabric to get it to 10.5"! Shesh! I don't even have a CLUE what I can make. I'm going to have to cut some of my fabric into 9x5 pieces and then try cutting those dimensions into a workable block. This is really challenging me, and it makes me very nervous. I hope I can come up with something nice for her.

SewConnected Quilt Blocks

Here are my newest "Eclectic" blocks! The first one was inspired by the block that Jacquie G. from Tall Grass Prairie made for me. I really like that it's a rectangle within a square. I think that's unusual.

Second is a scrap block made from all the scraps people are returning to me.

Third is a block from the Japanese Quilt Blocks book that I have. I can't remember the name of the block, and the book is upstairs.

Fourth is a 45° angle block that I cut with my rotary cutter (rather than on the laser). It turned out nicely!

And finally, my favorite! It's a crazy nine-patch that I made with templates. I cut up a square out of paper then added 1/4" around all four sides (I got to use my new rotating mat, and I LOVE it!). I really like the little 1/4" brown border. It was only supposed to have the Kona bone as the outer border, but I miscalculated and ended up with an 11-1/2" block. I like the Surf and Sand border so it doesn't matter that I messed up a little! Anyway, another reason I like this block so much is because these are all 9 fabrics that are in the quilt.

Eclectic Block

This block is from blondiespeaks. I have NO IDEA how in the heck she figured this one out, but I love it!

I read her blog, and it's NOT paper pieced! I can't believe it! I could NEVER do something like this unless it was paper pieced.

Eclectic Blocks

Here are two blocks that the SewConnected ladies have made for me. The first one is from luckyduckday. The second is from jacquieg. I love both of them. I thought my fabrics were kind of icky, but I'm SOOOO pleased with what everyone is making out of them.

X Stripe Variation

Here's that other block that requires 45­° cuts. I think it's called "X Stripe Variation" in EQ6. It looks simple, but I'm very proud of it.

Modified Contemporary Cross

Here's another block for the Eclectic quilt. It's a modified Contemporary Cross from EQ6. The original block has mitered corners, and I changed those to straight corners instead (becuase I don't know how to sew partial seams!).

More Eclectic Blocks

Did I write that I'm calling my SewConnected quilt "Eclectic?" That's a good name, I think, because it is really wild.

I made three more blocks this morning. The predominantly brown block (the last one) with the little damask square is just a random block I made. I didn't send out that light brown fabric, and decided I needed a healthy dose of it in the quilt.

The scrappy one (the top block) is mostly Bubbachic's left over fabric. I had to add a few tidbits (the light brown and more bone).

The second block is from Japanese Quilt Blocks to Mix and Match by Susan Briscoe. It's called Yamato kasure igeta (translation: "Yamato well curb"--whatever that means?). The blocks in that book are only 9" so I had to add a thicker border to get it up to 12.5".

City Girl Quilt

I partially-finished my City Girl quilt top! I still have the borders to add to it, but I couldn't resist showing it off already!

I have a TON of scrap fabric to use for the backing. I'm debating on a couple of different things to do with it. I'll probably make some 4" or 6" wonky log cabin blocks, and I'm thinking about a full-length strip with just random widths of fabric sewn across it. Actually, that might be cool as a border...? Ummmm... oh, the possibilites!

I'm going to use a very large piece of Kona Cotton for the label--I'll describe the swap and then list all of the user names for the people who made me blocks. That's a good idea!

City Girl Quilt

I started work on the City Girl quilt from the block swap on Craftster.org. That was a fun swap! However, I doubt I'll do another one... I'm too picky about my blocks. I don't like shoddy workmanship, and there are several that are just flat out crappy. I'm not bragging, but I did some really nice work: no loose threads, the backs look as good as the fronts, and they were all 12.5" or just a SMIDGEN off as required in the swap.


Well, I tried to square up my blocks this morning, and found one that was 13," 3 that are just the tiniest bit over 12-1/8," one that is just a tad over 12" in one place (it's a 9-patch, and the top and bottom rows are 12-1/2," but the middle row is only 12!"), and one entire block that is only 12." I trimmed down the 13" block and lost all the points in the process--at least it's workable. The 12-1/8" blocks are do-able but with very, very shallow seams. I did some creative meandering sewing on the one that's a little over 12." The 12" block is completely unusable. I guess I'll try to put it on the back of the quilt.


At this point, I have all of the blocks sewn into rows. Now I need to iron the seams and sew the rows together! It's looking awesome so far.


I have my fingers crossed that my SewConnected group will make better blocks for me.

The empty place holder in the photo is for MissDisney's block. She was late sending it out, and I was too anxious to wait on her before putting together a virtual quilt in EQ6. The fourth one on the second row is the 12" block that will have to go on the back, and that's such a shame because I really, really like that block!

More quilt blocks for SewConnected

Yesterday, I made two more quilt blocks for my "Eclectic" quilt: Antique Tile and Hour Glass 2--both from Once More Around the Block by Judy Hopkins.

I'm not thrilled with the Antique Tile one because it's just too blah. Hour Glass 2 is better, but it's still not great. I do like the blue rick-rack in the middle of it, though. I've been using glue stick to hold down the rick-rack until I sew the pieces together.

Today I'm going to try one called Crayon Box from the same book. It's a very simple block to make, but I think it will look nice in my fabrics (at least I hope it will).