Circuit Block Party

My Mid Summers Dream...

2010-06-28T15:51:00.000-07:00

Do you ever see something that you just can't forget??? Well, for me it has been this
Pinwheel Sampler Quilt (click for better view)
created by none other than Rachel Griffith of P.S. i quilt http://www.psiquilt.com/
(and her bee members) http://www.flickr.com/groups/beeinspired/discuss/72157614689735753/

Rachel recently had a quilt along, for a smaller version of a pinwheel sampler, using one layer cake and background fabric.

It was hugely popular (over 375 signed up): http://www.flickr.com/groups/pinwheelsamplerquiltalong/

Yes, I signed up but was paralyzed by what layer cake to use. Well, I have since decided and gotten permission from Rachel to share this quilt with you for inspiration. I would like to have you members of my bee help me create my own version of a pinwheel sampler quilt.

I will not be sending a pattern because I want you to choose your favorite pinwheel pattern and make it for my quilt. I WILL be providing the fabrics and ask that you have fun and create a pinwheel block 12 1/2" unfinished (that would be 12" finished). IF you would like and have time to create more than one block please let me know now (I will be shipping no later than July 5th, hopefully before) and I will be more than happy to send extra fabric so you have a variety. (this would be most appreciated but, not expected).

I am asking that everyone PLEASE only use the fabrics I send (no, I am not a fabric snob). I have a vision as to how I want this quilt to finish and staying within my fabric choices is part of that. I will be using two fabric lines Bubble Gum Basics and Simply Sweet by Barbara Jones of Henry Glass. If you have a color choice within these two lines I will do my best to accommodate, other wise I will send a mix of my choice.

I hope you are enjoying your summer and that you have lots of time to spend time with those you love and do the things you like! Thanks so much for your time!

Piecefully, Kim

**and yes, I do feel guilty posting my request when I haven't finished up all my obligations. Soon, very soon... I would not be able to send "stuff out" until I have sent yours, that is just me!**

June's blocks

2010-05-28T05:26:00.000-07:00

I am asking for a one color string block for June. I'm thinking of a rainbowish quilt - bright and cheery for summer. Hope you have fun making the strings. My favorite part is peeling the paper off.

Blocks for Wanda and Kristan

2010-04-19T15:20:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone! Looks like I am finally catching up with my commitments to you'all :) Here are my blocks for Kristan and Wanda:

2010-02-19T12:53:00.000-08:00

This is a picture I developed in EQ5 to show what you are working on for me. You will not be doing a total bear claw as I think that would be a bit much to ask of you. But, most of the work in this quilt will be creating all those center blocks of the bear paw. So, I thought you would be happy to pull this off for me. The designs I put in this picture are just a few of the different ones I will be having my groups sew up and I will also probably be changing some color background. Anyhow, have fun. Fabric went out today!

How I Sew...

2010-02-17T20:05:00.000-08:00

Checking for seam allowance. Make sure there is an adequate amount to sew, I usually try to make it about a quarter inch. I hold mine up to the window so I can see through the paper.

Just another view of the alignment process. Keep in mind that paper piecing patterns are printed in reverse. With this particular pattern, it doesn't really matter, but if you were to be doing something directional like a letter or number, it would make a difference.

Teeny, tiny stitches. If I go smaller than this, which is about 2.5 on my machine, the feed dogs freeze. This is an okay stitch length for me as the paper tears wonderfully!

Goofing with the color, but ready to sew pieces 1 and 2 together. Edited to say: Make sure you sew on the line, otherwise your block will change sizes. Should have said that in the beginning. Duh!

See my wrinkly paper? A bit too much water. Thankfully it ironed out and didn't mess me up. Done that, too. Grrr! Always press towards the higher number. (You are right, you can't actually press the other way.)

Trim your seems as you go, that way you won't be trying to cut under seems at weird angles. It doesn't work so well.

Another way to check your fabric to make sure it will cover your piece. Piece three hasn't been sewn yet. I folded on the seem line to see where the fabric I am about to sew will fall. (Does that make sense?)

I iron flat to squash the threads, then press open. I also use homemade spray starch when pressing the seems. My recipe: Spray bottle of water with about a tablespoon of cornstarch. Shake before spraying!

When I put all of my pie pieces together, I leave my papers on, and here is why: I sometimes make my pieces a wee bit wonky and have to cross my fingers that there will be enough fabric beyond the sewing line to actually hold them together. If I trim my pieces to size and tear off the paper, I can't tell where to sew. It works for me, though it may not actually be the "right" way to do things.

A little hint for the last piece. If you center the "tail", which is green in this photo, with the point of piece one, life will be great.

Larger view of piece placement. You can see the sewing ling and the cut line of the fabric through the paper. I live in sunny AZ, so I just use the window behind my machine as a light sourse, but if I am piecing at night, I just put a lamp on the floor and use that. (Try not to look at the bulb without paper there, ouch!)

Cutting for Paper Piecing

2010-02-17T13:27:00.000-08:00

Eeeeeeeevvvvaaaaaaa!

Pattern lain out. I put them out so that the numbers face different directions than the neighbors.

The first time I made this block, I got all the pieces in wrong.

It was U-G-L-Y! Now I draw out a picture so I don't make that mistake again.

You can't really tell in this pic, but the folded edge is the short edge.

You can get 5 templates across this ~9 inch piece.

I folded it up so I could cut a BUNCH at once!!

I cut through four layers.

It literally took me six cuts of my rotary blade to get 20 pieces.

I should mention that I don't cut exactly on the template.

I give myself some extra wiggle room. And I made the template HUGE!!

You can also fold your strip in half and make fewer cuts.

I will now go make a block and post that in a bit.

Hopefully it will equal better pictures for you all now that it sunny out...

February fabric where are you?

2010-02-12T13:31:00.000-08:00

Is it just cause my mail service was out? I don't want to get behind. Am I the only one without fabric?

Another Piece to the Puzzle

2010-01-29T12:38:00.000-08:00

My first block exchange and I didn't realize how nerve racking this would be; making sure I cut the fabric print just right to do it justice. I am anxious to see what Heidi does with them. Looking forward to the next challenge...Bring it on Kristan

First time for this

2010-01-24T07:56:00.000-08:00

But I guess that this is what it is all about huh? Cutting into someone else's fabric was nerve wracking. What doing this taught me was to go really slow and re-check every cut and to take my time. Not my normal type of sewing. It was good for me and I look forward to seeing what this looks like finished.

Heidi's Dutchman's Puzzle

2010-01-23T23:39:00.000-08:00

Here's my block for Heidi. I loved doing it even if did end up cutting the fabric wrong at the start and then not sewing it together correctly!

block for Heidi

2010-01-21T19:03:00.000-08:00

I had fun making this block! Now I know how to do flying geese! Wanda

January 2010

2010-01-05T05:10:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! Thanks so much for your patience this month. I am late getting stuff out to you all. But I am currently working on cutting up my fabric and shipping it out this week. I just started moving around this last weekend after being ill for 2 weeks. Sorry for the delay.

I am thinking about having you do a Duchman's Puzzle block for me using a Kona grey solid for the background and red, black and white prints for the triangles.

Photo courtesy of sonnetofthemoon from Modify Tradition

2010-01-01T21:12:00.000-08:00

Heidi, hey are you okay? We haven't heard from you in a blue moon. Have you recovered from your illness? I feel as though our blog here has gone into hibernation, so I decided to wake it up. What wonderful challenge have you got for us girls? December is now over {yeah!] and on to a new year with new aspirations! Look forward to hearing from you, Wanda

How to calculate yardage

2009-12-11T07:11:00.001-08:00

Crazymomquilts just posted today some examples of how to calculate yardage. It is a great post to reference if you are new to figuring out how much fabric to purchase or transforming an existing pattern into a larger (or smaller) quilt.

What is this?

2009-11-26T22:17:00.001-08:00

The Nittany Block Party is an online quilting bee that is a spin off of the Block Party Quilt Along Flickr group. (www.blockpartyquilting.com/). We are comprised of 12 quilters working together for a year to create quilts, stretch our quilting skills, laugh, make friends and enjoy one another's company doing the one thing we all love to do.

Just what is an online quilting bee you ask? Well two.more.seconds on the Quilting Bee Blocks Flickr group describes an online bee perfectly:

"...the very basic Virtual Quilting Bee is made up of 12 people who are each assigned a separate month as their month to be the recipient of the blocks. The bee will run then for 12 months, with each person taking turns making blocks for 11 months for everyone else, and one month sending fabric out and receiving their own blocks back."

We are having an open bee where the member leading the month will choose what block everyone will make. Members can choose whether or not to have fabric added from other members' stashes to complete their blocks or just use the fabric that was sent to them by the month's leader.

Month Assignments

2009-11-26T22:17:00.000-08:00

January - heidielliott
February - kristan.ellsworth
March - fabriclover2009
April - melissa.leray
May - katkeo
June - denawayne
July - Kim L
August - gretters_h
September - Miss Monny Quilts
October - sewtobed
November - peonybliss
December - sewmany

Found Some Block Tutorials

2009-11-17T06:50:00.001-08:00

***I will keep adding to this post as I find more

Allison Anderson: Strandz
Wonky Pinwheels or Whiligigs
Crazy Four Patch

Modify Tradition:
Bow Tie
Starflower
Skinny Nine Patch
Churn Dash

All Sorts:
Crazy Nine Patch

Quilter's Cache:
Blocks by Size - 12"