Block of the Month and Quilt Along Updates

I’m guessing this will be the last ‘dramatic’ Block of the Month and Quilt Along updates for awhile.  Apple season is going to be kicking it into full gear here and my sewing time will be cut quite a bit.  Regardless – I’m really excited to show off my progress I’ve made in the last couple of weeks.  I analyze a lot in the following post so I am going to apologize ahead for my long-windedness 😉

Free Spirit & Rowan Christmas in July Block-a-thon Update

In previous posts I showed you:

Block 1 –  ‘Tinsel from Fiberosity’ but already since then – three more block designs have come out!
Block 2 – ‘Through the Window’ from Pat Sloan
Block 3 – Wrap it Up from Melanie Dramatic
Block 4 – from Pam Kitty Morning
Block 5 – Kelsey Creates
Block 6 – Swim Bike Quilt
Block 7 – Persimon Dreams
Block 8 – Saskirana
Block 9 – QuiltJane

Bock 10 –  Kristy Daum

Block 11 – Kristy Daum

Block 12 – Fat Quarter Shop

Now let’s take a look at the new blocks I’ve created since then…

Block 13 –  Freshly Pieced

Block 14 – MJ and Co

Block 15 – Quilting Gallery

Block 16 – Free Patchwork Quilt Info

I have to admit…I didn’t make this one.  I just didn’t feel that i had the time or patience to challenge myself at this point.  I do intend to come back and make the block and then maybe make a mug rug or something from it.  Block 17 – Tacha at Fat Quarterly

I forgot to photo this block separately…sorry for the blurriness caused by the cropping. 

Block 18 – Canoe Ridge Creations I liked this block so much – simple but so effective, that I made it twice – in two color ways.  My colored fabric as the ‘candy’ and my black and white fabric as the ‘candy’.

Block 19 – Fat Quarter Shop

The blocks are done – now let’s put it all together!   Of course, I didn’t take a picture of my blocks all pieced together pre-border so I did a little cropping to try to give you the gist of what it looked like. It was really fun.  I had a great time putting together all the fun random blocks for 

I was really loving how my blocks pieced together but it was sort of an awkward size – not big enough for a lap quilt but probably too big for a wall hanging.  It was time to add borders.  I’ll be the first to admit – I hate putting on borders – probably my least favorite part of quilting (I’m still trying to convince Diane that I should make the quilt centers and then she could take and add some of her amazingly awesome borders to them….hasn’t worked yet).  But, I’ll also be the first to admit that borders can make such an incredible difference to a quilt.  Once I added the borders you see above I feel like my quilt went from cool – to Amazing!  I’m beyond happy with how it came together.

It’s already on it’s way to Barb for her to do her quilting magic on it.  I’m amazed that I got it all together as fast as I did!  Next time I show it to you – it will be finished!

2012 8-inch Sampler Quilt from all different Quilt Along’s, Block’s of the Months, and my Own Ideas! – 60 blocks made!

I sort of think I need to go and count my blocks…I really think I made more than 2 new blocks since the last time I posted…hmmm…  Anyway – How cool is this looking!?  I’m having such an amazing time working on these blocks.  I love the different challenges each quilt along has given me.

I will be the first to tell you – piecing is not my specialty.  I have learned so much about piecing just taking the time to do these blocks and I really feel that my piecing skills have improved drastically.  I can now look at most blocks and their instructions and either agree that, “Yes, this is the best way for me to put it together.” or say, “Nope – I need to do it a different way.  For anyone out there reading this that is just starting to quilt or has gone more of the way of art quilting I STRONGLY recommend trying some quilt alongs.  You never know what you’re going to learn and what you can create from it.

Anyway – I’ll get off my soap box now and I’ll get on to just showing you my progress.

I have two of every block made for the Blogger’s BOM!  And I just realized tomorrow’s the 25th so a new block will be coming out.  Hmmm…maybe I should have waited to update until Monday.  Oh well.

I haven’t done any more blocks for the Crumb Along….but I haven’t given up on them (I LOVE them).  And I had an extra four square from one of the Beginnger’s Quilt Along Blocks I made just made so I plan to crumb it up to add to these blocks.

I still only have the sole Mariner’s Compass Block done from the aid of Chris Lynn Kirsch’s class and her new self-published book, Compass Capers.

Can you find the two ‘Spinning Nine’ Blocks I made for my quilt?

I finished the 10 blocks from the New York Beauty Quilt Along! I was definitely getting the hang of these by the end BUT I definitely think I’m going to keep at just 1 each for this quilt – but boy – do I LOVE them and how they are going to add so much to this quilt.

58 blocks so far…and still counting (I put two in twice to fill up the mosaic…)!  Hmm…I wonder how big this is going to get?

I am ‘tweaking’ the ‘Beginner’s Quilt Along’ that’s starting up at the Quilting Gallery to make the 12” block designs work in my 8-inch sampler.  Many of these I’m doing more of the ‘crumb’ style – it’s fun and low stress.  I have almost 2 of all the blocks made and then there’s still one more block that I believe will be posted next week.

You can see what everyone else’s blocks look like:

• Quilter’s BOM look like in the flickr group:http://www.flickr.com/groups/bloggersbom/pool/with/6789066490/
• and for the New York Beauty Quilt Along in this flickr group:
• http://www.flickr.com/groups/1900096@N20/
• the Crumb Along: http://www.flickr.com/groups/1722689@N25/
• the Beginner’s Quilt Along:  http://www.flickr.com/groups/beginners-quilt-along/

Fabric Fascination Block of the Month Update

Sometime’s BOM’s are nice to just have the fabric all sent already precut for you – and that’s exactly what I’m doing with FabricFascination’s.   It’s been a very therapeutic project with very low stress – yet a feeling of accomplishment when you finish your block each month.

• Overview of the Block of the Month Club
• Block of the Month Pre-Cut Kits
• Block 8 Blog Post
• Block 8 – Pre-Cut Kit

Craftsy Block of the Month Update

16 blocks are complete for the Craftsy Block of the Month!

I had an interesting time with the star blocks.  I really realized with these just how important color value is!

I did the first block twice.  The first time I tried it (top picture) you can barely see the star effect.  When I switched the location of the red and turquoise prints – what a big difference!

I like how my second start came out but…if I would have once again, switched my red triangles with my turquoise triangles a more dramatic star would have been achieved.

September’s lesson is curved piecing…things could get interesting…

And here’s the Craftsy Block of the Month Flickr Group if you want to see what others’ looks like:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/craftsyblockofthemonth/

 

And that’s all for this edition of the BOM and QAL update!

Which one that I’m doing that you like best?  Are you working on a great quilt along that I need to join in on?