Monday, November 16, 2015

Block Happy again!

Every few months I do a post of all the blocks I've made recently--either for my do.Good Stitches group (Believe), the GLMQG online activity, or for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, which I started strong on and have been woefully behind ever since...
I just checked and my last block update was in April (!), so this will be long! :)

First, do.Good Stitches blocks:

April blocks:

May blocks: (aren't these fun?!) The ended up raw edge appliqued onto a dark background. 

June blocks:

July block:

August blocks:


September blocks:

October blocks: (I loved making these--this is a quilt as you go block--improvisationally pieced). GLMQG members...you might be seeing this block concept again soon for an upcoming challenge--they're super fun!)

November blocks: 

If you want to see some of these blocks made into quilts,
visit our Believe group's Flickr page.


Great Lakes Modern Quilt Guild Online Activity Blocks:

LOVE this patched liberated Churn Dash block! This was our challenge block in May. After making this, one block, I really want to try an entire quilt, either with this block or a similar content. Find out more about the block tutorial/quilt, made by Sarah at Sew Joy Creationshere.



Our September block was this "Hexing Around" block was designed by Lee Heinrich of Freshly Pieced. You can find the tutorial here. I liked this block because it is a hexagon without all the Y-seams and piecing drama of your typical hexagons.


BTW, here is my new resource, both for personal inspiration and for the GLMQG online activities.
Check out all these block tutorials!


Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks:
I was on top of this year-long challenge in January and February. March and April, I was a bit behind on, but I caught up (see below). I have May (green), half done, and haven't touched it since. Yes, I realize I'm making it more difficult for myself by doing six blocks in each color scheme, but as long as you have the scraps out...you might as well use as many up as possible, right? Plus, think of all the scrap quilts I'll have at the end of the year (if I get back on track!). Each month, I am trying to make two 25-patch star blocks, two Log Cabin blocks one rectangular "slab", and one improv piecing block. 

March:

April:

A look at my January-April Log Cabin blocks all combined together--can't wait to see this with eight more color combos!


And the January-April star blocks together:

In September I ordered Jackie Kunkel's book, Splash of Color. I love the quilts in this book and the cheeriness they exude! I am definitely going to use her quilts as inspiration for assembling some of my RSC blocks into quilts when I get to that point. Love the idea of surrounding these blocks with dynamic black and white prints! 
Love the pin, bookmark and postcard that came with the book!
Thanks Jackie!

Saturday, November 7, 2015

ALYOF November goal: It's stocking time!

I am the unofficial stocking maker for both my family and my husband's family. And there was another baby this year, which means it's time for another stocking! 

I made these stockings four years ago for my sister-in-law and brother-in-law. Then in 2013, I made a stocking for their son (which I can't find a photo of?!). They had a second little boy this August and he needs a stocking to hang by the chimney this year.

Normally I make stockings in December, but this year I'm trying something different. :) 
So my November goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes is to pieced and quilt the stocking front and back. (I have a friend who embroiders the names, so I'm only committing to finishing the stocking up to the point of adding the name because I'm not sure when I'll get the name from her.) But if I have the stocking ready to be assembled by the end of November, I'll be in great shape for Christmas! 

Sunday, November 1, 2015

ALYOF: The purple "N" pillow

I tried to make this month's ALYOF goal a lot harder than it needed to be. My plan was to make a pillow for a good friend with Northwestern's "N" on it (we both went to school there). I intended to piece the pillow front, figuring that with a few well-placed HSTs, I'd be set.


Not so much.
Even though I looked at that logo for 4 years of college and umpteen times (especially every Saturday in fall, when I put my shirt on for the football game!) in the 15 years since, apparently I'd never examined it with a quilter's eye.
Not so easy to piece.
So I took the easy route--applique!
And finished the pillow (which has been on my mental to-do list since August) in about two hours, mainly because of all of the straight line quilting.
(badly lit phone photo because my good camera and
my computer were not on speaking terms tonight!)

Hoping I can find a few other fellow Northwestern alums who would like one, as this pillow was fun to make!
Linking up with ALYOF at Sew BitterSweet Designs.