Bee Block Experience #2

I was in several bee block exchanges as a new experience in 2015 but for each of the quilts that I used 2 bees each to make sure I had enough blocks in the end to make a larger quilt. My first blocks were for my Kaleidoscope Quilt and the other 2 hives completed scrappy Cross roads Blocks. 

These are the extra 4 blocks that I put together. As these hives were later in the year the blocks trickled in slowly and a few didn't come in at all but I did have enough with the extra blocks that I had made, this was going to be a large quilt. 

So it sat basted for a while waiting for me to quilt it when a friend of mine, Rena (The Southern Bobbin) asked for quilts that she could practice on with her long arm and I thought -- Why not? 

When it came back a short while later I got it bound and all ready for some couch snuggling. 

This is my 4th finish in the 3rd Quarter 

Wonderland Swap

I have to say that the best thing about going on a quilt retreat is meeting people that you know online in real life and then finding out that they are as amazing as they seem and totally get you. 

What's even better is being able to meet people and find out they have similar interests as you outside of quilting and then something awesome happens -- private swapping and secret making. 

A few months back I came across an Alice in Wonderland swap that I was hesitant about because many of the people signing up were private and this was an all crafts swap, being hosted by a person I wasn't very aware of the level of the swap. (Ok, that sounds kinda stuck up / rude but I've done a fair share of swaps and by this time I know what I am looking out for and to listen to that little voice in my head when it says step away.) 

Fortunately for me, one of those awesome people that I've met through blogging, swapping and retreating is Karri -- so i ask her opinion of this swap and because I know she is a Wonderland lover as well, and might want to join in. We come to the decision that a private swap is probably going to make both of us happier and take out the mystery element of craft swap. So I set out to unsecretly stalk her pinterest board and began drafting up an idea. 

She said she wanted something for her home like a wall hanging or pillow or a bag -- works for me cause that's what I enjoy making most. 

my initial draft started to take shape and evolve

I'm super excited about the finished mini (to the point that I forgot to take a completed photo of the top) and came close to keeping it for myself but it, and some goodies were Karri bound as the quarter wrapped up. 

I anticipated it's arrival and you all already know quilty friends are the best so here's the awesomeness that now joins my Wonderland collection. 

This was my 13th finish in the 2nd quarter. 

Tula Pink City Sampler -- The completion

Last month I had all my blocks completed and the sashing ready for assembly and I took this project with me to Stash Bash, where I completed the top

and then I had a great win fall and won quilting services from my amazing friend Kira and was then gifted batting by another of my awesome friends.

This quilt has been a lot of work and I will admit that I was anxious to have it so far away being quilted but I knew that Kira would do something awesome with this opportunity because she's an awesome lady. 

She sent me a few sneak peaks and posted a few teasers on instagram. 

Then it was time to wait for my quilt to come back home to me so that I could get an idea of how great it really was, I even made binding in preparation (and you all know that is not my favorite part of quilting). 

The quilt arrived on Thursday and it was late by the time I got home so good pictures would have to wait till the weekend when I had extra hands to help me and plenty of daylight. 

The cats have already laid claim to this one. 

Here she is out in the sun. 

Here's a better picture of the quilting -- I can't wait till I was h it and get to see all the crinkles. (Haven't washed it yet because of the ongoing problem I have been hearing about the freefall backing fadeing -- better safe than sorry right) 

And one more of the little prince in his quilt fortress 

This is my 11th finish of the 2nd quarter

Kitten Mini Quilt Swap 2016

I was super excited when @frankiesfabrics announced a 2nd round to the kitten mini swap but then as I read the initial guidelines i realized it was only for Australians -- insert sad face. As the deadline was approaching for the signups to end I got a happy message that I (and a hand full of others) had been selected to take part in the swap if we still wanted.

Once I got my partner's info I started formulating a plan and decided to make a paper pieced version of her cat in a purple heart -- I still wanted to work in chevrons somehow but at least the basic plan was in place. 

This didn't feel quite right

There we go -- much better 

Binding Choices

Here it is all finished and ready for shipping off to Cheryl Mitchell (@rose_patch70) all the way in Melbourne, Australia. 

For this swap we also had to send along a 2nd handmade item and i made a mini sew together bag for all that hexi work that Cheryl does. 

and a few other goodies. 

I know she's super excited that this is now her's because of all the lovely comments that she left me along the way, during the swap. 

Her response to the package was great .

The pouch is my 2nd finish for the 2nd quarter

Spellbound

Another project that I started and completed the top for at stash bash was from my Cotton and Steele Spellbound layer cake that I had picked up at Thimble Pleasures in Chapel Hill during a recent trip, I also had the Mossouri Star Quilt Company Blocks Book Fall Vol 1 Issue 5 to whip out this awesome quilt top using the Teacup Quilt pattern.

This is another of the projects that just needed a little more love once I got home from stash bash that got delayed due to the ankle break. All this lovely needed was backing, basting and quilting. I looked in my stash and discovered that I already had some of the fill in fabric that Ella had helped me with at stash bash that I could use for this project. So I whipped up a backing.

Got it quilted -- which initially proved to be a real pain in the tail until I tried using Coats and Clark embroidery thread instead of the brand I usually use for actual embroidery. 

and now it's all ready for next Halloween

This is my  3rd finish in the 2nd Quarter.

Kaleidascope Finish

I've always loved Kaleidoscope quilts but not had the patience to make all the blocks in the small scale that I wanted, so this year when I joined several hives I decided that this is what I wanted everyone to make and of course I would have some filling in to do. I assigned these blocks to my Wee Bee Learning and We Bee With it hives in the first half of the year. Everyone made 8 pieces of the Kaleidoscope puzzle (or a total of 2 blocks each) but I asked them to leave them in the smaller units so that I could mix them up. 

Everyone did a great job, I added about 24 units to the mix to ensure there was color balance -- Moon cat really approves of the blocks.

When I went off to Stash Bash in the Fall I put the top together and really marveled at how all these colors really came together. 

 

Hubs and I took several quilts out to Reynolda Village to get some photos and i decided that, even thought it was just a top I wanted some photos of this one too. 

Because I made so many blocks and ended up changing the layout, I had extra blocks that I used on the back. 

Once I got her all quilted the end results are even better than I could have imagined when I set out in early 2015 to have a group of strangers make me one of the happiest quilts that I will love for a long time. 

I think this would be an excellent quilt to have in my sewing room for dreaming up new projects -- once I get a chair in there but that's what my dream sewing room board is for on Pinterest. 

The boys really love it already.