What I look at Every Day

About four years ago I made a quilt for my desk and it sits above my computer where I look at it every day.

The lighting is bad (well, isn't it always in an office building) and the photo was taken with my new iPhone, so it's not the best.  It gives me something bright and cheery to look at every day instead of the drab taupe walls and the cream colored walls.  I love color too much to go without some bright colors in my desk.

This was actually the second quilt I made with this pattern.  The first one I made in a class to learn about stained glass quilting. 

I did not do a very good job with alternating the value of colors in the first quilt and it looks very flat.  I used the same fabrics, except for the boarder, in the second quilt and it works much better in terms of value, but it still could use some variety, especially in the flower and leaves section of the quilt.  If I could re-make this quilt after more years of experience I would change things up even more. 

Fiesta! - More Blocks

Last week I made a two more Fiesta! blocks.  My goal is to finish up this quilt by the beginning of the summer so that I can send it off to be quilted.  This is one that I'm really liking so far and would like someone else to quilt it for me. 

Every time I make one of these I love it more and more.  They take a bit of time to make, about 2 hours or so for each block, but it's totally going to be worth it in the end. 

Here's the stack of blocks so far.  I think I have finished between 12-15 blocks total. 

Fiesta! Revisited

I began to re-visit the Fiesta! quilt that I started a while back.  There are six different types of blocks in this quilt.  I finished making all eight of the "block 3's."

And here are all 8 of the "block 3's."

They won't be laid out in the circular design shown above but I thought it was a cute way to show all of them.  I began cutting the fabric for some of the other blocks and hope to continue progressing on this quilt.

Pattern: Fiesta! by Possibilities

Another Fiesta! Block

I finished another block for the Fiesta! quilt the other night.  I love how the colors work in this block.

I still have quite a few blocks to go, but progress is progress.

Fiesta! Class Part 2

A little over a week ago we had our second Fiesta! class.  We worked on another type of block.  First, here's a pic of 4 of my blocks from the first style of block we worked on.  I have another 4 of this kind of block left to make.

Here are Lynn's 8 blocks.  Awesome, aren't they?

KK wasn't able to join us this class as she was traveling for work.

And here's the new block that I worked on during our last class.  It still needs some trimming on the top and left, but you get the idea.  The top spikes also aren't attached to the rest of the block.  Once it is it will fit flush with the rest of the block.

Our final class is this Thursday!  

4 Blocks Down, 4 To Go

I made another 3 blocks for the Fiesta! quilt that I'm making.  I'm loving how these are coming out. 

And here's a pic of the first block that I made...

New Quilt Plans

I'm taking a class beginning in March at a LQS with KK and Lynn.  I'm really looking forward to it.  It doesn't start for a month, but I already have a lot of the fabric I want to use.

They're all batiks.  I'm going for the browns, rusts, and teals.  I'm just hoping I have enough contrast since the pattern really calls for a lot of contrast.  I have a few brighter teals, but I'm not sure they fit with the color scheme.  I'll have to bring them with me to see as I go along. 

Here's the pattern:

 

It's not like I've never done paper piecing (as you've been able to tell in this blog) or curved piecing.  It's more to gather for the social experience and learn a few tips.  I always seem to learn something even though I've been quilting for a good 7 years now. I don't think that will ever change either.  I'm looking forward to this class because I really like the pattern.

Fabric Choices for New Quilt

This coming Saturday, KK, Lynn (a co-worker), and I are getting together for a quilting gathering.  We all decided to do the same pattern, a Bento Box.  I've been wanting to make one of these for a while and I thought this would be an easy quilt to make and wouldn't require a lot of concentration since we'll probably be gabbing the whole time.  

Here are my fabric choices.  What do you think?  I'm SOOOO excited about them.  It will be made with the navy batik and the bottom lime green batik with the top lime green as the border.  This will help meet one of my 2009 goals, to make a quilt using batiks.  I've always loved batiks, but have never really used them to make a big quilt.  I've only made a few small wall hanging with batiks.  

I'm thinking of doing some cutting prior to our gathering so that I can spend more time sewing.  I think KK was planning on doing the same thing.  Now I need to figure out what kind of baked good I want to make and bring since I promised I'd bring something.  It can't be chocolate, even though I'm a chocolate addict, because KK doesn't like chocolate (gasp).   

I've been working on my autumn quilt.  I just have two more sides of the border to add and I'll be done with the top.  Here's a little peek.  I hope to have the top done by the end of the week.