Not waiting

Jennie thank you thank you, I'm glad you liked your square if you wanna send me more fabric I can make you another. It was challenging but isn't that what a quilting bee is partly about? Making each other push us to new things out of our comfort zone.

Ladies I have decided I am going to go ahead and start on the squares that are still out there. Not to be rude but I'm tired of waiting to finish a quilt that is could have finished months ago. And I'm tired of asking for my fabric squares back finished or unfinished.

Is there no square for July either?

We're Here...?

Aynsley - you're not alone! (In feeling alone, that is.) In all seriousness, I have begun to wonder if our quilting bee is still in existence. I hope so! It's been interesting, fun, and educational thus far.

It seems as though my quilt block request was the wet blanket on all the fun. I've heard back from one person that it was too overwhelming to even give it a shot. I've received one quilt block. (Thanks, Aynsley, for your quilt square - I love it!). I'm just wondering if everyone is feeling similarly intimidated. Hopefully not! I wanted this to be open-ended and enjoyable. Cheryse's alphabet quilt was a lot of fun and I was hoping for this set of blocks to be a similarly satisfying experience. No pressure to create a work of art or anything. The tree quilt I posted as an example has plenty of wonky, asymmetrical interpretations of trees. Please don't stress over this project!

If anyone has any concerns or comments on this set of blocks, please post about it!

Hello

I'm starting to feel alone here....

Fabric

Hi ladies, not sure if anyone is getting my emails about my squares but it would be nice to finish my quilt. I'm almost there but still waiting on 4 of you to return them to me finished or unfinished is fine at this point.

Also I finally got Leah to send back all of your fabric. Sorry it took so long. She's had a crazy busy life lately and forgot. So if you don't get yours back within the week let me know again and I will keep on it.

Mountains for Jennie

Sorry I'm a bit late on this quilt, I had a hard time getting into it. I'm much better motivated with rules when it comes to quilting, not quite adventurous yet to make my own patterns.

Hope you like it, sorry I only did one I did not have nearly enough fabric for two and being that I am fairly new at quilting my stash isn't as built up as i would want (my husband is happy about that) so didn't have any colors that went well.

Has anyone wondered if their mailbox was skipped this month? Have no fear, your June fabric is not lost...this month has become the designated catch up month (sorry, my announcement didn't get posted until the middle of the month). I know I have a little catching up to do...

Lets get caught up and post pictures of the wonderful blocks (and finished quilts) that all of you have been working on!

To press or not to press.....that is the question!

Pressing the seams in your quilt is one of the most important tasks for the completed

work. A good press will mean that the quilt is assured a smooth flow from piece to
piece both visually and to the touch. Most quilters will find that they have a style of
pressing that suits them best, but before you find that style it is important to realize

What Pressing is Not

Pressing the seams in your quilt is not the same as ironing. Although you will be

using an iron and an ironing board, it is absolutely critical to remember that you are
not ironing (that is, running the appliance over the seam with gentle pressure) but
just coaxing the seam down in order to seal it and make it less visible.

.What Pressing Is

Pressing uses the weight of the iron itself to create seam allowances that might

otherwise result in lost fabric. In a work such as a quilt, which requires many pieces
put together, lost millimeters on each piece can mean a big difference in the end
product. Pressing quilt blocks as they are made eliminates this problem.  Finally,
pressing will help give the quilt a uniform appearance and feel. The fabric should
never cover the seam on a properly pressed quilt.

Types of Pressing

There are two types of pressing; side pressing and open pressing. Side pressing is

simply pressing the seams to one side, and is generally advocated by most quilting
instructors.
Open pressing involves application of the iron both to the back and the front of the
blocks. This can take twice as long as side pressing, but those who use it say that it
greatly helps in the appearance of the quilt. This style is most appropriate when
using machine stitched pieces, which are stronger than those done by hand; the
stitch is less likely to come undone, and therefore hiding a hole will not be
necessary.

Pressing Technique.

Pressing seams is probably one of the dullest aspects of quilting, but it is important

to make sure that you do it accurately. It will help to maintain the integrity of the
quilt and can also make piecing that much easier.
One last hint, don't use steam! The heat from the iron will be sufficient for pressing.
Moisture may cause colors to run, and will make the blocks more susceptible to
distortion.  I press with steam when the block is completed.  I don't use any special iron
just my normal one.

Hope this helps with your questions Anysley.  Good luck!

Question for Terry?

How do you press your squares so perfectly? Do you use a special iron? Or one of those mini one I see in the quilting section at Jo Ann's... Seriously tell me your ways

Thanks
Aynsley

May's quilt block - mountains

I'm very excited to host this month! I've tried to come up with a unique quilt that will be fun and rewarding for others to work on. I hope I have succeeded!

Hopefully you have all received the fabric by now. I have included three fabric prints, as well as white to be used as a background.

This quilt is inspired by a few quilts I have happened upon online. This is a good representation of the general idea I have in mind:

image source

There is a unifying theme, but each bee member designs their own interpretation of the theme. The above theme is, of course, trees.

My theme is Mountains. Here are the guidelines I have for the quilt blocks you will make:

1. the finished squares should be 14 1/2" by 14 1/2"
2. Each bee member will need to make two blocks
3. The block should be completely quilted - no appliques should be used (instructions follow)
4. there should be at least some background of the white material
5. At least one of the non-white fabrics I sent you should be fairly prominent in the quilt block
6. You can (and I would encourage you to!) use fabrics from your own stash in putting together your quilt blocks. Please, of course, try to use fabrics that complement those that I have sent you.
7. You can make your mountains as big or as small as you'd like; as detailed or simple as you'd like. Feel free to include other things that you feel go along with mountains as long as there is a mountain somewhere in the quilt block.
8. Please send back any scraps of the fabric that you end up having. I will use these to create the last couple of quilt blocks.

The blocks I did for Cheryse's quilt created a picture, but I didn't applique anything on: it was sewn into the quilt block.

 

It may seem complicated, but this was my first attempt at that and it came off surprisingly well.

Method:

Draw a 14" by 14" square. Decide what you want your block to look like and draw a picture of it, to scale, on the square.

Extend the lines of the picture so that you will be able to create it by sewing different pieces of fabric together. Make the shapes as blocky and simple as possible. Label what fabric you will use for each shape.

Use letters or numbers to indicate which blocks are adjacent to each other.

Cut apart the shapes.

You will then pin each shape to the corresponding fabric and cut it out, adding an additional 1/4" to all sides of the shape.

Sew the shapes together by matching the corresponding numbers or letters. Press seams toward the darker fabric. And, voila! you have a beautiful quilt block.

Although straight lines are obviously the easiest, don't be afraid to use slight curves to create the picture you want. More intense curves can be managed by clipping the curved part of the seam in order to make it lay flat.

I hope you have fun with this one! Please feel free to let me know if I need to explain or clarify anything.

Thank you!!

-Jennie

Terrific Terry

Seriously I received the squares for my quilt from you and I am still starring at them trying learn more from your amazing skills!

While mine aren't as good as yours I hope they don't disappoint

Terry's Beautiful Blocks and a Request

Here are Terry's beautiful blocks. They came together so quickly and are so pretty. She really made it so easy for us. I do have a request. I am moving out of the state and will be leaving the Modern Quilt Guild. I do still have several people who have not given me my blocks from January. As I am moving and leaving the group I would appreciate getting them back. If you just can't get them done I understand and would ask that you return the fabric so I can finish the quilt myself. Thanks and signing off for good. Thanks for letting be a part of this group :)

dear January - Aynsley

I'm sorry. School started in January and everything else stopped. My spring break is coming up the week after next and I promise I will get all of my 2013 blocks completed and shipped. Sorry to be so lame...

Catching Up!

Hello all, sorry I have been a bit slow to post and update things these past few months...between work, school and prepping for baby number two things have been a bit hectic. Does anyone not have a crazy busy life? If so I would love to hear how you do it! At any rate I love getting these packages in the mail each month with a little surprise and something to create purely for fun and hope all of you do as well.

I wanted to share pictures of my January and February blocks...I have to admit I am still working on the blocks from Aynsely (March) which I would venture that several of you are in the same position with that one as well. :) Thank you Terry for sending a quick and easy one for April!

Don't forget (like I have) to post pictures of the blocks you have made for the bee as well as other quilt related projects you have been working on.

April block is on its way!

HOORAY FOR SPRING!

Spring is here!  Are you ready for spring?  I am so ready to see flowers, eat the fruits, and veggies.  I love the colors of spring, the greens, the yellows, the oranges, the pinks, all of them.  Can I just say---I love SPRING!  This month I decided to have all of you help me with a quilt I am making for a granddaughter who will graduate from High School in May!  I know that May is just around the corner and it doesn’t leave much time.  So the pattern I chose “Skipping Squares” is super simple and easy!  In fact,  I have even cut out the blocks, so sewing them is all you need to do!  Just sew them up and ship back to me and I will put it together in a snap!  After last month blocks from Parker which were very challenging you should be able to do these in your sleep!  That’s how easy they are.   You should receive your packets by the end of the week.   If you have questions please don’t hesitate to ask.

Just a few points to remember.

·         Please press the seams together as indicated on your instructions.  Not open.

·         Please be extra careful when you press so that the fabric doesn’t become distorted.  Sometimes stream tends to stretch the fabric, it’s okay not to use steam.

·         Please use white or very light colored 100% cotton thread.

I hope you enjoy the blocks for this month.  They shouldn’t keep you from enjoying the Spring weather for very long.

Thanks to all of you for your help!

The Farmers Wife

A few months ago I was blog stalking and found this wonderful quilt "the farmer's wife" it might be a little ambitious but then again I kinda like the things that push me in ways that i normally wold do on my own hence the reason i join this little quilting bee. I wont lie I have loved making all these little squares 6X6 (hint hint) they have made me a better quilter forcing me to keep on task and not not move ahead when I shouldn't. I have a tendency to not read directions and just jump in.
So lets jump into this....

Each one of you will receive:
1. 1of3 fabric packets, and far to much fabric at that.
2. templets to all the pattern pieces you will need.
3. a list of the patterns
4. email including all the pictures of the patterns. I was going to post them all but thinking i might get into publishing rights problems i thought it might just be best to email them separately

I would love it if you finished all the squares, some will have 7 and some will have 8, but if you cant find the time I understand its pretty demanding to do so many different ones. But I would love at least 3 plus one that matches the quilt pattern you have chosen for you own quilt, i'm a bit of a sentimental person and want to remember all the hands that helped make this. When you send the 6x6 squares back please label them with tape of post-its and I will need to finish the ones that don't get done. Remember how I said I was being ambitious with this quilt, well its not stoping at the kind of quilt but also the size, I'm hoping to get enough squares done to make a queen or even a king size for all those beach and park days to come this summer.

I know that I am posting a bit early but because of the ambitious nature I figured I would send it out early to give a little more time to complete. But please don't start or open this one until you finish February firsts.

Two for the price of one

In the mail awhile ago but I did do I swear!!! And here are pictures to prove it...if I did something wrong ladies please tell me I really am trying to improve oh and I had the same problem that Heidi did on Tara's where I didn't quite have enough black to finish it, sorry. Hope you like them :)

Hot Pink Crosses for Rebecca!

Yippee! It's my turn! I'll be sending directions on email, and the fabric goes out tomorrow. Let me know if you have any questions! Thanks, Rebecca

Little inspiration

http://design-milk.com/the-modern-quilt-guild/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+design-milk+%28Design+Milk%29


My husband being supportive of anything creative found this the other night, thought I would share...I love the water looking one

Finally Finished!

I'm almost up to date on the blocks. Still have January's and I'm finished. Here's Amy's finished blocks and the other blocks I've completed to date. I better get hopping since February is MY month!

Traditional Tara

Blocks for Traditional Tara!  What fun to get so many pieces of fabric in our little bag.  I love, love scrappy quilts--the more fabrics the better.  Scrappy quilts are fun to put together, they always make me happy when I am sewing them. So this on was right up my alley.  What an awesome heirloom quilt this will be for Madison.  I can't wait to see the finished masterpiece.  Thanks, Tara--I had great fun making these for you!

Chevrons For Amy

Amy...sorry for the delay but they are done and delivered! I think I want to make my own chevron quilt, these were pretty quick to put together and they should look really awesome once the whole set is assembled.

Whoops forgot to mention...

Ladies, I forgot to mention that I sent enough fabric for everyone to do two squares. The black and white are already roughly cut for the two squares. You will just need to square them up for the right size it calls for in the pattern. Thanks!

So here is the pattern for January. I have mailed out the fabric today. Don't panic you will not be responsible for any of the appliqué-I will be doing that myself. Just put the white fabric in the middle square and leave it plain. I am going to be cross-stitching different family members in each square for a heirloom quilt. The tan side strips, in the picture, are going to be black. All the measurements are included in the pattern below and if you click on it it should enlarge. So you should each receive a piece of white and black for the middle and the sides as well as a ton of different colored scraps for all the little squares. I have included around 20 materials each and I would like it if you could use as many unique pieces of patterned fabric as possible. Just like in the pattern shown I would like their to be little to no repetition. If you need to supplement with fabric from your own stash that is fine as long as you stick to the bright color scheme that is already happening. My goal with this quilt was to use as much stash as possible and see if we can create something beautiful for my little five year old. Happy sewing! Just a tip for any of you ladies that haven't done patchwork style before-exact measurements are critical. If the measuring is wrong the pieces will not line up together. Any questions please let me know.

Thanks, Tara

You will be getting your January stuff a little late!

Ladies,

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year. I am in charge of the month of January and I want to start off by saying that I am sorry but you won't be getting your fabric on time. My plan was to mail it out mid-December before all the Holiday madness but due to a death in my family, and some extenuating circumstances that didn't happen. I have been away from my home with extended family for the last three weeks. I do have the fabric in envelopes ready to mail. We will be returning home Jan 3rd and I promise to get them mailed off as soon as we can pull our lives back together. I will get the pattern posted up ASAP. Thanks for your patience and happy sewing.

**Special note to Amy-I am sorry that I have not got the December block to you. For the same reasons stated above it just didn't happen. I promise to get down to it and get it to you. Sorry and Thanks.