Forest Friends

Feb 2016,

My sister and I both really like this pattern, Fancy Forest by Elizabeth Hartman.  We saw the kit in a few booths at Road to CA and it is generally a block of the month but we didn't want to go that route.  On our last day at Road to CA we saw just the pattern for sale and decided to each get it.  The booth also had the Robert Kaufman FQ bundles.  The woman in the booth said she had one customer that was making the quilt from the FQ bundles and said that most FQ had extra fabric and could make make a second blocks.  We decided to but the bundles and Karen is going to make two of all the cool color blocks and I'm going to make two of all the warm color blocks.  We have agreed to have them done and swap at Road to CA in Jan 2017.

March 8, 2016

Finished first set of blocks with one of the colorways.  There isn't enough of FQ#1 so had to add scraps to complete one of the owls and hedgehogs.  Could have possible gotten the second owl done but I felt that two blocks should have the scraps to even out the look.  I do not like making the butterfly blocks. (August 2016 - I got some of fabric #1 and redid the two blocks in which I had used yellow scraps)

April 4, 2016

Finish second set of blocks.  This time I had extra fabric of the FQ#1 from the Gravity project.  I also figured a way save some on the rabbit.  Again the butterfly block was the hardest.

June 19, 2016
Finish third set of blocks.  Managed to get all I needed from FQ#1 by creating a paper pattern for the owl and adjusting the center section length.  Again the butterfly block gave me troubles and I had several rip-outs.

August 12, 2016
Finished fourth and final set of blocks.  Again the butterfly block is my least favorite, could be that it is because I'm close to the end and getting bored and want it done. 

August 13, 2016
Put together the first set of blocks. Second set of block put together  Aug 20.  Now, I have to wait until January 2017 and swap with my sister so we will each have a whole quilt.

January 2017
My sister did complete my half of the quilt she did and I gave her one of the two I made. Here are the two halves making a whole.

Abstraction

Mom made this quilt top several years ago.  Pattern from Quick Quilts May 2008.  The fabric is a Paula Nadelstrom of circles. I quilted in the quarter of circles to accentuate the swirls. 

Size: 44 x 44
Sold at Wine Country Quilt show boutique 2017: $35

Arcadia Avenue pattern

March 2015 - August 2016

March 2015

I saw the pattern Arcadia Avenue by Sassafras Lane Designs in Keepsake Quilters as a block of the month.  It was paper pieced which I normally stay away from.  However Jim H from quilt guild encouraged me to try paper piecing again he thought I would enjoy the challenge and so I've decided to try it again.  But I was not willing to go the expense that the block of the month was mostly because I am not sure I will enjoy the challenge.  Therefore I purchased the pattern on-line and used fabric from my stash.

I finished this first block while at Walker Creek quilt retreat in March 2015.  I do like the challenge but find that 12 sections for each block a bit tedious and therefore decided I will make the blocks over time. I find that I'm not as careful as I should be when I get bored with something and these block need me to pay attention.

May 2015

Had the urge to try the paper piecing again so pulled out this project and did the second block.  I can tell I'm getting better at determining if the piece will be large enough when flipped over.  The times I'm off are when I try to use scraps instead of cutting the recommended size for the section. Luckily I thought about the color placement before I began (the book did not make any reference to this).  I wanted the same colors to be in the same position so I needed to keep the A and B version of each section the same colors.

June 2015

I HATE paper piecing again.  This block was bad.  I had to unsew a lot of pieces because they did not provide enough seam allowance when flipped over.  I think the pattern had errors in some of the sizes of the pieces for a couple of the sections.  I even check the web site for correction but there weren't any for this block.  I may remake this block after I complete the others and sure I have enough fabric and also if I learn more about paper piecing and I can figure out what I might have been doing wrong.  Putting this away for a bit.

July & August 2015

It took me a bit to try again after that last star.  This one was much better.  The issue is steep angles that make it hard.  This star did not have any steep angles so it went together much better.  Okay I'm back to not hating paper piecing. This is the only project I worked on at my first time at the Hen House Friday.  While in Hersey PA, my sister bought her fabrics for this quilt.

Sept 2015

I started this star at the Hen House retreat and got about 3/4 of it done and then finished at home the next weekend.  No issues with this paper piecing.  I do like the alternating black and white sections.

Dec 2015

I was ironing the completed wedges when I scorched the white fabric on two of the wedges and had to take them apart and a put together again.

Feb 2016

March 2016

June 2016

July 2016

This block was a pain.  Good thing it was the last block.  If it had been an earlier block I probably would have given up on this.  I did learn a new techinque. While reading an excerpt on paper piecing about joining sections (put a pin in to align and keep it perpendicular the put in a pin on each side).  It worked well!

August 4, 2016

With the help of Joanne and Dale, we auditioned many backgrounds and selected these two dark blues.  Over the weekend I put together the quilt.  Now to remove all the paper and quilt it.  Toying with the idea of putting on another border with the colors but can't figure which border.

Size: 72x90.  Quilt completed Nov 2016 

June 2017; Sold at Wine Country Quilt show $440