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.

Some weekend sewing

In addition to all the boomerang blocks, which were done over the last 4-5 days, I did some other sewing:

New York Beauty Block 0

I've been thinking about participating in the New York Beauty Quilt-Along, but have only accomplished block Zero. We'll see if I do the rest. I'd like to, but who knows?

Traditonal Tuesday Week 25 - Pendants

I had some problems with this one. When I sewed together the original pieces, my block ended up the correct width (6.5") but was only 5.5" high. I had to add two pieces. Unfortunately, I was using directional fabric for the light green, and the misalignment shows. Oh well.  It's a learning experience.

Modern Monday Week 25 - Pendants

My daughter is going to a soccer tournament in Las Vegas next month, and she and her best friend will be doing some promenading on the Strip. She saw a little purse I'd made from a class I took at Road to California, and asked me to make one for her. This will go over her neck, so it's a little more secure than a handbag, and is just right for things like ID and cash. It's a little BB Bag by Tracey Brookshier. I'd received the Las Vegas fabric as a gift a couple years ago - finally a nice use for it.

Front has zipper pocket

Inside - pocket for cell phone, zipper pocket for cash/ID, 3rd pocket.

Outside - laid flat - yet another pocket on the back side under the roulette wheel.

Bloggers' BOM - Month 7

Sneak Peak

This last picture is a sneak peak of a mini I did for my STUD (Swap Till You Drop) Flickr group. I'll show the whole thing with a story after my partner has received it.

Bighorn Mini from Karen

I received this mini a couple of weeks ago - it's from Karen, my March-April partner in my Flickr STUD (Swap 'Til You Drop) group. Our theme this time was "My Favorite Things."  We made a list of 5 favorite things, and our partner was to pick one or more and make a quilt for that theme. Karen knew that I liked the "out of doors," and she also visited my Wanderlust blog. I've posted about bighorns several times - how they're such beautiful animals that represent the wildness and wilderness I love.  She made this wonderful mini of two clashing bighorns. It's hanging where I can see it as I sit in my recliner.  Isn't it lovely?

Calico Cat mini for Karen and a B for Brenda

This month's theme for STUD (Swap 'Til You Drop) is "My Favorite Things." We listed 5 of our favorite things and then our partner was to make a mini using one or more of them. Karen had "cats" on her list, and I had just seen how to do a liberated one in Gwen Marston's book Liberated Quilting.

I made a calico cat, and inserted a ribbon collar with a little metal tag hanging from it.





Next up was my first letter from Tonya Ricucci's book Word Play Quilts. Brenda, on her blog Scraps and Strings, asked for each reader to help her celebrate her birthday by making her a B. She'll put them together into a quilt--I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Here's the B I made for Brenda.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Love, Love, Love mini for S.T.U.D.

This mini is for Jody, who is my partner for this round in Swap Till You Drop (S.T.U.D.).  The theme was "Love, love, love."  This was my first attempt at a free-form, raw-edge mini.  I think I like doing these! 

Adorable Beach Scene!

In my STUD (Swap Till You Drop) Flickr group, the July-August theme was landscapes.  My partner, Lish, made me this wonderful beach scene.  It's paper-pieced, and just beautiful!

Mini Quilts for Swaps

I have a few minis to post from recent STUD swaps. First up is March.  We were assigned a letter and a partner; my partner was Deborah. She was given the letter "H," so she made me a cute heart mini.  It's about 5" square.  Adorable, isn't it?

I signed up for two swaps in April; the theme of the first was "Don't Be a Square!"  We were to make a quilt in any shape except for a square or rectangle.  I decided to make Katherine a tree, thinking it would be easy.  Well, making the quilt itself was easy. The binding was tough - since it had 6 reverse corners and 6 corners with very sharp angles.  It looks better in person than in the picture. 

Katherine sent me this adorable little seal - so cute!

The other theme was the usual "Anything Goes," and Rachel was my partner. I made her a New York Beauty, but can't find the picture I thought I took of it. In return, she made me this colorful mini she called "Chiclets." I have to let her know that I buy Chiclets by carton at the 99¢ Store, and only chew them when I'm quilting! I love the flavor (and the sugar rush).

January STUD received from Molly

The theme for January was Rainbows, so Molly chose to make her quilt with all the colors of the rainbow. This one is different from other quilts I've received in that the squares are on top of the white fabric, and are stitched over the top. This leaves ragged edges that make the quilt so unique.


My flicker group - Swap Til U Drop.

Mini received from Cindy

My January partner for the "anything goes" theme in STUD (Swap Til' You Drop) was Cindy from Texas. She made this delightful quilt - really unique fabric, don't you think? The little cog/wheel in the lower right hand corner is cut out and attached with velcro. She signed her name and the date around the edges of it.

Reverse

The package from Cindy included all kinds of goodies - a note pad, a bookmark, a cute quilt-themed card, and the fabric left over from making the quilt! I will have fun making another mini from that fabric.

Swap Received from Ryan

Ryan is also known as I'mjustaguywhoquilts in my Flickr swap group, Swap Till You Drop (STUD). We were partners for the "anything goes" theme, and he sent me this cool blue-green tree.




Take a look at the stars he embroidered, and the rays of quilting. This is a really nicely done quilt.

December STUD mini received

This is a mini I received from QuiltyBee, my partner for the "go green" theme for the December swap on STUD. She had read my blogs, and knew that I lived in the mountains and loved to travel in my trailer. The picture in the middle is of the back - and I wanted to show it because I live the fabric she used!

November STUD swap

This adorable little mini was from Kimmie, my partner for the November swap on STUD.




Included in the package were some post-it notes, chocolate, and some green rick-rack (which I forgot to put in the picture).


This is what I sent to Kimmie - it's Donna's Block by Carol Doak - all paper-pieced.

At least I remembered to put a border on it. Have you ever gotten into a series of mistakes - like forgetting to put borders on your minis before you quilted them? I did 5 in a row - finished the block, then made the sandwich, then quilted it, and THEN realized that it would really look a whole lot better with a border. I think that I've done it enough times now that I won't forget any more. But now I have 5 little unbordered minis that would make great potholders!

Minis sent out in swaps

This little quilt is for Kimmie, my November partner in the STUD (Swap Til You Drop) Flickr group. I used "Donna's Block" from the Carol Doak book 40 Bright and Bold Paper-Pieced Blocks.

This one went to Dee - who had sent the fabric as part of her package for me. I used some of the fabric and made her a second little mini. The block is #294 from Carol Doak's 300 Paper-Pieced Quilt Blocks.

Laura also sent fabric with her October mini - some orange with black spider webs. I used a little of that orange to make her this little witch, block # 89 from Carol Doak's 300 Paper-Pieced Quilt Blocks.

Raccoon Mini

(I forgot to take my own picture before I mailed it, so I've borrowed Laura's!)

This little raccoon was my second attempt - there are 6 different parts to put together, and it still doesn't look as good as the original. But he's still cute. The pattern is from Piece by Number's Etsy Shop. I think that when I make him again I'll add a border before I add the binding. I don't know why I didn't do that. I'm very proud of this little guy since it's was so intricate and time-consuming. I sent it to Laura for the Woodlands theme/October STUD swap.

Swaps Received - Wow!

I received from both partners this past week for the October mini-quilt swap. (We're in the Flickr group STUD -Swap Til You Drop!) First was the package from Dee - who included this adorable little doll-like guy who sits on the edge of my tv cabinet.




Her package also included a pincushion, a handmade card made by her nephew, some autumn-themed fabric, and a lovely New York Beauty mini-quilt.











Arriving the same day was this package from Laura, who sent me a mini-quilt for the "Woodlands" theme. See the cute owls? She also sent a sticky-note pad, a pencil pouch made from a recycled pretzel bag, and some Halloween-themed fabric and stickers.


I love the colors in this - and since it's woodlands-themed, it'll be going up in our trailer.

Thanks so much, Dee and Laura!!!!!