Quilt as you go

There is something satisfying about quilting as you go. It is quite gratifying - you get the beautiful straight line quilting without having to wrestle your quilt through the sewing machine.

To be fair, my experience with this type of thing is somewhat limited. I like to make quilts with all sorts of designs, not just log cabins, but after making these blocks for the do.good stitches bee I almost couldn't stop. If only I didn't have school I would've made them all day long!

This is like instant gratification. Or at least almost instant.

Low Volume Stars!

Last month for the do.good stitches bee, we were asked to make wonky stars in bright colors with low volume prints for the background. I was so excited to make this block -- I LOVE low volume prints. Of course I don't have very many in my stash at the moment but that was okay since it gave me a chance to visit my local quilt shop where I picked up these beauties:

I am especially fond of the prints from the architextures line (2nd & 4th from the bottom) as well as my sparkly one on the bottom. With these new beauties in hand, I set to work on my wonky stars right away. 

I love how they turned out and think a quilt with bright bold stars and low volume prints needs to be in my future.

Scrappy Trip Along Bee Blocks

Have you heard about the scrappy trip along blocks that were all the craze a few months ago? There is an awesome tutorial here you can follow if you'd like to join in. I wanted to be part of the "cool crowd" a few months ago when I first saw these blocks popping up on flickr and instagram...but convinced myself I didn't have time to start a new project.

Fast forward to March and the ever so talented Kelly (who has an awesome blog - check it out) picked this block for the Do.Good.Stitches circle I am a part of. I got to make a few scrappy trip along blocks AND sew for charity. Awesome, win-win for me!

I highly suggest you take a few moments and whip up a few of these beauties yourself, they don't take a lot of time and the beauty is you can use scraps if you so desire.

Spending a few minutes with my sewing machine

This past weekend I was lucky enough to get to sit down and spend some quality time with Nina (my sewing machine). It was so nice to catch up with her after almost a month of no sewing!

First up on my list of projects to finish were these lovely bee blocks for the Quilts for Cancer bee I am a part of on flickr.

Michelle asked for these bow tie blocks to make a quilt for her husband's aunt who is dealing with both lung and breast cancer. She asked for us to use 30's reproduction fabrics, which were a little bit outside of my comfort zone.

Luckily, I had a few leftover scraps from when I made this baby quilt for my dear friend awhile back.

I've really enjoyed being part of the Quilts for Cancer bee. It is so uplifting to be able to make quilt blocks that I know are going towards a quilt to help someone feel love during such an incredibly difficult time of their lives. This is the final month for that bee, and I am a bit sad to see it end -- although with everything I have on my plate at the moment, I can certainly do with participating in less bees this year. 

Finishing up on some bee blocks

It is almost December and I've been itching to do some holiday sewing, but I needed to finish some of my other sewing commitments first. So I sat down yesterday and whipped up a few bee blocks.

These blocks are for the cancer bee I am a part of on Flickr. It is a really friendly and talented group of ladies who each month work together to create a quilt for someone afflicted with cancer. This month, Deb of Trio Stitch Studios, asked us to make some improv blocks for a quilt for her brother-in-law. I really enjoyed making these blocks...and can't wait to see what the quilt looks like all put together.

Finally, Aprel requested these lovely blocks for her month of do.good stitches in rich golds and grays. At first I was a bit apprehensive of making them because they looked a bit complicated -- the texture is just so gorgeous. Luckily for me though these blocks were super easy to make. Here is the tutorial, should you decide to whip up a few for yourself.

I'm glad to finally finish these blocks and get a little closer to some holiday sewing. =)

3x6 Hexagon Blocks

I am one of the queen bees of the 3x6 Bee, which is hosted on flickr. It's a fun group of people and this weekend I managed to finish up some paper pieced blocks for my hive.

Originally, I had created a block to make, but due to time restraints decided at the last minute to find a pattern that was already created and had significantly less pieces. I chose the Snow Cristal block by Shape Moth which is available for free here. They were very easy to make and I loved that it allowed me to use up a lot of my scraps.

I liked that this pattern allowed me to create a lot of variety within each block. Are you a fan of paper piecing?

Summer bee blocks

One of the best things about the online quilting world is participating in quilting bees. Often times you get to work with fabrics that you haven't used before and make blocks that you might not have originally given a second chance.

Anywho, here is a round up of recent blocks I've made:

do.good.stitches 

For August, Kelly, who blogs over at Thinking Out Loud, requested these adorable wonky butterfly blocks in bright summery colors. They were a breeze to make and I think they will make a quilt that is sure to bring joy to a child in need.

Then, way back in July (eep) Thea asked for blocks featuring half square triangles. I really liked the idea that she had to make 2 different quilts - one for a boy and one for a girl. The colors she chose are also are fresh and modern. I love Thea's design sense. Anyway, here are the 2 blocks I made:

Quilts for Cancer Bee

Denise asked for Improv Chevron blocks inspired by Red Pepper Quilts. At first I found this block a bit difficult, although that could be because I didn't have a lot of giant scraps to use. Anyway, I think the blocks turned out beautiful and I can't wait to see what the quilt looks like when it is finished. I highly recommend everyone try the tutorial, which is found here.

April Bee Blocks

These past few weeks have been full of catching up on my sewing bees. I really enjoy participating in sewing bees because it gives me a chance to create something I might not have otherwise created. If you haven't participated in a sewing bee, I highly recommend it as a way to stretch your creativity and make some new friends!

Cancer Bee:

For the cancer bee this past month, Nancy asked for some Ohio Star blocks. I've never made these before, but I enjoyed working on this more traditional block. Everything about this block was a bit of a stretch for me, including the color choice...blues and yellows. I learned that my stash needs to include more yellow for sure! =)  But I can't wait to see her quilt all completed.

Do. Good Stitches Bee

For April, Evelyn asked us to make cross blocks with bright primary colors. These blocks were a breeze to put together and I can't believe I had not made them before. I think this cheerful and colorful quilt with brighten up a child's day for sure.

Sew Bee Blissful

For April Caroline sent out a stack of gorgeous and calming fabrics that she asked to be made into these blocks featuring half square triangles. This is one of my favorite blocks of all time and I need to add it to my list of quilts to make.