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.

Sibling stars and ugly fabric

Today I tackled part 2 of the Pieceful Quilter's Quilt-Along - four "sibling stars." Shannon calls them that since there are two in each block.

I decided to try to use some of my "ugly" fabric - and yes, I know " ugly" is in the eye of the beholder. But my tastes have changed over the 5 years I've been sewing, and there are fabrics in my stash I just can't bear to use, and can't bear to throw out. So I tried to use some of them today. 

After making two blocks, I sat back and said, "Even the blocks are ugly now."  The rectangles not only clashed with the stars, they made the stars ugly. I decided to replace the rectangles with fabric that either matched one of the stars or matched the rest of the background - it depended on how much of it I had left.

Here are two "before and afters:"

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

Here are the other two blocks for this part:

A few more things I've been working on

 String blocks. I finished the first top the other day, and decided that my string boxes and bags were overstuffed - so I needed to make some room. In one afternoon I made 20 blocks. These are 6.5" - the ones in the first top were 5.5" (I used a larger phone book this time).

 Six blocks from the Sylvia's Bridal Sampler (Elm Creek Quilts).  This makes 10. Top row, L-R: Sarah's Choice, Dutchman's Puzzle, and Chicago Pavements. Bottom row, L-R: 54-40 or Fight, Mother's Delight, and Churn Dash.

The Farmer's Wife Sow-Along is now called Barrister's Sow-Along. If you want to know why the change, go here.  But we're doing blocks that are in the public domain, so there will be no problems. I have the Farmer's Wife book anyway - and am enjoying doing these in those 30's repro fabrics. 

Here are the three for this week:

Broken Dishes

Basket (I used large ric-rac for the handle)

Churn Dash

Shannon, the Pieceful Kwilter, also has a quilt-along going on her blog. Today I finally got around to doing part 1:

Zig-Zag Star

3 6" Friendship Stars