Just in case

Hi, girls! I'm not sure if anyone else would be interested in this but....

I have always regretted that I didn't keep a log/journal of the clothing I made {and continue to make:)} for my girls as they grew up, figuring pictures of them would be enough. Also, all the scraps I'd been saving for quilting got recycled when we moved ten years ago because "if I haven't started to quilt by now, I'm probably not ever going to"--go figure, ten years later I've been "stung" by the bee....

so, I found this link looking for something else-I truly am not a very computer savvy person- but if you go to http://quiltingpassion.com, click on "free" then click on quiltsheets/diary for a free quilting log sheet. It's a two pager, so after I printed it I copied it going two to one page. Now, I have a little 3 ring notebook I can keep everything in. She also offers a spiral bound journal, but my feeling is the less money I spend on accessories the more I have left to buy fabric......

happy sewing!
San-Dee

Mélina's square for Tara

Hope this works Tara. I changed my initial plan for reasons of time and small pieces. Also we all tended to place our houses in the center or left so I thought I would go for the right for some variety. Hope you like it, I have really enjoyed this project so far and look forward to more...

Quick before we leave

Before we leave for temple for Yom Kippur services, I wanted to put up my block for Tara. As you know, I'm a quilting newbie, and haven't had any classes or read enough tutorials. So, this block probably has a few things that should have been done a different way. But, it's a learning process, right? I wanted to try and use all the patterns sent, but I didn't quite make it. Here's the house:

and here's the whole block, I wanted to try a nine patch and did pretty well matching the seams, but the hill of grass on the left was a little tricky. I think I need to read about triangles......

I hope you enjoy it, Tara, it'll go out Tuesday afternoon, after work. love ya, San-Dee

Mail came!

My fabric arrived today and the building of my little house begins. Yay!

Here is my little house...

Tara, I should not be sorry since this was the first time I have done a block without a pattern but for some reason I am. I had a lot of fun making this block and can't wait to tackle the one I make for myself. I am putting it in the mail on Friday since I want to show it to my husband tomorrow.

Angie

A little crooked house on a little crooked road

I finally got to Tara's wonky house block. I'm calling it "a little crooked house on a little crooked road". At least that's what I called it in my head the whole time I was putting it together. Hope you like it Tara, I did throw a few solids in just because that seems to be what keeps talking to me these day. (That and the huge pile of solid scraps sitting on the corner of my cutting mat.) This was fun to make. I can't wait to see what you end up with. Fun stuff! Happy sewing!

Block finished...................

One of the reasons that I decided to join this bee(apart from a little friendly pushing from Elaine, and the chance to make 11 new friends), was to push my boundaries a little. I tend to get into a groove as far as colour/pattern choices are concerned, I seem to pick the same type of patterns and the same colour families over and over!
So I thought that having to stitch something someone else has chosen, their pattern and colour, would help me broaden my horizons so to speak.
Talk about being thrown in to sink or swim, boy oh boy, did I get shoved out of my comfort zone on month one!!!

Your fabrics and block design Tara, have made push my boundaries right off the edge!! I do traditional, historical, lots of applique and all in traditional, historical, earthy colours and patterns. Yes I do contempory sometimes, but still in a traditional way!!

Do you know how hard it was to NOT match the fabric, to NOT make the house at least a little realistic, to NOT add some little flowers at the front of the house?????????
It was hard, trust me.

So having said all that, I really enjoyed making it, I hope it's what you wanted and that you like it. It's in the post tomorrow - bring on next month!!

Lizzie
XXX

Membership Card

I just got finish making the cards and can't wait to get them printed and in the mail. I wish I could attach a picture of them but I am not that computer savvy. So check you mailboxes next Friday and they should be their.

How to get the button

If you like it, I think you can just add a picture as a gadget somewhere on your blog, and others can:

1. Save picture as (to save it to their computers)

2. Add the gadget to their own blogs

3. Then hyperlink it to your blog

This was what Heather told me to do to get it on my blog. So left click on the button and save image somewhere on your computer. You should be able to add this as a gadget(if you use blogger,if not, you're on your own!) by adding a picture. I thought I didn't get it and it took only a couple of minutes!

By the way, if you leave comments but have a no-reply e-mail, then it's really hard to answer your questions. So if you'd like to have us reply, just please understand when we don't get back to you!

Let me know if you have any other questions!

A blog button!

Hey guys!

Check out this awesome blog button that my amazingly talented friend Heather made for the bee. She's going to be part of the second bee, since there was so much interest. I still need 4-5 more quilters to fill it up, so if any of you are interested in doubling up, as I am, let me know! I'll let you know asap how to post it and hyperlink it to your blogs if you wish!

And thanks so much to Angie for linking our blogs and adding the Who's Turn sidebar! If your blog is not listed let us know so we can link it too! And if you don't yet have a blog, don't you think it's about time?

Thanks!

Tara

Finally, the parcel arrived..........

Just a quick hello and to say that your fabric finally arrived Tara, phew, it's not easy being the only Australian in the pack, LOL. I am going to have to compensate for the length of time postage takes to our outpost here. Hopefully I can start on your block this weekend and get a post with photo's in by then.

Lizzie

First Draft

This is my first quilted square ever, I hope you can cut me some slack ;-)
I'm excited though, and thanks to you I discovered I really like quilting.
I met a really nice quilter lady at Lambspun (the yarn shop where I work) and after I asked she explained a couple of things to me and told me if I do at least three layers I can sew pieces on top of each other without having to do the cut and sew lines (forgot the name) that I saw on some of your squares and had no idea how to make. So here is my try-out square and if the technique (which I will perfect a little now that I learned things making this one) is ok with you, I'd love to get started on your square with your fabrics Tara...
Notice a few missing windows and doors from my sketch : I went a little over my head and this was challenging for me, but so fun!

and then there was two.

Somehow, while I was cleaning, organizing, cleaning etc.
Tara, Your block multiplied...
magically.

('cuz I am cleaning, it wasn't me!)

I'm SO GLAD

I'm so glad everyone is posting pictures of their ideas. I got my package yesterday and love all the little pieces you sent me, Tara! I will definitely have to try and come up with something neat.

So, Tara, do you want the house centered in the block like yours is, or can we move it around?

Answer, quick! I hope to start sewing tomorrow. and thanks for putting in the labels with everyone's address, a great way to do it.

Talk to you soon!

yippeee!

So I just get home, and with so many things sitting here to unpack, unwrap and open,
I dug out Tara's fabric, and plugged in the sewing machine...
Now. I have not sewn the sky and grass part to the house yet, as I want to make sure two things...
one: is it OK to add a tree?
and two: how much grass to sky ratio?
do you want less grass and more sky (or visa versa)?
does it not make any difference to you?
its' so fun to play with itty bits of fabric!

what say you miss Tara?
:-)
Victoria @ bumblebeans

Log cabin

I made this log cabin (2 of them) today and just laid them on the backgrounds. Is this ok with you Tara? I was also wondering if hand applique is ok or if you want the whole thing pieced. Thanks, Elaine

I did use a ton of feedsacks along with your fabs.

Jo-Ann VIP Discount Card

Hey Guys I mean Gals,

I purchase most of my batting and other supplies from Jo-Ann's and just recently noticed that they have a discount program if you are a reseller or in a sewing or craft guild. So I was thinking since we are kinda a group now or at least for the next 12 months that maybe I could make us all some membership cards so we could get a 10% discount on all purchases online or in their store. I know that all of us don't have a Jo-Ann's nearby but maybe the other quilt/fabric stores around will give a discount if you have a card.


So what do you think?.......If you would like to do this just leave a comment and after I get the cards made up I will mail one to you.

Angie

Sketch

Just a sketch of my house idea, I'm probably well beyond my capacities but just a thought... so you can all give me some feedback maybe on no-no's or so...

Mélina

I'm just catching on to how this blog is working. Sorry for the delay. I am crossing my fingers that I am doing this right...
I'm French and German and I live in Fort Collins.
I have a husband: Brian and a dog: Vatito.
I'm thirty and work at a yarn shop, I love knitting, weaving, spinning, crocheting and I guess almost anything crafty.
I have been sewing since I was about 12 or so and doing mostly repairs on garments, then started making some skirts a friend's wedding skirt...
The last and first "patchwork" I made was a baby blanket for one of my cusine's son. It consisted of 20ish squares that I sewed together in a random/organized way and stuffed with an old blanket that I folded in four and cut to the size I needed. As you can tell I am a fan of recycling!
Again, sorry I am so late, I'm a novice at Quilting, blogging... so hope you will be patient with me too.
I'm going to get busy doing my square now! I'm excited!
A bientôt, bis bald,
Mélina
ps: I have a very fresh blog if you are curious: http://melimome.blogspot.com/
couldn't figure out how to make it a hyperlink ;-(

It's here!

Hi all, sorry no photo yet...I received my package today from Tara, very cute fabrics! I have resisted looking at the quilt photos so that I can make my house without copying. I have some fun thoughts, will try to post a pic tomorrow. Hope you like it Tara! Have a great evening...and thank you again, Elaine

Tara's block, my first attempt

Hi Ladies, I am so new to blogging, but I hope this comes thru ok. Here is the block I worked on yesterday for Tara. I sure hope you like it Tara!! I can't wait to give it another try with the fabrics I receive from you!
My house is a bit bigger than I wanted...about 4 7/8 x 3 1/4...I'll get it smaller the next time!
Jenny

September Quilt Blocks

Here goes nothing! Your fabric will be in the mail tomorrow--I apologize for it's lateness, but there were some minor technical diffucuties on my end.



You will each be receiving a fat quarter of a blue 30s repro, a fat eighth of a green 30s repro and a small bag of scraps-- vintage and repros.

From that fabric I ask you to make me one 16" block. I was able to make a 16" and a 12" block out of my fabric, so you should have plenty! Feel free to add any repro fabric scraps of your own, I'm not too picky!

I am shamelessly mimicking Amanda Jean, who is mimicking John, who is channeling Ingrid Press and this quilt. Feel free to look to them for some inspiration.



I would like the blue to be the sky and the green to be the grass, the house is yours to build as you see fit. Please keep the house smaller than 5x5 and larger than 2.5x2.5.

Thanks you all so much for playing along! I can't wait to see what you make and what I get to make for you in the coming months!!!

Hey Y'all, from Texas!

My name is Elaine and I live in Canton, Texas. I am 56 years old and have a sister in Canada I have never met face to face. Her mama and our daddy were married before he married my mama. We have met on the phone and email, but not face to face...that's for next spring. I want to show here the bluebonnets in Texas. We were both born in January, both "crafty", broke our left forearms, work in healthcare, very cute and perky...lol. I can't wait to meet her! It takes forever to get the papers to go anywhere anymore!

My husband and I moved here by way of Tucson, Arizona and Deming, New Mexico. We are originally from NE Washington State.

After my kids were all in high school I started nursing school (omg, what was I thinking?). After I had had a few years experience, we packed up, sold the farm and moved away from ice and snow. Now we only have spiders as big as frogs, average rainfall is 43 inches a year, WE HAVE NEVER WATERED OUR LAWN, and we use our ac @ 9 or more months a year...sometimes in the same day as the heat. We also get to see wonderous sights such as tornados and hurricaines! Chicken fried steak is a food group. But, we love it, lol! We have dogs, a burro, paint, 2 mini horses and each other.

We have 5 adult children scattered from California, Washington and Texas. We also have 2 grand babies on the way to = several! Plus 2 great grandbabies (do I have to dye my hair lavender now?).

I signed up for a quilt class several years ago and never finished the quilt. The instructor was a cross between gunny (that big mouthed gunnery sargent on mail call), Don Rickles and an alligator. I didn't finish the class. When my baby boy was @ 8 he came to me and asked if I would make him a quilt for his first baby....where do they get those ideas...so off to the cheapest stores we could go to. I did everything wrong...the ugliest quilt ever. It has always hung in our home because my son was so proud of it, he had helped arrange the patches, lol. He is married and is expecting his first born in Jan. Yep, he has "the" quilt and is totally in love with it. You know, it's ok to make quilts you may be embarrassed about. Somebody loves them.

I also knit, crochet, hook rugs, embroider and needlepoint. I am not working (as a nurse) right now. I have a few "issues" to work on first, then I'll get to it. I am very good at mail but the pc...be patient, I'll get to it!

I have resisted signing up for different things online because I am not sure what is expected of me. But I want to do this. I was very happy to see you Lizzie...wahoo, I know you! Tara...bring it on, we might be ready!

hi, all!

Hi, everyone! I'm San-Dee, and very excited about this virtual quilting bee as it will be my first. I am a very new quilter-I made my first quilt within the last two weeks for my younger daughter. I have been collecting quilting books forever, and decided it was time to try it.

the background information: I've been married for 28 years to my best friend in the world, and we have two daughters who are in their early twenties. Though a teacher by education, I spent most of my working life in different phases of the financial industry: credit unions and currently the finance department of a large family owned company centering around publishing.

We moved to Bethesda, MD ten years ago when my husband, Lou, was transferred by his employer, NASA. I miss the CA life and most of our family still on the West Coast, but I have learned to live with the humidity of the northern South.

I have been sewing forever, and also enjoy crochet and knitting. I met Tara through an apron swap, and we have become fast online friends-if Lou plans out the road trip he wants to take next summer, Tara and I will meet in person since I can't get to the quilting retreat. This has been a difficult summer for me as I was diagnosed with breast cancer and have gone through two surgeries. The most important lesson I learned is that it is okay to put myself first and do the things I want/need to do, rather than put them off to do the things I "ought" to do. This has been incredibly liberating for me. (What mother ever learned to say no?)

I have no clue what we are supposed to do in the bee, but I am very good at following directions! I like getting to know other crafters and sharing our love and pride of things hand-crafted. I have a blog at sno-wear.blogspot.com that journalizes the past few months of what I have gone through, and shows some pictures of things I have done recently.

I love that this community brings together all ages and experience levels. Let the good times roll!!

This is Lizzie in Australia...........

Hi everyone, I'm Lizzie and I live in a small village in rural Victoria, Australia. Now all you ladies will have to bear with me because this is the first time I will have done any sort of quilting bee? Oh oh, a newbie, a virgin bee so to speak. I have a couple of blogs, you can always find me here at A House in the Country and I belong to this one the Civil War Bride Quilt.

I've been doing patchwork and quilting for a bit over 30 years now, on and off anyway. I'm 59 years old and have a wonderful husband, 4 grown children and 8 grandchildren. Two fur children left at home, we live on 4 acres of mostly garden in the making. We are thankfully just coming into spring here in the Southern Hemisphere, not that you would know it right now, it's cold, wet and windy today.

I'm looking forward to 'meeting' you all and to my first quilting bee.

Tansi!

Hello everyone! I'm Vivian and I live in the Yukon Territory in Northern Canada. We're already into fall up here, the leaves are all golden and we have frost every morning. Right now I'm sitting looking over the mountains with the wood stove keeping the trailer warm!

We live just outside of town so we're on 5 acres of woods where we have foxes and coyotes, and moose (3 of them), and all sorts of little animals. The bears should be coming through soon. We're on a wolf migratory route as well, but we don't expect them till December.

I work 3/4 time at a law firm in town. Been working in law firms since I was 17 (currently I'm 38!) with a few years off when I had my girls. They are 9 and 10 and I stayed at home with them till they went to school. Fortunately I work the hours they are in school so they don't even miss me!

I'm a published cross stitch designer (magazines and leaflets) however I'm taking a step away from that. It's no longer filling that creative need and there's a lot of other stuff that take away from the pleasure of it. I'm still a member of our local needlework guild and have been vice-president for 6 years.

Last November our local quilt shop owner finally talked me into trying out a beginner quilt class (Quiltstart). She's been after me for years as I frequent her shop to pick up fat quarters to use with my stitching! Well, one lesson and I was hooked! DH (ok, he's really my "significant other" but after 17 years I call him DH) bought me a Bernina for Christmas and I haven't looked back.

I just signed up for my fall classes. An applique quilt, a scrappy quilt, christmas stockings, as well as a level 1 and level 2 machine quilting classes. I'm self taught machine quilting wise b/c I couldn't wait for the classes LOL!

My blog is at: http://nn.dlpgraphics.ca/blog if you ever want to peek what I'm working on.

I'm having the time of my life playing with fabrics and I'm so glad to have found this quilting bee. I look forward to getting to know everyone throughout the coming year.

Take care all, Viv

Hello everyone, I am Jenny from Indiana. I have been quilting for probably 15 years, but on and off...thought I would start with my moms scraps from our clothes as kids and it's the most awful quilt you can imagine, but I keep it anyway for all the wonderful memories. I have never taken a class although I wish I would. Just joined a local guild about 6 months ago and have really enjoyed that.

I am mostly a stay at home mom, but I do work a few hours outside home at the office I worked before my daughter Colette was born four years ago. I also have a 20 month old son, Hugo. These two keep me busy and I find that the only time I have to quilt is night when they go to bed...I've been trying to fine tune my priorities so that I can quilt more, but we shall see!

I have been buying fabric like nuts lately...it just makes me so happy!! Really time to buckle down now...am so excited to send a bit of fabric to you all for a lovely block in return. And I am excited to receive your fabrics and to try my best to turn it into something lovely for you!

I hope to hear more about each of you, and look forward to getting to know you all and sewing together!

Hello

Hi everyone, I am Angie! I hope that it ends up being a really fun experience for all of us. I am not sure whose blog it was that lead me to Tara’s to get the great chance to do this. This is such a great way for me make quilting friends since I have no "real life" ones. So I'm really excited to get to know you all. I know at times it will be a challenge but in the end this will have been a great experience for all of us.

Here is the 411 about me. I have lived in Georgia my whole life about an hour south of Atlanta. I am in my middle twenties and am married. We don’t have “human” kids yet but we do have “animal” kids. Which are a miniature potbellied pig, 2 cats, 9 chickens and 1 rooster. No, I am not a hillbilly or red neck (nothing is wrong with being one either) just unique. I enjoy gardening, reading and quilting the most but have tons of other small things I like also.

I just started quilting in May of this year. It all started when I was talking to my Aunt that lives in West Virginia. She was talking about a quilt she was making and I mentioned that I would love to learn that skill. Well, the next thing I knew I got a package in the mail that had a block put together, all the individual pieces of the block and enough fabric to make a lap sized quilt. I had no idea at all where to start. So I took my scissors and cut out one square at a time around the ones she sent me. Once I had enough pieces cut out to make ten blocks I figured I would put it together and then I was lost. I didn’t know what to sew to what or anything. I went to my local quilt store and I signed up for a beginner’s class and now 4 quilts later here I am.

I can’t wait to hear about everyone and see what we like.

Angie