Strawberry Fields Forever

Have you discovered the wonders of Pinterest?  Where you can lose hours looking at home decorating ideas, recipes and quilt designs?  I don't spend a lot of time there, but I do keep an eye out for quilt designs.  When I saw this quilt made from Fig Tree's Strawberry Fields fabrics (one of my all-time favorite collections), I decided I had to make a quilt like it.

I clicked through to find the pattern and was able to determine that the quilt was designed by Ryan Walsh, who has a blog here, though it hasn't been updated in a while.  I didn't see a pattern available for sale through his website, so I looked up the found the block in my Around the Block Again book by Judy Hopkins, decided on a block size (mine are 12") and made my own Strawberry Fields quilt.  There is a narrow sashing between the blocks and a slightly wider border of the background fabric.  I plan to use Minky on the back and finish with a scrappy binding using my leftovers.

This was a really fun quilt to put together - nice big pieces and easy construction.  Thanks, Ryan Walsh, for the inspiration!

April showers bring May flowers...

...and Block #5 of the Blogger Girls' BOM.   I was only able to make one block before the deadline.   My sewing machine decided it wanted to chew up the second version of Block 5.  My Pfaff is in time out right now.

At any rate, here is Block 5, and also a shot of my 9 blocks so far.  Only one more month, quilting friends, and our blocks will be ready to assemble into a quilt!

I'm using the fabric collection Field Notes by Blackbird Designs for Moda.

Please visit Monique to download this month's block, and also stop by the following bloggers to see their blocks for this month.  And don't forget the Flickr page where you can add your photos even if you don't have a blog.  I really love seeing all the different fabric combinations!

Monique from Open Gate Quilts
Sherri from A Quilting Life
Thelma from Cupcakes 'n' Daisies
Lissa from Moda  Lissa
Denise from Quilter’s  Window
Nicole from Sister’s Choice Quilts

April Schnibbles Finished!

OK, *now* my Hat Trick Schnibbles quilt is finished.  It ended up around 35" square.  I hope my mom will like it for her belated Mother's Day present!

I can't wait for Sherri and Sinta's parades to see all the different variations of the Hat Trick pattern.

Edited to add:  The fabrics are batiks and prints from the Paint Box collection designed by Edyta Sitar/Laundry Basket Quilts for Moda, along with some background fabrics from my Jo Morton stash.

Hat Trick

I'm finally getting my energy back after my bout with pneumonia.  I was happy to learn the April pattern for Another Year of Schnibbles was Hat Trick - it was one I hadn't made yet.

I used Paint Box fabrics by Laundry Basket Quilts for Moda, both the batiks and regular prints.  I finished all the 9 patches last weekend, but didn't have fabric for the setting squares or triangles.  The charm packs did not have enough light fabrics to use for that.  Seeing it on my design wall, I was anxious to get it finished, so I started pulling some tan backgrounds from my various Jo Morton collections and I like how they worked with the Paint Box prints.  I think I will leave it square like this, without adding a border.  Edited to add:  I will end up adding borders to this because I'm gifting it to my Mom and she needs something a little larger.  I just have to wait for the Paint Box yardage to show up in stores!

There's still time to join in on the Schnibbles fun!  Visit Sinta at Pink Pincushion or Sherri at A Quilting Life and get all the details.  And if you don't have the pattern yet, you can buy it and download it instantly from the fabulous designer, Carrie Nelson - just go here to her online shop.

No foolin'!

Nope, no tricks here!  It's April 1 and time to show you block 4 in Monique Dillard's Blogger Girl BOM.  This block will be a very memorable one for me because I worked on it while I was recovering from pneumonia!  I've never had pneumonia before and it really turned my life upside down.  Taking a shower and getting dressed was enough to make me have to stop and rest on the couch.  These 2 blocks, which should have taken a day at most, took me over a week to complete.  Every step took me 3 times as long as it normally would, as I just didn't have the strength or brainpower to work on these fabric combinations.

But all told, this will be a memorable block for me for another reason - it's my favorite so far in this series!  I love how changing the fabrics up a little bit make the 2 blocks seem completely different.  I hope you have fun with it too, and I also hope you are completely healthy when you're making yours!  Back to work today after my 2 week "Pneumonia Vacation."

Please visit Monique to download this month's block, and also stop by the following bloggers to see their blocks for this month.  And don't forget the Flickr page where you can add your photos even if you don't have a blog.  I really love seeing all the different fabric combinations!

Monique from Open Gate Quilts
Sherri from A Quilting Life
Thelma from Cupcakes 'n' Daisies
Lissa from Moda  Lissa
Denise from Quilter’s  Window
Nicole from Sister’s Choice Quilts

It's not you, it's me

I don't remember ever spending this much time on one quilt project.  I knew I was going on a retreat in January, so I cut and pieced pinwheels starting in December to make this awesome quilt, Woven in Pinwheels, designed by Gerri Robinson of Planted Seed Designs.   This is my first time using one of her patterns, but it won't be the last.  The instructions are clear and the diagrams couldn't be better.  I also like her style of designs - lots and lots of pieces but pretty simple components.

I made some epic mistakes with this quilt.  The major one was taking it on retreat and sewing merrily along while gabbing with my friends, not really keeping a close watch on my 1/4 inch seam.  I got home to find that most of the star blocks I assembled were not the right size due to me not using enough of a seam allowance.  I really only had 9 blocks that needed to be remade, so I set them aside and created 9 new star blocks when I got home.

Then somehow, while putting the stars together in vertical rows, I discovered another 9 that did not fit together.  They should have measured 8-1/2 inches and most were 8-1/2 inches in one direction but only 8-1/4 inches in the other direction.  So I'm getting the vertical rows together, remaking the last row of star blocks and finally pretty close to finishing this one.

I hope you won't let my foibles discourage you from trying this pattern.   It is a beautiful and a very clever design and I have enjoyed the process, even though it has taken me much longer than a quilt  project ever should!  I can see the light at the end of the tunnel... I just hope it's not a train!

I'm making Woven in Pinwheels quilt with French General's Chateau Rouge fabrics.  It only takes a fat eighth bundle and some background.  Lucky for me that I bought a fat quarter bundle.   I've used much more than a fat eighth with all the blocks I've remade.  But hey - I have 18 star blocks that I can use for the back of the quilt.... if I can get THEM to fit together!

Blogger Girls Block of the Month, Block 3

Oh my - I haven't updated my blog but once since last month's BOM posting? I am sorry for my poor, neglected blog.  I am now assembling a quilt I've been piecing since December.  I expect that life will settle down for me after 2 vacations and a February full of musical performances, and I will be able to do more sewing and posting!   I am very anxious to be able share the quilt I'm making using French General's Chateau Rouge fabrics.

Without further ado, Monique Dillard at Open Gates Quilts has the third block of her FREE Block of the Month quilt available for download today.  The Blogger Girls BOM is a 6 block quilt.  You can make a small quilt with 6 blocks or make 2 of each block for a larger quilt.  Stop by Monique's blog today and get the instructions for your third block.

I'm using Field Notes, by Blackbird Designs for Moda fabrics.  I struggled this time with picking colors for my blocks.  I made the blue one first and wasn't entirely thrilled with the results.   As I studied the finished block on my design wall, I kept seeing a Churn Dash block in the middle, so with the second block, I tried to emphasize it more with the wine colored fabric.

Please visit my fellow bloggers to see their blocks for this month, and don't forget the Flickr page where you can add your photos even if you don't have a blog.  I really love seeing all the different fabric combinations!

Monique from Open Gate Quilts
Sherri from A Quilting Life
Thelma from Cupcakes 'n' Daisies
Lissa from Moda  Lissa
Denise from Quilter’s  Window
Nicole from Sister’s Choice Quilts