Monthly Quilting

One of my goals for 2017 was to become more social with my quilting. Some of that is done in person, and in today's social media world, some of it is done by connecting with other quilters online. I decided to join in with various groups this year, two online bees, one LQS Saturday sampler, and several online QALs. The problem isn't finding places to join in...the problem is that there are so many great ones I want to do too many!

Anyway, I narrowed it down to just a few for now...although I'm sure that there will be more that I can't resist later this year!

This first one is a brick and mortar store in Edgewood, NM. Busy Bee Quilts is one of my favorite places to shop, and they host an annual Saturday Sampler where you show up to the shop on the first Saturday of the month for a 30 minute demo then you go home and make your blocks. As long as you bring the completed block back the next month, you pay only the initial fee. This year is a mystery sampler, and we had three choices of fabrics. I couldn't decide between the black and white prints and the Australian prints, so I'm making both!
 

Saturday Sampler blocks

The Stash Bee is an online bee that runs January through November. Each month a participant has a turn at being the Queen Bee that chooses a block and color scheme, then the participants in each Hive send a block. This is the January Hive 3 block, a modification of the bear paw.

Bear Paw block

The Bee Hive is the brainchild of Alyce at Blossom Heart Quilts. In this Bee, the participants choose from the patterns presented during the blog series, and each month they get sent to the Queen. January's queen choose an inverse of the Ripples block...I liked it so much that I made one for me too!

Inverse Ripples block for bee

Inverse Ripples block for me

And then the online Quilt A Longs...oh, all the fabulous quilt-a-longs! This is where narrowing the options down became difficult!

I enjoy paper piecing, although I am by no means an expert, so I thought that the Milky Way Sampler QAL being hosted by Alyce at Blossom Heart Quilts would be a great way to practice those skills. Each pattern may be downloaded for free in the current month, or you may purchase the pattern with all at once and get an additional medallion block. I'm choosing to do this one in various batiks, and I made two of the January block, Sirius.

Sirius in purple

Sirius in pink

Alida at TweloQ Designs is hosting an intriguing Growing Up QAL, if you look at the blocks, there are going to be many different techniques learned. The pattern is emailed to you each month for free, if you post a picture of the completed block from the prior month. I like the idea of stretching myself with all the techniques, so here is January's applique block.

Rose applique block

And then The Fat Quarter Shop is hosting the Patchwork QAL...five inch blocks!!! They are so cute and fast! This is a charity qal, and you are encouraged to make a small donation to Make A Wish with each months pattern, how neat is that? I'm out and out copying Melissa at Happy Quilting, and using the Desert Bloom fabrics for my quilt. Here are January's Souvenir of Friendship blocks.

Souvenir of Friendship blocks

That's it for now...in and among my other sewing projects...it should keep me busy and out of trouble! And I just have to mention, if you are looking to add a bit of social sewing to your calendar, then you should absolutely check out the linky of 2017 QALs at Busy Hands Quilts, what a great resource! Be sure to visit, scroll through the list, and find one (or a few!) that you would like to participate in! I'll be joining in with Myra's Postcard from Sweden QAL starting in March, I've already set aside the fabrics to use!

Thanks for stopping by,

Meredith

Linking up to:
Crazy Mom Quilts: Finish it up Friday
Busy Hands Quilts: Finished or Not Friday
Confessions of a Fabric Addict: Whoop Whoop Friday 

One Monthly Goal: February

Well, the January OMG setting worked like a charm...so here goes for February!

I have this great baby sized quilt made from hst scraps that I put together last year, and my OMG for February is to get this one quilted and finished! 

My guild tells me that I am supposed to donate a quilt for their silent auction happening at the biennial show at the end of February...I suppose that this quilt will do! 

I plan to plain Jane the backing and binding...I have a denim looking wide backing that I'll use for both. The quilting will be done with my walking foot echoing the diamond shapes. Maybe red in the warm diamonds and blue in the cool diamonds? We'll see!

Thanks for stopping by!

Meredith

Linking up to Elm Street Quilts: One Monthly Goal


 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2017: January

One of the lovely things about quilting is that even when you are finished with a project, you have the scraps! 

As a consequence, there are many great ideas on what to do with your scraps...and one of those is the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, hosted by the SoScrappy blog. The basic premise is that a color is chosen for the month, and you use that color to make scrappy blocks in the pattern of your choice. Each Saturday during the month, there is a linky where you can show what you've done for that month...or, and I highly recommend this...you browse for inspiration. There are some fantastic ideas in those linkys!!!

Well, after seeing a great quilt made by a participant from last year's challenge, I decided I'd like to hop on the bandwagon! I'll be using the Medallion Log Cabin tutorial by TanyaQuilts. 

Here are the blocks I made with purple for January...

The purples are from my tiny purple scrap pile, and the background I'm using is a neat angular backing fabric that I used on the second quilt I ever made. It was a wide backing, so there was a lot left over...hopefully it will last me through this particular quilt!

I look forward to next month's color!

Thanks for stopping by,

Meredith 

Linking up with:
Scrap Happy Saturday at SoScrappy

One Monthly Goal: January, Finished!

I did it! Having the accountability of the One Monthly Goal linkup at Elm Street Quilts really worked! 

Because I published the goal on my blog and linked up, I was inspired to pull out this quilt in the last couple days of January and finish it up, I'm so pleased!

Rainbow Baby Quilt

 What a beauty! I quilted it with my walking foot and a serpentine stitch. Just simple lines along the seams and in the middle of each block to form about two inch squares.

And I made a scrappy binding with fabrics that were used in the blocks...they were hanging out in my 2.5" scrap bin.

The backing is just as wild in color as the front! I had thought about using a black and white print, but then just decided to go for it! This quilt will be given to a baby born in the Florida Keys, so I thought the fish would be just perfect!

I can hardly wait to wash this one up and see it in its crinkly goodness!

I'm glad for the push having the One Monthly Goal gave me, and look forward to seeing what I accomplish next month!

Thanks for stopping by,

Meredith

Linking up with Elm Street Quilts: One Monthly Goal January Finishes
and
CapitolaQuilter: 2017FALQ1 Finishes from my Goal Post here