X-Plus Block

 I was struggling with the X-+ block for the BAMQ BOM, and it turned out that the template I printed out wasn't at full size. Soooo, no wonder it didn't fit! Started over with these directions for a 12.5" block. I almost 

I had to interrupt my studio assistant's nap time. And clean off the felt pressing pad. Usually I cover it up, but he always takes advantage if I forget to.

All pressed, including the bonus HST's. They're not teeny tiny but they will probably make it into the final quilt somehow.

All together now. Hey, I actually like this one! After all the hassling around because of my mistake in printing it really wasn't a hard block to do.

Note to self: Always check the size of the printing - not fit to print, but 100%

I may still do the giant (24" square) version.

Here's how all the blocks are looking together. Some of the "mistakes" from making this block are on the upper left, they may or may not make it into the quilt.  It certainly would make a very strong border if I continued those!

Community Quilt Finish

 

At the most recent Bay Area Modern Quilting Sew Day (just last Saturday) we worked as a group to complete a quilt top. Let's just say...it took the entire day. I brought other things to work on, but I only took a short break to trim some of the pink Lupine Mystery flying geese blocks.

The design of the quilt was great (I believe friend Jaye was the one who suggested and supplied the pattern), and as usual our organizer, Peggy was super prepared with printouts and instructions and block making kits. It made the whole process easier. We were making a quilt made up of two blocks, the above is the more complicated one. The other was all white with two colored squares in opposite corners. I believe I sewed six (maybe eight) blocks total.

It makes for a wonderful quilt, doesn't it? As you sew. the blocks seem very disjointed and maybe a little ugly given the random fabric combinations (it's as scrappy as it gets), but then it all works out together to make such an interesting quilt. We buckled down and sewed together the blocks and joined the rest of the sections together. Some was chunked, some was not. I was sewing the last long seam to put the two halves of the quilt together at our usual departure time of 4pm. Everyone else was all done and packed up, and then my bobbin ran out. Of course! 

But I rallied and sewed on, and was able to hand it off to our wonderful member Laura McHugh, who does the long-arming for us, who was waiting. As I finished the last seam, I held up the final result and don't have a picture. Laura posted this one on her Facebook of the quilt on her long-arm setup, and it's already been beautifully quilted! Amazing what a committed group can do together.

Palooza Fifteen

This is the last block I'm catching up on making and posting for Patchwork Palooza. And it's a very different and interesting design. I have to say that I'm glad that I used that dramatic fabric 

I really love that Tula Pink tiger, so I'm happy to get to feature him again. And of course on the side: teeny tiny HSTs™

There's all fifteen of them together. I think its a good mixture so far.

Palooza Fourteen

 

Continuing on with catching up with the Patchwork Palooza block, onto number 14. This was one looked tricky to me, as in I had to keep track of which fabric was which number.

I laid all the parts out for the block before going past the first sewing step to make sure everything was in the right place.

After the next step, I did the same.

All together correctly and the points are going to stay pointy.

It's really starting to fill in.

Palooza Thirteen

 

Patchwork Palooza block went together very easily. 

I'm re-using some of the same fabrics, as they were the bigger pieces in my scrap box.

But I think it lends a bit more cohesion to the whole thing. Instead of having all of the fabrics only used in one block which was where I was intending to go with this back when I first started.

Patchwork Palooza #10

 

Coming in hot with Patchwork Palooza block #10. I always think of this orange/fuchsia/lime green as being "hot". I like this block, it has a lot of movement and there are a lot of possibilities with it. I'm liking that I'm getting to use my 2.5"x4.5" Flying Geese Bloc-Loc ruler so much, it really works out when doing the four at a time method. And this is made with scraps from recent projects.

Hotz Blox

 

I recovered from my successful trip to Spokane and actually made another Patchwork Palooza block.

The block instructions were Flip-n-Sew, so here are of course, some teeny-tiny-HSTs™ to add to my collection envelope.

Okay that's six blocks done now! And they don't exactly go together, but they mostly do, which will work as I add even more scrappiness.

And I'm terribly proud of myself for turning on the iron when it was a record setting hot day today. I'm used to it getting hot in August, but 106F is really quite a lot.

A More Challenging One

 

Block number five for Patchwork Palooza was a little bit harder. I had to label the fabrics to follow the pattern instructions.

I used a lot of spray starch as advised, and it really helped.

To this point, all was well. But then I realized that I had to trim all of these down by Quite A Lot. sigh.

After messing up the first one I trimmed down, I stopped myself and thought about it. You've got two diagonals that have to end up dead on in the corners. And the trim down to size 3 and 1/8ths! Which adds up to not exactly an 8.5" block. I don't need any help ending up with a slightly small block thankyouverymuch. sigh again.

I re-did the one piece I messed up and chopped the rest down to size. It went together pretty well after that.

So, yeah, not my favorite block so far, but it's done, it's almost 8.5" and I'm caught up for now. Or until I check my email for this week's block. Also, I continued on with the orange, blue, green color scheme, but introduced purple and yellow to be able to branch off.

Orange, Blue, Green

Another block cut out for Patchwork Palooza, this time with 4 colors, and I had enough of each to not have to mix and match.

The Bloc_Loc 2.5" HST ruler is getting a real workout.

I had to work at getting this one laid out correctly and to keep it in order as I sewed it all together.

Success! I like having this darker teal color as the background, I think it works. 

All of the blocks so far are looking like they are intended to actually go with each other. There are quite a few more coming (21 blocks total) so I'll have time to "branch out" into other color combos. But so far, I am really enjoying the orange/blue/green thing I have going on so far.

Oh, I forgot to add the above graphic, because, d'oh, I'm In!

Patchwork Palooza

Okay, I'll admit it, I've gotten a little sick of working on Old Town all day every day for now. I got pretty far along but I need a little break. So I'm starting in on making the blocks that have been released so far for Patchwork Palooza. I cut out the pieces from my most recent scrap box and labeled them for fabrics 1-4 with these cute little rainbow wedge stickies. My plan is to use only scraps on this quilt.

All the usual block making tools are put into use once again.

Gosh, I love this Bloc_Loc Flying Geese ruler. It really works so well for me.

The block ingredients all ready to put together. There were only supposed to be 4 fabrics used, but I didn't have big enough pieces for the Geese and HSTs. Two blues that are similar worked out fine here.

And there's the first block all done.
 

First Old Town Blocks

 

I felt my interest in getting back to work on the Old Town Mystery greatly revived after seeing friend Jaye's absolutely gorgeous finished quilt top in person. 

Jaye was so nice and gave me a little pep talk and reminded me of some useful block assembly tips so I got down to it and got my first block constructed.

Hey, wow! Just like that, the first block is done.

I laid out the next one to work on, and was happy to see how different it looks from the first one.

Here are the two finished blocks up on the design wall along with the pieced sashing and of course, one last surprise for me in the instructions to cut out 16 red cornerstones. I really like the look of it so far. 

Memo to me: I'm going to have to work hard on keeping the dark blues in the sashing away from the dark reds though. Rearrange this layout before sewing together.

Friendship Star

 

I'm making a practice Friendship Star block for another project, and I thought I'd use some of the blue and yellow and green fabrics I'd pulled for the Sunflower blocks for the Wrap the World in Quilts Ukraine Project. These means making a bunch of HST's, I'm using the 2-at-time method, so out comes the marking tool and an erasable pen.

I had to cut them all down to size, ao I used the mini rotating mat that I have and it really helped speed things up.

That's a lot of trimming! But now they're all the right size (4.5") so hopefully the block will go together easily.

I laid out the blocks to check out the placement of the colors.

A view of all the seams on the back, pressed open.

There it is! Another 12.5" block done.