Anything Goes Quilt 'n Sew #20 - May in review

When looking back at the month of May, what seemed like a 'not so productive month', have in fact turned out to be quite busy.  In between all of my sewing and quilting, I even had a week where I babysat a 7 month old baby girl.  

So, to recap, I started a baby quilt, played around crocheting butterflies, pieced my Lucky Stars BOM, free motion quilted a fabric postcard as part of a FMQ Postcard swap I joined on Facebook.  I started piecing and played around with hexies.  I also joined in a 'Feathers' Challenge along with others over at SewCalGal, and for fun I made a few Cathedral Window MINI key chains.

While I was busy sorting out photos on my camera I realized I never shared with you my Sugar Block Club BOM's for April and May.  So here they are:

April BOM - Sunny Days (Foundation paper piecing)

May - Signed-Sealed-Delivered BOM ... can you see the envelopes?

So all and all, I have quite a bit to show for this past month.

Sew now it's time for this week's linky party

It's Monday and a new week, so lets all share some of our projects, please link up any current projects you've been working on, anything at all...  This link is open for a week and will run every Monday.  Remember to come back next week, or follow my blog to get regular updates.

If you wish feel free to add any other blog posts you write during the week, since this linky stays open for a full week, I think its a great idea to share and keep sharing.

All I ask is that you either add the 'Anything Goes' blog button to your sidebar or add a text link to your blog post, and comment on a few of the other links too, share the love and make this weekly link party a fun way to connect.

<div align="center"><a href="http://marelize-ries.blogspot.com/" title="Stitch by Stitch"><img src="http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj592/MarelizeR/LinkyButton2_zps83805f35.jpg" alt="Stitch by Stitch" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Happy quilting.

Lucky Stars BOM - May "Spotlight Star"

This month's Lucky Stars BOM, Spotlight Star is my favorite, so far anyway.  Not just the look of it, but the fabrics and colours I used, works really well together, or at least I think so.

I've really enjoyed piecing this month's block, I didn't have to use my seam ripper once throughout making the 12½ inch and 6½ inch blocks.  I guess I'm becoming a bit more confident with this technique and remembering my previous mistakes reminds me what NOT to do.

If you've never tried foundation paper piecing, I really recommend you try it out, once you've experienced the precision and crisp look of your blocks it will really inspire you to try out more.

If you'd like to see the other BOM's I've made, you can find them all here.  Of course there are hundreds of blocks made by others who have joined in making this BOM, you can find them all on the flickr group.

Linking up with WIP Wednesdays over at Freshly Pieced.

Happy quilting.

ps.  Just a quick thank you to everyone who joined in this week's linky party ((hugs))

Hexie fun!

My hexie quilt is going to be one of my biggest projects ever. When my mom sent me the hexies she basted for me, together with mine I decided to start piecing right away.  In case its your first time visiting, it comes to more than a  1600 one inch hexies.  I am still adding more basted hexies to this collection.  Most of the colours being used is either green or pink, so I'm adding blue and purple too. 

(I apologize for the bad light in these pictures, its early morning and the sun is shining directly against the orange curtains right behind my cutting table.)

I started piecing hexies at random, 4 pieces at a time and by shade separating them light, medium and dark rather than colour.  I have not really decided on a layout yet, but this morning I had an idea of making 'blocks' with 16 hexies in one shade.  So far this is one placement I have in mind.  Its rows moving diagonally from light to medium to dark, then starting again with light.  So far I think I am going to stick with this placement, but I'm sure once I have pieced a lot more that this I will be able to see if I really like it and if it will work. 

This has become a really nice pass time, especially on Saturday's when my husband watches every single Rugby match on tv.

I am using a light thread and was a bit worried that the stitches will be visible in the front, but the few stitches you do see, will definitely not be a distraction.  I think because they are spaced so close makes the difference.

Enough playing around, I have to get busy cutting fabric for my Sugar Block Club and Lucky Stars BOM's.  I still have to do April's block (sugar block club) together with May, so I have to get started, at least I've already picked out the fabrics I'm going to use for these blocks...

Linking up with WIP Wednesday over @ Freshly Pieced.

Happy quilting.

Lucky Stars BOM - April "Black Hole Star"

Usually before I even start planning my BOM's for the Lucky Stars BOM, I would read up on the flickr group for any issues anyone might have with the block, trouble with seams not lining up, cutting instructions etc.  I found no comments or discussions so I went right on ahead and picked my fabrics and started cutting.

It being so close to the next BOM, and so many blocks already made by others, and because there was not any updated emails notifying us of mistakes with the pattern I thought it'd be safe to carry on.  I was just a tad bit upset after cutting all my fabrics, pieced half of the block when I found that there where two pieces of fabric that was one inch smaller than it should have been.  I went back to the instructions thinking that I made a mistake, but there it was written clearly, some of the pieces had a one inch difference and both should have been the same size.  So it meant that I had to start from scratch.  I'm making this quilt all out scraps, so the colours and prints I wanted to use was already cut and just enough for this block.  If it was larger than the instructions it would have been a different story.  If not for time I've already spent piecing I guess it would have been okay, making a block using this technique really takes hours.,.... sigh!

So, ...let me not complain to much about it, what's done is done, and I do like what I've ended up with.  Now at least I will know to look twice before even starting, regardless if anyone has posted concerns or not.

After piecing the separate sections, we had a choice of two different layouts.  'A' which is the  original placement and 'B' another variation.   

        

Layout 'A' Left - Layout 'B' Right

I liked 'B' the most, but felt that the light pink fabric was just too bright, and I think for it to have really worked it should have been a neutral subtle colour to not draw attention away from the center star.  So I went with 'A'.

As with all the other BOM's I used the scraps that was left after making the 12½ inch block to make the 6½ inch block.

The only thing that worries me a tiny bit, is all the bulk of fabric that comes together at most of the points.  I actually broke a needle going over one of the points of the star, I guess when I quilt it I'll have to try and move around it rather than stitch over it.

To see the other BOM's I've made you can find them all HERE.

Linking up to WIP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced.

Happy quilting

Looking forward to 2013

Thus far I have randomly made a few quilts, wall hangings, totes and bits in between.  Yet I have so many techniques I want to learn.  Paper Foundation piecing is one of them, so this year I am going to commit to a few BOM's, learning paper foundation piecing and random quilt blocks.

So I've signed up for the following BOM's, mainly to work on my piecing skills and at the end of the year I will end up with at least 3 beautiful quilts.

Skill builder BOM

The Sugar block Club

Lucky Starts Foundation Pieced BOM

With regards to free motion quilting, I plan to this year follow Leah Day's Free Motion Quilting more strictly and she has planned this beautiful  Express Your Love quilt that we'll be working on, not exactly sure how we'll go about making it, but from what I understand we'll learn different piecing techniques to make this and then of course to FMQ it too.  I really look forward to make this...

Express Your Love from Leah Days FMQ Project

And in between I want to learn "No sewing till you quilt it".  I bought the book from Day Styles Designs, and am totally intrigued by this technique.  (Images from Day Styles Designs)

It might seem like a lot, but I'm sure I can do it... I think :-)  

I'm certain if I have a schedule all worked out, I can do it... 

Happy quilting.