Coast to Coast Traveling Quilt Bee

I've mentioned the Coast to Coast Traveling Quilt Bee a couple of times, and today I'm excited to share more about this project with you. Earlier this year, my quilting sensei, K, and I were discussing how fun traveling bees are, and that turned into some discussion about starting one, and before I knew it, C2C was born, six ladies (myself included) were excited to be a part of it, and we'll commence January 1!

If you're unfamiliar with the concept of a traveling quilt bee, the long and short of it is, we'll each start our own quilt, then mail it off to the next person in line. Each person in the bee adds on to it and mails it to the person after them, and in the end, each quilt will be worked on by six individuals and return to the person who started it. Fun, right?

I had the hardest time settling on a fabric pull for this quilt. I originally used Katarina Roccella's Avant Garde collection as a starting off point--specifically her Steps Above Print in Prism--and had planned to do a super bright bit of fun. But it was never quite right. I subtracted prints, I added prints, I shopped around for other prints, but nothing was right. And then, the my pull-in-progress was sitting next to a Tula Pink print from her Acacia line--the raccoons on tan fabric--and that looked divine, and I added fabrics that finally felt right, but then I had no idea what to do! Finally, I axed the raccoons and started cutting strips of my fabrics.

There was a lot of weird cutting, and when I got to this point, I pretty much knew I'd either love the finished result or hate it. There was not going to be any middle ground. I was all kinds of nervous.

Here's where I landed. Friends, I'm in LOVE with this. Like, wanna go to the chapel and get married kind of LOVE. Y'all may know I'm a super huge fan of Rebecca Bryan's Modern Rainbow book, and I'm slowly working on making every quilt from that book. Well, this is my go at her Wavelength quilt. I ADORE that quilt. I seriously want a super big version too, but I felt that starting off with a smaller version was a smart idea as I wanted to make sure I had grasped the improv piecing properly.

I need to write up some notes and whatnot, but after that, I'll be sending this off to Chelsea. And come January 1, I'll start work on Alison's. I am ALL SORTS of excited for this bee, as I know it's going to be splendid and amazing and awesome all packed into six quilts.

Have you ever been in a traveling quilt bee?

Improv-y August Bee Block

For this month's Stash Bee block, I was assigned an improv-y/modern block for a sampler quilt in beachy colors. The color palette was interesting and something I hadn't seen before. It was also composed of a bunch of colors I don't regularly use! I searched through my stash and scrap bags, and culled this mountain of scraps.

Our queen bee had recommended 42 Quilts' Modern Monday series for inspiration, and inspired I was! It was actually difficult to nail down a design. At first, I leaned toward a wonky string block, but I didn't have long enough strings to work with, so I opted to go with block 61, though my interpretation is...a bit loose.

In my hunt for fabric, I discovered this square-in-a-square block. It included the infamous touch of rust, which had me stumped. (100 points to me for finding a way to sneak it in?? Oh, I think so.)

Remember that mountain of scraps from the first photo? Yeah, this is ALL that's left. Not even kidding. It makes me giddy to see all of that fabric being used. Hooray! I am always so nervous with improv requests, but then I get started, and it all comes together. It's even gotten to the point where I'm not stressed out when piecing them. (Thank goodness.) Of course, it helps that this is only a 15" finished block and not an entire quilt, but still! I'm happy to be stretched in my quilting hobby.

Happy Wednesday, Friends! My Wednesday is NOT super happy, but only because I thought I had enough border fabric, and I *actually* started attaching borders and got three on before I realized I need one more 3.5" strip, so it looks like I'll be ordering fabric. I SUPPOSE I'll have to add a few more things to my cart to justify shipping costs...like maybe some more knits and fun prints for Vanilla clothes? If I must. Oh, the sacrifices I make for you, quilting hobby!

FF: Frozen Watermelon, Part 2

This is Frozen Watermelon in all its pink and green glory! (If you caught my post from yesterday, you'll have seen the finishing touches that were put on this quilt, including my work to fix a seam that busted in the wash.) This quilt was originally made because I had a couple of orphan paper pieced star blocks for which I was eager to find a home. I opted to do some improv business, a process that originally terrified and annoyed me, and I am slowly finding that I enjoy it. In fact, if I haven't pieced in this fashion for awhile, I start to crave it. It's a puzzle, and I'm learning to let go of the stress and the voice that says it won't come together.

I quilted this baby with 60 degree diamonds in hot pink thread because I COULD. And that was so powerful to me. Since this quilt doesn't have a specific recipient--it's Project Linus bound--I felt free to do whatever I liked. (And it was so much fun!)

The binding was a fun green and white stripe from my grandma's stash, which I attached by machine. I prefer the finished look of handstitched binding, but with FIVE BABY QUILTS on my to-do list, ain't no one got time for handstitching perfection in this casa.

I pieced the backing using these two pink fabrics. They're old--1979 for the pink solid!--but they washed up super soft and cuddly. Overall, this is a soft, comfy quilt that measures around 48" x 59", and I'm excited to drop it off for Project Linus. Added bonus, it's another finish from my FAL list! I'm hoping to knock one more finish off before the final link-up. I'm close! But like I said before, FIVE BABY QUILTS. I think that's the most I've ever had at one time! And while I have started cutting fabric for one, the other four are in the planning stages. I'm tired just thinking about it. But on I go!

Have a lovely Friday!

FF: Frozen Watermelon, Part 1

I basted my Frozen Watermelon quilt top a little over a week ago, and I made quick process finishing that puppy off. (This makes complete sense now that it is warming up and the flowers are blooming, right???)

I was assisted in my quilting efforts by Boy #3. He had lots of fun trying to pull on the quilt. It was SUPER FUN.

You can see better in the photo below, but I used a hot pink thread. I wanted this quilt to use all my hot pink skillz.

For binding, I used a green and white stripe from my grandma's fabric stash. I also used fabric from her stash for the back. I love this stripe, and I'm pretty excited I have more of it. It seemed like such a fitting way to tie off this quilt.

The quilting zoomed by, and I was so excited to throw this quilt in the wash. AND THEN. Oh, friends. I am seemingly having some bad quilting luck lately. This is the second quilt IN A ROW that I've experienced trouble during the first wash. My Daddy's quilt had dye stains, and now this? UGH. The seam appears to have frayed.

Thanks to the lovely IG community, I had several recommendations for how to fix this baby. I tried fray check, then discreetly fixing the seam, but I couldn't find a way to make it look perfecto. So, I opted for a heart-shaped bit of applique. After finishing the applique, I crossed my fingers and washed the quilt a second time. This time, everything looked perfect! Though I will admit to being nervous when I first pulled it out of the dryer.

I'll have more photos of the actual finish tomorrow!

Q1 FAL List 2016

Can I add about twelve exclamation points to this post's title! O to the M to the G, I am so excited to be starting off 2016 with another delicious FAL list into which to sink my teeth. Can you feel my excitement? Better yet, do you share it?

1. Frozen Watermelon Quilt
Top done, needs to be basted, quilted, bound
DONE

2. Dad's Star Quilt
DONE
Top done, needs to be basted, quilted, bound

3. Negroni shirt for husband
THIS IS SHAMEFUL. I have done NOTHING. (Mostly because I'm terrified.)

4. Hot Pink Socks
One sock is knitted; need to start and complete the second

5. Midnight Mystery Quilt

Blocks are done; need to finish assembling top, baste, quilt, bind

6. 241 Tote for Kim

Pieces are cut
DONE

7. 241 Tote for Me
Planning to use some C+S and other prints; materials gathered

8. Dress for Me
By Hand London's Anna pattern; delicious yummy voile from Fancy Tiger Crafts

I'm linking up! Are you? 

QIP: Frozen Watermelon

My Monday was shaping up to be a rather normal day until I read this post by Kim from Leland Ave Studios. She had marvelous success combining a bunch of old projects into one, and I'm reading her post thinking, I have some old stuff hanging around. I could do that. (Maybe.)

You may recall, I tried to use these blocks in another improv project. But the more I worked on that project, the longer I realized it didn't want to be friends with those blocks, so the entire quilt top was made without a single orphan block.

Sheer determination just may have carried me through this project. I was going to use those blocks, so help me. (And I did! Yay!) I'm calling this one Frozen Watermelon since the temperatures have finally dropped out of the weird mid-60s that pervaded much of my December. (I hate cold. I hate snow. So you know when I think it's too warm in December that it's really, really too warm.)

This quilt measures 40ish by 50ish inches. I never felt like those star blocks were very me, so I dropped that project. This feels much more Audrey. And now that they've been used, I could maybe talk myself into trying the paper pieced star project again, but this time using fabrics more up my alley.

I have no idea how I'm going to quilt this baby. Oh, who am I kidding? I'll probably quilt it in straight lines on the diagonal because that's what I always do! But maybe in a pale pink thread?

I'm thrilled with this quilt top, not because it's my new favorite, but because it's the first time I did a large scale improv project and didn't stress out. I didn't throw anything or have to step away because I was getting too frustrated. It just happened, making me think that maybe, just maybe, pushing myself outside of my comfort zones has been a good thing. 

I'm linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced!

FF: A Blue? Baby Quilt Top.

These blue strings...

...transformed into blue log cabins...

...which transformed into this blue(?) log cabin quilt top.

Friends, blue log cabins on a white background seemed a little...safe. So when my quilting sensei recommended a PEACH background, I didn't really know what to think about that. Except, the idea got under my skin in a good way, and I went for it.

Peach? Yes, please.

This quilt is a much smaller version of the Bubbles quilt from Modern Rainbow. (If y'all don't know, I'm hoping to make every single quilt from that book. It's admittedly going to take a while.) I already have a backing picked out for this one and a quilting idea in mind, so hopefully I'll get this wrinkly quilt top basted shortly.

And NEXT WEEK, I hope to have my favoritest quilty finish ever to share with you. Stay tuned.

Improv-y Quilt Top

A week or so ago, I was digging through my stalled projects container, and I realized that almost all of my stalled projects were star blocks. I had this *brilliant* idea. Why not throw them all together in one improv-y quilt? Maybe make a few more star blocks and utilize some negative space. I'm a genius, right?

Then I made these triangles as practice for another project, and I figured I could throw them in too.

Except...

I almost immediately axed all of the star blocks in favor of triangle and strippy goodness. I pulled out some random fabric and my stack of white scraps and started piecing free form triangles. I added strips that I had lying around. I dug into my scrap bin and pulled out other pieces to fit.

And in the end, it looked nothing like I expected it to. There were no stars. There is a random strip of corduroy. But I kind of dig it anyway. Oh, sure, there are parts I don't like, and assembling it was practically a nightmare. I used a couple of guitar boxes as a make-shift design wall, and stuck things up with painter's tape. Then, I had to sew like a madwoman to get everything put together before my boys started yanking things off. The whites are from various peeps, so they are slightly different colors. But it's done. Best of all, I wanted to make three quilts for Project Linus this year, and this will make number three when it's complete, so that's very exciting.

The free form triangles are my favorite part. I had so much fun making them. It was also super amusing to see my super orderly husband take in this quilt. He loves everything to have symmetry and order, so this really threw him for a loop. He kept looking at it and couldn't find anything nice to say, which I thought was absolutely hilarious. I told him I was totally making him a quilt like this one, and it took him a beat before he realized I was joking. My poor husband. That man has to put up with all of my shenanigans.

I'd like to thank my middle child for taking an uncharacteristic nap so that I could finish this. The baby was sleeping too, and my oldest chose to put together some puzzles. (YES.) Of course, my kitchen had to sacrifice, and there are dishes waiting for me, but it was totally worth it.

WIP: Sewing Day Progress.

Last week, Mr. Audrey took the kidlets on a last minute road trip to see family. Since I am more than a little pregnant, and a long car trip sounded like a horror of horrors, I stayed behind and attempted a sewing vacation. Of course, Agatha had a small problem, but that was quickly solved, and I tackled a few projects that had been lingering.

Gypsy Wife blocks for June.

When I cut my rectangles for my HRTs, I wasn't thinking properly, and I didn't cut them right. Hence, a weird looking Crazy Anne block. Getting those HRTs to look pretty was also a major pain in the you-know-what, and I figure that even if I re-cut the HRTs, it still wouldn't turn out well, so I left it. Yep, laziness to the extreme. But my reasoning is that this quilt is for me, I don't care, and it probably won't be noticed in the final project. Or, peeps will totally think I did it intentionally. Because I did! Yep, totally.

It's odd. Some mistakes totally bother me, and some I shrug off and tell myself will add character. How does that work out? 

I finished my Stash Bee block for June for Carly, who requested an improv squares and rectangles block with a square of coral somewhere in the mix. That is the only piece of coral colored fabric I had in my entire stash. Only piece. (Thankfully it was big enough!) When I finish making an improv block, I'm always so happy I made another one. Improv is a stretch for me, and it takes me a long time because I think I overthink it. But stretching myself is good, even if I still can't get comfortable cutting wonky fabric! (In my defense, I really tried! I didn't use a ruler when I cut, but even still, it appears as though I got into a mode and cut mostly straight lines.) I'm really excited to see this finished quilt because Carly is responsible for my all-time favorite improv quilt (which was also a bee quilt!) so I know great things will happen.

And I finished the last few borders of Fava's quilt, so the top is complete! Mr. Audrey has promised to help me baste it this weekend--and I'm going to try and talk him into pressing my binding for me, woo!--and then, to quilt it. But I'll have more on this one for this week's TGIFF.

I had hoped to get a head start on my July GW blocks or get some more City Sampler blocks done, but I'm content with what I did get finished. I'm linking up today with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced. See you over there!

FQB: Anna's Quilt.

Business first: I owe y'all a Gypsy Wife Quilt Pattern winner! JoyceLM was the lucky peep to win this go around, and Joyce, I've contacted you for your mailing address. Thanks everyone for participating and helping me to celebrate my second blogiversary!

On to quilt goodness: I've finished up my work in the Fierce Quilters Bee for Anna's quilt, and I'm super stoked. I really really think her quilt is going to be stunning when it's done, eep!

This is what I started with: a yummy stack of fabric, and a delicious set of blocks that Anna made. Since it's still early in the process--I'm the first to work on Anna's--instead of using the blocks Anna sent, I chose make a bunch of new stuff. 

I made four stripes, each featuring one of the four main colors. The purple stripe is my fave, even though I had meant to do one thing and something else entirely different came out.

Then came some random stripe-y color thingie. (Very technical term there.)

And finally, a friendship stars wreath because I love friendship stars.

I really enjoyed working on this quilt. It's a color palette I've never personally explored, using a semi-improv-y style which is always an adventure for me, working with someone else's ideas and fabric, and it was a totally awesome experience. I can't wait to start work on the next round!

FF: Lito's Quilt.

My youngest son is a year and a half old. It's a little embarrassing that I had yet to make him anything quilty-wise, and with the cold weather storming in--seriously, it snowed last week--I decided I needed to finish his quilt for the car. Today, I'm introducing to you my finally finished scrappy log cabins, aka, my third finish from my Q4 2013 FAL list!

I kind of love this quilt.

Okay. I really love this quilt.

This quilt started with an alphabet panel, and I cut that up and made log cabins framed in whites and light grays. Then, came the scrappy prints! I pulled out all of my scraps, and if it was the necessary length, I sewed it on. So this quilt is super random.

The blocks themselves were a pain to put together. I have learned that improv-y stuff just stresses me out much too much, and instead of being fun and liberating, it almost induces panic attacks. So glad to be done. I'm glad I stuck it out and finished, but it'll be awhile before I pick up another project like this.

The quilting, on the other hand, was super easy. I did a cross grid with lines six inches apart. Minimal quilting, but I like it.

For the backing, I used a red Sketch flannel. I didn't know they made Sketch in flannel, but it is oh-so soft and cuddly. Since I could only fit twenty-five letters on the front, I included the last letter, "V", on the back. The binding is an orange DS Quilts print that I found on mucho sale at Joann's a few weeks ago.

I'm linking up today with TGIFF hosted by M-R at Quilt Matters and Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts. See you there!