Currently...

Working on one of these...
Out of one of these...
...and it's a Christmas present - for Christmas 2010!!!!!!!!

Pictures in the camera - to follow later (but only the recipient will have to wait until Christmas to see it!)

PS - OK, so posting late at night I was less then eloquent. Now it is early the next morning, and I don't know if I am any more eloquent, but at least I can add a photo.

I don't have a design wall - I am slightly hampered by the slanted ceiling/wall in my attic studio - so I usually "design" on the living room floor. None of these are stitched together - last night I just did some cutting and used safety pins to pin each block together. I need 4 more big blocks, and wanted to see what colors were lacking to balance this out. I am going to add in some more of the darker brown and blues, as well as switch some of the 5" squares out for some darker ones for a bit more contrast, and then I will move the blocks around to their final positions.

The pattern on this called for a layer cake, a charm pack and a jelly roll. I had the layer cake and about 90% of a fat quarter bundle, so I am cutting my "charms" and "roll" pieces out of those, including fussy cutting some of the little 2 1/2" squares from some of the fabrics to create little camping scenes in the center of a few blocks.

Pinwheels

This is what I have been working on lately - in between Halloween blocks and other little projects. This is from the Moda Northern Solitude line of fabrics - I found a layer cake (10" squares) of this when I was on my retreat in April and just fell in love with it. I was not sure what I wanted to do - so I sat with it for a while - picking up 2 more charm packs (5" squares) "just in case" -

I ended up cutting the Layer Cake in quarters to make 4 more sets of 5" squares.

To make the pinwheels, I divided four of the stacks into lights and darks, and then made two pairs each of a light and dark. I stitched those into half square triangle and then into pinwheel blocks. This did not quite use up all 4 charm packs - there are a few pieces left.

My plan is to add an inner border, then a pieced border of 2 1/2" x 5" rectangles cut from the remaining charm packs, then a wide outer border. It should finish as a generous lap quilt size.

If I had it all to do again, I think I would do random spokes on each pinwheel and have it overall scrappier looking than this - and scatter the colors more widely that way. But I am happy with how this is looking, and can't wait to see how the triple border pulls it all together.

Oh - and I made my first Baby Honu the other night. More to come on that.

Scotch Squares - a final look

I had a hard time saying goodbye to this quilt - I really really liked how it turned out, and was nearly tempted to go up to the auction and bid on it for myself.

It was hard to get a good picture of the binding, but it is made from 10" strips cut from the leftover Layer Cake pieces, so it is variegated all the way around.

The quilting was a straight grid - and my walking foot and I are finally getting along so it turned out nicely. I did not spray baste anything - just pinned it all very well - and it cooperated.

I also tried something new to me with this quilt - I did not pre-wash anything and then washed the entire thing before sending it off to the auction - it got a wonderful crinkly look to it.

I hope it keeps its new owners warm and cozy!

Scotch Tape Quilting

Tuesday night I was approached about making a charity quilt for a fundraiser -a Lions Club Chicken BBQ for a little boy with neuroblastoma - a little boy not much older than my own Munchkin - whose grandparents are also my "across the street neighbors"...

With not a lot of time to work with - I grabbed a Moda Layer Cake that a friend had given me and decided to do a quick and easy disappearing 9 patch.

So after dinner, I grabbed my Layer Cake (Hello Betty) and started to spread it out on the living room floor to form my initial 9 patches.

My Munchkin took a look at what I was doing and said "you need scotch tape, Mommy, to put those together." And he ran and brought me the tape dispenser - "I like helping you, Mommy."

Ah - the wonders of scotch tape when you are 4 years old. The magic substance that can fix book pages, tape parts of toys back together, and even - it seems - make a quilt!

Too bad it won't work on fixing neuroblastoma...

So this is my little way of helping - helping Patrick and his family, while thinking of the others I know who have dealt with this as well.

Wishing you all Scotch Tape Magic and healthy days ahead.