August BOM

Last week I was bad and didn't post about the August BOM meeting.  I got about half way to the shop and realized that I had forgotten to bring my camera.  So I had to use my phone to take a picture.  Then I had to figure out how to get it from my phone to my computer.  It's a pretty crummy picture, but the other one was worse.  I promise to remember to bring my camera from now on!

Not many people made this block.  The main comment seemed to be: "it was hard."  And it was a bit troublesome.

I made a couple of them for the Sylvia's bridal quilt -- they're the little six-inchers.  I didn't think that they were especially difficult.  I think that might be because with smaller pieces, there's less stretch.  Or maybe it's easier to cut smaller pieces accurately.  I used templates for the curved pieces in the center, the corners are cut and put together like a Lemoyne star.

 I did have some fun with it in EQ7.  I couldn't find the block in the libraries -- it must have a different name.  Here it's called "Hands All Around."  It wasn't difficult to create in Patchdraw and I really like the secondary patterns that happen with this block.

 This block creates all kinds of secondary patterns when it's in a straight set.

I really like this on point version.  

Sylvia's Blocks and a Tiny Bit of Paint

A couple more of the blocks from the Sylvia's Bridal Sampler Book (the original post is here). The one on the left is paper pieced with freezer paper -- the one on the right was done with templates.

Amethyst

I need some light background fabrics for another project and (of course) I don't have exactly what I want in my stash, so I decided to try a technique suggested by Jill at the Quilt Rat in her post here. Instead of getting out the dyes, I diluted some paint and dipped in dry fabric, squeezed it out, and scrunched it up on these "paint palettes."

I am hoping that when it is dry, the fabric will have some patterning from the paint in it. I really diluted the paint -- literally one drop to about a cup or more of water. These are some white on white fabrics that I bought a while ago, thinking that I would dye them in really bright colors and the white print would show up nicely. I'll save that fun for when the weather warms up a bit.

Puzzle Blocks

A while ago, a friend suggested that we get this book and try to make some of the blocks in it. Mill House Quilts runs free classes and they were doing this book in one of the classes, but it was during the day when we were at work, so we couldn't go.

I don't usually do lot of traditional quilting or patterns, but sometimes it's fun to work with other people just so you can see how different things look when interpreted by other creative people.

I haven't talked to my friend about it since, but I decided to try some by myself. Because I am averse to following directions, this was a challenge for me. I decided that after I went to the trouble of learning to make one block, I may as well make two. And, using the same pieces, make them as different as possible: a la Paula Nadelstern's Puzzle Blocks.

Star of the Orient

Hands All Around

Rolling Star

Shoo Fly

Trip Around the World

Wouldn't you just know that after I made a few of the blocks, Mill House would have a class at night. It's more like a club, with everybody contributing. Some of the quilters are beginners, but many are very experienced. I'll have more blocks to show later. For the group this month, I'm going to be demoing the paper-piecing method I pinched from Judy Mathieson .