Sunshine Lotto Blocks

You know how sometimes you just have to break down and go ahead and vacuum and mop and maybe do a load of laundry?  Don't you hate when that interferes with your great quilting ideas?!  I did make it to the local library today to see the eye-candy in the Quilter's Newsletter Magazine.  I never make art quilts, but I do like to look at them and to see the quilt show winning entries.  Other than that, I worked around the house.

So, all I sewed today were two blocks for this month's block lottery for the Sunshine On-line Quilt Guild (see sidebar note).  I had worked with this fabric before and it was printed so wonky that it could drive a person nuts.  I ended up making just one pillow out of it a few years ago and stashing the fabric away.  I pulled the fabric back out today and made the two blocks to send in and stashed the fabric back in hiding ... the printed panel is just too off-kilter for me to work with!  I'll get rid of it a little at a time ... hopefully.

Nov 2010 Lottery Blocks

The pillow I made several years ago.

Tonight's Quilt Top Finish

The quilt top that I put together this evening was made from blocks I received in a block swap and is from a block pattern called The Dandy Block.  The block pattern can be found on Marcia Hohn’s website, called the Quilter’s Cache^®.   That site has more quilt blocks than you can shake a stick at.  If you’re a quilter and haven’t visited, please take time to go see it … you’ll be glad you did!

Here’s the link:

http://www.quilterscache.com/

And here’s my Dandy Quilt Top:

Made with 1930s reproduction fabrics - just like grandma used to make!

Whipping Along With the Bags

Today's finish was another one for the Zihuatanejo Bag Project (see sidebar button).  My Bag No. 4 uses another leftover strip from a 2009 quilt.  Here is the finished bag (showing a little of the pocket inside) and the original quilt.  The original quilt used blocks I received in a block swap from the Mailblocks Yahoo Group.

Another Project Million Amigos Bag

I finished up another one of the bags for Mexico (see button on my sidebar) with a leftover strip from a quilt I donated in 2009 as decoration.  I was interrupted in the middle of making the quilt and when I resumed sewing, the half-square triangle strips weren't the same size (it's that 1/4 inch thing striking again), hence the leftover strip.  So inspiration struck and I found a use for it on this project.  Not a bad idea to have a few orphan blocks around!  This one has a matching pocket inside.

Here's the bag and the original quilt:

Looking forward to quilting another top tomorrow!

Veteran's Day

Freedom isn't free.

  Today America salutes its Veterans.

Today's Quilt Finish

Last April, I won quite a few blue and white Monkey Wrench blocks in a block lottery.  This is my first finished quilt using some of those blocks ... there will be more since I won 45 blocks (wahoo!).  You might catch a glimpse of some orange in the binding - those are the basketballs - I used the same binding material as the backing.  It is a cute print with all kinds of balls used in sports.  Very boy-friendly!

Longer top than I usually make - 72 inches.

Glimpses of the binding and backing.

Shows more of the cute backing fabric.

And I found out by accident that today is the anniversary of when Sesame Street began:

     Nov 10, 1969 - Sesame Street

premiered on PBS, featuring Jim Henson's Muppet characters  and actors and cartoons. The teachings and antics of Kermit the Frog, Big Bird, Bert and Ernie, Oscar the Grouch and Cookie Monster filled the minds and hearts of thousands of preschool children, and the award-winning educational series was a tremendous success. Sesame Street was produced by the Children's Television Workshop.

I'll have to search out some Sesame Street fabric and make a top (hey, any excuse to buy more fabric works for me!).  Congratulations, Big Bird and cast.

What's in Process

I've just been dabbling at a few things - jumping from one project to another.  Here's a few projects that are now in the works in the sewing room:
(1)  The  Sunny Days blocks from this post
 http://quiltingwithelves.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-design-wall.html
are growing in numbers and I’ve been fiddling around with a few layout ideas.

To see what dark sashing would look like.

No sashing - would need to have more blocks and add borders.

Don't think I want to add alternating dark blocks.

The secondary design has stars - would need to add one last column on the right to complete the effect.

 (2) A friend is a member of a church that is collecting gifts so that children can select a gift to give their parents for Christmas.  I am making a few of the criss-cross coasters from this site.  These are fun, look cute and most of all, are quick and easy!

http://allsorts.typepad.com/allsorts/2006/11/crisscross_coas.html

Set of four - shows two criss-cross fronts and two backs.

Second set of four - didn't take picture of backs.

(3) I have cut out, but not quite finished the embellishments, on two more Project Amigos bags - see the button on my sidebar for more information.

That's it for today!

More Quilt Show Pictures

Here are a few more of the great quilts displayed at the Cypress Creek Quilter's Guild's show on Nov 6th:

The cute matching mini was displayed with the large quilt.

Part applique and part paper-pieced



Beautiful machine embroidery is shown in a close-up that follows





Lovely stained glass effect achieved by paper-piecing





This picture doesn't do justice to the gorgeous florals



This was the only rag-type (or raw edge) that I saw, very soft and huggable

Beautiful applique - I noticed that many used professional machine quilters

The machine applique and the batiks were perfect together.

Detail

The use of wool made for a very rich-looking design

This is an example of a tube-type construction - very well made

You can see a little of the backing pattern showing thru due to the bright sun behind this quilt - it was as adorable as the front but I didn't get a picture - drat!

I loved the colors and this unique design

Very striking color combination

A very pretty stack and whack type design - her note says she started this in 1997 and a UFO challenge got her to finish it!