October and November BeeSewcial Blocks: Pooled and Doodle

Pooled Color 

Pooled Color for Kari 15"x25.5"

Posting two at a time seems  to be the norm so here are my latest BeeSewcial blocks, Pooled and Doodle".  First off, who among us did not not immediately picture a Poodle when reading that?!? Am I right?   You might also be wondering how we got to December already because i know that's what I'm thinking.

Finished and mailed on time (pause for a pat on the back) these wrap up 2018.  I'm excited to be heading into my SIXTH year with this amazingly talented group of makers and am committed to sewing up the quilts in the new year.  

Scissors vs Rotary

More often than not I've been choosing my Scissors over the Rotary while improv piecing.  Ruler free  (until cropping to size) has been the norm. 

Auditioning Parts

Kari provided a gorguous palette a bit off the trendy path (which I appreciated) and some great samples for inspiration of what "Pooled Color" meant to her on this Pinterest Board along with this explanation to guide us:  

"It's organic shapes that are irregular and contain all or almost all of a particular color in one area. The composition is formed from intersections of organically-shaped blocks of color. There is some fluidity to how they join, sometimes creeping into each other. "

My creative sidekick

Since I don't have a permanently installed design wall, the portable one I use on retreat has become a somewhat regular feature in our living room.  Above I am auditioning color choices and placement options.

The upside of having the wall up is that when my granddaughter is over we can share it.  She amazes me with the level of creativity and skill when it comes to scissors, fabric and storyboard making.  Aside from not wanting to take her treasures down, it's a win win.

Process shot

This style of make is right up my wheelhouse so I thought it would be a breeze.  Well that wasn't the case.  I really struggled to control the pool and got all caught up in my head for the most part.  It took forever to rework the composition until I was happy.  Bottom line is that I am happy and so is Kari and that's what matters.

Doodle (Framed)

Doodle 12.5"x 24.5"

Leanne asked us to doodle with fabric for her November prompt. The colors were to be happy and saturated with the "drawn line" distinguishable. Brilliantly, she also requested a frame and uniform size.  Mine turned out fairly minimalistic and with a bit of an areal map vibe.    

Puzzling was puzzling

I could have used all one color for the orange but wanted to add a bit of variety. The poor lighting makes these process shots look strange but you can see the true colors in the finished block.

Oversized and cropped

It has been a long time since I've had set parameters and found myself oversized for the target dimension.  Even though I knew in my head that I had to leave room for the frame, it still grew out of control.

My Birthday New Best Friend

My birthday was in November so I had a great excuse to splurge on a new pressing mat.  I had borrowed one from my table mate the month prior at our guild's retreat and was itching to get my own (pun intended, no I'm not allergic).

Close Up

#BeeSewcial Article 

If you haven't discovered the quarterly quilty publication "Curated Quilts", hop on over to their website HERE.  I've mentioned it on the blog many times and my local guild mates get an ear full just about every meeting!  The mini challenge gallery is a favorite but the article by Stephanie and Leanne in the Improv edition is going to be an all time highlight for me.  I'm thrilled to have "Reflections" included and the opportunity for so many makers to learn more about our bee.

Reflections

The two blocks that I contributed to Diane's quilt shown below are really special and sentimental because they are the earliest examples of how far outside my comfort zone I would go for these gals.

I can still feel the excitement I had while making the block and having it come together as if it had a life of its own.  One day I should make a full size version of my own to have as a reminder of that pivotal point in my journey. 

Announcing the Q3 FAL Prize Winners

Today we are celebrating 359 (!!) finished projects in Quarter 3 of the 2018 Finish-A-Long. So many of you are joining in and getting their UFOs or WIPs out of that dark corner, and into the limelight to be shown off as a finish. If you are in need of inspiration go on over and have a look, there were so many great makes. And of course, thanks to our many generous sponsors, we are finishing off the quarter by announcing the lucky winners!!

Without further ado, the winners picked by the Random Number Generator of the 2018 Q3 FAL prizes are:

The Q3 Winner of the $50 Gift Certificate from Fat Quarter Shop is Sarah who blogs at Cedar Fork Stitches and she finished this graphic colorful quilt:

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The Q3 Winner of the 3 PDF Patterns from During Quiet Time is Celine who blogs at Espritpatch and she finished this lovely pencil case for her daughter:

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The Q3 prize of the $25 Gift Certificate from Sew Sisters Quilt Shop goes to Charlene on Flickr cyanh2o and she finished this lovely quilted bag to hold her sewing machine:

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The Q3 Winner of the 2 PDF Patterns from Quilting Jet Girl is Crystal who blogs at Crystal's Creations and she finished this sweet memory bear:

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The Q3 Winner of the $20 Gift Certificate from Sew Me a Song is Beth on IG @blue_dragonfly5 and she finished this stunning quilt:

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The Q3 Winner of the 3 PDF Patterns from Happy Quilting is Allison on IG @catsquilter and she finished this handy knitting/project bag:

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The Q3 Winner of the 2 PDF Patterns from Charm About You is Cathy who blogs at Sane, Crazy, Crumby Quilting and she finished this all scrap postage stamp Sue quilt:

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The Q3 Winners (3x) of the 6 Month Subscription to Make Modern Magazine are:

1.  Sheila who blogs at Chez Budsmam.  She finished this adorable bunting:

2.  Kathleen who blogs at Kathleen McMusing.  She finished this colorful scrappy benefit quilt:

3. Marilyn who blogs at Marly's Quilts.  She finished this lovely knitted shawl:

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The Q3 prize of the $25 Gift Certificate from Studio 39 Fabrics goes to Kristin who blogs at Gumdrops and she finished this lovely grey baby quilt (no the photo isn't in B&W!):

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 The Q3 Winner of the $25 Gift Certificate from Tartan Kiwi is Helen via IG @archiewonderdog and she finished these lovely wool socks:

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The Q3 Winner of the Minikins bundle from Sew Sweetness is Mary who blogs at Mary Emmens and she finished these really fun Luna pants:

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The Q3 prize of the $50 Gift Certificate from Mad About Patchwork goes to Julie via IG @julieschloemer and she finished this super sweet baby quilt:

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The Q3 Winner of the 2 PDF Patterns from Blossom Heart Quilts is Alison via Flickr @Alison Elliot and she finished this great scrap quilt that was donated to the Cancer Society:

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The Q3 Winner of the $30 Gift Certificate from Clover & Violet is Dawn who blogs at DawnyK Designs and she finished this lap robe for her 100 year old grandmother:

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The Q3 Winner of the $40 Gift Certificate from Bunny's Designs is Emily who blogs at The Darling Dogwood and she finished this lovely quilt that used just two mini charm packs:

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Congratulations to all the winners!  Thank you for playing along with us in the third quarter, and we hope you continue joining in for the rest of the year. We love to encourage you to finish up all those WIPs and UFOs, and to see what great makes will be finished next time.

My Top Ten Goals for 2018 FAL Q4

So many tops and nearly tops this quarter which is unusual for me.  My Top Ten:

1. Eyes:  These gorgeous BeeSewcial 2017 blocks have been staring at me begging to become the quilt they are meant to be.  The layout is set with a few adjustments and bridging needed. I really do love, love, love them.

2. LoneStar:  Hey,it's not a rollover!  Took a class at BackPorch and immediately continued on the minute that I got home (a good sign of a workshop) It is a top with plans for gifting.

3. Nosey Kitten from Jen Carlton Bailey's workshop: another roll over but there was progress from the parts and now they are a top.

4. BOM mashup:  Our guild chose the Echo block that I designed for MQG and I had to make some samples for show and tell.  Mixing them with left over quarter circles and setting on point with a tricky directional background seemed like a good idea at the time.  It's a top. 

5 & 6.  These are two secret sewing projects that will be revealed before Q4 ends so I'll update the description then.  It is Improv Abstraction based and in odd lovely fall colors. 

7.  BOM win.  It's been a top and needs quilted.  These are the blocks that I won in our lotto. 

8. Bits Play from Maria Shells workshop: another roll over with the status unchanged including the fact that I'm absolutely in love with it so far.  It doesn't happen often but I'm kind of intimidated by the next phase because I've become attached to it at this stage.  If the narrow dimension wasn't so awkward I'd be be tempted to call the layout done.

9. Stretch: Many of these BeeSewcial 2016 blocks were hand delivered to me in Pasadena at QuiltCon which clearly marks the passage of time.  With a cohesive limited palette I thought the prompt would be easier to compose into a quilt but have been quite puzzled by the puzzling when attempted many times so far. I'm really close and my sister has offered to do the quilting so there is hope for a finish.

10. Improv Abstraction Log Cabin. Currently at the Block stage.

Well there you have it, my top ten.  Here's wishing you luck with your goals.  Be sure to link up before the party ends HERE and give a cheer to all the participants!

Happy Stitching, Karen 

2018 FAL Q4 - Link Up Your Goals

Its time to link up your list of unfinished projects that you propose to finish in Q4 of the Finish-A-Long. We are hoping that the FAL community will inspire you to work on your unfinished projects this quarter and to get them finished before the end of the year!

The 2018 FAL is hosted by a community of bloggers across the world. Our hosts are:

• Marci - Marci Girl Designs - USA

• Sandra (also Social Media Director) - Studio Sew of Course - Ireland

• Leanne - She Can Quilt  - Canada 

• Ella - Throw a Wench in the Works - USA

• Felicity - Felicity Quilts - Canada

• Karen - Capitola Quilter - USA (that's me)

• Izzy - Dizzy Quilts - Canada

• Lynne - Tinking Along - USA

For those of you who are new to the FAL, it is a place to find motivation and encouragement to complete those unfinished projects that are hanging around. At the start of the quarter you post and link up a list of projects you hope to finish in the next three months, and then at the end of the quarter you link up each successful finish from your original list.

Each linked up finish is an entry into the draw for wonderful prizes from our sponsors. There is no penalty for not finishing a listed project, so feel free to make your list as long or short as you wish. The 2018 Schedule and Rules for the FAL are on my permanent 2018 FAL page, let me know if you have any questions.

Here are the fantastic and generous sponsors for Q4 of the Finish-A-Long, you can see each of their prizes listed under their logo. Please think about visiting them and saying thank you for their support of the FAL.

$50 Gift Certificate

3 PDF Patterns

$25 Gift Certificate

2 PDF Patterns

$20 Gift Certificate

3 PDF Patterns

2 PDF Patterns

3 Six Month Subscr.

$25 Gift Certificate

$25 Gift Certificate

A Minikins Bundle

$50 Gift Certificate

2 PDF Patterns

$30 Gift Certificate

$40 Gift Certificate

So now it is time to round up those projects that you want to finish over the next three months! Take a photo of each one and make your list. Please ensure that you have at least started your projects - pulled fabric with a pattern is considered a UFO - and remember it is only finished projects that will get you an entry toward the above listed prizes. So while we love to see your bee blocks, the "finish" is when they are a completed, usable project.

If posting on social media (Flickr & Instagram), it will be very helpful if you tag your list with #2018FALQ4yourname (where yourname is unique to you). Using the same hashtag over the quarter when sharing project progress or finishes helps the host to make the connection to your original list quickly and easily.
IMPORTANT: Don't forget to link up your finishes when the quarter closes!

The 2018 Q4 list for your list of proposed finishes is now open, below, on my blog and each of the hosting blogs. You need only link your list once, on one host blog, and the link will show up on all the host blogs. If you are using Flickr or Instagram, post a photo mosaic of your projects and put your list in the description. Don't forget to include your unique hashtag. Katy of The Littlest Thistle has a great tutorial on how to link up if you need it, or Marci of Marci Girl Designs has a tutorial to link up an Instagram post specifically.

We also ask that you become part of the FAL community. Please check out the links of others - visit and comment on their lists. We all need encouragement to get those finishes done, so please share some of your own too.

If you want you can follow us on Facebook, Finish-A-Long and/or on Instagram, @finishalong, too. We'll post encouragement during the quarter and reminders when the finishes link up opens at the end of the quarter.

When creating your list there is one thing to remember - No deductions for not completing something so - Aim High! Nothing to lose!! Well now, get your list together and get linked up.

Feel free to use and share the FAL button above and this one too:

The Q4 proposed finish linky party will stay open until 11 pm EST, Thursday, October 18, 2018 - as we are global, you might want to check your time zone to determine your last possible time to link (you can also see how much time is left below the linked up images on the right.)

Remember: you only need to link up at ONE hosting blog and it will automatically show up on all hosting blogs.

An InLinkz Link-up