Wednesday, February 2, 2011

new year, new swaps, new blocks...

Blame it on the crazy number of snow days so far this year, or missing my online family, or the need to experiment and try out new blocks... Whatever the reason I am ready to get back into the quilt along and swap scene over on flickr and around the blogosphere. The block swap group I was in last year came to an end in December, so I was quick to find a new swap for 2011. The Nittany Block Party [and Heidi] welcomed me with open arms. Heidi took on January and sent us some beautiful Bliss fabric and Modify Tradition Magic Cross tutorial. I enjoyed this tutorial - fairly simple and great step by step instructions.

I am also excited that the Scrappy Pincushion Swap is entering round 3! I put together this mosaic to give my partner some inspiration. Can you sense that while my feet are in snowy Ohio my head is definitely at the beach?? Summer can't come soon enough!

Moving on to my current quilt along... I jumped on board with Quilt Dad's Bloggers' Block-A-Palooza - a 17 stop tour of some very talented bloggers. Each of the block tutorials will be completed using Sweetwater's new line Sunkissed. I, on the other hand, NEED to do some stashbusting [really, I prefer to collect and drool over fabric than actually use my beauties]. Nonetheless, I did it, I cut into my Amy Butler Lotus stash. So far I am not regretting it. The last stop on the tour is the actual quilt layout - I am thinking that I might want to set this one on point though. I think it would be fab to alternate the finished blocks with solid blocks of the tree peony fabric.

John put his creativity to work coming up with block #1. He calls it Flying Over Fields. I chose to put my flying geese together a little differently so you get a star-like design.

Then over to the amazing Oh, Fransson blog for Elizabeth's amazing block Word Play. True to form, she had us cutting [& re-cutting] lots of little squares for this patchwork. It definitely has an interesting look.

How 'bout you? Any exciting new swaps you are joining in this year?

3 comments:

  1. I am joining the Bee-autiful Bee this year (if you are interested I can nominate you -- we need a few more people!)

    http://www.flickr.com/groups/1270492@N21/

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  2. I love the way your blockapalooza blocks turned out. Gorgeous!

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  3. Still haven't jumped on the swap bandwagon. Not yet confident enough in both my skills and time management. :) They do look like a whole lot of fun. I am doing a Block of the Month (Corey's) - although I'm already behind - so that is starting out well. And I signed up for a photography "class" of sorts. Basically just a prompt a day for the month of February. I should have started that yesterday, but I'm saving the prompts for when I'm in Texas. :) (That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.)

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