Chain of Fools - Chain piecing for WIP Wednesday

Where or where does my week go?  It is Wednesday again, and I've been busy with all sorts of stuff, including some quilting.

Monday, I started working on this little block.

You may remember that while I am working on what I want when I want, there was one exception.  I really needed to get my last 3 Star of Africa blocks done.  As it happened my Lazy Bum group for UFO's decided that February's project theme would be making something for someone else.  Perfect!  Not only will I get them done, but I will participate in this month's theme too.

While cute on their own, these houses are destined to be set in San Francisco.   What?  You couldn't guess by the rain?  Yep, in San Francisco it even rains inside the houses!  No, not really.  I meant for it to look like the reflection in the windows.  I also thought about trying to paper piece the skyline or a bridge in the background, but the size of the block was limiting.  I decided to just embroider the bridge in the background.  If all goes well, it will be postcard-like.  Stay tuned to see how it turns out.

I've also been doing a LOT of chain piecing.  And yes, I hum "Chain, chain, chaaaaainnnnnnn" when I do it.  I hope I am not just a link in the chain of fools.

Those pieces eventually turned into these.  Quite a lot of work for what you get, but I guess we will all have to wait and see if it is worth it.  (Perhaps I am a fool.)

Don't forget to link up any blocks you've been working on to yesterday's Building Blocks Tuesday post.

As always, thanks for reading,

Jen

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Forget about Maine and Nevada - Building Blocks Tuesday

I am home!  I actually got back late Thursday night, but my travel home was not without its hiccups.    My flight was outright cancelled.  Serves me right for thinking Atlanta was a safer bet than going through any northern hub.  Even after re-booking an alternate route, my last leg of travel was delayed for hours.  I really do have the worst luck.  I'm just saying that the next time I mention that I am traveling somewhere, and you happen to be traveling somewhere too, you might want to shoot me an email to make sure you are not on any of my flights!

My trip to visit Gram was great, and I believe she is finally home in her own place as I am writing this.  She really worked hard in rehab to be able to go home and I am proud of her.

While I was sitting with her and chatting, I worked on the hand projects I packed.  I basted some more hexagons.....

That picture doesn't really look like much, but when I try to stack them in my hand, it looks like more.

I haven't bothered to count them because I know I am not even half way done!

I also started reverse appliqueing these little stars.......

I need 50 of them, and at last count have 30.  So, yeah for me, over half way!

These projects are a little monotonous.  I tried to trick my brain into being excited for each star completed by naming each one after a state.  I attempted to go in alphabetical order off the top of my head, but once I got to all the "M" and "N" states, things got a little messed up.  I kept forgetting Maine and Nevada in my count.  I'm not sure how I could forget Maine lobster and Las Vegas, but my brain wasn't really at top performance levels.  I will blame it on the cold since my kids weren't there (I usually blame them for "Mommy Brain").

Do you ever play silly mind tricks like that to get through a lengthy project?

So, what blocks have you been 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

Inspirational Sunday (19) - via the 2013 International Quilt Festival in Long Beach

While visiting Connecticut last week, I kept thinking about how my kids would look at the landscape and think that all the trees were dead.  To me, when I look at them I think of the trees as just taking a nap, storing up all that energy and ready to explode with spring the minute the time is right.  They are spring mines, ready to go off at any time (well, anytime in March in April); they are full of potential.  Today I thought I would share some of the quilts that were in the Spring exhibit.  After hearing how many of you are sick of the snow, I hope to remind you that spring will be here before you know it.

The first quilt is called "Brazen Blossoms" by Diane Melms of Anchorage, Alaska.  She pieced, fused appliqued, machine stitched, and hand dyed this original design.

She says, "Alaskan gardeners are passionate about color an our long summer days produce brilliant colored blossoms that are a contrast to our long white winter landscape.  This piece celebrates those Artic gardens with a playful arrangement of dancing fabric flowers that we can enjoy all winter long."

I'm sure those of you covered in snow can appreciate her sentiments.  It is bright and cheerful, isn't it?

This next one has similar colors, and is fun and vibrant.

It is called, "Flower Festival and All Things Living" by Stephanie Adams and Sheryl Schleicher of Kansas City, Kansas.  It is appliqued and straight line sewn.  The design inspiration is from Kim Schaefer's book, Flower Festival.

"My inspiration for this quilt was the eccentricity of the different flowers and living creatures within the quilt.  Because of its whimsy, I chose bright cheerful colors and stitching that represented who I am as a person as well as the quilt itself."

Can you see the quilting in the sashing?  It really gives a lot of texture, and I like how she quilted the background heavily, making the appliques really POP!  My girls really liked this quilt.  It is fun and whimsical.  Ready to make one for yourself?

I will have more spring inspired quilts next week.

Thanks for reading today,


Jen