possibility for my swap blocks

I got the idea to try a panel with my swap blocks from Pat on her blog... these blocks are from Pat Sloan's Mashup group swap.... I have had this panel for several years.... my design wall is a sheet on my patio with my blocks on top :)... I have other projects to do....so will give this more thought!! Smiles and hugs....Caryl

QuiltMashup Swap

Today I received my blocks.....yipppeee... we had a swap on Pat Sloan's forum..... see all those signatures!!!...love it!!... I put a photo on flickr of the blocks I sent for the swap... http://www.flickr.com/photos/38219638@N07/6795456330/in/photostream ~~~~~~~~~~~ We even surprised Pat with blocks for her...so much fun!! Smiles and hugs....Caryl

a week later

I took these two photos on Feb 15 with the plan to do a blog post that day.... my husband postop from gallbladder surgery developed problems... more about that below... this is one of the blocks for a santa swap at Pat Sloan's quiltmashup forum... most everyone else is done with their blocks and I am now far behind....

here is the photo of a simple Valentine card to my sweetie... I used the stars and swirls embossing folder.... I cut out the hearts with my AccuQuilt GO!.... then stitched them with zigzag stitch... added some worn lipstick distress ink in spots... Smiles and hugs....Caryl ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~husband medical update....~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dave had the gallbladder surgery on Feb 9 and this was due to stones they discovered last Sept when he had severe pancreatitis. The surgeon was waiting for some pseudocysts to decrease in size before doing the gallbladder surgery and they did decrease. THEN on the am of Feb 15 he had sudden severe abdominal pain and we went to ER and he was admitted to the hospital and he was there for a week. He had an abdominal (hospital) infection and bile leaking from somewhere in the abdomen. So he was on IV antibiotics and they inserted a drain in his abdomen to drain the bile. He is home now with the drain and oral antibiotics....hopefully the bile leak will stop on its own! Still on a wait and see basis.....

another practice Ohio star

I just had to do another practice Ohio star using a different method... I used the X method of sewing on each side of the line and cutting along the drawn lines... I like this method MUCH better than sewing each triangle separately... BUT I had trouble again in putting the rows together.... I didn't get the match very good on the top left intersection... very bulky with all the layers of seams... BUT swap partners.....heads up here....I am working on the blocks for the swap... I used frosted dots by Lakehouse for my practice blocks... I am using Kona white for the swap blocks and Christmas colors... Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Ohio star practice

Oh help!! I signed up for an Ohio star swap.... using Christmas fabric.... and I decided to make a practice block...

I am looking for a better way.... and some tips.... I know I have a tendency to pull the fabric when I sew... and working with bias edges you have to be careful not to stretch the fabric... hope I can do a better job with the Christmas fabric!! AND.....I am trying a lot of new things lately... my word for the year is choices..... and I am pushing to make choices to learn new things... Smiles and hugs....Caryl

friends and flowers log cabin quilt

this is the final post about the block exchange...
the block exchange started last September...
I put the directions and fabric in a bag...
it was passed along to other members...
this photos shows all the blocks hanging at the May meeting...

I chose to use Amanda Jean's tutorial log cabin quilt blocks...
she gave me permission to use her tutorial...
http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/
I made a block A and a block B....
then others in the block exchange made the rest....

here are the blocks sewn together...
I used Mary Engelbreit friends and flowers fabric...
and the white is garden dot...
now I need to decide if I want borders and what binding?...
this block exchange was fun and stretched me a lot on some blocks!!

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

block exchange photos part 2

here are some more photos from the guild exchange....






more photos later...

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

block exchange photos part 1

here are some of the photos at the end of the guild exchange...

I am posting these for inspiration for exchange ideas...

we pinned the blocks to batting and hung for all to view at the meeting...

last September we each picked what we wanted others to make for us....
we put the instructions and patterns and sometimes fabrics in a bag...

each month each person got a bag of instructions and made two blocks....

more photos later.....
Smiles and hugs....Caryl

blocks for exchange at guild

earlier this month....
these were the pineapple blocks I made...
for this month's exchange at our guild...
it was the last month of the exchange...

I will post the blocks others made for me...
at another time...
smiles and hugs....Caryl

guild block exchange blocks

this month's blocks are called flying kite...
the photo shows all the blocks done by others...

a fun paper piecing project....
each block had four papers....
with four pieces in each...

one block was black on white print...
the centers were to be bright...

the other block was white on black print...
now this is passed on to the next person...
Smiles and hugs....Caryl

this month's block exchange

another month of blocks for our guild block exchange...
the photo is those blocks done by others...
all the blocks I layed together in a pile...
bright colors and some Halloween fabrics...

the second photo shows the two blocks I did for this month...
these blocks were challenging....
paper piecing AND sewing curves!!!...

I'm hoping to have easier blocks to do for next month...
Smiles and hugs....Caryl

guild quilt blocks

block exchange for this month at our guild....
the photo shows the directions and blocks made by others....
the requirements were to use blacks and whites and batiks....

my fabric choices and pieces cut out for block A....

my fabric choices and pieces cut out for block B...

block A finished....

block B finished....
these were turned in at our January meeting....

I've been working on the postage stamp quilt along....
will post about that later....photos on flickr...
also working on heart projects from the Be Mine Blog Tour...
lots of blog hops and blog tours going on all over the internet...
very inspiring!!!......
Smiles and hugs....Caryl

block exchange

on Sunday I finished the two blocks for my guild block exchange....
I put them on flickr and forgot to post them here....

these are the french roses blocks and they are fun to make...
the templates are easy to make using freezer paper...
and very forgiving if you don't cut exactly on the lines...
I just used the fabrics that were in the bag and none of my own...
and used my decorative stitches with threads with color changes...
I wonder how the blocks I chose for others to do are coming?...
Smiles and hugs....Caryl

guild block exchange and UFOs

this is UFO started 2007 and got to this point in 2007...
from Fons & Porter Love of Quilting mag Sept/Oct 2005...
I got the kit in MT in 2007 for $14....
didn't have the right color thread to quilt...
soooo it has been sitting ready to finish..

the french roses blocks are samples blocks for my guild block exchange...
from magazine BH&G Quilt Pink 2007...
every month we get a different bag of directions and blocks to make...
I am working on mine and will post when done....
Smiles and hugs....Caryl

guild block exchange

yesterday I made these two blocks...
the top photo is Nikki fabric by Pat Sloan...
the other photo is yellow Moda marble swirl and black Laurel Burch fabric...
last month I received the directions and sample blocks...
wacky tic tac toe featured in Quilters Newsletter Apr/May 09 by Pam Rocco..
following are the 3 sample blocks...



every month we get a different bag of directions and blocks to make...
another time I will show what I put in my bag for people to make for me!!
Smiles and hugs....Caryl