Groooovy

I really hadn't planned on joining the Totally Groovy QAL when I first learned about it. I'd already joined the SewIntertwined QAL and figured I didn't really need to join another but I just couldn't get this one out of my head.

Until recently I was a Stampin Up demonstrator and I use their color coach quite frequently. One of their color combos combined primrose petal, summer starfruit & basic grey. I really really liked it but I couldn't think of who I would gift it to or even where I would use it in my house since it's so different than anything I've chosen before. I decided to go with another color palette that I've used extensively of teal, smokey blue, olive green & gray to make a king size quilt for our bed. I really couldn't get that deep pink, yellow & charcoal color scheme out of my head though so I decided to make two quilts. One king size and one crib quilt. 

Crib quilt colors
Kona Curry, Deep Rose, & Coal

King quilt colors
Kona Coal, Teal Blue, Dusty Blue, Olive & Snow

Really looking forward to cutting into this and seeing how they both turn out. 

Sew Intertwined Progress

I am SO pleased with how my Dresdan plate came out. It was surprisingly easy to put together.

I haven't sewn the plate to the background yet or chosen the middle circle because I wanted to have the entire quilt laid out to determine what would look best. 

My first HST & four patch block also came together without mishap. Woo Hoo. Two for two so far...lets hope the success continues.

One down, only 19 more to go.

Here a QAL, There a QAL

Apparently I have no self control. I've joined two Quilt-a-longs. Not one, but two. Occurring at the same time. I just REALLY wanted to do both. 

The Sew Intertwined QAL started first and I had just ordered fabric from Tula Pink's new Bird's & the Bees collection which is going to look SO awesome with the design of the quilt. This quilt has a little bit of everything. A Dresden plate, which I've been wanting to try since March when I received a Dresden ruler for my birthday. Some easy half-square triangles & four patches to easily breeze through (famous last words) and these REALLY cool intertwining lattice like blocks that we're going to learn how to do traditional piecing or paper piecing...I'm pretty sure I'll be going the paper piecing route since I'm not that fabulous of a piecer and I'd prefer not to have to take a million attempts (slight exaggeration) to end up with a block I'm pleased with.  

When I first learned about the Totally Groovy QAL I wasn't really going to join in since I'd just started the Sew Intertwined one, but then the hostess posted a coloring sheet to help in choosing colors. I am such a sucker for planning things. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE planning things (my follow through needs some work). Then there was a discount for the pattern and then a discount for Kona solids at FatQuarterShop and before I knew it I joined the group, ordered fabric and am now really excited to get started. I even spent half a Saturday coming up with a slightly different way of piecing it to eliminate a lot of the seams. See? Planning. It's a sickness really.

My very first do Good Stitches blocks

I am VERY excited to be a part of do. Good Stitches {a Charity Bee}. I am a member of the Promise circle. Each month my circle mates and I will work together to create a quilt that will then be donated to Threading Hope.

These blocks were made using this tutorial.

I have to admit these blocks were a little tricky to get the points just right on. I made about 4 blocks before I realized that I needed to press the seams in different directions in order for them to line up nicely.
I'm constantly amazed that what I figure is going to be a simple block ends up taking me several attempts to get it just right. Picky much? Little bit.

I'm really looking forward to seeing the completed quilt!

A Zakka Tote

I decided to make another gift using a pattern from the wonderful book, Zakka Style. My first project using it turned out lovely and I was eager to try something else.  

I decided to go with the Zigzag Tote, the first project in the book. It didn't go quite as smoothly as I'd hoped because I was in a hurry to get it completed and I did a really dismal job at the quarter square triangles. So I whipped out some half-square triangles (of which I have gotten LOTS of practice on) and came up with this: 

Close up of quilting

Inside

I used Essex linen/cotton in Coral and a Moda Flora print left over from this quilt.  The inside was a Jennifer Paganelli print and a scrap for the pocket.  I did adjust the straps so that they were a little shorter and wider. Overall it's a really awesome bag that went together in just two days, even with the mistakes on the quarter-square triangles. I would really love to make this bag again using the double row of zigzags that are shown in the book...maybe next year I'll have to join a quarter-square triangle block of the month in order to get my skills perfected in that arena. Something new to learn, definitely open to that. 

This bag is already on its way to its new owner, my sister-in-law. I did add a note letting her know that if the color scheme wasn't to her taste I'd be more than happy to make another. It's awfully pink. Not in a bad way, just a lot of it. 

Quilting for Kids

I can't remember how I came across this group, Quilting for Kids,  recently but I'm really excited to have completed my first quilt block for them. 

This particular block is going to be part of a quilt that will be donated to a girl at Cross Bridge Ranch in Texas.  The ranch provides a place for girls in foster care away from their homes while they await placement in foster homes.

Looking forward to making lots more!