{WIP} Wednesday (even though it's Friday)

I met a cool girl last week, and we were talking about what we do for "fun" since we both have two young children. She mentioned that she sews, and I invited her to join our modern quilt guild. She said, "Oh, I don't quilt." I laughed and said "Yeah, well, neither do I." :) At least it doesn't seem like it! I just seem to spend my sewing time making things for other people!

Speaking of making things for other people, I've been stumped by Libby's blocks for the Bee Happy Bee. Stumped! It's just like with Lori's dessert blocks. I have an idea in my head, it's just that the execution of it seems impossible. I know it's not, but it seems like that. But you know that old saying about eating an elephant? One bite at a time...

She sent us fabrics and asked us to make 2 "neighborhood" blocks, with a herringbone gray for the sky. Because she lives in LA, and the sky is more often gray and gloomy than blue and brilliant. Here is the layout for the beginning of my first block. I've still got to add a door and windows. And the gray, of course. :o)

I've also been making more infinity scarves. Traci showed me how to reach in, pull out, twist, shove back, sew, reach in, pull out, and sew so that the seams are now hidden. I like it a lot better than my first, where the seams were exposed, and it wasn't any harder at all, really! Once I got my brain around it. :o)

Actually, I have been making a few things for myself. :o)

First up, a skirt! With a ZIPPER!! (which strikes fear in the hearts of most sewists I know!)  But it's a fairly simple pattern, and it's really cute. It's the Barcelona skirt pattern from Amy Butler. I decided to make it in denim first, and then if I want to make it in a different print, I can. Here is part of the back. Last night, after I took this picture, I decided to add one more panel since it seemed a little short. And I really like it! I'm going to sew the front to the back today, then I've got to do the lining (more fear-in-heart striking!), then the seam at the top and the hem at the bottom. SO...maybe I'll be done by, oh, July. :o)

This is an update on my Birdie Stitches block-of-the-month stitch-along (that's a LOT of words!). I finished the stitching on the January block, and built the February and March blocks. You can't really tell, but I did trace the embroidery pattern onto the center of the block, but my "water soluble" transfer pen seems to be evaporating in this arid climate...which shouldn't make any sense. :o)  Some of the others doing the stitch-along are using one line of fabric for their outer rings, but I decided to use fabrics from my stash and change the color each month. So far, I'm liking it. :o)  I am not much of an orange fan, but I have to say that I like this orange block more than I expected to! I fully expect to be caught up with the embroidery by the end of March. Just in time to get behind with my April block. :-/

And, last, but mostest certainly NOT least, is a lovely charm pack. Of lovely Kona solids. From the lovely Robert Kaufman team. They offered a charm pack to every member of every modern quilt guild with the idea that we would make "challenge" quilts. Every guild sets their own challenge, and it's really been cool to see what the guilds have been coming up with! There's a new Flickr group where all the finished quilts are posted, even! There is some inSANE talent there, my friends. In. Sane. Love it!  We will be handing these out at our meeting on Monday. I, personally, have about 5 legitimate designs in my head, and just need to decide on one. :o) Our parameters are that we must use at least some of each charm, and that we can only use one fabric for the front. The back and the binding can be whatever we want, and the finished quilt must be at least 40" x 40", and we'll show-and-tell the finished quilts at the June meeting. I promise to keep you updated as I challenge along.

I'm sure I've got about 18 other projects half complete, but I can't think of any of them right now. :o) Isn't that the way it goes!

I hope you have a great weekend!