April Blocks

Along with the showers and the flowers, some pretty fun blocks.
Confession- I used my seam ripper more than  I ever have and for some unknown reason, it took 3 tries to get the supernova block right. I'm not sure why. (Probably has something to do with reading directions)….. I'm just saying.

Ogee block for the Always Bee Learning Bee

Scrappy Trip block for Haven@ do.good stitches

supernova block for the Jane Austen Bee and Book Club

Easter

Easter Blessings…..

If you want to lean more about what the East Bunny is hiding check back here on May 3rd! In the mean time save me some of those chocolate eggs!

To Melissa with Love

My little pieces of big quilt L*O*V*E

Our Guild made a quilt for our esteemed leader. She passed the baton this year after many years of founding and steering our guild (Front Range Modern Quilt Guild) in all kinds of quilty wonderfulness. We all made butterflies using Melissa's own (now famous) quilt for inspiration. You can read Melissa's  story and get the pattern here.

Melissa's quilt, photo pinched from her Flickr post to the Front Range Modern Quilt Guild. I couldn't just ask for the photo, that would have given the surprise away! 

We altered her pattern to a slightly different scale and changed the layout, because honestly, you can't copy perfection. Angela cropped the butterflies, making each one unique, and designed the layout. Susan Santistevan did the quilting, I did the binding and took photos.
This is what we all came up with. It is made with lots and lots of LOVE. Thank you Melissa!

Front

Back- wishes and thanks frame the butterflies on both sides.

Quilting

one of my butterflies

and another (you can see their metamorphosis from the quilt blocks above)

I did the binding for the quilt and decided to go with all different blacks,
instead of a single solid color. Unique, like Melissa.

My wish to Melissa. (We all signed the back)

Birthday Bandy- April, Joey's month

I can now post this since Joey has received her package. April was Joey's  "Birthday" month, so this is what I sent. They are for her dogs, but since I didn't have one handy, or in the right size, the garden rabbit was drafted.

They are pieced and densely quilted doggie collars. One with a "white" neutral background, the other in grays. Doggie collars are a first for me so I hope she likes them. They are adjustable and washable.

 The inside of one is green polka dot, the other purple.

In addition, I made Joey a small zip pouch that she can stuff with whatever her heart desires. She mentioned that she has developed a liking for juvenile prints, so I hope these sweet mice are what she had in mind.

Zip pouch front

Zip pouch, back

Happy Birthday Joey!!!

Quilt designs everywhere

You never know when you may some interesting interpretations of quilt designs. Like this car parked at the base of the ski lift at Mary Jane, Colorado.
The pictures a bit tipsy, fumbling to get my phone out of my ski jacket….. but you get the idea!

March Bee Blocks

My Bee Mates picked some really fun blocks to make March memorable.

Quoting Debbie at A Quilters Table: "Modern Maples for Marcie". (Couldn't have said it better myself).

 Jane Austen Bee and Book Club- happyvanillabean, chose these paper-pieced blocks from  Modern Blocks, 99 Quilt Blocks from Your Favorite Designers. I believe they are called Free Wheeling. Colors for this month- yellow/magenta/purple and teal.

Haven @ Do. good stitches- honey comb blocks: have both regular and paper piecing components. We get to use our own stash and instead of plain white I went for a white on white herringbone background.

And lastly, and very unique quilt block for Hettie at Always Bee Learning- Hobo Blocks, "Hold your Tongue", paper pieced. This quilt I can't wait to see.

All my blocks are done and in the mail.

Another Pantone challenge, I'm officially addicted!

My mini quilt for the Radiant Orchard Pantone 2014 Challenge…...

Title:"At the Crossroads"
19 x 15 1/2" (mini quilt entry)

Top Fabric: crazy pieced crosses (Kona solids: purple, violet, crocus, hibiscus, British periwinkle, cerise, baby blue, caribbean, olive, ash, coal, charcoal, snow. Sunprint text, Sketch- gray, Architextures by Robert Kaufman).
Back fabric: Violet peacock lane for Michael Miller

Thread: piecing: Aurifil 100% cotton in off white- 2021
             quilting: various Mettler purples, Aurifil grays- 2605, 2620, 1158, Aurifil off-white #2021
Quilting: each cross square is quilted differently

Batting: warm and natural 100% cotton
Binding: Kona snow 2" strips (narrow binding for a mini quilt)

I tried to use us many of my scrap pieces from various quilts to make this mini, once I was done, although not intentional, it somehow seemed fitting to have this mini completed in time for the Easter season.

I'm linking up to the Radiant Orchid Pantone Challenge at On the Windy Side and Play Crafts and on the Flickr pool.

Philosophy

I think have one regarding quilt backs. I like to use the back of my quilts to use up all the fabric scraps I have created while piecing the front. Since I principally work without a pattern, I can create a few large number of fabric bits and pieces that do not want to become fabric orphans. So, I use the back of my quilts to get those scraps out and get them arranged into some pleasing configuration and make it work.
Last year, there was a fun series of blog posts about quilt backs by Kate at Swing Bike Quilt. Many of my quilting friends have posted wonderful photos of their quilt backs. Since I was late to the game, I missed out posting about quilt backs, although I did take the opportunity to link a few of my photos to the group pool.

But it did get me thinking about the why of my quilt backs, which have run the gambit from simple to complex and nearly everything in between. I try to be purposeful when piecing the backs; trying to use more of what I have without adding to my already healthy (that's a pseudonym for obscene) fabric stash all the while desperately trying to keep the overflowing scraps in ONE drawer in my tiny sewing room. I hope to make a real dent in what I have on hand. Perhaps I'll be the ONLY person to notice, but I'm already feeling good about it.

Quilt backs- the quilt fronts and their stories can be found here.