a Dozen Quilters

Let's Do It!

2012-02-11T20:09:00.001-06:00

Is everyone on board for the Round Robin?
Do you think we can still get a ship by date of the end of February so we can start working on each others projects by the beginning of March?

Let's say we ship out a center medallion between 16" and 24". Feel free to send out an idea of where you would like to see the quilt go. Maybe a travel journal that can document who worked on your quilt and why they added what they did. Also, if you would like to have an autograph/siggie block to add to the block mention that too.

Let's sew from our own stash.

I'll propose a shipping order of:

Christy
Hollie
Jenny
Marie
Melissa
Patty

simply ship to the person under you in the list. Patty ships to Christy.

Does that shipping order need to be tweaked?
Do we need to set a size minimum and maximum to the round you sew to a medallion? 4" to 8"???
Let's discuss!!

Time to Quilt!

2012-01-30T16:50:00.000-06:00

Here it is girls, the quilt you helped me make for Breast Cancer Awareness!
Now I just need to get it in the frame and get it quilted! Maybe in time for Quilt Your Dreams at the end of February?!?

And now it's on to the Round Robin. I've never been involved in one before, so it's going to be my 'new adventure' in 2012!

Round Robin

2011-11-08T06:45:00.000-06:00

Hi ladies.

Melissa sent a note to 7 of us still considering another year of a Dozen Quilters...and like she mentioned, I proposed that we do a Round Robin.

I must admit I have been giving this idea some thought for months now, but then I saw Old Red Barn Co on flickr floating the idea and I really wanted to join in...but the idea of joining in with complete strangers worried me. I want a group of people I know and trust to stay on track.

This is how Dana describes round robin for any of you who are unsure:

1) A round robin -- depending on the number wanting to participate we separate into groups and do a traditional round robin. Let's say 6 in a group. Each of those six makes the center block for their own quilt. Then that center is sent around to each of the other six and each of the six adds a round to that center block. So you start with the center (your own), it is sent to person number 2 and she adds a round . . . around the center block . . . then sends it on to person 3 and so on. So if there were 6 people in the round robin group then it would run for 6 months and each month each person would be adding a round on someone's quilt.

So, I thought maybe we can brainstorm some guidelines for our own round robin.

How big should we start with a center medallion?
how wide should each round be?
what time frame should we give ourselves to do each round?
should we send fabric along with our medallion, or have each of us use from stash?
Am I forgetting anything important?

I propose we start after the holidays.

One to go....

2011-10-26T19:39:00.000-05:00

OKAY! Down on the bottom right hand side - that's Natalie's block.

Thanks Natalie! I'm not sure who is left, but I think I'll start playing this group, add a few sashings, twirl and curl it and see what happens. Me - I'm excited to get this one done...

Thanks girls, it's been fun!!

A Half Dozen quilters?

2011-10-15T14:03:00.001-05:00

Would anyone like to continue our group with half as many members? I'd sure like a response from each of you . . .

And the mail came...

2011-10-10T17:04:00.000-05:00

Saturday the mail came and in it two packages, one containing Leisel's block, and the other from Melissa, containing her block as well as Marie's and Christy's. Just like Christmas at my place!

So now I have 8 blocks, all terrific, and I am itching to get this quilt together!

The hard part will be laying them out, around and around, to get the 'best' view.

More fun then checkers, I can tell you!

Hope you all are having a wonderful fall!

Another Block!

2011-10-04T15:03:00.000-05:00

Now here's a fun fact: Of the four blocks I currently have, two of them came from Jenny(s), and two of them are from Patty(s). What are the odds? Does this mean that people named Jenny, or Patty are quick off the mark, or really super organized? Maybe it's because their names end in y instead of ie? Or did this particular fabric just call to them? Any ideas, or should I just go back to building walls?

Which I actually am doing by the way. Building walls. Because I decided to move some stuff around in the shop and - well, the walls weren't exactly where I thought they should be.!?.

For you who haven't mailed your blocks yet, please don't forget to sign your names. I've already forged one signature, and it's really not my specialty, if you know what I mean!

September Block for Patty

2011-09-30T15:31:00.005-05:00

Hello everyone,
Here is the block I made for Patty- I chose a windmill pattern since I'm from Kansas and the wind is always blowing here. Hope you like it Patty!
I also never posted about the walker bag I made for Melissa in July. It was a fun and fast project!

And a BIG THANK YOU for all the wonderful pillowcase dresses I received!!! You ladies are awesome and I'm sure there will be some very happy girls in some very cute dresses!!!

Take care and have a happy fall!
Marie

Exciting!

2011-09-22T11:43:00.000-05:00

This has been an exciting week!

First a picture of the first three Dozen Quilter blocks:

I really think this quilt is going to be awesome! I don't usually do sampler type quilts, but with the blocks coordinating by fabric, I think someone is going to love it!

I showed you a picture of the the Queen's Quilt I just finished for Breast Cancer Awareness, didn't I?
Well, this is what I did with the left over fabric. A Honeybun has a lot of fabric in it! And this one is so different from the other one! Now I need to quilt it, and then it will hang at the Hospital the month of October, until we give it away!

And this one is extra special (so are the two sweethearts pictured). It's a signature quilt for Donnie and Julie. He had a major stroke a short time back, and is currently in rehab. All their friends are invited to stop in and sign the quilt.

The fabrics are Dragonfly Summer by Holly Taylor of Moda. The pattern is Confetti Cake from Pieced Tree Patterns. I hope to get it quilted tonight!

a Block for Patty

2011-09-21T22:31:00.001-05:00

Hi All! I am having a hard time believing that this is my last post in this group! It's been really fun!!

I finally whipped up a block for Patty. It's pretty simple but I think it turned out ok. I did have to add a tiny bit of a fabric that wasn't in the original bundle but I think it goes really well and I am sending a bit back with my block so that she can incorporate some into another block or two.

If you all want something to do for October, consider making a block or two for my block drive to benefit my local NICU. I've received some great blocks so far but I am still short of my goal to collect enough for 20 quilts. Check www.ThreadedMess.com for all the recent posts on my Rainbow I Spy Block drive.

Happy Quilting!

Natalie

Christy's Block

2011-09-11T16:14:00.000-05:00

I am giving this block to Melissa today so that she can mail it with hers. Best of luck with your charity! It is going to make a beautiful quilt.

The Second Time's the Charm

2011-09-10T13:10:00.000-05:00

Here my second block for Patty's quilt. This time I paid attention and made all the right cuts. I agree with Melissa, you are going to have a beautiful quilt.

It's been a great year ladies and I wish you all well, good luck with all your future endeavors.

Patty's Block and Walker Bag

2011-09-10T09:49:00.002-05:00

This is my block for Patty. I think you're going to have a beautiful quilt!

Also this is the walker bag Patty made. I'm going to donate these next week. I have received bags from Christy, Marie and Patty and also heard from a few of you that you would donate locally. I assume everyone else found a local recipient as well.

Finally, this month ends a Dozen Quilters for the year. I feel like maybe we should call it quits. It seems like participation has been pretty low. Furthermore, there are many other charity bees out there to join. Your thoughts?

September's block

2011-09-05T20:00:00.000-05:00

Here you go Patty! I hopped on Quilter's Cache and found a 12 inch block called Squares within Squares 2. I hope it works in the quilt for you. I signed my name as well! Mailing out to you on Tuesday.

Breast Cancer quilt

2011-08-28T15:46:00.000-05:00

I love the block Patty (the MA one) has done! Here is a picture of mine.

Please don't forget to sign your block. And yes, girls they need to finish at 12'', so send them at 12 1/2 inches. I even had enough fabric left to make a comfort pillow for a friend. But I forgot to take a picture of it, again.

Caught Up, Finally!

2011-08-28T10:01:00.000-05:00

My apologies to everyone. I don't know what happened and I won't even make excuses. But here are the last few months projects. They are all on the way, Promise.

May and June projects

July's project, these are going to work with my sister-in-law, she works in a nursing home.

...and last but not least September's Block...

This is pretty fabric but I made a poor cut and tried to fix it by adding to the rest of the pieces,which ended up with a thirteen inch block. So I took it apart and now its a twelve inch block. I hope it's what you were looking for Patty.

Summer is winding down for me, my first day back to work is tomorrow and the kids will be back on Tuesday. Right now we are riding out Irene, lots of rain and some wind. So far it doesn't appear to be as bad as predicted. We've had quite a summer her as far as mother nature is concerned, a tornado( pretty much unheard of here), an earthquake and now an hurricane!

Enjoy what's left of your weekend!

July's project

2011-08-20T21:53:00.000-05:00

I'm super sorry I am so late with July's project Melissa! I didn't have fray check, so I knotted the edges of the ribbon...which happens to be Christmas ribbon that says "Believe". I plan to gift this to my best friends mother who has just had a major surgery and will most likely have a walker for a very long time.

Although you can't see it in the picture, I did 4 pockets...one very narrow one for a pencil and then 3 more that are 4 to 6 inches wide. I used this same home dec fabric for the front and the back. I think the needle on my machine would have preferred cotton weight for the back!!!

September's Project

2011-08-15T15:46:00.000-05:00

I know how busy you all are, what with end of summer canning, yard work, back to school, sewing projects, school sports, etc. So I thought I'd get the fabric out to you a little early, giving you a little extra time to work on it. I'm sending the five fabrics shown, although no one gets all five :)

Every year I do a quilt for Breast Cancer Awareness, so I thought it would be great to do one with blocks from around the country. Only two requirements: that the blocks will finish out at 12'' square, and that each one of you sign your block. And please sign it large enough and far enough from the edge that it doesn't get 'lost'. Thanks so much. I look forward to seeing your creations.

Summer

2011-08-06T12:00:00.000-05:00

Everybody really busy?! Seems like it's hard to make sewing time with all the Summer Activity going on. Don't know about anyone else, but I'm sure hoping to slow down a little pretty soon!

Meanwhile - here are the dresses we've been making for HOPE 4Women. Julie, our super sewist, got five more done yesterday and brought them in. That makes 19! If I can get one more done, I will send 10 each to Leisel and Marie... Wish me luck!

Walker Bag

2011-07-24T16:33:00.000-05:00

I finished my walker bag. No walker, just a bag. I will bring it to you next week as I know you and the kids visit a nursing home regularly and I am sure you can find someone to give it to. Such a nice project.

June and July

2011-07-11T11:55:00.000-05:00

Finally, caught up.

From a home dec weight Joel Dewberry fabric and scrubs material for the inside.

From denim. Reminds me of a carpenter's belt.

From drapery fabric, both inside and out.

Please excuse my lack of a walker!

July Project

2011-07-01T11:12:00.000-05:00

Hi ladies! How's summer treating you? I decided to use July to make walker bags for our local nursing home. However, if you know someone who could use one, and I'm sure you do, just go ahead and give it to that person. I have made tons of these over the past few years and each recipient has always been thrilled. I posted the tutorial over at my blog, Lilac Lane. Just because I have a little "print friendly" button there that makes it really easy to print out the tutorial. If you have a little stash of home dec fabric and never know what to use it for, this is the perfect thing! I hope you like making these and if you slip a few little goodies in the pockets, they will be extra special. Thanks so much!

2 more dresses for June

2011-06-22T19:13:00.000-05:00

getting caught up feels good. Leisel...I have two dresses going out Friday to your posted address and Marie, I will be sending you two like the one pictured above.

No, my daughter is not a model in training. acting coy and withering...she is a disgruntled girl who would rather be playing than modeling a dress for her mom!!

Thanks for the project ladies...these are the first dresses I have ever made!

pillowcase dress

2011-06-20T19:01:00.000-05:00

Leisel, I apologize for being late with this dress...but I hope to mail it out by the end of the week.
I hope, in fact, to mail it out with a matching dress.

and, with a bit of luck...Ill mail your dresses out too Marie.

but that is for another post!!

My daughter is nearly 6, so I think this dress would be suitable for someone her size, or even a bit bigger.

My pattern suggested 27 inches for the binding...but I think Ill go a little longer the next dress.

Pillowcase Dress

2011-06-19T16:31:00.000-05:00

Have you ever started sewing a project and had nothing but trouble? That was this little dress. I just couldn't catch a break. A very simple project that caused me all kinds of trouble. It did come together, but probably wouldn't win any ribbons at the fair. I always hated having my sewing judged. I will get this to you this weekend Marie, can't wait to see you!

Hope 4Women

2011-06-13T16:49:00.000-05:00

I haven't forgotten either. We've just been so busy, with Mom, and the store, and then the opportunity came up to open a 'mini' Granma's at our local Assisted Living and Nursing Care Center. But Granma's is also collecting dresses made and donated locally, and we will send them directly to Hope 4 Women.

May and June Catching Up!

2011-06-13T16:04:00.000-05:00

So sorry to fall off the radar! I have been sewing some but my life has been topsy turvy for several months with family and life. It's summer now so that helps! So here are my pillow case dresses for May and June. I will get these off in the mail this week!

Purple Wonky Star Quilt

2011-06-12T21:46:00.000-05:00

The finished quilts for Ava were sent off this week. I ended up making just one quilt from all the wonky star blocks instead of two like I was planning. The blocks looked so great all together, it was just meant to be. Thank you again to everyone who helped me with this special project! I've named it 'Wish I May, Wish I Might':

I used all of the blocks turned in to me. There's one on the back that I forgot to take a picture of but it's there!

More pictures are in my flicker.

The second quilt is a simple strip quilt made from fabrics in my stash. It's pretty amazing how quickly strip quilts come together! I named it 'May Angels Hold You Near':

Thanks again ladies! I heard from Ava's parents that both quilts arrived safely. I hope to hear from them soon about how the silent auction went and how Ava likes her quilt.

Happy Quilting

May and June Pillowcase Dresses

2011-06-10T23:53:00.001-05:00

Here are my pillow case dresses for May and June. I was able to make 4 dresses from coordinating yardage. I split them up so they wouldn't be too matchy-matchy. Two will be going to Leisel and two will be going to Marie.

I hope they bring smiles to some little girls' faces! These are shipping out tomorrow.

April Preemie Quilts

2011-05-24T19:08:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to show off the lovely quilts I received from you all!

This quit top was donated by Christy and I finished it up by backing, quilting, and binding it:

This quilt was donated by Melissa:

This quilt was donated by Patty Z:

I know some of you are still planning on donating a mini quilt and I really appreciate that! You don't have to stick to the original challenge unless you want to. Our current NOVA Modern Quilt Guild challenge is "Scrappy"! Anything goes as long as it utilizes scraps in your stash. You don't have to do that challenge either though. I will accept any quilt top, unfinished, or finished quilt between 29"x29" and 45"x45", square or rectangular, as long as it's 100% cotton. Fusibles are unfortunately not ok unless they dissolve in the wash.

Thanks again ladies! They are beautiful!

Happy Quilting

June Project- A repeat of May

2011-05-24T09:57:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone,
Leisel and I must have had the same idea in mind when choosing a project. Our Church has a women's group and one of their projects this year has been to make pillowcase dresses for girls in Haiti. I meant to get this post up earlier this month before everyone started making their dresses but of course I am a little behind. I do a have a pattern that we used and it uses any size pillowcase or you can make your own. The pattern is a pdf form and I will email to all of you. I know everyone gets really busy in the summer so don't worry about getting it to me right away. You can just mail the dresses to me and I will put with the other dresses our church is sending.
Thank you for taking the time to sew these dresses- I'm sure you will be making a little girl very happy!!
Marie

(Almost) a pillowcase dress

2011-05-23T14:26:00.000-05:00

I bought this little sundress pattern for 50 cents years ago with granddaughters in mind, and never made anything with it. Since I'm trying to clean closets, I almost pitched it, and then I thought, with a little 'reconstruction', it would be cute for summer shifts. So here at the shop we are asking our customers to make a simple summer shift or pillowcase dress and we will ship them all together to "Hope 4 Women". We'll see how it goes!?!

It will fit better on a 7 or 8 year old girl than it does on our junior size mannequin, but we didn't have any little girls handy :-D

Another Pillowcase Dress

2011-05-21T20:06:00.001-05:00

I made this for a bigger girl, and then only I could model it! But it can easily go long for an older child. I used my new Denyse Schmidt fabric from JoAnns. After purchsing it, I realized it really wasn't my style, but it looks pretty cute on this dress. My husband says, "It needs a belt." smile

Okay, here's the update: I used this tutorial: https://www.fabshophop.com/downloads/pillowcaseDress_chop1.pdf, using the 8" arm hole measurements and leaving the full length, in other words 36 inches plus the four inches added onto the bottom. It says to use 36" of ribbon, cut in half, and I used 36" of ribbon not cut thinking that the bow wouldn't take that much, but a little extra would have been nice, like maybe 42 - 45".

Pillowcase Dress

2011-05-14T15:09:00.000-05:00

This was a fun project. I hope it makes someone very happy.

Itty Bitty Baby Quilt

2011-05-11T11:55:00.000-05:00

Natalie - This is very, very late! But it is all done, and it will leave here today!
Thank you for being so patient.

2011-05-09T13:52:00.000-05:00

Please forgive me....

I am so sorry that our life has been so crazy and I am way behind... I am getting caught up I promise. I did a bunch of sewing this weekend. Stop by our blog and see part of why I am behind...

Blessings to each of you!

Stars for Natalie

2011-05-06T16:40:00.003-05:00

I am late... again. Life has just been so hectic this year. Natalie, I know you're itching to finish your wonky start quilts so I just sent these little lovelies off to you...

I kept it simple. I think it works for these blocks. The background is Kona Mulberry and the stars are Patricia Bravo.

I will also be getting you a preemie quilt but that won't be until later in the month. Hope you enjoy! Thanks for keeping my wonky star kick going!

AIDS fundraiser: red cross block quilt

2011-05-05T13:11:00.000-05:00

the quilt back

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

I am so happy to let you know the quilt came out great. The auction is this weekend, I'll let you know how much we raised!

finished about 62x90.

so hopefully appealing as a twin size bed quilt or/ and comfy cozy couch quilt!

oh...I washed the quilt with FIVE Shout Color Catchers...does this make anyone else nervous?? I didn't find any bleeding issues on the quilt...

Wonky Stars

2011-05-04T15:07:00.000-05:00

Can I tell you how very much I LOVE wonky stars now? They have never much done anything for me, until. . .

I love them! And now I am planning a whole quilt. . .

They went in the mail today, Natalie. I also have a baby quilt getting close to being done-- just needs a binding.

What would you do?

2011-05-03T20:51:00.000-05:00

tick tock tick tock...

just got the AIDS cross block quilt from the quilters today...nearly 1/2 done with the binding...must put a label on it tomorrow....

I thought for sure that i would wash this quilt before handing it over...but now I'm not positive. can i get your advice?

raffle quilt
LOTS of red fabrics...granted I asked everyone to prewash their reds, but still.....i have Shout color catchers and am not afraid to use them....
(any advice for washing this 68x90 RED quilt if i go that way?)

pictures posted soon! thanks again everyone for your help!!

I Didn't Forget. . .

2011-05-02T22:05:00.000-05:00

Hello Ladies! Is it May already? Yes, it is. And finally warming up here. . . Hooray!

For my month I have decided to do something a little different. . .

Dress a Girl Around the World-- Imagine a world where every little girl owned at least one dress. . .

This company sends dresses everywhere in the world, to those in need-- 23,000 dresses sent out to date. For more information, you can go to their website here.

So what do you have to do?

Make at least one pillowcase dress. There are instructions listed here. Or make up your own. They are super easy and fast to make, but turn out so cute!

I absolutely LOVE the idea that some little girl in Uganda or some other place in the world is twirling in a brand new dress that I made.

You can send the dresses directly to them:

Hope 4 Women International

34975 N Valley Parkway

Bldg 1 Unit 102/104

Phoenix AZ 85086

Or if you prefer, you can send them directly to me.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

April is Over and now my quilt is too.

2011-05-02T15:12:00.000-05:00

Done, done done! And on its way to you Natalie. (It's flat, but the wind was blowing {as always}).

Baby Girl Quilt

2011-04-22T10:56:00.001-05:00

So last Friday, we had a blizzard. (I know!) And I decided since I was inside anyway, I should knock out this month's project. But lo and behold, I had no purple solid. So I turned instead to the baby quilt. I still need to quilt and bind it and hope to do that next week. It is looking a little wavy, but I'm pretty sure it will all be flat. Will this work? It just has a little bit of print in it. :)

Happy Easter! Love, Melissa

I decided to show this off at:

Little quilts

2011-04-22T10:38:00.000-05:00

Here is my 'mostly solids' quilt for Natalie. I hope to get it quilted this weekend and shipped out next week. The colors are 1930's pastels with multi-dots sashings.

March & April Blocks

2011-04-20T08:30:00.006-05:00

Hello everyone,
March was kinda a crazy month and I didn't get a chance to get this photo up of Hollie's courthouse steps blocks. This was the first time I made a block using this pattern. I really like how it came out and the color combination you chose. Can't wait to see your quilt Hollie.

I also got a chance to get Natalie's blocks done- I don't think I will have a chance to get you a baby quilt but I will get these blocks in the mail today! I really like the wonky star block- I used a light lavender as the background (looks more white in the pictures) and some Anna Marie Horner fabric for the stars. I LOVE these blocks! Purple is one of my favorite colors and I was surprised to find that looking through all my fabric that I don't have alot of purple- crazy? Anyway hope you enjoy the blocks Natalie, Your design wall with all the different blocks look great!

Have a Happy Easter!
Marie

Christy's Quilt Top

2011-04-19T16:23:00.001-05:00

I picked out a few backing fabrics that might work for the quilt top Christy sent me. I'd love your input on which one you think looks best!

Happy Quilting!

Purple Wonky Star Blocks on the Design Wall

2011-04-18T20:43:00.000-05:00

I got another couple of blocks in the mail today and wanted to share how they are looking on my design wall!

Quilt 1

This first quilt is shaping up to be wild, fun, and perfect for a vibrant young lady!

Quilt 2

This second quilt is a little more subdued and sophisticated which I hope will appeal to the silent auction goers!

I'm still playing with the layout as more blocks come in but I am really liking these so far and hope you are too! Thanks again for all your help with this project!

Happy Quilting!

Another Wonky Star Part 2

2011-04-14T21:04:00.000-05:00

I made another block tonight after taking a long nap and thought I would share...

For this block I changed the scale of the squares to 2.5" which gave me a finished square of 6.5". I pieced 2 together with 2 6.5" plain squares giving me a finished block of 12.5"

I hope none of you are catching the bronchitis going around!

Happy Quilting

April Projects

2011-04-14T20:46:00.000-05:00

I will try to get these in the mail soon.

Another Wonky Star

2011-04-14T13:46:00.000-05:00

Hi ladies!

I got my first blocks from Patty H. earlier in the week and they are looking great on the wall with my blocks:

I just finished another block and I thought I would share it with you:

I played with the scale of the star by reducing the size of the squares to 3" and 1.5" instead of 4.5". I found two little bits of Heather Ross Far Far Away II for the centers of each star. I added strips to get the block to the right size. Feel free to play with the scale and position of each star like I did with this block.

I hope your blocks and/or quilts are coming along well! Thank you all again for all your help with these projects!!

Happy Quilting

Whole Lot of Comfort Going On

2011-04-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

My Guild is meeting this Wednesday, so I'll be dropping off the comfort pillows then. I wanted to thank everyone for their generosity, I'll be delivering a grand total of 24 pillows and polyfil (thanks Patty). All the pillows are beautiful, each one is unique and I know that they'll bring twenty-four ladies much comfort.

Well done Ladies!

Wonky Stars

2011-04-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

Here is my contribution to the wonky stars. Purple has got to be my least favorite color so I was surprises to find a pretty good selection in my stash. I have a very limited selection of solids, so I tried two that I thought would do but wasn't sure if they met the criteria so bought some Kona and made two more hope they will do.

I'll be sending all out in the mail tomorrow hope you can you use the Natalie.

Purple Wonky Star Blocks

2011-04-03T20:13:00.001-05:00

I've finished making my first wonky star blocks and wanted to share some pictures with you...

I love the way this last block turned out. It was a happy accident that I had a square of this Heather Ross Mendocino fabric, that it wasn't quite big enough, that I had a complimentary solid purple to frame it but not quite enough for the last side.

I hope your blocks are coming along and can't wait to see pictures!

Happy Quilting!

Natalie's blocks

2011-03-31T12:49:00.000-05:00

I hope I didn't get too wonky and piece-y with these blocks Natalie. They finish at 12.5.

I pinkie promise that I will try to get working on a baby quilt ASAP too!

A Whole Day AHEAD of schedule. . .

2011-03-30T14:23:00.000-05:00

Yay, me! Done a day early. Here are the courthouse steps blocks:

These were so much fun to make-- and I LOVE the color scheme. They will be in the mail tomorrow, Hollie.

I also finished my cross squares several weeks ago.

Yay! Can't wait to start on April's. . .

More Court House Steps for Hollie

2011-03-28T23:09:00.000-05:00

I just finished my blocks for Hollie and they were pretty fun. I adopted a no scrap left behind approach to these blocks so the second and third are pretty improvised...

I hope these work for your vision Hollie!

Court House Steps for Hollie

2011-03-27T20:17:00.000-05:00

Here are the block I made for March. Looking back I'm thinking I may have gotten the color wrong. Hollie let me know if they're not what you had in mind and I'll redo them.

Hollie I will mail these out tomorrow, hope you all had a great weekend.

Courthouse steps

2011-03-25T10:40:00.000-05:00

I'm running a little late, but here are my courthouse steps blocks, hopefully on the way to Hollie today! This has been a fun project, it's been a long time since I did this particular block, probably because I'm not one for skinny strips of fabric! !-)

And in keeping with my promise this year of "no scraps left behind" here are two more bibs, showing front and reverse, that hopefully will make lunchtime happy for some child in China. They just need closures before I ship them to Gayly.

And I have barely enough strip set left for a baby quilt, but that's next month's surprise!

April Project - Wonky Star Sampler Blocks and Mostly Solid Preemie Quilts

2011-03-23T16:53:00.001-05:00

Hi Ladies,

Most everyone has commented and it looks like everyone is having as hard a time deciding between the two as I am. We'll move forward with both projects (Wonky Star Sampler Blocks and Mostly Solid Preemie Quilts) but you can participate in one or the other or both depending on what your schedule allows. I also want to mention that if you just want to make a preemie quilt top that's totally fine too! I can finish the top with fabrics and batting from my own stash.

Please post photos of your progress or finished work. I will be posting photos of my progress for both projects here, on my blog, and in my flickr stream.

The details and inspiration mosaics for both projects are in my earlier post but there are a few important details I want to highlight again...

Wonky Star Sampler Blocks

Your unfinished blocks should measure 12.5" (they will finish at 12") but you can make the stars within each block as small, large, off-set, and wonky as you would like. I love the variance in the quilt in progress here:

I don't really mind if you press your seams open or closed. I have found that where triangles are concerned, it helps to press them open but I understand if you would prefer not to. It does take more time upfront.
Backgrounds should be purple solids, stars should be purple prints (see inspiration mosaic here and here). I'm not limiting you to a brand or to certain colors of solids but they should be 100% cotton and sturdy. I would prefer we stick to prints and not batiks for the stars. It's not that I don't like them, it's just not the look I am going for.
If I need to send you some purple prints (or solids) please let me know as soon as possible so I can get some in the mail. Again, these should be 100% cotton. It is fine to use 80cotton/20linen blend for the stars (prints like HR Far Far Away 2, Echino, etc)
I will be making two quilts from these blocks, one for the little girl I mentioned and one for her parents to auction off to raise money for her care.

Mostly Solid Preemie Quilts

As the heading indicates, I would love it if you used mostly solids for these quilts (inspiration mosaic here and plenty of good browsing on flickr). That being said, I will not turn down any quilt or quilt top you want to send our way. The hospital has 75 beds and I am hoping to donate enough for them to give all of the babies a quilt. More details can be found in the flickr discussion post.
Our guild is planning on donating quilts on a regular basis so you can participate in the challenge now and/or in the future.
The minimum size is 29"x29", the maximum size is 45"x45". They can be square or rectangular. They can have squared or rounded corners.
All materials should be 100% cotton including fabric, thread, and batting.
Applique is ok but synthetic bonding material like heat and bond is not (no spray basting either). You can use elmer's glue or a different kind of washable fusing material. Hand embroidery is ok but tight, stiff, machine embroidery is probably not ok. Preemie skin is very sensitive and anything abrasive is not good for them.
I am going to be washing these all together in baby safe detergent before I take them to the hospital so please make sure you use dye lock materials. I am hoping to avoid bleeds!

Here's a couple of photos of my most recent quilt top for this challenge:

Feel free to comment on either post on this blog or email me directly if you have any questions. I will try to respond within minutes but definitely within 24 hours. It is not required to send a photo with your blocks/quilts like for Hollie's project but if you want to I will include it in the card I send with the quilts. Both projects are local for me so don't worry about sending money for shipping (we do that in do.Good Stitches {A Charity Bee}). I REALLY appreciate your willingness to help me with these projects.

Happy Quilting!

-Natalie

Testing the Waters for April

2011-03-18T11:14:00.008-05:00

Hi Ladies!

I am having trouble deciding what I want to do for our project next month so I thought I would put it to vote...

I recently found out that my coworker's niece was diagnosed with Lymphoma. She's just a tiny little thing and it breaks my heart when babies are sick. Her parents are doing everything they can to raise money for her treatment and I thought it would be nice to donate a quilt for them to auction off. What I really want to do is make a little quilt for her to use while she is in the hospital or getting treatments. If we go with this project I would want to do something similar to this wonky star sampler quilt (explained by Rachel of Stitched in color and tutorial by Victoria of Silly BooDilly) but in purples instead of pinks because that's her favorite color:

blocks by do. Good Stitches {a Charity Bee} Love group

I would ask each of you to make at least 2 (more would be better since I will be making 2 quilts from them)12.5" unfinished blocks to finish at 12" with any solid purple background and fun purple prints for the stars. It's ok if the prints have a tiny bit of other colors in them but the overall color should be predominately purple (see Jeni's In Color Order series on Recognizing a Fabric's Overall Color). Since this is a sampler quilt, you can vary the size, placement, and number of stars as much as you want. Some of the blocks will be made into a quilt for auction and some will be made into a quilt for her. Here's a quick inspiration mosaic I threw together to get an idea of the range of purples I'm looking for:

Purple Inspiration Mosaic

And because the palate happens to be very similar to the colors I used in my wedding in May 2010 I thought I would share some personal photo too:

The other project I am considering asking you all to help out with is to make preemie quilts that will be donated to the INOVA Fairfax Childrens Hospital NICU. My guild, NOVA Modern Quilt Guild, is using RK sponsored Kona Solid charm packs to create modern mini quilts no smaller than 29"x29" and no larger than 45"x45" out of 100% cotton materials. In keeping with the challenge and to make this fun and different, I would ask that you use mostly solids to make your quilts. A few prints thrown in on the top is fine and it's fine to use a print for the binding or backing too but the majority of your top should be done in solids. I highly suggest that you poke around on flickr for inspiration but here are a few of my favorites:

Mostly Solid Mini Quilt Inspiration

I have completed one quilt top already and am working on a second. I made half square triangles with all of the blue, green, purple, and gray charms and white charms. I arranged them randomly to disperse all of the colors evenly throughout and bordered them with white and green:

So which will it be ladies? A couple of Wonky Star Sampler quilts in purples? Or preemie quilts in mostly solids? Leave a comment with your preference and we'll go with a majority decision.

Thanks for your help and Happy Quilting!

Natalie

Jenny's Blocks

2011-03-14T12:31:00.002-05:00

Jenny, I am so sorry they're late so I made you five blocks and they're on their way to you!

Hope you like them!

Christy's Steps

2011-03-12T21:36:00.001-06:00

My Husband Should Be So Proud

2011-03-11T10:43:00.000-06:00

(He's a lawyer -- get it? Courhouse steps?)

Hollie if the block on the left is too wild, I'll make you another one. It is pretty crazy.
Love, Melissa

best for last

2011-03-09T13:03:00.000-06:00

OK, I'll stop badgering you all with my court house step blocks...
but this is my favorite.

a few more blocks for Hollie

2011-03-08T13:54:00.000-06:00

I made a few more blocks today Hollie.
Please feel free to say if they are not what you were looking for...Id be glad to make some different ones.
I think I prefer the look of this block with a solid...or at least not flip flopping fabric as much as I did.

Court House Steps

2011-03-07T21:06:00.000-06:00

Did I mention that I love this block?
I started tonight on my first block.
It finished just under 10 inches.
should I go bigger?

I didn't add any blue to this block...does each block need all three colors?

March Quilt Blocks for Threading Hope

2011-03-04T13:57:00.004-06:00

Ladies, I am so sorry for the delay on this month's project. It has been crazy in my world lately and I completely spaced on March being my month. Thank you for the reminder, Melissa!

This month I would like us to make blocks for a quilt that I will be donating to Threading Hope. It's a non-profit that I have been working with (Natalie too!) since September. They take quilt donations and give them to children around the world living in poverty stricken or war torn countries. These quilts provide warmth and love for the children who receive them.

Inspiration Mosaic for March's Blocks

I am asking for Courthouse Steps inspired blocks using Oranges, Blues and Grays. Two blocks would be great, but if you only have time for one that's okay too. The other request is to please send me a picture of yourself with your blocks. You can email me a picture of yourself and I will print it out to include in the package to Threading Hope. They like to send pictures of the people who make the quilts to the children so they can see the person (in this case people) who cared enough to make something for them.

Thank you for your help creating this quilt for a very special little boy or girl out there.

P.S. I don't have any specific requirements on the size of the blocks. I think it will look cool in all different sizes. And prints would be great! You aren't limited to just solid fabrics at all.

- Hollie

Red Crosses for Jenny

2011-02-28T19:07:00.000-06:00

Here are my wonky cross blocks for Jenny. I am a huge goober and messed up the starting squares but hopefully it will add a little variety rather than throw the whole quilt off!

Block 1

Block 2

Block 3

Hope they work for you Jenny!

Blocks For Jenny

2011-02-27T21:11:00.000-06:00

I finished some blocks for you, Jenny. I left them large, so you can cut them down to whatever size you need. Can't wait to see your finished quilt!

Red Hot Cross Blocks

2011-02-23T12:57:00.000-06:00

Here are my version of the cross blocks. Hope they are what you were looking for. This was a good easy challenge and an excellent cause.

The colors are not reading well.They are brighter than they appear.

I know I'm behind but I had to show you this...

2011-02-13T22:02:00.003-06:00

A few weeks ago, I saw this dress on Jenny's blog. I LOVED it and wanted to make one for each of my girls. So I emailed her, got the pattern and Saturday I sewed for the first time for myself since Christmas (I have been helping the girls on a couple of 4-H projects but nothing for me.)

I picked out some nice fabric to make my own dresses for the girls but decided to make a sample dress first to see if I would need to adjust them at all and I didn't want to spend a lot of money on the samples. So the other day, my girls found some wild fabric at Walmart- 3 different prints- red, black and white. It was cheap so I bought enough to make them each one. I made them yesterday! I LOVE this pattern and I think the dresses turned out pretty cute too,especially when worn by my sweet girls:)

The pattern is Kyoko by Patty Young, Modkids.

Thanks Jenny for the info:) Now I am ready to make the girls a couple more... after I finish my pillow and cross blocks!

ps... just for the record, my girls weren't freezing while taking these pictures:) Yes there is snow on the ground but it was 70 degrees here today:) By this evening, all our snow was gone!

Christy's Crosses

2011-02-13T19:30:00.000-06:00

I can't wait to see your finished project.

cross block, pillows and other adventures

2011-02-07T18:30:00.001-06:00

I think I told you we had the new Bella - Possibilities in from Quilting Treasures. Along with all the other projects this week-end, I made up a runner for a shop sample. Like the rest of you, I have a hard time tossing scraps. So I bag them up and save them for 'someday', which is pretty slow in coming. Since I'm thoroughly disgusted with how messy my sewing room has gotten, I decided the FIRST step to clean up was to stop saving every scrap! First project later, and here are these strips, triangles and squares..... and I can't just throw them out! So A Dozen Quilters to the rescue! I'm turning them into projects for ADQ!

So the scraps from this one became a comfort pillow heading to Patty,

And then I made two more cross blocks for Jenny,

and the scraps from this project will probably be baby bibs!

So I didn't exactly clear out any scraps - but I didn't keep any new ones either!!

And if any of you would like a bag of scraps, I'd love to send them to you, I have lots and lots!

Happy Scraping!

Cross Blocks

2011-02-07T00:52:00.000-06:00

Here are my blocks. These went together so quickly, thank you Jenny for a great project this month! I will get these in the mail to you this week.

Melissa's Blocks

2011-02-04T16:44:00.001-06:00

Hi! I made 4 blocks since they go together so quickly. Pretty fun pattern, Jenny! Anyway, the largest is 15" square and the smallest is 10" square. If you don't like the colors or if any are the wrong size, you can trim them or not use them. Sure hope they'll work for you!

Pillowcases

2011-02-03T18:54:00.000-06:00

Okay I have been playing catch up. Here are my pillowcases for the orphanage in China. I thought the cowboy fabric would be fun coming from a Texan as we are known for our ranch and cowboy culture throughout the world. For those who have heard of Texas of course! =D The dots pillowcase can really be either boy or girl.Gayly I will send these out to you over the weekend. I really enjoyed working on these!

Cross block

2011-02-03T10:14:00.000-06:00

Here is my cross block Jenny, and I hope to make a few more.

February's project

2011-02-01T14:41:00.001-06:00

Hello Ladies and thank you in advance for your help with my project this month.

Before I start with what my project is about, let me tell you a little background...I have a best friend. well, bestest friend really...we coined that phase many years ago...I'm sure of it.

Jessica and I decided to be best friends during a bathroom break in 3rd grade and we have never looked back.

We have grown up together and we are the next best thing to sisters...although i have three wonderful sisters and Jessica has...ummm, I forget exactly how many sisters, but lots since she is the baby of 17 kids.

Jessica and I met for coffee this weekend and to catch up. I meant to take my camera for a pic of us, but forgot...but here is my favorite pic of Jessica at around 14 years old.

I love this picture...look at her determination...proving to me that she could indeed to the splits.

Here we are about 10 years later. We left home right after college to go to London, England, find jobs and live for about 6 months. Time of my life.

And here is where I should have a recent picture of us, but that doesn't exist.

ANYWAY...Jessica is the most giving of herself person you could ever meet. For the second year in a row she has accepted the leadership role of planning our cities AIDS Walk. Helming this event is practically and second full time job for Jessica, and I asked if I could help. I asked if I could make a quilt for raffle. She loved this idea...every year they bring several panels of the national AIDS memorial quilt to the walk so having a quilt to raffle seems like a good idea, huh?

HERE is a link to the web page giving more information about the fundraiser.

Here are a few blocks that I have made for the quilt.

I would like to do a cross block quilt, much like Lucia did here:

Lucia made this quilt, with the help of Flickr friends to comfort a family friend with cancer. She asked that we make the blocks wonky or straight just as long as they are at least 9 inches high.

I would like the back grounds to be red. Here is the stack I have from my stash to work with:

red red red. No white back grounds...red.
Then the cross section of the block can be made with whatever fabric you like. I am looking for diversity!
Here is a very simple tutorial for making this cross block.

short recap:
red background for block
cross section whatever you choose
no juvenile fabrics please
each block to measure at least 9 inches tall
theme for AIDS Walk this year is Carnivale and Vive La Rouge is the event name.
I would be over the moon if you would all make a few blocks...I'm hoping to make a large quilt

PLEASE*** please pre-wash your fabrics!!

Comfort Pillows

2011-01-29T16:00:00.001-06:00

Okay here are my pillows.

I used Michael Miller knits for one because the knit is so soft I thought it would be very comfy. My other pillow is Queen Street in periwinkle and aqua with Sisboom dots in pink and aqua on the back. This was a great project Patty! Thank you!

Spreading the Hope

2011-01-29T10:31:00.002-06:00

Here is my contribution for January. Patty, I stuffed it loosely and sent it to you but I didn't close it up because I wasn't sure if I had stuffed it enough. I wasn't sure how loose was too loose.

I bought this fabric a few months back because I fell in love with it even though the fabric is completely not me. But there was something about it. Then as soon as you announced this month's project it hit me... this was the perfect fabric!

I hope it works. I really enjoyed making it and I'm planning to make more when I have some time. It's all packaged up and on it's way to you.

Pillows are Done!

2011-01-29T10:08:00.000-06:00

Hello! Some of you will recognize these as the "extra" quilt blocks we made in this group last year. One is another block I had worked on and never made its way into a quilt. Hope these work Patty; they're on their way to you.

a Quilt for China

2011-01-27T12:17:00.000-06:00

Well I finally finished my December project. This is going to one of my quilters tomorrow and hopefully will be to you very soon, Gayly. Thanks!

a Dozen Quilters January Project - Comfort Pillows Part 2

2011-01-24T12:01:00.001-06:00

Here is my finished Comfort pillow for January.

It's been washed, re-ironed to work out some of the wrinkles, and will be on its way soon!

Save the Ta Tas!

a Dozen Quilters December Project - Bibs Part 2

2011-01-24T11:59:00.001-06:00

I finally finished and washed the boy bib for the December project. Both bibs will be on their way soon!

Happy Quilting!

Catching Up

2011-01-19T20:12:00.003-06:00

Just catching up! Here is the pillow for this month. I chose to do a kind of wonky block for the pillow. And Gayly I chose to do some pillowcases and a tabby using some leftover Minky- so soft. Sorry for the delay. I will get in the mail tomorrow or Friday!

Take Care,

Marie

A big thank you!!!

2011-01-19T09:38:00.000-06:00

I am loving getting all the packages in mail for all the kiddos at the orphanage for the Dec. project! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Soon I can share some more aobut this project and it's special place in my heart:)

A Couple Pillowcases. . .

2011-01-17T23:09:00.000-06:00

For Gayly. . . in fun prints! I think I might want one for my own pillow!

a pillowcase

2011-01-17T18:42:00.000-06:00

Hey Gayly...this is (unmistakably) my first ever pillow case. It is very far from perfect...but will it work for your collection for the orphanage? I have the bibs set aside to get mailed off to you as well.

Comfort Pillow Finished

2011-01-17T16:24:00.000-06:00

I finished a pillow, Patty. It's a little larger than 9½ X 12½. I made it with Bliss by Moda. It's lucious!

I'll pop it in the mail this week.

Comfort Pillows

2011-01-15T15:29:00.000-06:00

I finished three comfort pillows this weekend for Patty's month. Patty, I don't know of a local organization who collects these, so I plan to mail them to you this week.

Had I been able to get a good picture of all three together, you could see that they are not all the same size. ...sorry about that...but they all meet the 9.5 x 12.5 required size within 1/2 an inch one way or another. For example...one is 12x10 I think. I hope that is OK.

you might notice I am a little 'into' cross blocks right now...they will be making an appearance in February as well...that is my month!

a Dozen Quilters January Project - Comfort Pillows

2011-01-13T23:58:00.004-06:00

I wanted to give you a sneak peak of the pillow I am working on for this month's project. I know that comfort pillows aren't specifically for breast cancer patients but it's a cause that is near and dear to my heart. I have family and friends who have been affected by breast cancer. I hope one day people smarter than I am will find a cure for breast cancer, for all cancers. Until they do, my husband and I try to volunteer our time and money towards the cause.

So, without further ado....

I drew the template for the 'bras' myself. They are appliqued on with lightweight heat and bond so they are still very soft. I machine stitched around the edges of each bra before piecing the squares together.

I plan to embroider 'Save the Ta Tas' in pink in the center but I am not sure if I will do it in this 'font'.

The final pillow measures 8x12.5. Most of the fabrics are from the Jennifer Paganelli Flower Power fabric collection but the back is from the Art Gallery Fabrics Sugar collection.

I will take pictures of the final pillow once the embroidery is done.

Save the Ta Tas!

Pillow

2011-01-13T20:00:00.000-06:00

I will try to get this in the mail to you soon. I don't have a local group that is involved in this project. I like the idea and I actually work as a therapist with a lot of pts going through cancer treatment. Maybe this could be something to start in our community later on.

pillow talk

2011-01-11T13:29:00.000-06:00

Patty - Here's a sample of my pillows. The rest of them I will send unstuffed to save room. The fabric is 'Heaven Can Wait' by Ro Gregg. I think I have enough scraps for 6 pillows. And I will send money to help with the stuffing. This is such a sweet idea, I'm thinking of trying to do something for Alzheimer patients.

Gayly - I have my box ready to ship! I am sending 5 bibs, 3 blankets and a quilt, but I forgot to take a picture. You'll recognize my name! Happy New Year!

a Dozen Quilters December Project - Bibs

2011-01-07T21:22:00.000-06:00

I am extremely late in getting it done but hopefully it will still find a good home.

I made it using scraps from my bin and a variation of this tutorial by Sew She Sews. I wasn't able to use her template because the bargain ink I bought on Amazon doesn't work in my printer for some reason. I'm pretty bummed out about wasting money! Instead of printing one out, I drew one roughly the same shape and size. The reverse side is a geometric print in topaz, gold, and pink from Amy Butler's Midwest Modern Line.

I will also be making a boy version of this bib so more to come later but for now I'm off to bed again.

Hopefully to sleep away this cold.

Happy Quilting!

Natalie

Last July's Project

2011-01-06T16:55:00.000-06:00

I know this only applies to about half of us, but I hope the other half of last year's ladies still reads this. Here is Nathan's quilt, all finished up. And I do think it is BEE-YOU-TEE-FUL. Well in a boyish way anyway.

January is Comfort Pillow Month

2011-01-05T05:00:00.001-06:00

Hi to all, after giving it much thought, I decided to go with comfort pillows. My guild supports a variety of causes and one of them is making comfort pillows for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. I'm sure that you all know someone who has been affected by some sort of cancer. I personally have lost three aunts and a college friend to cancer, my husband has lost both parents and a sister.
While the losses are many, there are quite a few survivors out there and comfort pillows are just a small thing which helps make the recovery process a bit more tolerable.
A couple of years a go a co-worker was fighting breast cancer, and had to endure two surgeries. The first surgery she kept very quiet, and I didn't know until after the fact.When she was scheduled for her second surgery, I asked her if she had her comfort pillow, she didn't know what I was talking about. That night I whipped up a pillow for her and brought it in the very next day. The note I received from her telling me what a difference the pillow made in her recovery is something I'll never forget. To realize that this tiny little pillow helped ease so much pain was shocking and humbling to me. The fact that something that literally took me about 15 minutes to make could profoundly change some one's life is astounding.

How to Make a Comfort Pillow

To be used for mastectomy and Lumpectomy surgery and biopsies

· Pre wash all fabric

Pillow measures approximately 12 ½” X 9 ½”

Piece, applique, or use any technique to make a top.

Cut backing fabric after top is done and cut it the size of the top. Slight variations in the size of pillow are okay.

Right sides together, sew top and backing all around leaving an opening of approximately 2-3” allowing for the filling.

Turn right side out, press as needed, and fill the pillow with SOFT polyfil. Stuff looser than you might ordinarily stuff for pillows or other filled items. Squeeze to test for softness and adjust filling if necessary.

Sew opening closed.

Unstuffed shells are acceptable too.

Please Do Not Use:

Fabric with metallic prints, these can be stiff and scratchy.

Children or Juvenile prints, these pillows are for adults.

Animal prints or flannels.

If you have any extra blocks lying around you can use them. If you know of a local organization that takes these pillows that's great if not, you can send them to me and I'll bring them to Guild, as we have about five or six organizations we distribute to. Obviously, if you are delivering them yourself they need to be stuffed, if you send them to me don't stuff them, it will be easier to mail. Don't hesitate to email me or leave a comment if you're stuck. Thank you all in advance for you time, and effort.

Two Bibs, Two Pillow Cases and a Baby Quilt.

2011-01-04T19:12:00.000-06:00

Finally caught up.

This takes care of October and December obligations. Will post January's project tomorrow,

Happy New Year to All.

December bibs

2010-12-31T15:15:00.001-06:00

This month has been crazy, but I did manage to make 2 bibs and an elephant. I will get them in the mail to you soon.

Happy Christmas!

2010-12-24T07:48:00.000-06:00

On the 12th day of Christmas,
This is what you'll see,
12 quilted potholders
Underneath the tree,
11 little stockings,
All they need is filled,
10 darling bibs,
The babies will be thrilled!
9 table runners,
Four need binding yet,
8 quilted placemats,
A merry little set.
7 tiny cushions,
Meant for holding pins,
6 quilted jackets,
But none of them for men.
5 UFI's
I didn't have time to bind,
4 fancy pillows,
Need trims I couldn't find,
3 pretty purses,
The handles still to add.
2 dashing snowmen,
Need stuffing pretty bad!
1 Merry Christmas wish,
Sent just for you,
Peace, Joy, and Happiness,
All the whole year thru!

Best wishes,
and may all your UFI's be DIT.

December Project

2010-12-17T19:51:00.000-06:00

OK, ladies. I'm so excited that I was able to finish this quilt for this month's project! It was basted and waiting to be quilted, so I quilted it on my Bernina and finished the binding today.

It's around 65"X78" so that should be a good size for an older girl.

I also have one pillowcase and I may have time to make a few more.

Are we sending everything to Gayly?