SBS - Yankee Puzzle

The last couple of blocks have been a little on the challenging side so I did a simpler block this week. It went together in a snap.

Fiesta de Talavera - Block 2

I've finished block 2! This is such a fun project to hand applique. There are a lot of pieces in each block (this one has 125) and they take a little time, but the majority of them have easy, gentle curves making them perfect for time in front of the TV. I really like working with these bright colors against the dark background. It's so much fun to see the block coming together as I'm working on it.

SBS - New Mexico

The block I chose this week is called New Mexico. The more I work with little pieces, the more I realize I need more practice working with little pieces. The rail fence blocks were actually paper-pieced in long strips and then sub-cut. The same with the nine patch blocks. That helped quite a bit since this is basically a 25-patch block done in 6 inches. That makes for some tricky measurements.




I've mentioned before my journey with Sylvia's Bridal Sampler.  I'm glad to be back on track and am looking forward to having it done. This week's block is number 100! Only 40 more blocks to go! Some time ago I made a graph and have been inserting pictures of the blocks as I do them. Mostly I use this to keep track of the fabrics I'm using so that I don't use the same fabrics in blocks that are next to each other. But I also like seeing how the spaces are filling up. As I insert the pictures some of the blocks get cropped. I don't know why. But, you can get an idea of how this quilt is shaping up.

SBS - Laurel Wreath

This block was a little challenging. I don't usually draw seam lines when I piece, but I did on this one because of all the Y seams. I think it made a world of difference in getting everything to line up just so.

March UFO

Back in 2007, my LQS in Albuquerque did this quilt as a Saturday Sampler. The name of the quilt is Ramblin' Rose Meets Jamestown. The quilt was designed by Marti Michell using her template sets. While it takes a bit more time to cut the pieces using the templates, I think you make up for it with how easy the pieces go together. Some of these blocks would have been very challenging with regular piecing, but with the templates they went right together. I have a couple of other quilts I'd like to make using the templates - someday. The sampler blocks were named to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of the Jamestown settlement - New Colony, Roanoke Island, John Smith, and Stormy Voyage, to name a few. I had no idea when I started this quilt that I'd one day be living in Virginia.

I got all my blocks made and even had all 24 of the log cabin blocks done by the end of that year. In early 2008, I assembled the blocks and that was as far as I got. For the UFO Challenge, my goal was just to get the borders on. I've also made the binding and have fabric set aside for the backing, but that's all I'll be able to do for a while. This is a king size quilt measuring 104" square. I have an older machine with a very small throat and there is just no way that I can fit a king size quilt in there to get it quilted. I hope to get a new machine in the next year or two. The quilt has been waiting this long, it can wait a little longer.

2012 Free Motion Quilting Challenge - March

This month's tutorial was given by quilt artist, Ann Fahl. Ann's tutorial was packed with information, but what stuck out to me the most was her advice to add motifs to meandering and stippling designs to make them more interesting. And, one of her tips is to start a quilting design notebook and practice doodling in it. To get us started, she shared a few designs with loops, hearts, stars, spirals and flowers.

I don't think I practiced drawing this month as much as last month's feathers. I've had a couple of other projects that I've been working on and getting the challenge done kept taking a back seat.

I practiced drawing all of the above designs, but chose to quilt the flowers and spirals. I like these meandering flowers. I think they'd be cute on a little girl's quilt or a spring quilt. Looking at the picture I can see where I need to vary the direction just a little bit.

I had done some spirals on a quilt not too long ago, but they were large spirals with a little space between them. I decided I'd try working on smaller, more tightly-packed spirals. Getting the spacing was pretty tricky.

I know I need to spend more time practicing. This challenge is giving me a lot more quilting confidence. Maybe that stack of tops will get quilted sooner than I think.

SBS - Glorified Nine Patch

The block I chose to do this week is Glorified Nine Patch. I really love this block. I hope to do a whole quilt in this block one day. If I do, the blocks will be larger than 6" though. There were two different methods for assembling this block. One was to use templates and do curved piecing. The other was to assemble an uneven nine patch and applique the long curved pieces. Can you guess which method I chose? I really like how it came out. If I were to do a whole quilt I think I'd go with the templates though.

Cherry Blossoms 2012

 I think it's time for a "Places" post, don't you? I know it's been a while. This morning Rich and I got up very early to go see the cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin. I mean VERY EARLY. We were up and on the road before sunrise. We figured the earlier we went, the fewer people there'd be out and about. It takes less than 10 minutes to drive there, but parking anywhere near that area is difficult when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. Normally we'd have taken the Metro, but the nearest station to the Tidal Basin is about a mile away and we knew it was likely to rain. I didn't take too many pictures because it was misty and drizzly the whole time, but we had a really enjoyable time. The early morning mist gave an almost magical quality to an area that is usually teeming with tourists and not at all magical.

It was several days past the "peak bloom" time but there was still a spectacular show going on:

Everywhere I looked there was "pink snow" to be seen:

And I just loved how those little pink blossoms were stuck to everything:

As the morning went on more and more tourists were about and it was kind of fun watching the people who really know how to use their cameras (I'm not one of them) set up for those perfect shots:

I think I'm going to call this one Cherry Blossom Paparazzi:

Whenever I'm around the Tidal Basin I like to walk by the Floral Library which is maintained by the National Park Service. It changes quite a bit throughout the year. Right now, there are nearly 100 different varieties of tulips in bloom:

I especially loved these ones:

And these ones:

We were back home in time for breakfast and just before the rain.

SBS - Sylvia's Shooting Star

I thought this block was going to be simple. It looks pretty straightforward, right? The star's rays are paper-pieced and went together easily enough. The corner where the rays all come together is a little bulky with all those pieces coming together there. But the star? It finishes at just 3 inches! I think I need more practice working with very small pieces. I felt like I was all thumbs! 

SBS - Trip Around the World

This block was paper-pieced in rows and then the rows sewn together. It went together in a snap!