Two More For FBP...

These two blocks are the latest for the "Friday Block Party"... the first is called Something-or-Other "Moths". While it is a very nice block the way it was designed, I didn't put the two little tan corners in the large corner squares. Those corner squares would make a secondary pattern that joins the moths if one were doing a quilt, but I found it too distracting on the single block. I did like making the Moth block, it went together very quickly, and finished at 9". Yeah, I could have made it into a 12" one, but obviously didn't.









This one is also an FBP block, but it was designed as a 12" one, so it will go into the r/w/b quilt... when I get a sufficient number in the collection. The only white in this block is the tiny white dots in the blue star print. That is OK, though. I wanted a non-traditional look. I'm not really sure what the quilt will turn into, yet, anyway. Just keepin' my options open.

Two months gone, and I'm still caught up!

The "Path" Less Travelled

This is the second of the Drunkard's Path Variations for our BoM. I like it a whole lot better than the red one from January. This month my fabric choices are better... the busy background needs to have "quieter" color choices. Do you think I can remember that? Doubtful. I'm getting better at the curved seam part, but need to pay more attention to the match-up of the pieced blocks. I may have to take that one awfyl seam out and re-do it. We'll see how much it bothers me later, right now it just jumps out!

Curved Pieces?

While driving up to the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show last Summer and chatting about what we'd like to learn to do, Kerstin and I decided to do an online BoM this year to try and improve our curved seam piecing skills. We thought we'd open it up to our friends as well - since it is always fun to see what other quilters make! In my case, those cuved piecing skills were non-existant. I had never done even one curved seam (at least on purpose... some of my straight seams do tend to curve a bit - but that isn't the same). Drunkard's Path seemed to be a logical choice.

Since my goal this year is to refrain from purchasing ANYTHING, I decided to do our project using my Batik and hand-dyed fabrics. I had a lot of the minty-green and coffee brown fabric, so I chose that as the background. I'll use a different batik for the alternate color in each of the Drunkard's Path blocks; no two will be the same fabric because I don't have very large pieces. I may have guessed wrong on the suitablilty of so many different batiks... January's color choices make for a VERY busy block. I'm not sure I like the January block at all, but I've made some pretty ugly blocks before, and once they were sashed and combined/hidden in a quilt, they semed to loose their "WTF???" factor and blend in OK. One can only hope.

The blue-green fabric in the upper right of the photo is my choice for February. That may be a better call, less visually confusing.

What's Goin' On Here?

I'm working on an online BOM with some of my friends this year. We decided we'd do a variety of Drunkards Path blocks...Kerstin is choosing the patterns. We are trying to develop some curved-seam piecing skills. I've never done curved seams before and neither has Vicki, but she finished her January block quite a while ago, and had some good advice: use a small rotary cutter to cut the template blocks. Good advice, which I followed! So far these are not as hard as I had thought it would be... but not easy, either. We'll see how the whole block turns out tomorrow.




The DP Block looks pretty funny when it is pinned. Kind of sqwunchy. The instructions said to use three pins, I used five and eased the pieces together. I hope to get better as the year progresses.










This last photo is the Friday Block Party selection for this week... Week Seven. It is not a 12", so it isn't Red, White, and Blue. I had several ten inch blocks from last year that were made in bright whimsical Kids' Print fabrics. By Summer I should have a bright colored quilt for a child. That would be pretty cool!

So, What Is It That I HAVE Been Doing?

Well...
So far, I finished Marjory's quilt (well, that was actually last year. I sent it to Scotland before Thanksgiving - but it was missing for over a month, and I thought it was lost for sure.) I have to admit I wasn't looking forward to making a do-over. It was a pretty special quilt for a really special friend. The quilt eventually showed up in Edinburgh, and all ended well. Marjory did like the quilt, had even friends in so she could show it off. That makes me really proud.

Now the big project is Alex's Graduation quilt... I LOVE the fabric I got from "Sew Batik"! They are so beautiful and have a wonderful feel. I'm doing a quen sized quilt for her, and she really likes bright tie-dye... so that's what she's getting.

I've joined the Friday Block Party again this year... Hetty G. is our leader, and we have lots of new members. Fun!

This is the sixth week block... Marsha Hohn's "Sickle Variations". It is a tiny block, only 8" square. I have two tiny blocks from last year, and one more in the "first five" for this year - that's the next picture - and all are in the same color family, sort of pink and green and blue. I think they'll make a nice "Little Girl" quilt - but I have nobody in mind as the giftee. Maybe later I'll decide on somebody to give it too.


As I said, the next photo is of the first five FBP blocks: I have a lot of trouble posting words and pictures together, so I took one shot of all five together. I like them. I already decided the 12" blocks will be combinations of red, blues, and white or cream...at least until I have enough to make a quilt. That way I won't have a gazillion blocks with no home, and no completed quilts to show for my efforts.

This year I'm officially "Not Buying That", and completing at least some of my UFOs. I have parts of three or four quilts that need to be finished, only one or two blocks each will finish them... then they can probably become donation quilts.