Octagonal Orb

This month's bee block in the Sew.Bee.Create group is the Octagonal Orb for Kris.

The tutorial is at the Modern Quilt Guild website, and the block is designed by Elizabeth Hartman of Oh Fransson!

Kris had done all the cutting, and there was a lot of it, squares and rectangles. I just love her fabrics! She must have a great scrap bin!

Sewing up the block was quick to do, and the finished block is gorgeous!  Kris is going to put on the triangles to make the block a square. It finishes at a little over 17" square. Six would make a very pretty crib quilt. (Note to self!)

Linking to

Till next time,

Sue

I'm liking it better!

Yesterday's post was about my struggles with a scrappy Hunter Star quilt top. After a lot of anguish (yes, anxiety, anger and various other unhappy words!) I finally got to a stage where I was happier with how it was going.

After lots of rearranging, and more blocks made, here is how it looks today

It's on the wall in my bedroom, and I can lie in bed and see where there is too much of one colour and make the changes. I'm going to have to number every half block, cause I don't think I'd have the patience to set it all out again from the beginning!

This is 36 squares, I'm planning on 90. Well, it's a start!

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Lots to look at there!

Till next time,

Sue

Hunter Star, lighten up!

I've had it in the back of my mind to make a Hunter Star quilt ever since I saw one in progress a couple of years ago. So when I saw a class offered at my LQS, I jumped in! What I had not considered is that in those several years, my taste in fabric and design has changed dramatically, and the two colours that I had reserved for this project now leave me completely cold!

My friend and I went shopping for fabric for her quilt, and she wondered why I was leaving my planning till the last minute, more so because there was cutting to be done before the class. I just couldn't get enthusiastic. I did some cutting, went to the class, and struggled with it some more. It was just painful, everything felt wrong. My colours looked too dark and, well, blah! Have you ever had something like this happen? Usually I feel great starting a quilt, and this felt the very reverse!

Yesterday I made more blocks, put them up on the design wall, and now at last  I feel I'm getting somewhere. I've accepted that this quilt won't be made entirely from my stash, an important step in my thinking. Now I've added the lighter pink, and it seems to open it all up. There's still a long way to go, but  I'm back in the right frame of mind, and hoping to stay that way!

Linking to:

Till next time,

Sue

Winner, winner!

Since I started reading blogs, I've often entered giveaways, and occasionally won small gifts.
When the Dots on Dots Blog Hop was on, I entered a giveaway on Amy's Crafty Shenanigans and WON! Amy blogs from England.

My gifts came yesterday, and the presentation was so lovely I wanted you to see it too.

It looked great right from the start, a dotted mail envelope, how cute!! That's it on the left, and inside was a large envelope, a small package tied with scrappy homemade ribbon (love it!) and a pretty message, all tied together with yarn.

Look at all the goodies that were inside:

There are two fat quarters,a pretty floral and some Oakshott (I've heard of this but never had any), matching bias tape and the cutest little drawstring bag. See it there? It draws up into petals on the top and inside...

                                                 Matching ribbon and vintage buttons!


All this is sitting on a crafting magazine just packed with great ideas, and even a CD to help me in my crafty ventures.

Thank you, Amy! I feel so spoiled, and you made my day!

Till next time,

Sue