My Bee Blocks

So I have decided to have everyone one in my 3 bees this year make the same blocks in the same colors so that I will have a large quilt in the end. I am going to be sticking with the Kaleidoscope blocks that are paper pieced. (I hope to have my sample block made later this weekend but wanted to give everyone a chance to get started or ask questions as needed.)

To get the templates you will need to go here -- you will need 8 copies total. once these are printed out they should measure 6.5 inches when including the seam allowance. (my computer was being stubborn so I had to copy the image into MS word to print it because it kept cutting the sides off and wouldn't print the size correctly). 

When 4 units are sewn together they make a 12.5 inch block but for ease of shipping and so that I will be able to mix the blocks together I am asking that the blocks be left as 8 units and that the paper remain on the block. (it would be helpful if you wrote your name or Flicker name on the back as well)

So now that you know what I would like for you to make, let's talk about colors. I LOVE Alison Glass (I've met her and she's delightful) and when I was in Virginia not to long ago I picked up a piece of her Field Day collection and I decided that this was the piece that I wanted to base my color pallet off of for the Kaleidoscope quilt. (I really should have gotten more of this print because it's so lovely)

For the neutrals I would like for people to stick with low volume whites, white on whites, or lighter to medium grey and low volume fabrics that read as grey. (it's ok to use more than one neutral fabric on each block) Now for the prints I went for brights and pulled out things that compliment the AG fabric. (again multiple colors are great) The overall quilt will be called natures Kaleidoscope, so I also used that concept as my inspiration (from my stash I pulled all these fabrics and didn't have to go to the yardage section -- I may have a fabric collecting problem). 

There is of course some Alison Glass in there but also many of my other favorites -- Anna Maria Horner Ture Colors, Joel Dewberry. Grunge, Henna Garden, Dimples, Waterford Park, Kate Spain, ect. 

When selecting fabrics, try to stick with brights and moderns if possible. I'm not opposed to use of batiks when mixed with other fabrics -- please no 30's repro prints, character prints,  or Civil war fabrics. 

Happy Quilting everyone and I can't wait to see the blocks that you all make -- the Wee Bee Learning group is my first hive making for me so I'm super excited to see what everyone comes up with. The overall quilt will be made from block from all 3 bees. 

Anyone that hasn't paper pieced before check out this tutorial -- I'm hoping since the pieces are larger this will help build your confidence in paper piecing (and not make you hate me forever).

Bitch Stitches Swap

Swap deadline number 3 for January was also my first official finish in 2015. It was the Bitches Get Stitches swap -- I decided to go mild on my use of profanity in this item because my partner was open to my making whatever. I pulled together a couple if ideas from her Pinterest and went for a humorous and edgy take on something that my grandmother would have had in her home. So I came up with this quilted wall hanging and sent it off to live with Christina (@sewbrewtiful). 

This is a copy of the E-card that I got the quote in the clouds from.

I packaged it up with some extras and sent her off. 

So did she like it? 

I'd say she does. 

Now, I'm awaiting the arrival of my goodies. 

Disney swap

I sent my package off to West Australia to go live with Louisa @loubeelou76 -- she didn't have any real specific interests but liked some of the older Disney things from her childhood and she likes things more pastel that I am accustom to working with. I found a lovely Snow White Dwarf's fabric and instantly knew that this was the fabric I would base things off of. I wanted to try something different with the piecing so I turned to my accuquilt and this was the result. (I Bound it in Red but those pictures didn't turn out well) 

I found some Disney themed and other US goodies that I thought she would like.

She notified me that the package has been received. 

So when it comes to swaps I can't decide which I like better the making or the receiving. Waiting is so hard for me but this time I had another awesome partner Helga @qallieq and my package was brimming with all things Alice in Wonderland and I love all of it.

Some super awesome packaging 

The front of my awesome mini -- LOVE it!!!

And the back -- SQUEEEEE

All the extras are awesome and surprisingly they were all new to my rather extensive Alice in Wonderland collection -- Great job Helga. 

There are many more swaps coming up this month and in the next couple but I'm also working on some fun stuff for me and in preparation for The Stash Bash -- which is in just around 90 days. 

200th Post

I've been blogging now for just over 2 years and this marks my 200th post. 

As milestones often do, It's got me thinking about why I blog in the first place. I see several other bloggers talking about forgetting to blog now that they are on instagram -- I get it, but i still really like blogging, I like the stories behind the quilts. Also I like blogging because it's a good way for me to keep up with all my ongoing lists of projects and it serves as an excellent source for reflection at the end of the year to see where all I have come and the new things I have tried along the way. It's a better resource for me to keep up with my UFO's and ongoing deadlines, I usually keep a draft post going for this very thing -- I haven't figured out a way to do that with a picture yet. 

I don't have a huge reader base and I'm OK with that, it gives me plenty of time to really reply to those of you that do read and comment and I get to know guys better. So in honor and appreciation of you guys I'm going to do something new -- a give away. It'll be my Happy 2 years, 200 posts and you guys are great all rolled into one. 

So I pulled together some really great things that I love and want to pass along to one of my lovely readers. 

I am going to adding in a few other goodies as well. I'm leaving this open until the 25th at noon and all you have to do to be entered is leave a comment below and tell me one of your favorite notions, tutorials or patterns that you think I should try out or another blogger that you really enjoy reading. If you are a current follower you can let me know that as well -- I'd also like to hear where you are from. 

Happy Quilting Everyone!! I've got lots of new finishes to show you all soon. 

Let's start 2015 with 25 goals

Time to keep things going with my Quarterly goals and this time I will be linking up with Adrianne over at The Windy Side. 

Firstly I will be carrying forward most of the goals that I did not complete during the last half of 2014. 

Complete the Medallion Quilt 
Complete Rush Hour
 Find a Project to use my Cat Nap fabric 

Swoon Quilt using Rock N Romance

Tula Pink's City Sampler


Keep up with the swaps -- Bitches Stitches, Kitten, Ghibli, Spring, Rainbow, Nerds Craft it better, Tula Pink, ect. (YEAH, I know that's a lot of swaps but 3 of them aren't due to be mailed this qtr). #crazy_brilliant 

Keep up with the Bee Blocks 

I have found a few new projects that sparked my interest as well -- I know I probably won't be able to complete them all but I want to put it all out there into the universe and just see what comes to life.

I'm joining in with So Scrappy as a part of her monthly color challenge to use up scraps and this month's color is blue. I have my strings color separated and most are in small (14 x 14) pull out drawers but blue has it's own large container so I was eager to decrease those quite a bit. I hope to put these string blocks into a quilt top probably for charity but depending on how many it might become a father's day gift.

I want to put together one of the many patterns that I have from my friend Lisa Alley -- I will either be starting with Brickyard or Tryon but I really want to make them all. 

I pulled out some great charm packs and want to put together a Disappearing Hourglass -- this is usually done with a layercake but I accidentally bought 2 charm packs of this line so I'm improvising. 

Complete the Scrappy trip along quilt 

Make at least one plushie from this pattern. 

I found this really cute pattern hiding in my stash and just happen to have enough fat qtrs to make it happen -- it looks like it will go together quickly. Everything is based off that fat qtr of Cherie that I found at a shop a few months ago -- I'm resisting the urge to go online and seek out yardage of it. 

I've also joined up with a local shop to make the Moda Modern Building Blocks. I'm still working on getting all my fabrics together -- I seem to have a real absence of orange in my stash. 

A Few other great patterns that I may get started on are Allison Glass' Tessellation, Taffy by Jaybird Quilts, Mod Pop using my Quick Curves Ruler and All Squared Up by my friend May Chappell.

Man, Even I don't have faith that I will be able to complete all or even most of these but it's a really fun list and projects can always be carried forward. Starting some new things is really going to help prepare me for the upcoming Stash Bash in April which is now less than 100 days away!!! 

I'm also going to try and go better about Sewing My Stash rather than just collecting fabric. So far this year I have added in about 10 yards and not completed anything but I am trying to buy with purpose and love the things that I have added so far -- mostly blenders and OOP Tula Pink. 


In other news my next post will be my 200th post on the blog and I't lines up with blogging for 2 years so I'm going to be putting together a giveaway. Be sure to come back early next week and check that out. 

And as usual Happy Quilting Everyone. 

Bee Blocks Thoughts and January blocks in Review

I may have mentioned that I am starting in some quit block bees this year -- I actually signed up for 3 different bees but I'm thinking of having at least 2 of them make the same block to be sure that I have plenty for a large quilt -- maybe a new one for my bed. 

I love the different looks that the Kaleidoscope quilts I have seen online but there are quite a few different options that I am considering -- my first month as Queen Bee in one of the hives is next month so I better get a final plan together soon. 

These are all the same blocks for the whole quilt -- Man, don't you just love how color and arrangement makes a quilt look totally different. 

or I could go with alternating blocks for a more circular look?I do love all the colors in this bottom version so no matter the pattern I go with I'm probably gonna stick with this pallet.

Well while I think about that some more I'd like to share the blocks that I made for the Queens this month -- I got them in the mail the other day so I hope everyone likes them. 

We Bee Learnin -- Danielle wanted reverse rainbow blocks for a quilt she is making her brother in blues and greens. 

Stash Bee -- Alison choose nested Sawtooth stars in colors for a new quilt she is making for her bedroom. 

 We bee With It -- Green wanted scrappy blocks with flying Geese in them and color was open to the maker so I came up with these 2. 

It was great getting those in the mail early in the month, let's hope I can keep up this pace for the rest of the year and with all my other deadlines coming up.  I also mailed out my Disney Mini today, so I will be sharing that one once my partner receives it. I popped off 2 Pay it forwards as well. I've got two more swaps to mail out this month -- one is ready and the other is coming together. 

Hope everyone is easing into 2015 and getting lots of sewing accomplished. I'm still working on  what I want to set as my personal sewing goals for this qtr -- I'll be posting about that later this week. With all this mailing and deadlines going on but I do hope to at least sew myself something this month -- even if it's just my sample blocks for the bees.

Finally the weather and my schedule cooperated for photos

So I did a big link up post last week of 2014 fourth quarter finishes and many of the photos were low quality and came from my Instagram account. The reason being is that I haven't had my trusty quilt assistant to help with photos recently because of our work schedules, getting home after dark and in the south it rains quite frequently in the winter. So times that we have been home at the same time that it was light outside were not ideal for taking pictures because of weather or because we had family in for the holidays. 

First up is a very special baby quilt for a lady at work that found out she was expecting her 3rd child at the age of 37. Now I know that isn't a late in life child but her oldest son is 16 and he will be finishing high school next year. She's going a 1950's diner style theme in her baby room.  I went with a simple split nine patch on this one and really love the outcome -- more importantly mom to be loves it. I got it delivered to her Monday and it's a good thing because she might be having the baby any day now and if not she will be induced on the 13th. 

I even Quilted her last mane into the quilt 

My other finish to finally share is my Bible Studies blocks quilt -- this was a block of the week from 2013 that I struggled with a great deal. The blocks didn't come out like they were supposed to and some of the directions were very poorly written. These were just the blocks that I was able to trim to the most consistent size -- so some of the points are gone but overall I'm OK with the results and I know it's going to look great hanging in my stairwell. (I'm needing a trip to IKEA.) 

Right away someone claimed it as his new bed -- it's a good thing he's cute. I mean really why wouldn't he need 3 quilts to sleep on, that equates to about 12 bed layers.

These were great to get off he to do list and wrap up the year -- only a few more things on the long term list, I'm hoping to move another one or more of those to the finished pile later this month. I know those pending Swap items will be moving off the list. 

Happy Quilting Everyone !!

SWAP INFO Jackpot

OK, It's no secret that I LOVE swaps -- I'm a self proclaimed swap addict. One of the exciting things about swaps is learning about the person that you are making for and getting a really good idea about what to make for them so that they will love it. One of my peeves is getting a partner and it appears that they have little to no information about themselves or better yet they want you to make whatever you like -- this throws my anxiety through the roof. 

I feel that it is important to provide my swap partners with lots of information so that they will have a good grasp of the things that I like and the things that are just not my style. My fellow swappers know that in filling out the forms there are always questions that come up each time regardless of the swap theme. I actually have my answers saved from some previous swaps to help me fill in the form more efficiently but I thought it might be a good idea to expand that idea and post those common answers here and expand on them. 

Yes, Sometimes this is Me. 



One of the biggest things that pulls me into a project is the colors -- I do have strong opinions about colors and combinations but I generally like all colors. I am not hater of brown when it is used well but it's not top of my list. So my ultimate favorite colors are  bright pink, purple, magenta, Mango, Teal and lime, Or pretty much all of these 

I love mini's that are bright and modern and there are tons of Ideas on my Pinterest page -- I usually create custom boards for different swaps if I have time. I love nearly all designs that included fabrics like Kate Spain, Tula Pink, Anna Maria Horner, Joel Dewberry Carolyn Friedlander and Alison Glass. I also love cutsie prints like Aneela Hooey, Riley Blake and the japaneese prints but nothing too cartoon like. 

The other portion of the survey that I sometimes blank out on is the extras section -- I love sending extras that i know the person will enjoy. Some of my favorite things that I have revieved have been chocolates (preferably milk), yougart covered pretzels, socks, cute pens, notions, thread, fabric scraps, Washi tape, cat toys and pouches. I'm not a coffee or tea drinker, I'm not partial to nuts or coconut but i do like good cashews. As for allergies, my big one is smoke -- it will close off my head like a vault door and make it super hard to breath. The others that I have are odd (mushrooms, pine and Lillies) so they don't usually effect a swap. 

I like to let my swap mama know that I have cats, to be courteous of other people's allergies -- it also gives my partner a little more about me (you know in case you missed seeing Mr. Nugget in my Instagram feed). 

I do struggle defining my skill level as a quilter -- I feel that this is something that is always evolving and these minis often times provide a great opportunity to try something new to build on my skills. I know how to do many things -- paper piece, sew curves, free motion quilt, work with very small pieces, y-seams, make basic bags. Things I haven't tried yet -- EPP, applique, hand quilting, embroidery, Cathedral Windows. With that, I would say I am an experienced quilter but in my head I don't put myself in that group. Here's a sampling of Minis that I sent in 2014. 

 I did 10 swaps in 2014 and at least as many in 2013. This year I hope to keep up this pace -- maybe even do more. I'm a self proclaimed addict when it comes to swaps, but there are far worse things to be hooked on. I'm looking for an opportunity to be a swap angel or a swap mama.