Tote Swap, Charity Quilt and Bee Blocks

I've been working away - starting new projects.  When my secret partner was assigned for our SBAMQG tote swap I couldn't have been more thrilled.  Julia is a big Heather Ross and also said she liked Echino - both of which I adore as well.  It was pretty obvious who I made my tote for the minute I pulled it out of the bag that I didn't even pretend it wasn't for her.

Not sure why I haven't learned to adjust layout for the portion that is hidden on the bottom and sides.  The aqua is barely visible and the washy shaped stitching on the grey just peaks out.  I was please with the decision to use the same fabric on the edge of each side so that when the front and second-front were sewn the merged together. 

The tote is reversible but I forgot to turn it inside out and take a picture of the sunglass flipped out.  During our last secret swap, Julia made my pillow seen here.

This time I received my secret swap from Tina aka: Little Blue Cottage. A big gorgeous tote made with Anna Maria Horner velveteen and detailed with lush trim. I LOVE IT and it's so me.

Progress on my Tweet Tweet Twist feels good.  The silent auction is still weeks away and I'm ready to spray.  I'm using the most perfect shade of green flannel for the back.

It wasn't until I was looking at the photo from Show and Tell that I noticed the left twist is attached upside down.  I considered leaving it but have since rotated it around to the create originally intended pink star shape like the right hand side. Binding will be in pink to blend the sides out.

My Bee blocks for F+F2 February were fun to make using a new to me process and freezer paper and Linda's tutorial.  The  second one is my favorite and I got a little better at the machine applique stitch as I went along. Can't wait to see them all together. Last year Linda's F+F quilt was spectacular.  

I've had 21 years to make my nephew his birthday quilt and it looks like I might be tardy on this one.  Still a week away but... we will see. I'm please with the colors and fabric pull. 

Linking up to WIP Wednesday with guest blogger Claire at Sewing over Pins who has a fun photo shoot reminiscent of this windy QuiltCon picture that Anne took of me.  Also inking up to Finish it Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts and Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict because although I don't have quilt I've got a tote and my blocks and they count, right?!.

Finished: 2

Secret Tote Swap MQG  
Blocks for F+F2 February (2) 

Progress: 2

Tweet Tweet Twist Charity Quilt (3/22)

21st B'day quilt : scrappy Jigsaw in Batiks (by 3/13 - likely late)

To Do: 3 

Swap for After Sewing Summit (table runner by 3/11-3/27)

Blocks for F+F2 March (blue & orange scrappy sprout 2) 

Blocks for MoStash March  (scrappy string X block 2) 

Dropped:

Pantone Challenge (by 3/8)

More for March

Moda's Tweet Tweet - Fabric Haul

Spring is in the air and although choosing a full project instead of an almost done UFO as my March Goal for a Lovely Year of Finishes may seem like sabotage but it's what I'm inspired to create.  A pretty quilt with birds, butterflies and flowers for a silent auction to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society being held in a just 3 weeks. Wish me luck.

February 2013

Here's a look back at February - the shortest month of the year and hands down the one packed with deadlines because of the local Quilt Show last weekend.  I'm so glad to have Tassels included as a finish: shown in its full glory here.  I made my MoStash bee blocks in plenty of time but am tardy in mailing them so I'm including a nice "forgive me" bribe of fabric in the envelope.

The two small quilts were made by a friend and I had the privilege of doing the FMQ.  The final two pictures are of the Raffle basket (joint effort by SBAMQG member) and the Award Ribbon that I made.

Linking up to Fresh Sewing Day at Lily's Quilts,  Finish it Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts and Let's Get Acquainted at Plum and June.

our Local Show and QuiltCon envy

OK, OK, I admit it.... I wanna be there right now!  My head is spinning from browsing the #quiltcon instagram pictures (the ghetto way - on statigram since I have a "dumb phone") and seeing all the people that I virtually know and admire.  The quilts, booths, lectures and classes not to mention the unofficial festivities - I can pull off the 80's look, honest.... oh yes, I'm green with envy -neon green.

Fortunately, several of the blogs I follow have been taking time out to post so I could sneak a peak like A Quilting Jewel and Mommy's Nap Time and upload to flickr like Anne@PlayCrafts.

I'm SO EXCITED for our MQG president, my friend Tina for winning Judge's Choice for "Adrift" in the Use of Negative Space category.   She is amazingly talented (obviously) and I'm thrilled that she was recognized by those in the know.  Christa Quilts has a series of posts showing the quilt winners.

No need for me to pout at home. I'm having an exciting weekend helping out with our local PVQA quilt guild show. It's the 35th annual and this group knows how to get it done!  We donated a basket for the raffle that has proven to be quite popular. You may recall I made an Echino Tote which is easier to see in person than this photo.

Friday was busy with set up in the day and the pre-view party in the evening. This year that included the judging the SBAMQG Modern Improv in Solids challenge.  There were 7 entries, all terrific and I've heard from several participants that they enjoyed the process of making their quilt.

The Ribbon I made is not as fancy as the ones Elizabeth Hartman created for QuiltCon. We used a jumbo sized button and photo fabric keeping it minimalistic.  The concept of fitting our square logo onto a round shape had baffled me in the design process, but I'm pretty please with the result.   I'll be revealing a picture of the winning quilt on our blog soon.

I also surprised my sister at the show with a quilt which I can now officially rename "Luminosity for Linda".  Previously posted bout it here and here. She loved it.

Me & My Sister at PVQA show "Luminosity for Linda"

Before this reveal, she had spotted my quilt named "Sisterly Love" (pictured below) that I made for our other sister (also a surprise). In my most snarky tone I teased her "That's not for you"..."but if you'd like to see the one that is, follow me".

"Sisterly Love"

EDIT: Linking up to FAL Q1 with Leanne of She Can Quilt as one of the 6 of 7 qualifying projects done.  1) No Inherent Sense of Direction 2) Tassels 3)Driving in Circles 4) Luminosity 5) Sisterly Love 6)QuiltCon Charity. Original Goal post here.

2013 FAL Q1 Goal Mosaic 

More to share from the show - but I've got to dash off and enjoy it some more before it's time for heavy labor to break it down this evening.  Photos of the SBAMQG Modern Quilt entries found here.

I usually write a specific post for WIP Wednesday but the guideline does say to link to one from the week so that's what I'll do.  Congratulations to Lee at Freshly Pieced for taking 1st prize with her Lifesaver's quilt.

With the local quilt show and all of the browsing online about QuiltCon there hasn't been much progress on my WIP list since last week and I'm sure I'm not alone.

Stack of Quilts from the Show

The tote swap is a secret so I can't share pictures of my progress so I will leave you with some fabric eye candy - organic cotton is so yummy.

a new project in my future - love Birch

Finished: 3
MQG Ribbon  
SBAMQG Donation Basket for Show 
Sleeve on final quilt for the Show  

Progress: 2
Secret Tote Swap MQG (by 3/5)
New Fabric (always)

To Do: 4 
Blocks for F+F2 February (2) 
Pantone Challenge (by 3/8)
Swap for After Sewing Summit (by 3/11-3/27)
21st B'day quilt (by 3/13)

WIP Wednesday

First of all... safe journey to all of those lucky ducks headed to QuiltCon.  I really want to pack myself in a check on and join you but no, not this time.  I'm hoping to see pictures of the Charity Quilts hanging and am excited to have been a part of that.

Thanks to the deadline of our local PVQA quilt show, I've got lots on the finished list today.  The To Do list is still quite large with 48 hours until the "by" date of three but it all seems more manageable than it was last week.  

I also had the wonderful opportunity to play a bit on FMQ on a couple of small pieced for a friend.  Her quilts are amazing and she gave me a nice long low-pressure creative leash about what to do.  I'm pleased with the results.

Hoping to make another photo shoot outing for the official reveal of Luminosity and Sisterly Love. In the meantime, here are some bits and pieces along with Miss Deb's bee blocks:

Finished: 5
Sleeves on 3 of 4 quilts for the Show
Sisterly Love 
Luminosity 
FMQ two smaller quilts 
Blocks for MoStash 

Progress: 0

To Do: 7 
MQG Ribbon (by 2/22)
Donation Basket for Show (by 2/22)
Sleeve on final quilt for the Show (by 2/22)
Blocks for F+F2 February (2) 
Pantone Challenge (by 3/8)
Swap for After Sewing Summit (by 3/11-3/27)
Secret Tote Swap MQG (by 3/5)
21st B'day quilt (by 3/13)

Linking up to the new and improved WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

Tassels - Complete

Tassels - Complete, a photo by capitolaquilter on Flickr.

Well here it is - so exciting to share this quilt. Thanks to an amazing - and wonderfully exhausting day with friends I have a photo shoot to share. This time it wasn't the beach/redwoods tourist trek like with the QuiltCon charity quilt with Anne but rather the picturesque meadows with Sue.

Tassels has been a long time coming since the tutorial and deserved a proper introduction to the world. The gorgeous blue sky and open fields of Corralitos was the perfect setting.

I could not have asked for a warmer day for galavanting around .....

mid-70's mid-February, that's my kind of weather

Thank you Friends+Fabric=A Modern Stash Bee from April 2012 for all of the great blocks.

Linking up to Finish it Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts and TGIFF at Sewing by Moonlight.  

Previous Tassel posts here, here and here. 

61"x73" Pieced and FMQ on my BabyLock Symphony with Aurifil 50 and 40

Officially off the list! The completion is especially sweet because this poor quilt rolled from one quarter of Finish-Along to the next and then into January AND February of A Lovely Year of Finishes. 

EDIT: Linking up to 2013 FAL Q1 with Leanne of She Can Quilt as one of the 6 of 7 qualifying projects done.  1) No Inherent Sense of Direction 2) Tassels 3)Driving in Circles 4) Luminosity 5) Sisterly Love 6)QuiltCon Charity.

2013 FAL Q1 Goal Mosaic 

Fabric Designers - a generous bunch

Winnings from Fabric Designers Ellen Heck and Heather Ross

Since my last post I've had the honor of meeting some wonderful (and pretty darn famous) Fabric Designers.  Oh, and to sweeten the story...I won stuff too!

Lunch with Heather Ross South Bay Area Modern Quilt Guild

Last Monday, we had a private lunch at the amazing Wood Fire Woodie in Scotts Valley with the one and only Heather Ross - pinch me!  She even brought us some goodies which were distributed at our MQG meeting the next night. My name was drawn and I chose a fabric covered photo album with the cutest swimming pool fabric I'd never seen before.  She also chatted with my friend and I at Hart's later that night and autographed my new Prints book. So talented and personable, it was such a treat to spend time with Heather Ross.  Read more here.

Then on Saturday I took a trip to see Stitch Modern, East Bay Area MQG's Quilt Show at the beautiful Piedmont Center for the Arts and listened to the Q&A Panel of Textile Design featuring Ellen Heck, Pati Fried, Sandy Klop, Jennifer Moore and Carol Van Zandt.  There were lots of giveaways - lucky me, I won an 11 FQ of Bot Buddies flannel.

Now for my WIP progress report...

FMQ Tassels

Using Aurifil 40 for the first time and trying out a new sort of geometric design, I managed to make it through quilting Tassels.

With the gradient nature of quilt, the stitching is more prevalent in the darker areas but I like it pretty well.  The binding hit the mark and I'm super please with the choice.  Originally I was thinking scrappy but there is a lot - a lot - going on and this seemed a better fit.

Backing for Luminosity 

Next up is FMQ for the remaining two quilts that I've promised to hang in the PVQA show - nine days from now... better get crackin'

Finished: 1
Tassels
Progress: 0
To Do: 11 (creatively counted)
Sleeves on 4 quilts for the Show
MQG Ribbon
Sisterly Love (finish by 2/22)
Luminosity (finish by 2/22)
FMQ two smaller quilts (by 2/22)
Blocks for MoStash (2)
Blocks for F+F2 (2)
Swap for After Sewing Summit (by 3/11-3/27)
Secret Tote Swap MQG (by 3/5)
21st B'day quilt (by 3/13)

Linking up to the new and improved WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.