Blocks of the Week Update!

I'm still working on my 2 blocks of the week projects:  Friends & Companions (Marcus Brothers) and Women of the Bible (Hoppin' Bobbin).

Friends & Companions - Block #4

This week, Pati Violick, Marketing Director for Marcus Fabrics, shared her block for the Friends & Companions sew-along.

Friends & Companions - Blocks 1-4

I'm still working completely out of my scrap basket.  So far, I haven't even had to cut into so much as a fat quarter.  It's no wonder, really, with all the little pieces going into these 8 1/2" blocks!

Women of the Bible - Block #3:  Sarah

 This week's Women of the Bible pattern was a 10" Patience Corner block for Sarah.  I guess if you wait until 90 years old to have your first child, this would certainly be an appropriate block!

Women of the Bible:  Blocks 1-3

Only 47 more weeks to go on this one!  Yep, we're just getting started!  

Oh, and did you see that Terry over at Terry's Treasures is starting a new Sew Along for the Moda Bake Shop Charming Stars quilt?  This quilt uses 3 charm packs and a few complimentary fabrics...fun!  Click on the icon on my sidebar for more information!!!

Linking up to BOMs Away!

Women of the Bible - Block #2

Women of the Bible - Block 2 "Rachael (& Leah)"

This BOW is offered by Hoppin' Bobbin, FREE on Facebook!  All ya gotta do to sign up is go over and "like" their Facebook page!  Each block pattern will be available for only 2 weeks (after that you have to purchase the pattern set to get the instructions)...only one more week left to get the instructions for block #1!

Women of the Bible - Blocks 1&2

Linking up to Design Wall Monday, BOMs Away, and WIP Wednesday today!

Friends & Companions - Blocks 1-3

Anyone else still working on the Marcus Brothers "Friends & Companions" Sew-Along? 

"Sarah's Block" Friends & Companions - Block #3

"Sarah's Block" is the third block pattern released by Sarah Maxwell at Homestead Hearth.  It was another great block to work on, and took much less time to cut out than the previous blocks (because it was all HSTs)!  Sarah's directions were simple, had great photos, and provided a really fun layout for such simply constructed units!

Friends & Companions - Blocks #1-3

So, here is my first row of blocks, all together, from weeks 1-3.  I can't wait to see what the remaining 6 weeks have in store (week 10 will be finishing instructions and the big reveal)!  I'm assuming they will be set in a 3x3 design, but maybe not, and...  Straight rows or on-point?  Sashings?  Borders?  What do you think?

Linking up to Design Wall Monday & BOMs Away today!

August UFO Complete...Frontier Foundations

"Frontier Foundations"

"Frontier Foundations," began with the backing that Debbie and I purchased on our last fabric shopping trip together.  I think we just both really loved that "toile" look and it worked out great for a jumping off point in color selection for the quilt top.  Then it was off to the scrap basket for as many fabrics as I could find to complement the backing colors.

Suki, our 6 year old hound mix, posing in front of the house with "Frontier Foundations."  Since I completed this one before the middle of the month, I think I'm going to try and get a headstart on another of my more daunting UFO projects.  That way, I'll be more likely to get some of them finished in a month!

Frontier Foundations  

Prairie Women's Sewing Circle - Journey 3, Gathering 5

40x51"

Pattern Designer:  Pam Buda, Heartspun Quilts

Quilting Design:  Freehand Meander  

Linking up to A Lovely Year of Finishes, 12 Finishes in 2014, Sew Darn Crafty, and Can I Get A Whoop, Whoop?  Go check 'em out!

Another New Block of the Week!

Hoppin' Bobbin is offering another FREE block of the week on Facebook!  All ya gotta do to sign up is go over and "like" their Facebook page!  

This BOW, called Women of the Bible, will run for 41 weeks!  The introduction and first pattern were just posted on Monday, so you need to head over there right away if you're interested!  Each block pattern will be available for only 2 weeks (after that you have to purchase the pattern set to get the instructions).  

Here's my first block:

Women of the Bible - Block 1 "Eve"

If you do decide to participate, I made a linky on my sidebar for any bloggers who are interested!

The Never-ending Afghan

After 20 years, I finally have my afghan!

Actually, to be completely honest, I guess it's more like...After 17 or 18 years, I finally have my afghan!

A few years after my husband and I were married, I found a really cool pattern for a scripture afghan and asked my mom to make it for me.  I bought all of the yarn in the colors of the quilt we had on our bed and she was set and ready to go.  Or was she?  It turns out that the pattern was not that easy...block patterns are only repeated twice in the afghan which means once she learned the block pattern, she would make one more in a different color and then have to learn a completely new pattern to move on.  Yikes (sounds like a pain...full disclosure...I know nothing about crocheting)!

Last month, my mom came to visit and with her, she brought the afghan (or what was completed of the afghan and a bunch of yarn).  Mom joined a stitching group this year and made my afghan top priority!  When she arrived at my house, she only had 5 or 6 more blocks to complete (and of course all the putting it together and edging - what we quilters would call the sashing and bindings?!?!?).  

Now she'll tell you that I made her work and work...I was quite the tyrant...I wanted that afghan done and not back on the plane with her...back to her house where it may get stuck in a closet for the next 10 years or I may never see it again.....lol....

Well, yes, I highly encouraged her to work on it.  I also repaid the favor...while she was finishing up the last sections, I quilted her daisy quilt for her and added the binding and label.  Maybe not quite as much work, but it saved her a few months of hand quilting :)

Thanks, Mom!  We LOVE our afghan!!!

New Sew-along!

Have you heard about the new Marcus Brothers "Friends & Companions" Sew-Along?  This complimentary sew-along is set up in a "block of the week" fashion presented over 10 weeks by various designers on their blogs.  It just began on August 1st...and already it's so much fun!  Grab the linky on my sidebar if you'd like to join in (the sooner the better - block #3 gets released on Friday)!

"Union Forever" Friends & Companions - Block #1

"Union Forever" was the first block pattern released by Pam Buda at Heartspun Quilts.  It was a great block to work on, though it took a good amount of time to cut out all of the pieces!  Pam's directions were very easy to follow and were supplemented to lots of photos!

"Paula Barnes' Block" Friends & Companions - Block #2

Paula Barnes' Block was our block #2.  You may recognize her name as the co-creator of Red Crinoline Quilts.  Paula's directions were also great and supplemented by tons of photos.  She even provided a .pdf version to save for later if you don't have the time to work on your block right away!

Marcus Brothers "Friends & Companions" Sew-Along - Blocks #1& #2

So, here are my first two blocks together from weeks 1 & 2.  I can't wait to see what the remaining 7 weeks have in store (week 10 will be finishing instructions and the big reveal)!  Can you believe these detailed blocks will finish at a mere 8" in the quilt???  So fun!

Linking up to BOMs Away today!

A Light In The Window

Another Prairie Women's Sewing Circle finish for the record book...

What's not to love about a churndash quilt?  I just adore them!!!  Although, I've got to say that this pattern had cutting directions that were quite tedious!  You know that advice about "read all directions before beginning"?  Well, lesson learned...I should have read ahead so that I realized much earlier that there was a much easier way to cut these pieces!!!  Usually with these PW projects, I just play along, but for some reason, this one took me forever to cut out and it could have been so simple!

I choose blues and greens for this project because I plan to hang it in my kitchen (which is very neutral, but the quilt will coordinate with my polish pottery dishes).  I guess I didn't realize how bad the photo above shows the colors, yikes, but it does show the pattern layout!

And of course...I had to make an extra little churndash for the label!  Have I said I love churndash blocks?!?!?

A Light in the Window  

Prairie Women's Sewing Circle - Journey 3, Gathering 5

55x46"

Pattern Designer:  Pam Buda, Heartspun Quilts

Panto Quilting Design:  Paisley Playtime by Hermoine Agee

Linking up to Sew Darn Crafty, and Can I Get A Whoop, Whoop?  Go check 'em out!

August UFO Goal(s)

YAY!  My basement studio is now complete and I'll be sharing some before/after photos soon.  That said, I've got lots of work to do this month.  First, I need to get started on something for my sister (a quilt? a wallhanging? a table runner?  not sure yet) since she will be getting married next month and her birthday and bridal shower are both this month!

Until I figure out what that project will be, I thought I'd set myself an easily attainable goal for this month by pulling out "Frontier Foundations."  And, yes, this is another Prairie Women's (Journey 3) project by designer Pam Buda of Heartspun Quilts!

Again, this project stretches the idea of UFO a little bit, as I actually began cutting it out last month, but Debbie and I shopped for that cool "toile-ish" fabric (for the backing) several months ago in anticipation of this little quilt getting done.  Either way, it does need to get finished!

I sat down last night to see what all I had "kitted up" to go with that backing fabric and just couldn't wait to start putting things together.  These are the first several blocks...and they are too cute!  I think I'll still have to do a little shopping to get a border fabric that I like, but overall, I'm excited about the way this one is coming together!

Linking up to A Lovely Year of Finishes.

Mom's Quilt

I always tend to have an excuse for not blogging as much as I would like to.  For some reason, I don't always like the process, but I do LOVE to have a record of these projects and a way to share them with family/friends/fellow bloggers.

Anyway, for the last few weeks my mom was visiting.  We did lots of things together like geocaching, sightseeing, shopping, quilting/crocheting, and lots and lots of chatting.  I told her that if she brought one of her finished quilts with her that I'd quilt it for her while she was here (but that depended on getting my new sewing studio finished and the longarm back up and running).  I did finallyget to it...just days before she was ready to fly back home, phew!

Isn't this the cutest quilt?  I did one similar to it a few years ago, blogged about it, and later named it "Anne's Flower Garden".  She really liked that quilt, in fact she threatened to pack it in her suitcase, but in the end just asked for the pattern!

I ended up quilting it for her with a panto called "Linda's Daisy" by Denise Schellinger.  Since she had another project that I was making her work on (more on that soon), I bound her quilt using some of the leftover backing fabric.  I also taught her a bit of basic applique by showing her how to add the label by using a dryer sheet and turning it under.  I thought it came out pretty cute overall.