Tutorial - Woven Strings block

I was fiddling around on Pinterest the other day, and saw this quilt.  The artist calls it Ribbon Lattice. I really, really like that quilt.  Then last year there was a month in Stash Bee where the block we did was called Simply Woven (a Moda Bakeshop Pattern).   Here are the Simply Woven blocks I made for Stash Bee:

Now it's my month for Stash Bee in 2015, and I've edited a post from the last time around since I'd love to have more of the same blocks.

Please use  a SOLID WHITE background, that's truly white. Examples would be Kona White or Bella, but just make sure it's not cream, or even a light cream. For the strings, use bright colors, but no black.

I figured I could follow the steps in the Simply Woven tutorial but use 1" strips, and come up with a block to my liking.  So here we go, and I'll call this Woven Strings.

You'll need 1 9" square of background fabric, and 6 to 8 "strings" that are 1" wide and between 10" and 12" long.

1. Make a freehand slightly curved cut about 1 1/2 - 2" from the left side.

2. Add one of your strings. Press towards the dark.

3. Turn the square so that the first string is horizontally across the top. Make another cut - either slightly curved or straight. Try to mix them up.

4. Insert another strip.

5. Turn the fabric again so that the most recent string is at the bottom as shown.  Make another cut.

6. Insert another strip.

7. Keep going - you can make the strings closer together if you wish, to get 4 strings across instead of 3.

8. Keep going!

9. Another one!

10. (I cut before I took the photo...)

11. More...

12. Looks like I have room for yet another string.

13. So make another cut.

14. While this is the last one I inserted for this block, it's possible that you've cut yours close enough together that you can do four across and four down. I'd like any combination - 3 + 3, 3 + 4, or 4 + 4. 

15. Please do not trim the blocks - I'll trim them to the size I want when I get them.

Odds and ends

I've been catching up on BOMs and swaps.

 This is a little top called Charlotte - from the Book 3 Times Charmed. I used up some blue charms.

 Star of Hope  - made for Dawnelle - November block for Block Swap Adventure.  She asked for southwestern batiks, with the outside being dark and the inside being light.

 Simply Woven blocks - the November blocks for Alison - Stash Bee

 October Block for Sugar Block Club - Lucky Star

October Blocks for the Sisters 10 BOM.  The one on the left incorporates the label made specifically for this BOM.

A little of this and that

I haven't posted for a month - but have been super busy cranking out tops and blocks!  And earlier this week, I dropped off four tops to be quilted - so when those come back, I'll have four completed quilts to share. Here are some things I've been working on lately:

Spools blocks for guild BOM

"Boomers" - made for September Block Lotto

 The above block is a double four-patch. Bonnie Hunter made an entire quilt in greens and tans with this block here. I decided it would be a great way to use up my 1.5" squares.  (Bonnie's uses 2" squares for the smallest pieces; I used 1.5")

Here are four of the double-four patch blocks laid out. 

This top is called "Flower Boxes," from the book Scrap Basket Sensations. I donated it to my guild. 

Crayon Box block - October Block Swap Adventure - for Charlene

Crayon Box Block - October Block Swap Adventure - for Charlene

October blocks for Sew Bee Wonky

Stash Bee Hive #4 October blocks for Christy

Chaos Star - Lucky Stars BOM - October

Home! And starting to get caught up

I never did say in this blog where I was going for the summer - and now I'm back. I told all about it on Facebook and on my travel blog Wanderlust, so I guess I need to tell a little bit here. 

I was working in Yellowstone National Park.  I thought I'd try working for a summer while Don fished, and got hired at the General Store at Mammoth Hot Springs (at the north entrance). We took our trailer, and stayed at Yellowstone RV Park in Gardiner, Montana. At first, the job was fun. It was hard work - I was in the fountain, where we sold ice cream, drinks, and hot dogs. But for a variety of reasons, it became NOT fun after a while, and eventually I got to a point where I decided to leave 3 weeks early. The biggest reason is that I injured my index finger - nerve damage - and I NEED that index finger for my sewing.  (Sewing is much more important than a summer job.)

We left here May 5th, spent a couple weeks in the Sierras, and then I worked in Yellowstone from May 20 until August 18.  We got home Wednesday the 21st.  After a day of grocery shopping and unpacking and organizing, I finally got into my sewing room to sew today. I decided I needed to work on some "obligation" blocks.

Stash Bee Hive #4 August blocks for Chelsa

Ribbon Star - Block Swap Adventure August block for Agnes

July and August Spools - our guild's BOM

Improv solids blocks - July Sew Bee Wonky blocks for Suzy B

"Made fabric" - August Sew Bee Wonky - for Christine H

Blocks, blocks, blocks

Sisters' Ten Modern BOM - April Block - Lady of the Lake

Sisters' Ten Modern BOM - April Block - Lady of the Lake

Wonky Quarter Circle - Sew Bee Wonky April block for Manda

Wonky Quarter Circle - Sew Bee Wonky  April block for Manda

Lucky Stars BOM - April 12" block - Black Hole Star

Block Swap Adventure April Block - Ohio Star for Debra

Sugar Block Club BOM April Block - Sunny Days

Lucky Stars BOM - April 6" block - Black Hole Star

Stash Bee April Block - Christmas X for Carol S.

Back from Colorado - lots of mail, getting caught up on swaps

We got back from Colorado last Wednesday; I've been spending a lot of time in the kitchen and doing some shopping and getting organized. One of the things I needed to do was go through 3 months' worth of mail, which included some blocks from swaps.

First, I've gotten all the blocks now from Boomerang 7.0. 

from Christina C

from Susan C

from Ruth B

from Sara V

from Mikayla A

from Andrea S

from Carolyn R

Next, I have the Block Swap Adventure blocks I received for July and August.  I asked for bright-colored stars, traditional or wonky, on white solid or white on white.

July - Twisting Star from Kim B

August - from Susan P

 I then had to make a couple of blocks for Block Swap Adventure:

Double Quartet for Charlene S - October

Ohio Star for Agnes W in Ireland - September

Two more swap blocks:

Scrappy 9-Patch - Quilters' Board Monthly Bee - for Sandy C - October

for Jennie in Northumberland, UK - Stash Bee - October