For Andrea from Nikki

I've been busy, my friend...  When you said pluses and minuses, I was hopeful that you weren't opposed to division signs so that I could play around with hexagons...  I love it!  12 1/2 inches trimmed and stay-stitched.  Ready to go!  Enjoy!

Hannah's Block for Nikki

A little slow to post, but here's the block I made for Nikki in June.  Hope you like it, and I can't wait to see what the finished quilt ends up looking like!

For Andrea From Nikki

For Andrea, originally uploaded by nkiblueeyes.

For Andrea From Nikki

For Andrea, originally uploaded by nkiblueeyes.

Itching to Sew

Last night, we had our KCMQG meeting and I am SO excited to see the blocks that I've gotten back!  You guys are SO amazing.  I feel like it's Christmas!  After guild, a few of us Southlanders went to a bar and had a drink or two.  By the time I got home (11:38), I was yawning a lot.  My 3 year old waited up for me (surprise, surprise) and so I decided running up to my sewing room would probably be a bad call...  Went to sleep around midnight.

Today I ran to Bon Bon and dropped off two quilts for the upcoming KCMQG show and because I slept in until 8:30 and goofed off a bunch before I got around to cooking breakfast/feeding kids (ok... I should be honest here... I gave them chopped up chicken strips for breakfast, which I bought from Target yesterday... and grapes... and cheese... and toast... and I suppose I should also confess that I myself ate 4 freshly made chocolate chip cookies for my own breakfast- I keep dough in the fridge for just such an occasion)... but I digress...

So I goofed off most of the morning and then the kiddos and I dashed to Westport (a good 25 minute drive) and my 2 year old fell asleep in the car (because he TRIED to wait up for Mommy last night)...  Stuck my head in the door of Bon Bon, left the quilts and dashed back home in time for a quick lunch (lunchmeat, toast, bananas, oranges, more cheese... etc.) and then I tucked everyone in put them in their bedrooms so that they I could nap...

And for about 1 1/2 hours I listened on the baby monitors to various toys making noises, giggles, monologues from all of our favorite cartoons, jumping on the bed, crashes, etc... and I catnapped.

I should've quilted instead.  Those divine blocks are calling my name...

*sigh*

Tonight the hubs (bless his soul) took us out to BRAVO, which is one of our favorite haunts and then we went to the bookstore to play choo choos....

This was just to butter me up so that he could skip the kids' baths and bedtime to go out drinking with Parthena's Hubs, Andy.  Hmm...

And then once I got the boys in bed (10:07 pm) and asleep (10:27 pm), I realized that I had an episode of Friday Night Lights on Tivo...

And now it's almost midnight and I've not even sewn a STITCH today!  WTH!?!

Must. Do. Better. Tomorrow!

Alas, I have a 3 year old's birthday party in the morning at 10 am (that's early!  We often sleep til 9:30!  That's one of the benefits of staying up late!)... so we shall see if I can carve out some THERAPY time for myself later in the day.

Enough rambling for one night.

Thanks again for my DIVINE blocks!!!!!!!  So frickin excited.  Will post pictures soon...
N

Bonus Quilt - Block #2

Second block for my bonus quilt is done.  I'm pretty pleased with it.  I am LOVING the circles now that I have realized they aren't terribly difficult!

Jessica's Block for Nikki

Here it is (finally).  This is the block I made for Nikki for this month's bee.  I started by using this pattern I found online.  I then used this tutorial to create the circle frame.  Don't be afraid, it's way easier than it looks!

Meet Angela

1. Do you have a quilting "style"?
Not really, I like to make all sorts of random stuff, just whatever catches my eye at the time.

2. Do you tend to use certain colors more than others? Or prints more than solids?

I am a sucker for brown, all shades, isn't that kind of boring?

3. Are there any colors you strictly avoid?

I am not a huge fan of purple, but after seeing some purple and gray quilts on the web, I may have to rethink that.

4. Have there been any blocks that you've made in the past that you particularly enjoyed making? Any that you hated and never want to do again?

I made an 8 pointed lemoine star for my second quilt, swore I would never do that again and I haven't! I made some asterisk blocks for bee and loved them. I think that may be my next project.

5. Is there something in your life that you collect or are fond of? (Are you a KSU fan who loves purple??? Do you have lots of cats??? Do you collect owls or antique china or stamps??? Are you addicted to sushi???

I love to take pictures and edit them on photoshop. I joke that if I liked quilting any less, I would be a photographer. I am also a coffee-aholic.

6. Are you into art quilts? or do you mostly make quilts with the intention of them being used regularly?

I have made a couple of small art quilts, but I tend to make utility quilts more than anything.

7. Do you usually do small projects, such as wall hangings or baby blankets or do you usually make quilts?

My first quilt was a king size quilt, but the rest have been twin size and smaller. I don't have the attention span to actually finish a big quilt.

8. If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?

I think I would love to live in the mountains, maybe colorado.

9. What's your favorite place that you've traveled to before?

Probably Hawaii, we skipped all the "touristy" stuff and spent all our time exploring the island.

10. If we looked in your closet, what are the two colors we'd see the most? I just went and checked. What a hodgepodge.

Black and gray, to my husband's dismay. I am so boring.

11. In your fabric collection, what groupings of fabric do you have (30's? Batiks? Modern stuff? Certain designers? Solids? Asian fabric???, Etc.)

I actually don't have much of a fabric collection...I seem to collect thread. But I have a bunch of Tula Pink and urban angel fabric that I love.

12. Which is more important to you? The look of the fabric or the feel of the fabric?

I would say the look, but quality is nice too.
t?

Definitely the look, although a high quality fabric is nice too.

13. Are there any charities in your life that you're passionate about?

14. Besides quilting, are you crafty in other ways? If so, tell us more...

I love to make stuff, and will try to make anything. Sometimes with disastrous results. I have been making some clothes for the first time and have really enjoyed it.

15. Do you have in mind what you'd like your quilting project to be? Any ideas on blocks or color schemes? Will you be making your quilt for someone else? or for yourself?

I am going to have square within a square blocks, kinda like Jacquie's modern blocks. I can't wait for my month!

Field Trip???

Hey, friends.  I am thinking we need an excuse to get together and do some shopping and socializing!  I know everyone's busy during the summer, so we'd probably just need to pick a date and see who can show up.

Between now and Thursday's guild meeting, let's look at our calendars and see if we can carve out some free time to escape for a bit and perhaps hit a couple of quilt shops and some lunch or supper or drinks or something.  Sound good?

Following Carla's Advice...

Carla suggested a gray fabric in between these blocks might make the color pop. This picture isn't a very good one. The gray is nice with them, but I'm thinking I might get Paula to teach me how to make those circles... Then I could put a circle of my green/blue gingham fabric in the center of each gray square to jazz it up a bit. Could use different sized circles even. Must think on this. Opinions?

Carla's Survey

Me and my best friend and husband, in May, when he received his MBA diploma from Rockhurst...the oldest guy in the class!!

 

1.  Do you have a quilting "style"?  Hmmmm.....I always love quilts with loads of different fabrics, the more the merrier.  I am lately adding white to my quilts. Is that a style?

 2.  Do you tend to use certain colors more than others?  Or prints more than solids?  I adore color....usually don't do browns and "duller" colors...except I love grey. I'm currently working on an all solids quilt, but that's something "new" for me.

3.  Are there any colors you strictly avoid? Fushia is one color I have never been able to "like". But then, I didn't used to even consider grey a color!

4.  Have there been any blocks that you've made in the past that you particularly enjoyed making?  Any that you hated and never want to do again? I made some asterick blocks for a bee I am in and have decided to make a whole quilt....so fun! I once made a miniature quilt in a class.......never again....those tiny pieces make me break out in hives! That's not really a block, but the whole quilt was smaller than most blocks that I make! 

5.  Is there something in your life that you collect or are fond of? (Are you a KSU fan who loves purple??? Do you have lots of cats???  Do you collect owls or antique china or stamps???  Are you addicted to sushi???  Help us get to know some details about you and your taste...) Well, fabric is one of my collectibles...probably yours as well.  I do have a collection of blue and white dishes...all different.  We eat off of them every day......especially ice cream (I think that's an addiction?) 

6.  Are you into art quilts? or do you mostly make quilts with the intention of them being used regularly? Embellishments on quilts are not my thing, so I guess that's a "no" to art quilts.  The quilts I make are made to be cuddled, as a rule.

7.  Do you usually do small projects, such as wall hangings or baby blankets or do you usually make quilts? 

I have made all sizes of quilts....lately it has been lap size because I have been making so many donation quilts for an orphanage in Rwanda. I've been making quilts for over 30 years.

8.  If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why? I only want to live near my children and grandchildren, where ever that is. I do wish that KC had less winter, though!!

9.  What's your favorite place that you've traveled to before? I visited Germany about 8 years ago and loved it.  I also loved Hawaii (who doesn't?). 

10.  If we looked in your closet, what are the two colors we'd see the most? I just went and checked.  What a hodgepodge. Maybe turquoise and brown.  It's really a mix!

11.  In your fabric collection, what groupings of fabric do you have (30's?  Batiks?  Modern stuff?  Certain designers?  Solids?  Asian fabric???, Etc.) No Asians (except for some 5 inch squares I traded...for some unknown reason) and no batiks (well, a few)...those two categories are my least favorites.  I have lots of 30's. Quite a few solids lately. Love modern fabrics.  Have lots of old fabrics that I no longer enjoy as much..Let's face it.  I have lots of fabric...but not as much a some, I think.

12.  Which is more important to you?  The look of the fabric or the feel of it? LOOK but I do love a "smooth" texture.

13.  Are there any charities in your life that you're passionate about? You probably all know that I make quilts for  orphans in Rwanda....am sending 12 there this month along with 15 made by other quilters. 

14.  Besides quilting, are you crafty in other ways?  If so, tell us more... I've always made stuff..majored in Home Economics Education in college.  I used to have a clothing business in the 90's called A Merry Heart. It featured appliqued jumpers and shirts (you know the look!) A have also made and sold country wooden stuff at one time.  If you shop with me, you might hear me say "oh, don't buy that, you could make it!"

15.  Do you have in mind what you'd like your quilting project to be?  Any ideas on blocks or color schemes?  Will you be making your quilt for someone else? or for yourself?  I will be wanting to recreate a quilt that I made to send to Rwanda.  I showed it at guild in June. It's an X-block done in scraps with white and charcoal solids as the base......but my month is February..I could change my mind 10 times by then!

Here are some pictures of quilts I've made or are currently working on:

                               I'm working on a hexagon quilt in Hope Valley fabrics by Denyse Schmidt.

Here's a parade of quilts that will be going to New Hope Homes in Rwanda.  Isn't this a fun picture?

A right way to thread a needle?

I had no idea there was a right way and a wrong way until somebody shared this secret at a guild meeting a while back.  The way you thread your needle really makes a difference.  Want to know the secret? 

Pull the thread out and cut it off at the length you want it.  Using the FRESHLY CUT END, thread the needle.  No more fraying! 

It has to do with the way the thread is wound.  When you use the freshly cut end, it doesn't pull the different strands apart.  Cool, eh?

I guess there is a trick for how you pull the thread off the spool so it doesn't twist again, but I haven't figured that one out yet. 

Andrea's Block!

Hello kids!

Here is the fabric I plan to use for my block this month. I will be at the meeting next week (leave for vaca the next day - so pumped for the meeting and a trip to Boston!) but would be happy to mail you fabric if you need me to.

The type of block I'd like is plusses and minuses. Here are a few links - you might page down or do a word seach, but there is plenty of info here.

http://aquiltisnice.blogspot.com/2010/03/positively-quilt.html

http://digsandbean.blogspot.com/

http://commonthreadsquiltbee.blogspot.com/

So what I'm looking for is a block about 12.5 inches or combo of blocks that could be that size at some point - I don't even care if you make them like 9.5 square - I can add borders later. I don't care what fabric or color combo you use. I really love this group so I'd like to see what you come up with!

Thanks in advance for your work - can't wait to see what I get to make for you!

Andrea