August Guild Block

The sampler block we got this month for our guild project Christmas quilt was a four-patch Christmas star.  The pattern came from freepatterns.com.  It wasn't necessarily an easy block, but I think it is a really pretty block.  It has several irregularly shaped pieces and therefore uses templates.  So if you decide to download the pattern, make sure that when you print it you choose "print actual size" in the print options.  Otherwise, the templates might print out a little small.

The original pattern was for a candle mat.

August Moda Blocks

These are my blocks for Moda this month. All of them are 12-inch blocks.  There are only 5 more to go, so we are getting close.  It's a good thing, too, because I'm getting low on Sweet Pea fabric.  Hopefully I have enough to get me through.  I'm pretty sure that most of the ones that I still need to make will be 6-inch blocks.

A New Beachy Bag

This is another bag made from a Moda candy.  This one is made from a "Hearty Good Wishes" candy.  Like the last bag, it is not really designed to be a purse.  It has an inner pocket, but no key holder or closure and it has shorter handles.  It has a nice, cool, beachy feel.

Update: It is actually a birthday present for my oldest step-daughter, but I didn't want to say so until after I gave it to her.

From Martha to Michelle

I finally finished my jelly roll race quilt.  I've been working on turning the binding for several weeks now during my group sewing time at the library.  I wouldn't be finished with it yet if it weren't for the fact that I took it on my trip to Monticello, FL when we went to visit my grandmother in the nursing home over the weekend.  I didn't finish it on the trip, but I got within 30 minutes of finishing it, so I finished it today.

Because it was made from a "First Ladies" jelly roll, I decided to name it "From Martha to Michelle."  I figured that "first ladies" cover all the first ladies from Martha Washington to Michelle Obama.  I thought of it, it seemed fitting, so I went with it.

It is machine quilted in the ditch along all of the long seams.  I didn't bother with the short seams within the rows.

Extra Guild block - Take Two

A few weeks ago, I made a block from this pattern for my guild Christmas sampler.  After I made the block, I decided that this block would be a good block to use as the setting squares in the sampler.  Unfortunately, I didn't have enough of the fabric that I had used in making the original block to make 14 more blocks just like it.  I know that I wouldn't be able to get more of the fabric I had used in the center of the original block because it was fabric I had bought at least 7 years ago.  So I bought new fabric and remade the block.  I think it looks really nice with the poinsettia fabric in the center and the red fabric and the green fabric are very similar in hue to the original block.

Woodstock quilt

I finally finished my July mini project.  I machine quilted it in the ditch along each of the vertical and horizontal rows.  I machine turned the binding as well.  I used a simple straight stitch, nothing decorative this time.  It finished approximately 36 x 38-1/2 inches.

Naming it was somewhat difficult.  When my middle son (now married and moved out) saw it, his reaction was the it looked like "square fish . . . swimming in pee."  He has a very creative mind.  Needless to say, I didn't go with that for a title.  The pattern is called "charm pack stones" and the fabric is called "folklore" so I was looking for something that would fit with one or both of those while still fitting with the feel of the quilt itself.  I finally settled on "Woodstock" because the flowers and vivid colors made me think of the 60s hippie movement.  It also made me think of the song "Woodstock" by Crosby, Stills and Nash, so I decided it was the best choice.