Mod Mosaic ...I'm Queen Bee...

Sara has inspired me with her fantastic blocks in the Sew Modern Bee....everyone's blocks are turning out so well, and I can't WAIT to see the fantastic quilt when it's all done...it's going to be awesome...who's it for, Sara?


I have my fabric all cut up and ready to go...I'm planning a graduation gift for my sweet little niece, who is set to graduate this May (the quilt will be late!!). She's almost 18, and was just here for a visit. We had such a fantastic time, with lots of shopping, tea, and a bit of a culinary world tour (she's from a small town...I was broadening her horizons). It was a good bonding time and I'm so glad she was able to come and hang out with me.

This is her, at a coffee shop getting caffeinated before we hit the National Gallery. Isn't she the cutest?
I instantly fell in love with Elizabeth Hartman's Mod Mosaic quilt she just finished for charity.
The tutorial describing the technique seemed pretty straightforward. While I love her all-blue version, I have in mind something a little more colourful. After some discussion back and forth with my lovely co-blogger, Sara, and my friend Holly, I had a plan. I am asking for blocks that are all one colour, and I've made up packets of fabric in blue, red, yellow, orange, pink, green and purple. I plan on setting them against Kona Coal, and have a plan for the back....


I whipped up a test block in blue to try and get a sense of the amount of white fabric to send to help the Sew Modern Bee members build the 'grout' of the tile block, and I'm pleased with the results. (also, please note the quality of the light...yay...my new sewing room has not one but TWO good sized windows.!!)

Instead of sending detailed instructions for the members, I'm doing it here...

1) Make the block as big as you want with the fabrics provided.

2) Feel free to add in any modern prints in the colour family of your block.

3) Go as wonky as you want, as long as the edges are square, we're all good.

4) Click on link above for tutorial.

5) Have fun!

Not too many rules..improv is the best!

- Donna

My turn to play catch up

Woah.

I am mailing off September and October blocks for Tong and Clivee...tomorrow. For reals.

I have had a heck of a time sitting down to get these ones done, and if I'm being honest, I'm sending a half finished project at best. Tong had asked for wonky scrappy stars for September. I was super happy to get going on this one...but a work trip, misplacing the fabric for several weeks, two bouts of cold en famille meant that I left this and left this and left this. I finally sat down in front of the machine last night to work on them. I cut out my cream coloured squares for the background, and made to scrappy centre pieces. But somehow in the way that I laid out the fabric I didn't realise that I had only half of it pulled out of the bag....I think I then tried to wonk the heck out of the squares and they ended up too small, as did the overall block. I put in several hours to get one block done, and it's wee, so in the end, I'm sending just one block and returning the lovely scraps to Tong with my apologies and a few treats. I'm so sorry I didn't complete the task!

I also miraculously got October's blocks done too....and even finsihed the two requested....Hope you like 'em Clivee.

Sorry about the poor photos. It's grey, grey, grey and cold and wet and it feels like almost-snow. I'm not ready for that yet. I would like some pointers on taking better photos...I have only a point and click but winter is nearly upon us so can't rely on sunny days so much....and also, how do I take a photo so it doesn't make the square look so wonky??

I had a lovely impromptu one night only visit with Sara this past week and we set up a little sewing room in my kitchen, joined by the ever crafty Holly. While Holly worked on packaging up the fabric tags we had sewn up months ago, Sara put herself to work binding four of the doll quilts I had sewn up for the upcoming craft show, while I worked on some potholders. What a productive evening! Thanks for the company Sara and Holly, and thanks for the sweat labour, too. Pretty good deal for the price of a steak and blue cheese salad (dinner!)

More to share soon!

- Donna

- Donna

Catching Up

Wow! How I have missed this part of my life! I've been quiet on the blog for the past while and I feel like I have a good excuse. I'm doing an accounting designation and that is taking up whatever time I have left after working full time and being the mom of a busy middleschooler. I've sang the praises of this quilting bee before, but had it not been for this bee, I wouldn't have forced myself to take a bit of time out for something I LOVE and MISS dearly.

September blocks are finally finished. Almost two weeks late, but finished and ready to be mailed out. October blocks are also finished which I am relieved about. When I saw the blocks that Cilvee chose, I have to admit, I was seriously nervous but I had no reason to be. These were some of the more fun blocks I've sewn in my block sewing career! They come together quite easily and quickly.

So there. I'm caught up in the quilting bee world. Now to catch up in the studying world! Will I ever be caught up on all fronts? Probably not!

Until next time...

~Sara

Sara's August Blocks

Thank you, Alison! This was exactly what I needed for a busy August. Something I knew how to do and love doing. Can't wait to see this quilt together. As a matter of fact, I am anxious to see all of the bee quilts so far, together!

Hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful summer we're having!

~Sara

Sara's July Blocks

Finished and in the mail on time, thank you very much! My comfort zone was certainly streeeetched this time around...circles and handstitching.

I had been wanting to try my hand at circles of some sort for a while now, so this was just the push I needed. Not sure I'll rush in to my sewing space and start a king size quilt like this, but happy I tried it at least!

This Bee is fun! If you're not already in one, I recommend seeing about getting yourself involved. New fabric and techniques each month for a whole year! What's not to love?

~Sara

July Sew Modern Bee Block for Nicole

July's theme for the Sew Modern Bee was circles. I had been eying up the tutorial for a Stripey Circle Block from the Block Party blog, and this was the perfect chance to try it. I thought that the fabric lent itself very well to something stripey! I hope you like it, Nicole!

- Donna

June Block

I decided to put my baby girl into our room last night so I could access the sewing machine. I worked solidly for 2.5 hours and put together these blocks for Arianne, a member of the Sew Modern Bee on flickr.

Arianne wanted a traditional block, 6-8" in size, edged in white, and then bordered in kona coal. She sent me some great fabrics and pointed us into the direction of the Quilter's Cache to find a pattern, and indicated that she really like stars. Have you found this site? What a treasure trove of patterns!

I picked the Indian Star block since I've never made a star and have wanted to try one for a while.

I was supposed to end up with an 8" block, but mine was 7.5", which I attribute to my inability to sew straight. I wonder when I will get better at this, so that i would feel like I could tackle a quilt that had more complicated piecing such as this?

This being said, I'm happy with how my block turned out, as well as the little block I made for Arianne's quilt back. I had made an error in cutting some of my pieces so I decided to use them in a little block rather than waste them. Can you tell I was using every little big of fabric so as to not waste anything?

So far I'm having a lot of fun being part of a bee. Do you take part in a bee, virtual or otherwise?

- Donna

So long, Marianne!

I couldn't stop singing Leonard Cohen when I was making this block! Marianne, do you know that one? This is my take on the May block for the Sew Modern Bee, which is making it's way across the country to Marianne as I type.

Marianne had some crosses in her inspiration mosaic which inspired me, but I couldn't manage to get them wonky like I'd hoped. How does one achieve the wonky and still meet the required measurements?

I should also mention how much I loved this line of fabrics, especially the green and blue prints I put in the block.

I'm really quite surprised with myself that I have the May block done and in the mail and it's still April! Let's hope I can keep up this keener attitude for the duration of the Bee!

~Sara

Edited to add: Here is the answer to my question! So much easier than what I put myself through!