Toni's extra block

Toni's extra block, originally uploaded by nkiblueeyes.

If I didn't dislike Sarah Palin so much, I'd call this a maverick block.

I didn't plan. Just sewed and chopped and sewed some more. I am not in love with it, but it'll probably add interest to your quilt, Toni. It's 15 inches unfinished and all batiks. Enjoy!

Butterflies for Toni

Mrs. Schmenkman Quilts is one of my favorite blogs.  Amy has become one of my invisible friends and I love her color choices and ideas.  Not long ago she featured a butterfly quilt she is creating and I immediately thought of it when I learned that Toni was going to do a butterfly theme for August. I used her tutorial to make these blocks.  I had to piece Toni's fabrics in order to make them big enough for the pattern, but then butterflies are multicolored, so I thought it worked okay. The individual butterflies are 6.5 inches.  I did not sew them all together just in case Toni wants to use them separately.  (I did not do anything with the beautiful thread either....I'm not very good at that type of thing!) This was a fun block to make and I may be making some more of these for another virtual bee I am in!

Happy quilting,

Carla

All atwitter

Hello bee ladies! Just a note that I am still so excited about the blocks you made me - I could not sleep! Woke up at 2 and have been a good girl prepping for school while lustily staring at this huge stack of blocks. I cannot thank you all enough for sharing the love - and can't wait to do my part to do the same for each of you as time goes on.

BTW, I had not checked the blog before our meeting - been working a lot - which was kind of cool because I got all my fun surprises all at once! :)

July Blocks for Andrea

Here are the blocks I made for Andrea this month.  I had a lot of fun making them and can't wait to deliver them tonight!

I'm toni

~ a mom of 4 great kiddos, mum-in-law, Gram to Ted - who will be ONE in October! We Raised our kids in Arizona (16 years)  returning to Kansas a few years ago to be closer to family - including my Mom, who we just relocated from Arkansas. My daughter will attend Kstate this Fall ... SO, i will finally get to convert "her" room into MY STUDIO! ... that leaves the youngest, who's starting High School,  in charge of the furry family! 
  ~ I started quilting in 92/93 to "stay sane" when my husband took a year off to work on his degree, during a COLD Kansas Winter.  I thought i'd START with a "wedding ring" quilt... after my quilt instructor stopped laughing hysterically, she signed me up for a double-Irish chain and helped be pick out my first fabrics ... that's when my 'disorder' began! 

I have been suffering from Quilt Pox ever since.   

MY quilting "style"? ~ i really don't know why this question humors me so much.  Maybe because i've been so busy with LIFE, that i don't really know.  I'm a master at STARTING projects ... I find myself to be more of a "process" quilter, rather than a "product" quilter. i enjoy exploring different styles, although i don't prefer CURVES!   I've enjoyed breaking out of my comfort zone and doing more of the Improv style ... 

... (a peak at Andrea's blocks) ...

Colors? Prints? Solids?
I confess i have a sinful amount of fabric, in a wide variety.  MY children tease me that if a bolt of fabric fell off the shelf and got "bruised" that's the one' I would choose.  
~ I tend to collect deep Purples to "Eggplant"; Teals/deep green; Burgundy.  I realized lately that I have very few solids, and have begun to make a special effort to remedy that!  I also like, "raspberry" and butter yellow.... and there is a beautiful blue i cant seem to name, just slightly darker than periwinkle.  

I enjoy hand dying fabric... 

 Colors I strictly AVOID?
Pink! (Pastels used in MODERATION) ~ NO PINK ALLOWED!
Two? colors most found in my closet:
DEMIM, dark blues, purples, Burgundy... gray; some black, oh, and did i mention: PURPLE! 
My fabric collection? YES ...  
(30's? Batiks? Modern stuff? Certain designers? Solids???)
I fancy hand dyed and Batik's !!!   I have nearly everything! ... Denim ... Baskets of cottons: Reproductions, conversation prints for "eye spy" quilts etc.; Moda's/floral's; Hoffman/brights, my collection accumulated mostly from the 90's, then i've been given some "vintage" fabrics. I need to purge my older fabrics ... I've snuck in some more modern prints lately - despite my Stashbusting efforts!  

THE QUALITY OF THE FABRIC IS MOST IMPORTANT:  1st - the look, but if it doesn't FEEL like quality fabric i don't add it to my collection! Time is precious, and if i'm going to spend my time putting it into a project, i want it to LAST!  
Blocks that I've enjoyed making in the past: 
Blocks that i enjoy most? ... pretty ones?! =0) 

... i confess, i "admire the fabric" when i sew!!! 

A Block i prefer NEVER to do again: 
Not so much ~ " paper piecing, i've finished that phase of my life. BUT mostly, i'd be perfectly content to NEVER EVER again do an elaborate geometrical "dove in the window"  ~  I enjoyed the DAY several of us got together to learn THAT block - and have yet to finish it ... and i doubt i will...

What do i collect?  ~ am fond of?
Besides being fond of my children .... what i collect: fabric, fibers, buttons, embellishments, Embroidered Linens, some Books ... I have the first several years magazine publications of  CLOTH, PAPER, SCISSORS;   Studios;  Quilting Arts;  Where Women Create;  Somerset;   ... ALSO paper-crafting & scrapbook supplies, as well. I like Mixed Media, collage, and Altered Books!  ... I only have a few sewing machines! Oh, it appears i have Scissor and basket collection.  ...I like to find innovative ways to "store" my STUFF!  ... it is all INSPIRATION to ME! .

When my daughter moves out, i will convert "her" room to my studio! 
Moving out of the basement FAMILY room. 

Small projects?  Wall hangings? baby blankets? QUILTS?
OMG, i need to make smaller projects. My quilts tend to take on a life of their own and GROW! ... I need to challenge myself to work small and FINISH more! I've made some enormous quilts !

Art quilts? Functional Quilts? ...
Yes. I am appreciating Art Quilts more and more and find them inspiring.  I START quilts with the intention of using them.  Making a Crazy quilt is definitely on my To Do list!

Besides quilting am i crafty in other ways?...
Paper crafting/scrapbooks, altered books, learned to "needle tat"  ... i can knit, but i only make scarves when I'm cold and bored and there are no quilts to bind. I'd like to make time to do ribbon embroidery and WOOL applique. I wish i had more time to do handwork, especially embroidery.

... I've been collecting stuff to do collage art, 
but i've not had the TIME! 

If i could live anywhere... ?... I'd love to have a home with a pool that i could use year round - and a place to escape to when it's too hot.  I could picture traveling... but, i'd have to have handwork!  I'd picture myself on a Tropical Island ... Warmth and water!  I think i'd have a home in Arizona - probably Pinetop, and i'd like to have one in 'the Valley' during the Winter.  

I really think i could be a gypsy ... (ironically i don't travel well?)

Favorite place I've traveled: 
We joke that we don't "travel" we move! ...  amazing Arizona camping memories!  a favorite memory is a vacation my mom and i took to visit my oldest sister, and venture to Mackinac Island!  My list of places i'd like to travel is ever growing!  I'd defiantly visit Nikki in Scotland, and eat Pizza in her Castle ! 

Charities in my life that i've been passionate about:
I've made quilts and volunteered for Project Linus, as well as  Arizona Blankets for Kids when i was a 4H leader, as well as working with students to make quilts for Project Linus.  A few years back my children, friends and I adopted a room in the original "Maggie's Place" in Arizona ... 

 MY QUILTING PROJECT:
~ BUTTERFLY BLOCKS!  

 ~ "Focus Fabric" some of my Hand Dyed! ...
 ~ Background: (a black) ... Batiks are ok =0)  ... block size: any!
I want to make a NO PINK ALLOWED wall hanging for my new STUDIO area ... 
 {fyi ~ my fav's:  I've always wanted to do a "COLOR THEORY QUILT" (confession, i've started one, but ... ) I played around with different ideas - wonky houses?  something in  'story quilt' style?} 
... i decided on Butterfly quilt ... wonky or ?whatever? ... i want to incorporate my Hand Dyed fabrics with a BLACK background!   SO, feel free to use the Wonky Butterfly Tutorial for ideas, or anything goes BUTTERFLY.  (or, dragonfly's )

(HINT: i like the crazy color study 

- if the scraps were used for a crazy block 
i'd be completely ok with that.)

 

~ i'm also enclosing some fibers to use how you want & a MAIN color for the block(s).
   ~  HAVE FUN ~ THANKS! I hope you find the links inspiring.   

... please feel free to email me, 
at scrappystuff@gmail*dot*com

To Andrea, From Jessica

This is my block for Andrea. 



Unfortunately, for some reason the last two months, I haven't been able to squeeze more than one block out of the focus fabric.  Maybe I'm using too much of the focus fabric per block, I don't know. 

I hope you like it, Andrea.  I like the block as a combination of mini blocks together.  I thought if you wanted to mix things up a bit, you could pull the individual parts apart to make multiple pluses and minuses and make it your own.

KCMQG's August Meeting Is SOON!

A friendly reminder:  Our guild meeting is one week from today!  Andrea's blocks will be due and we'll get to find out what Toni has in store for us...  Any hints, Toni???

Can't wait to see what everyone's been up to!

If you can't make this meeting and need to turn in blocks to Andrea, you might shoot her an email.  You'll also need to get in touch with Toni to get squared away with materials and directions for the block that's due in September.  Thanks!

Plus Blocks for Andrea

I had fun choosing fabrics to create Andrea's requested Plus Blocks.  There was
plenty of blue dot left after I made the red scissors block so decided to make another just in case the red one is too obnoxious!  I hope the wonkiness is okay and goes along with the other blocks you get in this exchange!
Happy quilting,
Carla

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!