Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Swoon single - Building Blocks Tuesday


Aqua and Navy Swoon block

Remember when I said I was making one more mini.....well, this Swoon block is destined to be one.  While looking through Pinterest and Flickr to get ideas how to quilt my Swoon quilt, I saw a lot of single block Swoon mini's.  It got me thinking that I should have one.  This would also give me a chance to try out a quilting design before I put it on the big quilt.  And, since I have this particular color scheme STUCK in my head, I made a navy and aqua Swoon block.  I can neither confirm nor deny that it has me itching to make a bed size quilt with more navy and aqua Swoon blocks.

Have you ever gotten a color scheme stuck in your head?  Seriously, I think I have 5 projects going right now in navy and aqua.  Perhaps it is the only way for it to run its course??

What blocks have you working on?  I would love to see.  Link up your fabulous blocks.  You put a lot of hard work into them - show them off!  This free linky will stay open until the first Monday of next month, but I will repost it every Tuesday until a new month starts.


Quilter in the Closet

Rules:

1) Please link up only to the page in your blog showing your wonderful blocks, not just the blog homepage.  Flickr pictures are also OK.
2) Make sure to put your blog name as the description so people know where they are going or the name of your block!
3) Please grab my button and post it in your blog post or sidebar.
4) Visit other linky participants!

Thanks for reading!

Jen



Friday, October 24, 2014

Oh Say Can You See - Blogger's Quilt Festival Entry

For my second entry this fall, please consider my recent finish, "Oh Say Can You See".

Hexy flag quilt

This quilt was a lesson in persistence.  I started it almost a year ago by cutting charm squares and basting a few red hexies while waiting at my kids' afternoon activities.  I got my first real push forward when I took a trip in January to visit my Gram and was able to reverse applique all the navy stars.  Then, it was back to the slow grind. I finally finished this quilt a couple of weeks ago.

It was really difficult to photograph too.  It's just so big!

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Taking a photo inside just washed out the colors, but at least I could see all of it.


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Finding a wall big enough was a challenge too. Here it is from a little further back. The dining room usually has a huge painting on this wall and a sofa underneath!


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Fun right?  I can't wait to bust this one out at a 4th of July BBQ next summer.


Hexy flag quilt close up


Quilt Stats:

Size - 105 inches x 69 inches
Pattern: found in the book, Hexa Go-Go by Tacha Bruecher
Fabrics: There are about 75 different fabrics, various manufacturers
Quilted by: Me on my Janome Horizon
Quilting Thread: Aurifil

Thanks for reading and considering me for your vote,

Jen



AmysCreativeSide.com


Modern Grace - Blogger's Quilt Festival entry

I just love the Blogger's Quilt Festival!  I look forward to it every fall and spring.  It is so awesome of Amy to host it, as it gives us a chance to show off our work, but more importantly view the quilts of others.  I have found so many inspirational quilters through the festival.  I hope you will too.  Please visit the main page on Amy's Creative Side and start drooling over all the quilting eye candy.  Also, don't forget to return on November 1st to vote for your favorites in each category!

For my first entry this fall, I am submitting this baby quilt that I made for Grace into the Modern Quilts category. Thus, the terribly unoriginal name for this quilt: Modern Grace.

Discontinuity 2

The pattern is called Discontinuity by Emily Cier at Carolina Patchworks.

As you can see, I quilted the dickens out of it, but it sure was fun to try out some new designs, and it gave the quilt a lot of texture.

Here is another shot, close up:

Close up of quilting

Quilt Stats:

Size - 40 inches x 50 inches
Pattern: Discontinuity by Emily Cier
Fabrics: all solids by Free Spirit
Quilted by: ME!!! on my Janome Horizon
Quilting Thread: Aurifil

Thanks for reading and considering me for your vote,

Jen



AmysCreativeSide.com


Tuesday, October 21, 2014

One more mini - Building Blocks Tuesday

Thank you to everyone who responded to last week's question about how much blog reading you still do.  It was good to hear that many of you still enjoy reading blog posts, even if you might not comment frequently.

This week, I've been contemplating my partner in a mini swap.  She hasn't given me very much to go on, as she seems to like everything.  I've taken that as a blank check to do whatever I like!  So, I decided to try out one of the Park Bench blocks from the pattern by Jaybird Quilts.  I bought the pattern ages ago when it first came out, and it has been patiently waiting for the right time.  What better time to try one out than now?

Here is the block, all SID'd and ready to be quilted.

Park Bench mini

I confess, I enjoy making minis very much.  Just as I was putting this one together, I got the itch to make another big block for another mini (for me).  Just one more mini........stay tuned.

What blocks have you working on?  I would love to see.  Link up your fabulous blocks.  You put a lot of hard work into them - show them off!  This free linky will stay open until the first Monday of next month, but I will repost it every Tuesday until a new month starts.


Quilter in the Closet

Rules:

1) Please link up only to the page in your blog showing your wonderful blocks, not just the blog homepage.  Flickr pictures are also OK.
2) Make sure to put your blog name as the description so people know where they are going or the name of your block!
3) Please grab my button and post it in your blog post or sidebar.
4) Visit other linky participants!

Thanks for reading!

Jen



Friday, October 17, 2014

Oh say, can you see HEXIES - a finish Friday

It seems like it has been a long time since I've had a finish to share -- well, a non-mini quilt finish anyway.  Today's the day!!

Hexy flag quilt


Truth is, I was striving so hard to get this quilt finished for the quilt show a couple of weeks ago.  I must have pulled 5 all-nighters and it wasn't happening.  I only needed about 10 more hours too.  Oh well!  It did get finished.

Hexy flag quilt close up


Even without being able to display it in the show, this was still a very satisfying finish!  I've been carting around my travel sew kit for over 9 months working on these hexies.  Now I don't know what to do with myself while waiting at swimming lessons and while my girls do gymnastics.  I might just have to tackle the Union Jack version...


I would like to formally thank Katie at Karma Willow Designs again for contributing fun red and white fabrics for the cause (she sent me over 50 charm squares as an "extra" in a swap we were in), and Heidi at Buttons and Butterflies for inspiring me to make this quilt (her's is so gorgeous).  Oops, and I should probably mention that the pattern is in Tacha Bruecher's Hexa Go-Go Book (a great book, BTW).


Thanks for reading today,

Jen


Linking up with:


I Quilt @ Pretty Bobbins

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Lucky Star flimsy - Building Blocks Tuesday


Lucky Star 2013 flimsy

I don't have any new blocks to share today, but I do have a set of them that have been a long time coming!  Here is the flimsy I just finished up this weekend with all my 2013 Lucky Star BOM's.  I finished up the last block ages ago, but as it is with me, it took me a while to get around to putting them together.  No doubt it will take me another few months to get it basted and ready to be quilted.

I have a couple of non-block related questions for you this week.  I admit that I have been very distracted from blog reading, and blog writing of late.  I'm just wondering if that is something we are all going through (especially considering Instagram's popularity and ease of use), or if it is just me.  I've noticed a steady decline in interaction on some of the popular blogs I read - I assumed that the decline here was my own fault for not posting as frequently, etc.  So, I am wondering.....are you still reading blogs?  Are you just not commenting as frequently?  Are you participating in QAL's and swaps, etc. over on Instagram instead?  Inquiring minds would like to know.  Thanks!

What blocks have you working on?  I would love to see.  Link up your fabulous blocks.  You put a lot of hard work into them - show them off!  This free linky will stay open until the first Monday of next month, but I will repost it every Tuesday until a new month starts.


Quilter in the Closet

Rules:

1) Please link up only to the page in your blog showing your wonderful blocks, not just the blog homepage.  Flickr pictures are also OK.
2) Make sure to put your blog name as the description so people know where they are going or the name of your block!
3) Please grab my button and post it in your blog post or sidebar.
4) Visit other linky participants!

Thanks for reading!

Jen



Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Scrappy X-plus blocks - Building Blocks Tuesday

Hey, what do ya know?  I made some blocks this week!

Untitled

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Green in the We Bee With It Bee asked for scrappy X-plus blocks.  I confess, I stink at "scrappy".  I think my hang up is that I actually try to use my scraps.  I get caught up in trying to find a piece of fabric big enough for the components of the blocks.  For example, the "X" portions of this block are 5.5 inch squares.  I have loads of 5 inch squares, but not many scraps big enough for 5.5 inch.  I had plenty of 2.5 inch strips for the "plus", but it was challenging finding the eight 3.5 inch squares for the background.

Perhaps, I should just stick to cutting into yardage for bee blocks??  But then, my blocks might look too coordinated......and then what would I use my scraps for??

Yes, I'm losing it completely.

What blocks have you working on?  I would love to see.  Link up your fabulous blocks.  You put a lot of hard work into them - show them off!  This free linky will stay open until the first Monday of next month, but I will repost it every Tuesday until a new month starts.


Quilter in the Closet

Rules:

1) Please link up only to the page in your blog showing your wonderful blocks, not just the blog homepage.  Flickr pictures are also OK.
2) Make sure to put your blog name as the description so people know where they are going or the name of your block!
3) Please grab my button and post it in your blog post or sidebar.
4) Visit other linky participants!

Thanks for reading!

Jen