July Checkerboard Blocks for the Block Lotto

Here's my five sets of blocks for the July Block Lotto -- Checkerboard Blocks.  Why is it that every month I say, "OH! I love that block!!!"  "I need to make more!!!"  I think I have been bit by the quilt bug!

Have a great weekend everybody!

Country Kitties Quilt Sandwich DONE!

Today I finally got around to making my California King sized quilt into a sandwich.  It is now ready for when my husband has to work a lot of hours and I can take over the kitchen table for days.  The pattern is called Country Kitties (even though there are no cats involved in my quilt...)  I think it was named this because of the fabric print that was used on the pattern.  It is by Holly Daniels.  I got the free patern at http://www.free-quilting.com/detail.html?code=FQ00052&cat_id=1  I check that site every day for what is new--AND FREE!  I modified the pattern to measure 87.5" by 105".

I love the way everything was so nice and smooth!  What a difference Warm and Natural batting makes!  I did my Supernova quilt with a Mountain Mist batting similar to Warm and Natural thinking it would be too thin.  But we love the weight of that quilt and I ended up buying a whole roll at JoAnn's at 50% off.

I usually hate this part of the process, but today it went so smoothly and everything lined up and stayed flat.  Whew.  I was worried about that big quilt.  Hopefully with a pin in the center of all the blocks it won't shift on me.  I'm not sure how to quilt it yet.  I kinda want to try free motion quilting, but I'm still a little hesitant.  Maybe I will quilt a baby quilt that is in the works as a trial before I tackle this big one.

I started to do a pieced back.  The back is a pretty paisley color.  When I started to lay out the back it just looked like I ran out of stuff and didn't have anything planned.  I made another whole row of the diamond in square blocks and was going to run them across the bottom about 3/4 of the way down.  It just didn't match the paisley quite right.  So when this quilt is turned over it is just ALL paisley.  Hopefully I will come up with a good idea of quilting.  Maybe I will do a diagonal grid of just straight line quilting because it is just so big.  Decisions, decisions.

Ahhh.  Taking a deep breath of another stage of a project complete--feels good.

Now that I have this closer to be done I guess I won't feel guilty about starting not one, not two, but THREE more quiltalongs.  LOL.   I'm interested in:

GIVEAWAY!!!

For a chance to win an Accuquilt Baby GO! check out Quilting Along the Gorge at

http://quiltingalongthegorge.blogspot.com/2011/06/giveaway-of-baby-go-and-3-dies.html

WIP Wednesday

Wow!  Now this is a HUGE block!  It is 21" square (finished size).  It is for my Bluepatch Mystery Quiltalong. http://www.bluepatchquilter.blogspot.com/

I finished the quilt top for my niece that is having a baby in August.  I am still thinking about the pieced back in my head before I move on in this project.  http://new2quilting.blogspot.com/2011/06/jungle-babies-book-quilt.html

I finished two blocks for the block lotto for July -- Sorry, no photo... that's the rules.  It hasn't been released to the block lotto site.  I do say I really like them and they are a lot of fun (but that is true about every month of the block lotto!)

I finished block 2 of the We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler.  I really like my color choices for this quiltalong.

I worked on about eight percent of my 30"x30" quilt for the quilt show in October with our local quilt guild.  The big part of this is that I finally made a decision of what I was going to do and how I was going to do it.  Sorry for no photo of that either.  It's a secret too.  I do have most of the pieces cut.  It's going to be very time consuming and I really want to make it work because it is something that a lot of people will see.

Today I mailed the Sunflower Seeds Quiltalong baby quilt to my friend.  I hope she is excited when she opens the package.  I loved it so much I have to post a pic of it again just in case you didn't see it last week.  It was just soooooooo soft.

So here's the stats:

New Projects:  0 -- Although I am still considering joining Betsy's Kaleidoscope Quiltalong

Completed Projects --  2+  (We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler block) (Blue Patch Mystery Quilt block)  (A couple of the block lotto blocks for July)

Currently in Progress:  7
We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler
Bluepatch Quilter Mystery Quiltalong
Victorianna Fabric Party Quiltalong
30"x30" Quilt for the October quilt show
Block Lotto
Block Swap Adventure
Charity Quilt

Quilt Tops Awaiting backs and to be quilted:  4
(California King - Country Kitties)
(Jungle Babies - Baby quilt)
(Jelly Roll Race - Lap quilt)
(Oh Susannah! Mystery Quiltalong - Queen quilt)

Projects on Hold: 1
Flower Basket Quilt
Charity Quilt #2

Have a great week, everybody!

Riley Blake Designs Contest

Jungle Babies Book Quilt

Here's the finished top for the quilt I am making for my niece.  She is due in August.  It has a Jungle Babies book as the theme.  It was a panel I bought at JoAnn Fabrics.  I'm not totally thrilled with it.  Each block could not be "squared" due to the way the picture was printed.  I tried to make them a little wonky so that they looked like they were supposed to be that way.  I don't think it is wonky enough.  But it will be fine for the baby.  It's a little bigger than I wanted, but it will be okay on the living room floor or park where I'm sure the baby will get plenty of tummy time.

Accuquilt Baby GO! Giveaway!  Plus THREE DIES!!!  Go to

http://vickibquilts.blogspot.com/2011/06/ready-set-go-baby-contest-starts-now.html

KookBeenz is having a cute giveaway.  You could win one of two fat quarter bundles!  Go to

http://koolbeenz-blog.blogspot.com/2011/06/fat-quarter-shop-give-away-14-who-wants.html?showComment=1309180017753#c2484330310103610845

We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler - Block 2

Here's block two of the We Can Do It Skill Builder Challenge.  We learned about color values.  I like it.  AND it measured 12.5" square.  Whohoo!  I am really liking the colors of this quilt.

GIVEAWAY!!!

Leona has reached 700 followers.  Celebrate with her with her giveaway at

http://oneygirl-myquiltingadventure.blogspot.com/2011/06/700-follower-giveaway.html#comment-form



WIP Wednesday #32

Meg's Finish-it-up Challenge had me look at all the little (and big) things I have started.  Besides joining quiltalongs and block of the month-type projects (which is just always just one more block), I am going to try to finish some of my on-going projects this summer.  Check out Meg's challenge at
http://fashionedbymeg.blogspot.com/2011/06/finish-it-up-challenge-come-join-in.html

This week I proudly finished the Sunflower Seeds quiltalong with Jamie Mueller.  You can find her site at http://jamiemueller.blogspot.com/p/awesome-quilt-along.html

This week I also completed the We Can Do It Skill Builder with Leila at

http://sewnbyleila.blogspot.com/

I made this lovely Log Cabin block.  It is my first log cabin block ever.  I like the little owl in the middle.

Here are some UFO's that I will be trying to complete this summer

Quilt guild 30" x 30" Quilt for the quilt show... due in October.

California King Country Kitties -- needs a back, quilted and binding

Baby quilt for my niece.  Her shower will probably be in July.  Gotta get busy on this one.  At least I decided on the colors and fabric.  Now I have to come up with a pattern/arrangement.

Victorianna quiltalong.  LOVE the colors of this one!  This picture doesn't do it justice.


Red and white flower basket quilt.  This probably won't be finished this summer.  But I love to look at it.  I will probably also work on cutting out more pieces while we are camping this summer.  I won't take my sewing machine on the camping trip, but I will take my fabric that needs cut.

This Jellyroll Race Quilt needs a back, quilted and a binding.  I may choose to make it a little bigger.  My husband keeps saying that he likes the colors on this one.  I was planning on giving it as a gift but I guess we'll keep it.  You can check out 1Choice4Quilting's site at http://blog.1choice4quilting.com/2011/06/if-you-thought-jelly-roll-race-was.html  They are always having cool contests and special deals as well.

I might be just dreaming on this one, but it is a UFO.  I am not happy with the blocks.  There are only two.  I could turn them around and they are Bonnie Hunter's Boxy Stars pattern. 

Also this week I was able to use one of my new cool quality made labels from Jennifer's Jewles.  I won these from KoolBeenz.  Just had to thank them and show them off again.

I love this quilt that needs a back, quilted, and binding, of course.  My husband thinks it needs a gold border... not sure about that.  But I do have some gold I need to get from storage upstairs and we'll see what it looks like.  My husband is usually pretty good with colors and such (much better than me.)  This quilt was a Mystery Quiltalong with http://erikhomemade.typepad.com/erik_homemade/. 

Then of course I also have the beautiful pineapple blocks that I received from winning the Block Lotto.  It is a Bonnie Hunter design as well!

This week's stats:

New projects - 1 (Started sewing Jungle Babies baby quilt for my niece)

Completed projects - 2 (We Can Do It Skill Builder - Block 1 AND Sunflower Seeds quiltalong)

Currently in progress - 6