Half Log Cabin Blocks

This is the third block for the Pat Sloan 182 Day Solstice Challenge.  She always gives her blocks quirky names.  She's calling this Half Log Cabin Block, Tide Pool.  I decided to jazz up my versions.  I threw in the gold flying goose to echo the little gold bird in the center square, and I did an hour glass block for the other center square.

Here are all six blocks together.  I think they're pretty cool, of course, I'm prejudiced!

In other news, I mentioned in November that I was elected to be the new president of our local MQG, the Temecula Valley MQG.  Last night we had our first board meeting.  It was pretty interesting and I think everything will work.  I sure hope so.  Our first meeting of 2017 is in two weeks, I'll let you know how it goes.  I'm not nervous, but I've never been president of anything before!

May your bobbins always be full,

There's been a lot going on around here.

I just haven't been doing much blogging!  I put together 5 more Jacobs Ladder Blocks.  I've been intentionally breaking up the assembly of these blocks.  I think I learned my lesson from the Lawn Diamond Quilt and didn't want this to be another Most Boring Quilt in the World!  I still have some to work on.

Two years ago I joined Pat Sloan's 2015 QAL.  2015 was a bad year for me and having a QAL or two to look forward to was wonderful.  This year the QAL is called Pat Sloan’s 182 day Solstice Challenge.  It started last week.  This week I did a fabric pull and started playing catch-up.

The first block was a Churn Dash Block and I decided to make two.  One I turned around to be a Greek Cross.  I'm going to miss some weeks due to traveling, so I decided to make two of each block, in case I decide not to play catch-up, again.

This weeks' block is a split star block called Day Into Night.  I pulled some supplemental fabric and made these two blocks.  I'm biased, but I love them!

Here are all four blocks.  While I'm waiting for next weeks' release on Wednesday, I'll work on something else.  Probably more Jacobs Ladder blocks and I have an idea for a new quilt, too.

May your bobbins always be full,

Sometimes Quilting is a Lifesaver

I started this QAL one week before Bob passed away.

Being committed to making the blocks, as they were issued each month was a real lifesaver.

I was also doing another QAL, that I started six months earlier and the two QALs, kept me focused when so much was going on.

This is a close up of the center portion of the quilt.  The quilt was the 2015 Mystery QAL with Pat Sloan; its title is Vacation Time.  I started the first block January 22, 2015, and finished the binding yesterday, March 13, 2016.  The quilt measures 62" x 66".

This is the quilt back, and a close-up of the pantograph, Almost Paisley.  I thought it went great with the center fabric.

The last photo shows the San Diego Modern Quilt Guild's Vintage Quilt Revival QAL, that I was working on concurrently with the Vacation Time QAL.  Real lifesavers! 

May your bobbins always be full,

I have a lovely stack of quilts...

And they need binding!

Five quilts in my UFO pile.  I've picked them up from my long-arm quilter, Janelle, and I'm determined to finish them before I start on a new project.  The new project will be a Meadow Quilt.  I did take some time yesterday and plotted color placement.  I'm pretty satisfied, but I'll most likely fool around with it a little more before I start cutting.  An interesting thing about the Meadow Quilt, is you don't use your rotary cutter very much!  Very old school.

May your bobbins always be full,

Vacation Time Quilt Top is finished!

This QAL with Pat Sloan has been interesting.  This is most likely the most traditional looking quilt I've made.  I used fabric from my stash because I have so much.  That posed a problem in the end; my blocks were so diverse, I needed fabrics for the setting blocks and the borders that would tie it all together.

I think my plan was successful, overall.  Below is a photo of two of Pat Sloan's finished quilts, as you can see mine is different.  Different is good.  I want to thank Pat Sloan for this QAL.  I started the first block the week before Bob died, and it was good to have something quilty-wise to look forward to.

Source.

May your bobbins always be full,

2015 Mystery Quilt Along with Pat Sloan ~ August Block(s)

The "block" this month wasn't really a block as much as four strings of blocks to make these borders.  This was taken in the shade, on my driveway.  I threw in the edited pencil sketch, just for fun.

The fabric finally arrived for the backing of the Vintage Quilt Revival QAL Quilt Top, so I'll get that finished today to take to the LAQ.  Then I have those six quilts to bind, before I start on my next project.  I hate having UFOs!

May your bobbins always be full,

2015 Mystery Quilt Along with Pat Sloan ~ July Block(s)

These are the fabrics I pulled from my stash when I started this QAL in January.  I haven't used the three on the right of the bottom row, yet.   We'll see if they make an appearance in the months to come.

Pat Sloan is calling this month's block "Hot Dog Stand".  Why is beyond me!  I decided to make two versions, and I like them both.

What do you think?  I was really torn about the brown version and I did a  collage that helped me decide.  Version A won the contest!

Here's a shot of all the blocks I've made, so far.

May your bobbins always be full,

2015 Mystery Quilt Along with Pat Sloan - May and June Blocks

May Block

June Block

The colors on this photo taken outside on my "design grass" shows the true colors of my scrappy blocks.  I'm caught up on this QAL, and now I need to catch up on the SDMQG Vintage Quilt Revival QAL.  I started these two QALs when Bob was sick; they were a good alternative to designing my own quilts while I was a caregiver.  I've really learned a lot, but I'll be happy when they're completed.

#‎PatSloan2015Mystery‬

May your bobbins always be full,

2015 Mystery Quilt Along with Pat Sloan - April Block

 Yipee!  I feel like I'm ahead of the game.  Today I did the April Block for the 2015 Mystery Quilt Along with Pat Sloan.  No April Fools joke, here.   ‪#‎PatSloan2015Mystery‬

May your bobbins always be full,

2015 Mystery Quilt Along with Pat Sloan - March Block

I came in right under the wire with this March block for the 2015 Mystery QAL.   I really love how it turned out.

Photographing all three completed blocks together was a challenge because of a breeze, but some extra clothes pins helped a lot.

May your bobbins always be full,

Scrappy Scrapalious

 I seems I've been working on this scrappy quilt top forever.  It has been a pretty long time, the month of March.  It's large, 88x88", and it's going on my bed when it's finished.  I started sorting scraps, and I had a mountain of them.  First, I removed all the solids, then all the really girly prints.

From the remaining scraps, some pieces were very small and netted one or two 2.5x5" strips, and some were large enough to cut many strips.  As I worked, at each stage, I kept shuffling the strips so the fabrics would be scattered across the quilt, as much as possible.  Working without a design wall, forces me to be creative in the assembly.  I'm really happy with how it turned out.

Before I decide on the quilt back, I want to work on the San Diego Modern Quilt Guild Vintage Quilt Revival QAL March and April blocks and the 2015 Mystery Quilt Along with Pat Sloan March and April blocks.

There's always something to do around here.  Since my husband passed away on January 27th, I seem to have less time for my two passions, quilting and reading.  Bob took up a lot slack around here, so I could indulge in quilting and reading.

May your bobbins always be full,

2015 Mystery Quilt Along with Pat Sloan

Here is block 2 of the #‎PatSloan2015Mystery‬.  Below are the first two blocks, together.  I'm using scraps for the QAL, so next time will probably feature a different background fabric.  I think I'll try to use each background fabric at least twice, in order to have some continuity.

May your bobbins always be full,