Your Help Needed

This is a part of a challenge quilt I'm working on in a contest being run by my guild. I'll go into great detail about all the rules and show the finished piece when it's done, but for now, I need advice.  One of the rules is that you use wood, plastic, or metal on your piece. I've got a bunch of wonderful color-coordinated buttons in all the colors that are on this quilt (it's a mini). Should I put those buttons ON the patches where the X's intersect?  Or should I put them on the white sashings where they intersect (and thus cover up some un-matched seams)?  My original intent was to put them on the sashing - sort of like cornerstones - and then I wouldn't have to worry about those seams. 

What do you think?

9-Patch HSTs

This is a technique I learned from Karen Combs' book Combing Through Your Stash. You make 9-patch blocks that are  half light and half dark, and look like giant HSTs. You then can make any block pattern that calls for HSTs. This top is about 35" square - and is made up of 384 2" squares plus 108 HSTs.

Bumblebeans 15 Minutes Play Color Challenge

Over on the 15 Minutes Play blog, we've been doing a color challenge. Every week Victoria posts a color and we a) find some coordinating fabric, b) "make" fabric using the pieces we found, and c) make a block that we then share with the group on the blog. I've been making two blocks for each color - a 12.5" block and a 6.5" one. It's allowed me to use some more of my accumulated scraps.

Here are my blocks so far:

Mauve 12.5"

Mauve 6.5"

Ochre 12.5"

Ochre 6.5"

Avocado 12.5"

Avocado 6.5"

Peach 12.5"

Peach 6.5"

Yellow 12.5"

Yellow 6.5"

Orange 12.5"

Orange 6.5"

Dusty Blue 12.5"

Dusty Blue 6.5"

Rust 12.5"

Rust 6.5"

More Sow-Along Blocks

Sow-Along blocks for the second Wednesday of May:

Yankee Puzzle

Aunt Sukey's Choice

Road to Fortune

Curved Batik Rails Quilt

I won the blocks for this in the Block Lotto - and made the quilt for my daughter Theresa. She's a very warm-blooded person - sensitive to the cold. Any time she comes to visit she complains about how cold it is in the house. She also likes to stay warm at home - and says she'll use this quilt when she's studying and watching TV. I used flannel for both the backing and "batting," so it's quite cozy. It's quilted by Cathy Kreter, who is in my guild.

HST Blocks of the Month

Jeni at In Color Order has been doing a Block of the Month in which all of the blocks are made of HSTs. Last week I got caught up. I'm doing 6.5" blocks instead of the 12.5" ones Jeni is doing, since I had some fat quarters in my stash I wanted to use.

January - Sawtooth Star variation

February

March

April

May

Books for my mother for Mother's Day

 

My mother is an avid book reader - she's nuts about books. Nearly every room in her house is floor to ceiling with books. Most of the time, when I need to get her a gift, I get her a gift card to Barnes & Noble. But when I saw this cute tutorial on Elizabeth's website, I knew I'd have to make her this quilt for Mother's Day. 

The book titles are all from selvedges I've been collecting the past couple of years.

I've already talked to Mom - she LOVES it!

Sowing Along!

I've also been using my time to catch up with Randy's Sow-Along.  It's the only project that I'm using 30s reproduction fabrics on - I really am starting to enjoy the bright, modern fabrics that are so popular. I just placed another order for more - it really is an addiction, isn't it?!

Dutchman's Puzzle

Sawtooth Star

Milky Way

Hooker's Hot Patch

name unknown

Birds in the Air

Fruit Basket

Union Square

Battlegrounds

Battlegrounds variation

Modern Monday/Traditional Tuesday - caught up (for now)

I've been enjoying some nice days in my sewing studio. I may have mentioned in an earlier post that I'm doing some substitute teaching with the district from which I recently retired; I like to work 2-3 days a week and spend the other days in my sewing room. Last week I worked Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so I got to sew Tuesday, Thursday, and today.

I am now current on the Modern Monday/Traditional Tuesday blocks from Jenifer's 42 Quilts. While Jenifer is starting to put them in rows and sew them together, I'm going to wait until all of them are done and lay them out the way that looks best. I might make some smaller quilts - I haven't decided.

Modern Monday Week 31 - No Name Block

Modern Monday Week 32 - Double Pinwheel

Modern Monday Week 33 - Illinois Road

Traditional Tuesday Week 31 - No Name Block

Traditional Tuesday Week 32 - Double Pinwheel

Traditional Tuesday Week 33 - Illinois Road

Assorted blocks and quilts to show:

Ribbon Star for Sue S - Stash Bee

Mini Quilt and gifts from Teresa in Scotland for STUD (Swap Till You Drop)

Mini from Teresa in Scotland

Hatch and Windows quilt top

The Hatch and Windows is a top I made as part of the MysteryQuilts4Military Yahoo Group. About 80% of the fabric was given to me by a friend. I added only some black. The top has been donated to my guild's community service program.

Completed quilt for Home of the Brave Quilt Project

received from Maureen C - Quilters' Board Monthly Bee

Bloggers' BOM - Month 8 - Triangle Squares

"Another Star" from Sue S in Australia for Block Swap Adventure

May blocks for Lynn for Stash Bee

Storm at Sea for Sami - Block Swap Adventure

Pieceful Kwilter SAL 2012 - Part 3, Step 1 - Pregnant Star

Pieceful Kwilter SAL 2012 - Part 3, Step 2 - Pinwheels

6 Hot-Crossed 9 Patches in plaid - the April blocks for Block Lotto

So yes, I've been very busy - though I could have even been busier!  About a month ago, we decided that we needed a little extra cash since we wanted to go to Colorado for the late summer and early fall, AND go to our son's wedding in New York in October. So, I'm subbing with the district from which I just retired, and I try to get 2 or 3 days a week. I miss my swimming and water aerobics, but I really need to do this. I now cherish those days I'm not subbing, and spend them in my sewing room.