BOM Quilt Design

I'm an overachiever.

I'm an overachiever, and I like to take the less-beaten path.

...

Yes.

Yes, I am insane.

:)

Insanity, this time, led me to being determined to come up with a unique setting for the Botanical BOM blocks I'm making with the Stitch 'N' Bitch group.

Much easier said than done, obviously, as my mind regarded the blocks with a kind of blank pseudo-interest that said, "I'll make you. You're pretty," and left the blocks in pile in the corner of my mind, nary a quilt top design to be seen. In fact, my mind then went skipping off into making scrappy blocks, no matter how much I tried to rein it in.

And then a light shone in the darkness!

The mail carrier brought me latest Hancock's of Paducah fabric catalog! For a few days, my mental self crouched in a corner clutching the catalog, stroking each page, muttering, "My preciouses..."

I'm pretty sure had I looked into a mirror, I would have been balding and grey, with saucer discs for eyes better suited to a cave-dwelling lemur.

As I stared at the pages, an image advertising a quilt top/kit caught my (saucer) eye. The Women of Courage BOM quilt top made me stop and think.

And then I reached for my laptop.

I still need to find two more botanical themed blocks for the lower corners. I also am playing around with the idea of changing out the blocks that comprised that central 'plus sign'. However, I'm sticking with that pop of aqua. The quilt definitely needs it.

We'll see how much this design evolves as I stare at it!

More BOM Blocks

I wanted to get as many of these blocks done as as I could this weekend. Why? Because I have a design in mind! And I want to see it come to fruition. However, I felt scummy all Saturday, and spent most of the day napping.

I got a grand total of two blocks done, and one of those was a remake, so I really only ended up one block ahead of where I was. Still, I have tomorrow off!

Shasta Daisy, Version Two and still too small!

Yup, that's right. My second attempt  at Shasta Daisy was undersized. It came out too big the first time because I used my other sewing machine, which automatically sews a scant quarter inch seam. So, using that sewing machine, with the 'rounded up' directions from EQ7 resulted in a block that was too big. This second attempt was using my normal machine, which sews an exact quarter inch seam, using the 'rounded down' directions from EQ7. Yeah, 'nuff said, right?

I'll go back tonight and make the correctly sized version tonight.

Moss Rose

Once again, all prints are from Joann's. I love the whimsy of this particular gray print. Slightly undersized, because of the needle-placement versus instructions snafu, but I made enough adjustments while cutting to cover it.

And, of course, once I'd completed this block, I happened across a stash of about six gray and yellow prints that I'd purchased earlier in the year. Now I really want to piece more blocks, to get more variety into this top.

Catching Up

Earlier this year, the Stitch 'N' Bitch group started a new block of the month, designed by Sandi of Piecemeal Quilts. This year's theme is 'botanical', meaning the twelve blocks we make for it will all relate to flora.

I've been collecting fabrics that have black, yellow, gray and white in them for about two years, spurred on by the Eclipse fabric line by Exclusively Quilters. This particular BOM seemed like the project to finally use them.

I forget how far we're actually in - we didn't get started right away with the New Year, but I chugged ahead in a rush and got five blocks done. Well, four, really, because I have to re-do one.

Rosebud

The yellow fabric is from Eclipse. The gray is a print I picked up at Joann's.

Tangled Briars

All three prints in this block are from Eclipse.

Prickly Pear

Both prints are from Walmart. They're not as crisp as the other prints, but they'll blend in the final product.

Lily

The gray stripe is from Joann's, and the yellow print is from the Eclipse line.

Shasta Daisy

This is the one I have to re-make. It's (somehow) one inch too big all around, and I didn't rotate the white and black nine-patch sub-units correctly. All fabrics a re from Joann's.

I've also (finally) decided on a setting that I want to use, but it provides setting places for a total of seventeen blocks. This is cool. I just need to pick and choose those five more botanical  themed blocks. Also, I ordered Stash Spring 2010, because the Eclipse line is in that EQ7 collection, and it was on sale. So, very soon, I'll be able to color in my design with my actual fabric.

Bwahahahahaha!

And, yes, I know that I could have scanned the fabrics in, and made my own previews. I always have issues with large scale prints when I do that. So there ;)

I Finally Sewed Something!

I've been on a small sewing hiatus. I started a new creative writing venture that has pretty much eaten my brain since the beginning of the month. However, I'm ready to take a step back from that brain spawn and get back to quilting and patchwork.

Also, the flash on my camera decided to randomly start working. *shrugs* Whatever. Just so long as I can take photos to post here. That's all I care about.

So, anyway, I sewed, and actually have a few more items to show off, but wasn't taking any more photos at 3:00 AM this morning (I've been suffering from insomnia lately). I joined a scrappy bee:

Our first recipient is May, of Confessions of a Fabraholic. Being the sleepless overachiever that I am, I made two versions of her block:

Version 1

Version 2 - In which the photo is blurry, but I refused to re-take it at 3:00 AM >.<

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not big on the whole wonky thing, but these blocks are cute. I think my first attempt came out way better than attempt two, but they're both going in the mail!

O.o I have to decide what to do for my month. My brain is just not coming up with a plan. However, I can at least get a bit ahead on blocks. I've a three day weekend coming up, and a lot of sewing I want to do.

I'm hoping to get at least one more post in today... I want to show off my Stitch 'n' Bitch BOM blocks.