Last Two Mystery Designer BOM Blocks!

What seems like LONG after a year ago, I finally finished my last two blocks for the 2012 Fat Quarter Shop Mystery Designer BOM quilt.  It was actually June 25 when I finished the first block last year.

What I liked most about this block was the HST made from one triangle, and the other side having a split triangle.  They were fun to make. ("County Fair" by Julie Comstock for CosmoCricket)

I'm not sure if Fat Quarter Shop saved this block for last on purpose, but MY GOD were there tiny pieces in the pinwheels in the corners!  ("April Showers" by Sweetwater)  The whole thing all assembled is only 3 1/2" across.  The toughest part was sewing them together with the really thick centers from all of the layers.  I hesitated trimming because there was so little fabric to begin with.

I've got a bunch of other projects to finish and two baby quilts to make before I can do all of the filler pieces to this quilt.  I think this will be my winter opus this year.

Fat Quarter Shop Mystery Designer BOM #10

Can you believe it?  Ten months have gone by ALREADY?  How does this happen, the time flying by like that?  It is really fun to look back at the blocks as I add each new month to the pile.  Some I remember because of what else was going on in my life at the time.  Some for what the weather was like.  Some because I screwed them up and had to un-sew or completely re-cut parts.  A really nice way to mark the passing of a year.

This month's block is by Minick and Simpson called "Sunday Drive".  It uses this fabulous red houndstooth fabric that I LOVE.

I can also very clearly notice my improvement in technique as the months go by too.  I'm happy with my points, and how everything lines up, and most of all, that after a very tiny trim, I actually have a 12.5" square!

I've already started cutting my next big project.  It's a quilt for our new guest room from Quilts Made Modern by Weeks Ringle & Bill Kerr.  My first solids quilt.  I can't wait to show you all some progress.

Fat Quarter Shop Mystery BOM #8

This is the 8th block of 12.  Fat Quarter Shop has already listed the Mystery Designer BOM for 2013.  Thank God.  I might just die when we got to the 12th month otherwise.

This block is called Lime Sherbet, and is designed by Bonnie Olaveson (www.cottonway.com) and Camille Roskelley (www.Thimbleblossoms.com). 

I'm satisfied with how much points look.  It does help that the HST sizes are bigger.

Fat Quarter Shop Mystery Designer BOM #7

Holy cow am I late with this one!  This is the seventh block from Fat Quarter Shop's Mystery Designer of the Month BOM.  It's December 29...although I did finish the block on the 26th, that's still a lot later than my usual 15th or 16 of the month.  

This block is by Sandy Gervais (of Pieces From My Heart), and is called "Moonlight Serenade".  I absolutely love that she only chose three prints from the line.  This block is simple and very elegant looking to me.

This was the first block that when I finished, was actually the 12 1/2" size that it was supposed to be, with reasonably straight edges.  Only seven months, but I'm improving for sure!

I am working on a Holiday in London Duffle Bag now for my daughter.  I can't WAIT to show you pictures of that when it's finished.

Fat Quarter Shop Mystery BOM #6 - 1st Half Recap

It arrived on Thursday.  The Fat Quarter Shop Designer Mystery BOM, block number 6.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again.  There is something about these blocks that makes me HAVE to cut it out and sew it up within a few days.  I actually finished the block yesterday but didn't have time to take my bad photo and post it.

This block is called "Town Square" and is designed by Kate Spain.  It's the third block where you have to cut one of the fabrics two different ways to make the block come out correctly.  I'm seeing blocks quite differently now that I know about this.

Because this is block 6 of 12, I thought I would put them together so far to get an idea of what the variety of blocks looks like.  

I think my favorite so far is block three.  Which one is your favorite?

Fat Quarter Shop Mystery Designer BOM #5 - Quilting Crack

I have decided that these Mystery Designer BOM's from Fat Quarter Shop are worse than any sweets that I might be drawn to.  And I LIKE sweets.  When these arrive in my mailbox, I literally think about them obsessively until I finish them.  This month was no exception.

It arrived on Saturday, late afternoon, and I finished it first thing this morning.

What I like the most about this block, is that while I was making it, I didn't even SEE the lighter shaded square in the center.  I was so focused on the flying geese that I didn't notice the subtler "internal" shapes.  It really shows up nicely in the picture.

I'm going to have to ask Santa for the finishing kit and the backing.  I should have finished block 8 by then!

I am working on two other projects now that both got pushed aside for this block.  I'm finishing up the quilting and binding on the second Square Dance quilt, and I'm piecing the top for ANOTHER baby quilt.  An additional challenge is that BOTH babies arrived early, and are now here on Earth, live and in person, and neither of their quilts are finished yet!  

Fat Quarter Shop Mystery Designer BOM #4 - LOVE

I don't know what it is about these...but I cannot WAIT to put them together when they arrive in the mail. I got mine on Thursday, so this is probably the longest I've taken to finish my block.

This month's Fat Quarter Shop Mystery Designer BOM is designed by the wonderfully talented Aneela Hoey.

This is my favorite block so far. I know it's a little thing, but I love that the red pattern is cut both ways so that it's always facing the same way when the block is finished.

Besides doing this block this weekend, I ran in the Warrior Dash. I can't wait to share about that next!

Fat Quarter Shop Mystery Designer BOM #3

This is the third block for the Fat Quarter Shop's Mystery Designer Block of the Month club. I get so excited when these blocks come. There is such immediate gratification when I get one completed. This one took me about an hour and 15 minutes total, cutting, sewing and trimming.

The block is called Weather Vane by Barbara Groves and Mary Jacobson of Me and My Sister Designs. Another great HST skill builder.

Clearly my cutting was a little sloppy on this block, my lines were only so-so.

I realize my blog has been quiet...we had friends here from Colorado (the ones we visited in March) and spent time with them for a few days. It was supposed to rain so we planned a day at Mystic Seaport and then Mystic Aquarium so that we could be mostly indoors. It ended up being a really ok day weather-wise.

Their son is the same age as our daughter...and clearly...they get along really well.

I'm working on some baby quilts that I am MADLY in love with. The thing is, I have to give them to the moms-to-be first, then I can post pictures. Don't want to give away any of the goodness!

Fat Quarter Shop Mystery Designer BOM #2

I have to say, I really look forward to getting my BOM in the mail from Fat Quarter Shop. I looked at my calendar at work the other day and though "OOOH! It's the 10th, I'll get my next block soon!"

This was this month's block. I got it in the mail on Friday and finished it today. It was A LOT more piecing than the first block.

I like seeing how much better my piecing is, this is the most off of any of my lines in this block, it's in the upper right corner. Really, given how many tiny pieces there were in this block and I am really pleased with my overall showing.

On the other hand, I am THRILLED with how nice and crisp my points are on my flying geese.

What BOM are you participating in?

Sewing at a Standstill

The last few weeks have been pretty wild around here. Between my husband's birthday, Father's Day, last week of school for the kids, and a quick trip to Cooperstown, there has not been a lot of sewing going on.

But I did manage to eek out this pillowcase for my son...I got this great PacMan fabric on eBay. My son loves anything to do with video games, and his favorite color is lime green.




I also signed up for Fat Quarter Shop's mystery designer Block of the Month. I got the first block last week and made it right away. I fell in love with the colors scheme and I like getting "surprises" in the mail.



The only drawback for me is that I LOVE doing the blocks and then REALLY struggle with doing the borders and quilting. AKA...finishing.

What type of projects do you like to start, but have trouble finishing??

March - In like a lion, out like a lamb.

It was a loooonggg month of March at my house. I had two kids with strep throat, and ended up sick myself. Sicker than I can remember being for an awfully long time. The germs have passed, along with the ending of Daylight Savings Time, and I am really ready for spring to kick in.

I did quite a bit of sewing at the beginning of the month, and just finally finished the top to a baby quilt for some friends on Sunday. It's another "thanks to Twitter" project. The pattern designer, Rachel Griffith, tweeted about her new pattern, "Flipside" being available at Fat Quarter Shop. When I saw it, I knew I had to make it for someone. Anyone. So I ordered the pattern right away. Just so happened, that I also saw a tweet (or a newsletter) from Above All Fabric saying that Kate Spain's Central Park was available. Just what the pattern called for! Much internet shopping ensued.

I didn't read the pattern carefully enough, and I just started cutting as soon as the fabric came. I ended up making the larger size (not the crib size) of the quilt, which was 4 blocks by 4 blocks. I decided to keep it that size, I'd always rather have a quilt a little big than too small. Don't you think??

Here is the finished top. Which I LOVE. Funny though, when I finished my blocks, I was so proud...they all measured around 12 1/4" and I thought "look at me! I'm finally not making those wide seam allowances anymore. I can just trim them all to the perfect 12" size, isn't this GREAT". So trim away I did. Then I re-read the directions to find that the blocks were supposed to be 12 1/2"!! So, I had to trim my sashing and center squares to fit. But everything is nice and square now!!



After my "adjustments", I'm very pleased with how my sashing lined up.



On a more personal note the best part of March, by far, was my first "vacation" with my husband since our honeymoon almost 3 years ago. We went to Vail, Colorado to ski for 3 days. I had only ever skied in the "east" and was absolutely blown away by the breathtaking Rocky Mountains. My husband is a photographer AND a skier, so he was in his glory for this trip...


This was the first year I would actually call myself a legitimate skier. I'd been skiing before, a handful of times, but I went around 20 times this year with all of the record breaking snow that we got, and my skiing improved dramatically. I was actually able to ski this...which is part of the China Bowl on the back side of the mountain at Vail. It was SO much fun and I was really proud of myself.



We had an absolutely fantastic trip. Best of all, I'm actually looking FORWARD to next winter, which I never imagined I would say. The weather was perfect, and we came home to happy kids. You can't ask for anything more than that!



Hopefully, I can hop back on the blogging bandwagon. Up next, I'm going to start on a raincoat for my daughter with Amy Butler's Little Splashes pattern.