CQJP 2013

I was discussing with a friend the other day why I enjoy the Block Swap Adventure. After a bit of thought, I decided this...Everyday in my studio, I make choices about design and color. No one else participates in these decisions. When I get a swap partner each month, I am given guidelines: what pattern to sew and what colors my partner prefers. So, then, it is all about creating something within those boundaries that I believe my partner will enjoy. I like this challenge.

This month, Nancy requested ANY block pattern in grays and yellows.

It didn't take much coaxing for a friend of mine to convince me to participate in the Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2013.

Actually, it took about as long as it took me to go to the site and read the rules :)

So, one block a month for 2013, 6" or bigger, and it doesn't have to be square.

I have already chosen two possible color schemes for the blocks I will construct and have some "crazy" ideas about venturing into something I've never done before.

Stay tuned!

Also, please don't forget the Quilt Raffle! The winner will be chosen on December 18th.

Tickets can be purchased 

HERE.

Did I hear Kaffe??

Seriously, whenever I hear the name Kaffe, I smile. 

Why? 

Because his fabric designs simply make me happy. The graphics are bold, and the colors are saturated. Just love them!!!

I'm working with 16 different fabrics from Kaffe Fassett's fall 2012 collection.

Lucky me :)

Here's my October block for the Block Swap Adventure...

and...

I finally finished my second crazy quilt block. Because I'm such a newbie at this, a block feels like it takes me forever. I think when I have learned a lot more stitches and the design elements flow more freely, I won't be so slow. However, I have the rest of my life to work on it.

Thankful for every moment I can spend with fabric and thread...

Summer's coming...

I find it hard to believe that the first day of summer is less than a month away. It has been a beautiful spring with lots of rain to make everything lush and green. My garden flowers are loving it. However, in my time, I wonder where it has all gone. Maybe it's my age, but each day runs like a river into the next. I often have to look at the calendar to know what day of the week it is.

I got to spend some time at the Cloth and Bobbin on Wednesday talking to Johanna about possible summer classes. I sat on the floor looking at patterns and fabrics, having very little time constraints....a rare thing, indeed. Our first decision was to use some of David Butler's fabric. We chose 4 fabrics from his "Curious Nature" line. As I began to cut the initial squares, I realized that they all really needed to be fussy-cut due to the bold design and the nature of the pattern. 

Next, we chose a cool paper-pieced wall hanging that will be done in these fabrics, some of which are from M & S Textiles Australia. Rich colors and crazy Aboriginal designs are enough to get my creative energies flowing.

I've also been working on a quilt from Karen Combs' book, Celtic Pieced Illusions, using a yellow to orange range of batiks for the background with a beautiful fall-colored ginkgo leaf batik for the interlocking design.

So, how many projects do I have going on at the same time?......oh no...too many. I also just got my Block Swap partner for June, so add that to the list....oh, and keep working on the BOM for the fall....deep breath!

Movin' right along...

At the end of March, I joined the Block Swap Adventure. It's a fun way to meet others quilters from around the world. Each month, you are given a swap partner. You each make a block for the other according to their color and design preferences. So, April was my first month. My partner's favorite colors are red and black. This is the block design that she chose...

I had some left over fabric, so I made another one for her...then off they went in the mail to Oregon. My partner for May is in Australia.

The top of the "Reflections" quilt is done minus the border.

Hoping to get this done and take it to be quilted tomorrow. This will be my first completed Judy Niemeyer quilt. I have another one in the closet that I needs a border...it's been in there for a very long time. Story of my life....

Also, with these fabrics, I get to make up a store sample for a future class...classic red and white.

And, this is my new stash pick....so excited about this one. This project is actually almost done. I hope to be sharing this one with you soon.

By the way, yes, wedding invitations are done and in the mail. My 27 year old son will be marrying his childhood sweetheart in July in Belgium. They have been dating for nine years....his first love! Sadly, he will be moving to Belgium, but I comfort myself with the thought that it's a beautiful place to visit.

Friday, the 13th

"Paraskevidekatriaphobics — people afflicted with a morbid, irrational fear of Friday the 13th" Seriously, who comes up with these names??? 

I often wonder how these crazy things come to be. Who first decided that there was a stigma attached to the number 13 or the 6th day of the week? For those of you who struggle with Friday the 13th, apparently there will be three occurrences of this day in 2012: One in January, today, and one in July. They are each exactly 13 weeks apart.....weird!

I recently joined the Block Swap Adventure, a fun way to meet others quilters around the world. Each month, you are assigned a swap partner, and you each make a 12" block for the other. You pick the design you want and the colors. So, my first partner lives in Oregon. She asked for this block, and her favorite colors are black and red...

Since I had some more fabric, I made her another one for fun...

I finished the ribbon quilt for my friend. After adding the Paintstik blocks, I wondered if I had made a bad decision. Maybe I have to live with it for a bit. The colors were so much fun to work with.

When I look at the center, I really feel like I'm in a planetarium. 

As for Friday the 13th, for me it's just another day. However, Fridays generally are a wonderful reminder that the weekend is coming.