Instablog?

Since I joined Instagram back in November (thank you, Sewtopia!), I have been posting pics of what I'm doing there.  Just a block here and there.  Nothing big.  I've been swamped at work - November and December are very busy for me, so I didn't do much sewing anyway.

However, I want to continue blogging and sharing in this way.  It's just not going to be an "Instablog", so I'll try to post at least once a month - a round-up of what I've been working on that went up on Instagram for those who aren't on it.  After all, we can't all use every app!

Secret Sewing

I only have one secret sewing project to reveal...a mah jong fabric zipper pouch that I gifted to my mom!

She hinted that she may want a few more to give to friends, so it's good that I have some of that fabric left!

Does giving gifts just lead to making more gifts for you?

Kidding, mom...(sort of!)

American Made Brand 

Mystery BOM

A few more blocks for this one:

Block 5 Leaves of Change

 Block 6 Canyonlands

Block 7 is a couple of ears of corn.  

It's not my cup of tea, so I skipped it.

Block 8 Leaves of Change

This block doesn't have stems in it, but because I had scrappy leaves, it didn't look like leaves without the stems!

Two of the cool things about this BOM have been that the Clothworks blog posts the winners each month on their blog, and the winners get American Made Brand solids swag!!!

There is one more block to make - Toward the Sun - a big sunflower!  Are you going to make one and see if you win?

Westering Women QAL

Block 9: Sage Bud for Fort Laramie

I cut into fabric I bought at Quilt Festival from Second Chance Fabrics for the background and the green.  

I hope they come back to Houston in November!  I'll definitely be looking for them.  

Perfect if you like to reuse what's already out there and/or are looking for an older or unique print!

Block 10 Rocky Mountain Chain

Block 11 - Bear's Paw

The first block on the blog post for this tutorial has a dark background, and it wasn't until after I had picked out my fabrics that I scrolled down and saw the lighter background block example.

However, I love the saturated colors of this block!

Block 12 - Road to California

I used up the pretty roses print for this block.

It was just perfect for this Road to California because the Rose Bowl and Rose Parade are in Pasadena!

Covered in Love

I took a break from Covered in Love in December. 

But it's a new month and a new year!

I'm sending these Faded Quarter Log Cabin blocks to Kat, along with a few goodies so she can start the year off right!  

(And keep it going!)

The smaller pieces used up scraps, but for the bigger ones, I had to dip into my fat quarters.  

I have LOTS of blue fabric though, so that's a good thing!

Sewtopia Austin

I went to Sewtopia in Austin in early November.  It was fun, and I met some really cool people!  My bee friend, Maria, and I want to go to the one in New Orleans this fall and do it again.  I've never been to the Big Easy (traveled I-12 north of Lake Pontchartrain too many times to count, though!), so maybe it's time!

For the retreat, there was a sponsored fabric challenge.  We were sent a fat quarter bundle of Michael Miller fabrics.  I made this fun bag!

It is an original design that I just dreamed up.

I also used my stash of Michael Miller fabrics (didn't know I had so many!)  The center design is from a really beautiful fabric line called Magic by Sarah Jane (which is, coincidentally, my mother's name!)

Here is the inside with a little Sodalicious by Emily Herrick and some Waterfront Park by Violet Craft in the zip pocket (and the main black outside of the bag).

I didn't win the challenge, but it was lots of fun making the bag and showing it at the Sewtopia retreat!

Miscellaneous

And lastly, I put together a table runner out of some Christmas fabric from several years ago.  I didn't have time to quilt it before Christmas, so it may be a gift for someone next Christmas!  

(If I don't decide to be selfish and keep it.  Hey, I have leftover fabric; I can make a pillow instead to gift.  But then I might keep that, too! Oh, well...)

Hope you have a fantastic New Year!

Linking up with:

Blocks Galore!

I am currently quilting a Quilt for Pulse, but this past weekend, I took a break from quilting to make some blocks.

Covered in Love

First, I made the August disappearing 9-patches for Covered in Love. 

These were quick and easy, and I loved digging into my black & white fabric stash. 

(I had a lot more than I wanted to admit to!)

Westering Women BOM

Barbara Brackman's 2016 BOM celebrates the path of women traveling west into the frontier.

July's block was Courthouse Rock (not to be confused with Schoolhouse Rock!).

I look to natural colors for this BOM, and my block reflects that.

I envision the light hitting the rock at the top, then the colors intensifying towards the base until you get to the green grass and bushes.

Giveaway for a Cause

Susan Emory is sponsoring a giveaway if you send in a block for an ALS quilt. 

The cause's colors are navy and white, so I got out my American Made Brand fabrics and made this fun block.

I just love pinwheels, and when I saw this block in the 501 Rotary Cut Quilt Blocks by Judy Hopkins, I knew it would look stunning in two colors.

Side note: Does anyone have this book or any of Judy's others?  Do you know if they've been updated for making 4-at-a-time flying geese or 4-at-a-time HSTs, etc?  I would love this book but using updated methods.  I keep having to go onto the internet to look up these quick methods every time I use her book.

Clothworks American Made Brand Mystery BOM

I made block 2 and block 3.

Block 2

The freezer paper templates under these made them easy to join using nylon thread.

I then added colored thread on top to additionally secure the seam and add more color to the block

Block 3 

This cactus was prickly!  Some of the instructions have the wrong measurement.

See on the bottom of the right cactus branch?  Where the medium green is pieced?

This is unit 3 of the instructions.  The measurement there was not correct, but easily fixed with the addition of more green fabric.

I used some grays and dark browns to give dimension and realness to the cactus, but it doesn't make it look pretty like some featured on the blog.

I still like what I achieved, and it will go in the quilt. 

But...

I'm ready for an easier block!

Block 4 has mountains in it.  As a geologist, I'm very excited about it!

The inverted triangles are going to be lakes, but will I go with the red rocks of Vegas, the yellow and purple shales of central Wyoming, or the buff limestones of the Texas Hill Country?

Only time, my whims, and my American Made Brand fabric stash will tell!

Linking up with:

do. Good Stitches Cheer Circle + CiL + Westering Women BOM blocks

I am now part of the Cheer circle of the do. Good Stitches bee!

I am excited to be joining this awesome group of ladies to create blocks which go into quilts that are donated to Project Linus.
My followers know I love a good charity that can use a good quilt or ten!

The May block for the Cheer circle was a fun economy block:

I love a block where you can showcase some fun and cute fabric!


Covered in Love

June's block for Covered in Love is getting us ready for the summer!

Sun, sky and sand

I have made enough scrappy blocks that I'm cutting into fat quarters and yardage more.
It feels good!
Westering Women BOM

June's block is the Platte River:

I have a great wavy blue print for the river in the middle.  Then there is a "sandy" print and a "stripy" print for the shoreline.  I'm a geologist, but I have a passing familiarity with soils, so I wanted to do a sandy bank then a bluff and some more land at the top!  It's a veritable transgressive-regressive sequence!
(A little geology-speak for us geo-geeks!)
Then in the corners, I have two sort-of flowery/plant/tree-like prints.  I picked them primarily because they picked up the blue from the river.  (I am not a biologist, obviously!)

Helga is Back!
I finally have my Pfaff Quilt Expression 4.0, fondly known as "Helga", back from her yearly checkup at the local sewing machine shop.  I can now start on the new BOM from American Made Brand!
Block 1 is a sunset or sunrise, depending on your mood, and I have the perfect solids (after a bit of purchasing at Over the Rainbow, who have a plethora of AMB colors to choose from, and finishing a few bolts of AMB solids at my LQS)!
So stay tuned for this beauty to be posted, and also coming up, I'll have pictures from both May and June's bee meetings.

Discussion:
Are you doing any blocks of the month or quilt alongs?
Would three blocks of the month be too many?  I saw Melissa Corry's post today about her Summer Solstice Quilt Along, and I love how there's just a little bit of curved piecing.  It's something I want to try, and what a great way to get started with it! (Plus I have the solids to use in it!)

Finish, CiL May Blocks, and Westering Women May Block

Lots to catch up on since my last post.  

First, the FINISH!

 This is a keyhole block quilt made with Tina Givens' line "Opal Owl."

 The back with more Opal Owl fabrics.

 

Close-ups

 

Binding is American Made Brand Light Gold.

May's block for Covered in Love 

Pale blue, gray, and light citron were the colors for this month's block.  It was an easy 9-patch, too, where you could use jelly roll strips (and I did!).  I ended up making 6 blocks.  Sometimes it's just hard to stop!  Looking forward to seeing these on Kat's design wall and in a finished quilt!

Westering Women Block of the Month

I'm enjoying the Westering Women Block of the Month over at Civil War Quilts.  May's block had a lot of HSTs (which I love) and again was tree-themed.  This month I used greens - all three greens that I have in my civil war reproduction stash.  This challenged me to lay out the HSTs to create the pattern of the Lone Elm.

 And I just saw when posting this picture up that I turned the bottom left of the 4-patch 180-degrees.  The background fabric should be on the outside of the block.  Well, these things happen and that's what a seam ripper is for!  (When I get this top completed and posted up here, readers please look and make sure I fixed it! ;P )

There is a NEW block of the month out there that I want to follow along with: the American Made Brand Mystery BOM.  Longtime readers probably have guessed that I'm a fan of AMB fabrics.  Block 1 is out as of the beginning of May.  There are two colorways or you can choose your own colors (totally what I'm gonna do!)

Are you going to join me in making blocks for either BOM or Covered in Love?  Or are you following along to a different BOM?

Linking up with Finish it Up Friday at crazy mom quilts.

Bee Meetings, Covered in Love, Westering Women PLUS a finish!!!

Whew, I've got a lot of catching up to do!  Here are recent pics...

Thimblelina's Bee

Barb made THREE quilts from one kit!

Thanks to Sheila for the kit fabric.

Quilt #1

Quilt #2

Quilt #3

The zebra print was bought at a LQS to finish off the kit fabric.

 Backing is also from LQS.

All three quilts were quilted locally by Jane Plisga of the Greater Houston Quilt Guild.

Marion completed a top for charity.

Nope, it's not Christmas fabric, it's watermelons - yum!

Maria completed a charity quilt top, too.

She is working on this one for the Brenham Quilt Guild.

Don't you just love this simple pattern?  

Grab a jelly roll and go!

Yaya's Bee

Kris' blocks for a charity quilt

This color palette is SO pretty!

Marion's block from a kit

I'm determined to get more pics of this one, because those batiks are so pretty!

My finishes!

My first zipper bag.

Amy Butler fabric.  Cotton on the outside.

Laminate on the inside.

This was gifted to a work friend for our mutual birthday.  

She uses essential oils and needed the laminate on the INSIDE, just in case!

Note: I plan to make MORE zipper bags.  Got any tips for me?

Do you remember this quilt?  It is finished!  

Quilted by Lillie on her longarm in a fun geometric pantograph pattern.

Covered in Love

The block for this month is SUPER FUN!

I had more strings in this color than I'd like to admit and could have made 4 more blocks!  

But I'm saving some for the next time they're needed.

I store strings of fabric separately and it's always helped that I know just where to go! 

I use a tote bag from the International Quilt Festival (they have a new design every year).  It just sits on the floor in the sewing room until I need it!  Then I dump it out somewhere and comb through for the right colors.   

Westering Women BOM

This month was CHALLENGING.  Y-seams AND Applique?  Yes and wow!

I did machine applique (which stitches I'm still playing with), and the block is not quite flat and a tad too big.

BUT, I am proud of myself for this one!

Since it is a Sweetgum block, I was drawn to browns even though my previous two blocks (here and here) have featured blues, yellows, and reds.  I think it's nice to have a block that is not like the others.  It keeps things interesting!

I have more stuff I'm working on (as usual) and I need to take more pics (as usual).  

Do you take pics of your work or do you just keep sewing?

Linking up to :