Just when you thought the holidays were over - Building Blocks Tuesday

Who said Christmas was over?



I made these two blocks for Anita in the We Bee With It Bee.   They are the last blocks for this round of the bee, and it doesn't look like we be doing a Spring round.  I may be bee-less next year!!  The HORROR!

The block is called the Christmas Star, and the instructions were shared on the Blossom Heart Quilts blog for the Bee Hive series.  Here is the second one I made for Anita.



I actually ran out of holiday scraps in the colors she wanted, so this was as close as I could get.  I think it will play nicely with the others that the group made for her.

What blocks have you working on this week?  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.

Rules:

1) Please link up only to the page in your blog showing your wonderful blocks, not just the blog homepage.  Flickr and Instagram 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!

And don't forget!  The 100 Day Challenge Kick Off post is coming up tomorrow!  I hope you have all your challenge items picked out!

Thanks for reading,

Jen

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Another Velvet Star - Building Blocks Tuesday

Hello and welcome from Crazy Town (not to be confused with Funky Town).  December is always downright insane.  It almost takes the joy out of the holiday.

This week I am sharing the other star block that I made for Green in the We Be With It Bee.



This is the Velvet Star pattern that I came up with for a paper piecing class I taught over the summer.

Speaking of the We Bee With It Bee, sign ups for January - June are open for this bee and several others that are run by Mrs. Pickles at Mrs. Pickles Garden.  She has several bees that might fit you, including a bee just for our Canadian friends.  I've been in one group or another for a couple years now, and it is a great group of ladies.  Check it out.


What blocks have you working on this week?  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.

Rules:

1) Please link up only to the page in your blog showing your wonderful blocks, not just the blog homepage.  Flickr and Instagram 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

An InLinkz Link-up

Another 8 Carat Star - Building Blocks Tuesday

I'm sorry for missing last week.  My quilting slump continues and I was busy with family in town for Thanksgiving.

By the way, thank you for all your advice about getting over my slump.  It seems the most logical thing to do is just to wait for it to pass, as it will likely do.

I have made something!  Here is one of the blocks I made for the We Bee With It Bee for November.  Green asked for any paper pieced star with a dark background and high contrast stars.  I'm not sure if I really accomplished the high contrast thing since I chose some higher value reds and yellows, but hopefully the colors themselves stand out against the dark grey.  What do you think?



This is the 8 Carat Star pattern that I came up with** for a paper piecing class I taught over the summer.  **By "came up with", I mean that I drew it up in EQ7 from scratch.  Given how easy it was to arrive at this pattern, I do not dare claim that I am the only one that could possibly come up with this arrangement.

And before I forget....Speaking of the We Bee With It Bee, sign ups for January - June are open for this bee and several others that are run by Mrs. Pickles at Mrs. Pickles Garden.  She has several bees that might fit you, including a bee just for our Canadian friends.  I've been in one group or another for a couple years now, and it is a great group of ladies.  Check it out.

What blocks have you working on this week?  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.

Rules:

1) Please link up only to the page in your blog showing your wonderful blocks, not just the blog homepage.  Flickr and Instagram 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

An InLinkz Link-up

Positive thoughts - Building Blocks Tuesday

I read a sign today that said, "If you don't have anything positive to say, then please be quiet."  Being positive is a struggle for me, almost as much as being quiet. LOL!

I will try not to bring this post down by telling you more of my new home woes; instead I will share a few blocks that I made for the lovely Katie, of Karma Willow Designs.



 If you have never visited her blog, please do.  If you have been reading this blog for long, you know that there is a disconnect between what I think I can get done and what I actually have time for, but Katie inspires me to keep trying to get it right.  She is wonderfully organized and gets so much done (she is in a bunch of bees and swaps, so it is extra fun to see what she is up to).




Katie, I hope these blocks will fit in nicely with those you have already received.

In other news, I have finished all the paper piecing for Deb's NY Beauty Circle of Geese, now on to the curvy parts.

What blocks have you working on this week?  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.

Rules:

1) Please link up only to the page in your blog showing your wonderful blocks, not just the blog homepage.  Flickr and Instagram 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

An InLinkz Link-up

Crazyland - Building Blocks Tuesday

Greetings from Crazyland!



I'm beginning to think that "crazy" is the new normal.



I made these cute blocks for Bobbie in the We Bee With It Bee.  I rather like the look of them and bet they will make an awesome fall quilt.

Yes, things are still crazy around here.  I've got half of my floors torn out of the new house, and the guys are working on getting the other half torn out by the end of the week.   Trying to pretend all the dust is just pretty glitter that has lost its shine, hasn't really been working for me.  But, I will persevere.

This weekend is the Blue Jay Quilt Walk in Blue Jay, CA.  It is a lovely outdoor show in a small, friendly town.  There is also a really magnificent quilt auction to benefit Camp Paivika, a handicap camp in the area.  If you are looking for some amazing deals on quilts, this is the place to be.  I saw several quilts at the last guild meeting that I was drooling over.  This will be the first year that I will be able to actually watch the auction.  I only hope I don't go crazy and buy everything.  The hubby would NOT approve considering the amount of fabric I have.

What blocks have you working on this week?  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.

Rules:

1) Please link up only to the page in your blog showing your wonderful blocks, not just the blog homepage.  Flickr and Instagram 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

An InLinkz Link-up

One less problem - Building Blocks Tuesday

"I got one less problem without-cha! I got, one less, one less pr-o-blem".  Yes, my girls have been singing this lately and it is stuck in my head!  I guess it could be worse, we finally let go of "Let it Go"!

I actually did some sewing last week!  It really felt good and I feel like I have one less problem as I am caught up on all my bee obligations.  It is a good thing too; we started to demo all the floors and a few of the bathrooms in the house yesterday (because the fun never stops around here).  I may not get back into my sewing room again until next week.

These are the last of the kaleidoscope blocks for Katie.



I wasn't the only one glad to have some time in the sewing room.  Tookie was happy to resume her duties as my assistant.



Don't worry, Katie, I will be sure to make sure any extra "fuzz" is removed before sending these to you.

What blocks have you working on this week?  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.

Rules:

1) Please link up only to the page in your blog showing your wonderful blocks, not just the blog homepage.  Flickr and Instagram 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

An InLinkz Link-up

Precious pink bunting blocks - Building Blocks Tuesday

Did you all feel that strange rumbling yesterday?  Like a tiny earthquake?  No need to worry, it was just me, doing the happy dance.  The girls returned to school yesterday, and even though it is only half days all this week, I am extremely pleased.

Please don't misunderstand.  I have had a great summer with the girls.  We had a lovely vacation, and for the first summer ever, I didn't schedule them in camps for the rest of their summer.  So, we got plenty of quality time.  However, it has also meant that it looks like we are camping in our new house, as at least half of our stuff is still either in boxes or in random places throughout the house. Time for me to get organized and make this place a home!

Yesterday, we took a big step forward and started having some closets installed in their bedrooms.  The guys should finish up sometime today and I will finally be able to put their clothes and books away in their proper places.  No more shoes in a giant box.  No more books in the dirty laundry hamper.  I will likely be sorting stuff out for the rest of the week, but at least I now have a place to put everything!

I don't have any new blocks to share of my own this week, but as it is my month in the We Bee With It Bee, I have received these adorable bunting blocks from two of my bee mates, Katie and Celeste.  Thank you, ladies!  I'm hoping to make a precious little quilt for Olivia's new PINK room.





What blocks have you working on this week?  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.

Rules:

1) Please link up only to the page in your blog showing your wonderful blocks, not just the blog homepage.  Flickr and Instagram 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

An InLinkz Link-up

Highly distracted - Building Blocks Tuesday

Have you seen the back to school commercials where the moms and dads are riding the shopping carts through the store while "It's the most wonderful time of the year" is playing in the background?  Boy, can I relate.  While I am not necessarily school shopping in bliss, I AM looking forward to the kids going back to school.  I am actually counting the minutes.  Seriously.  It is 6 days, 2 Hours, 59 minutes, and about 2 seconds.

It's not that I haven't enjoyed spending the last few weeks catering to my kids every desire...well, OK, that isn't exactly my style.  It is just that I have grown tired of not being able to get anything done with them around.  Oh, I suppose a few things get done, but they are so disjointed and full of distractions that I doubt they even count.  I certainly don't feel any sense of accomplishment or happiness in doing them.  The endless distraction just sucks the worth right out of my tasks.

Do you know what I mean?

Take these fun blocks I made for Katie at Karma Willow Designs (click link for block instructions).  They should have been "fun", but I did them in such tiny baby steps that I didn't get the usual enjoyment out of sewing them.  I'm talking sewing 2 seams and having to stop for 2 days kind of progress.  I am really out of my rhythm.



I have 4 more of these to make for Katie this week.  She has been wonderfully patient, but it is time.  And it is time for these darn kids to go back to school too so I can get some stuff DONE (even if it is just one simple thing!).


What blocks have you working on this week?  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.

Rules:

1) Please link up only to the page in your blog showing your wonderful blocks, not just the blog homepage.  Flickr and Instagram 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

An InLinkz Link-up

Summer is nearly here?? - Building Blocks Tuesday

Back in the saddle again...only to be thrown out again.  I finally got a chance late last week to sit down at my machine and sew a little.  I got these two blocks done for Barbara in the We Bee With It Bee.

Sometimes I think Red, White and Blue is the most versatile color combo!  These were fun, but I am not sure I will make them again for a while.

It seems as soon as I thought I would get some solid sewing time in, I am reminded that there are other things that need to take priority.  This week it is Open House at school.  It really sneaked up on me.  I am the art docent for Lizzy's class, and I need to mount and display one of the art projects that we did this year.  I also have to find time to go teach the lesson to any new students or students that were absent the day we did it.  All before Thursday of course!  This being a short week put even more pressure on to get it done, and I'm sure the teachers feel the same way.

Also, this coming weekend is Lizzy's birthday party.  She has decided to have a slumber party and has invited several girls from her class.  Only...no one has RSVP'd yet.  I am hoping that, like me, the holiday weekend just preoccupied their minds and that they will respond today.  Fingers crossed.  We purposely didn't invite too many kids because we didn't want a swarm of 7 year olds tearing through this little house.  Now, I am wondering if that was a bad idea.  I ran into a friend today who has 2 little girls, one Lizzy's age and one Ashley's age and asked if they might join us.  I need bodies here!  Otherwise I think Lizzy would feel let down, and I wouldn't want that.  Party planning has begun.  I have several activities planned, and a rather involved breakfast to make.  Hopefully, we will survive.

There are also a handful of projects around the house that really need to get done soon, before summer hits.  I need to call a few contractors for bids, some for perfectly silly things like fixing our doorbell, some for more involved projects.  Ugh.  Just when I got the house back to normal from our bathroom remodel.  It's always something with home ownership!

And, I can't quite believe it, but summer vacation is only a few weeks away.  Scary.  I kept thinking that surely I would have this quilt done by then, and that quilt started, and a whole bunch of fabric cut to take EPP with me.  Has any of it happened?  NOPE!

Hopefully, you are doing better with your preparations for summer??

Oh, and don't forget to head over to Amy's Creative Side for voting this week for the Blogger's Quilt Festival!

What blocks have you working on this week?  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.

Rules:

1) Please link up only to the page in your blog showing your wonderful blocks, not just the blog homepage.  Flickr and Instagram 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

An InLinkz Link-up

16 Patch with wonky stars - Building Blocks Tuesday

I finished up these 16 patches with wonky stars for my We Bee With it Bee.  Celeste asked for one in scrappy pinks and one in scrappy blues and greens.

It's funny.  Not too long ago, I would have cringed at a block like this.  Not because it is difficult, but because I didn't have that many "quilt shop quality" scraps to complete blocks like this.  I would have had to cut into yardage for one silly 3.5 inch square (times 15 colored fabrics for each block - yikes!).  But, I am happy to report that I have now made enough quilts, in enough colors, that I have a decent scrap pile.  These blocks don't make me cringe anymore!

Last chance to enter my 500 follower giveaway if you haven't already done so!  You can enter by leaving a comment on this post.  I'm drawing a winner on March 20th!  Good luck!

What blocks have you working on this week?  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.

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

An InLinkz Link-up

Mixing it up with more Geese - Building Blocks Tuesday

I've been on a Flying Geese tear lately.  I made these Remixed Geese for Green in the We Bee With It Bee.

The Remixed Geese pattern is free on Robert Kaufman's site.  It is a fun pattern and these geese whip up pretty quickly.  Kathinca in my Lazy Bum group is making one with wild high-contrast colors.  I'll show the blocks I made for her next week.  I can't wait to see how it comes out.

What blocks have you working on this week?  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.

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

An InLinkz Link-up

Churn dash - Building Blocks Tuesday

A tad late, but here is Building Blocks Tuesday with a few yellow churn dash blocks that I made this week for Janeth in the We Bee With It bee on Flickr.  I must admit that I am not churning out much of anything quilty lately.  Just distracted by other things.  It might take me a couple of weeks to get back on track.

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.

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

An InLinkz Link-up

Greek Cross quilt blocks - Building Blocks Tuesday

I'm back in a bee, oh yeah!  And I had just enough time between vacations to get these Greek Cross blocks done for Kate in the We Bee With It Bee.

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.

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

An InLinkz Link-up