A Notion or Two: August Block

August was my month for the fabulous A Notion or Two Quilting Bee. Each member had to create two (2) Quarter Log Cabin blocks. I'm super excited about all of the soft blues and natural tans that are in the fabrics of these blocks. The fabrics used are Timber by Jessica Levitt and Nicey Jane by Heather Bailey. I typically do quilts that are bright and vibrant, but I'm loving how calming and subdued these fabrics are. Once it's finished, this quilt will be draped over the futon in our Little Man's room.

A Notion or Two: May, June, July Blocks

I've finally caught up on my quilting bee blocks for A Notion or Two. Sorry it took so long ladies...apparently this whole moving thing really does take more time than I thought. Now that my studio is finally put together I can get back behind the sewing machine. I can't wait til next month...It's my month and I've had the fabric for it since February!

Amy's Pinwheel Sampler Block.

Nicole's Maple Leaf Block.

Amy's Drunk Love Log Cabin Blocks.

A Notion or Two 2010 April Block

A fun Dresden Plate block for Amber. Such a timeless block, but it has such pop with these bright colors. It was definitely a fun one!

A Notion or Two 2010 March Block

Sorry it took so long Dana, but here is your traditional star block. This block had me shaking in my knees, but I was so proud of the way it came out. Perfect points and everything! Now I must make some type of wonky block just to calm my nerves and balance myself!

Timber

Went to Clementine's this weekend and discovered some new fabric that had graced her shelves' presence. *Sigh*


Here's what I added to my stash. It's actually for my quilt for A Notion or Two. My month isn't until August, but I just had to get this. The colors are exactly what I was looking for! It's like Cami read my mind when she added these to the shop.


The stack is a combination of Timber by Jessica Levitt and some Nicey Jane by Heather Bailey. I'm going for something with a beach-like color scheme and this combo is absolutely perfect. As you can see here, even my Hubby was excited about these fabrics. Not gonna lie, I love it when he goes fabric shopping with me because he really does have great taste.

A Notion or Two 2010 February Block

The 2010 "A Notion or Two Quilting Bee" has finally begun! I was so excited Friday when I got my fabric in the mail from Penny. Her inspiration for the blocks came from here and here. I'll admit I was kinda intimidated at first, but once I laid the fabric out on my craft table, the ideas began to flow and this is what I came up with...
I machine-appliqued the door of the house and I think it adds some cute texture and dimension to it.
I really enjoyed piecing this block. It was a lot of trial and error with a very flexible plan that worked together nicely. Thanks Penny for the opportunity to be challenged. This is what I love about being a part of at Quilting Bee.

Completed

I made many a trip to the lovely Clementine's. Each visit included a purchase of several fat quarters. "You are the Fat Quarter Queen," I was called by the owner Cami. Oh but if she had only known what my lovely stash of fat quarters was contributing to...
Many months passed as I discovered and collected the beautiful fat quarters. Each one folded neatly on its shelf. Each time I walked by them, I could hear them whisper, "Make us into something...please!" But I resisted, knowing that once they were all put together, something even more beautiful would be created.
And so, March 2009 arrived. Each fat quarter was meticulously cut into various sizes for the lovely people who would be receiving them. Each one carefully placed in a padded (and weather-resistant) envelope and sealed with love. Off they went to their various lands...some to Virginia...a few to Utah...one lucky one even made it all the way to the Aloha State of Hawaii where it basked in the sun light and palm trees. Little did these bundles of fabric-goodness know that after their adventure they would return to me in a completely different fashion.


As each beautiful block arrived in the mail, my heart would skip a beat. The absolute beauty...the gorgeous craftsmanship...it was all so overwhelming. Once all 12 blocks were completed and returned, the intense task of designing the layout of the quilt began. Each piece was drawn to particular measurements and each piece cut accordingly. With each piece that was sewn together, I was able to get a glimpse of what the final masterpiece would look like.

At last, it was all pieced together. However, it's journey wasn't quite complete. It had to make one last voyage to North Carolina and back to Indiana to be quilted together by such special hands.


After months of patience and getting excited each time a package arrived to our home, the ultimate package arrived (and so close to Christmas, too). I quickly opened it, admired it, "Oooo" and "Aaaah" over it, then like a mad woman, began working on the binding to complete this treasure.


And so now dear friends, with much anticipation and excitement, I unveil an original "A Notion of Two Virtual Quilting Bee" Quilt.

It sits so perfectly on our comfy bed where each night it keeps us warm and cozy. Each time I walk into the room, I can hear each block singing harmoniously together. And as you can see two lucky blocks were so magnificent and delicate that they were made into beautiful coordinating pillows.

Even the backing was designed so that each side of this quilt could be enjoyed and loved. No part will go unnoticed...not even the delicately binded corners (for which my thanks is due to the ever-encouraging and inspiring Dana, who taught me how to bind a quilt with such ease).


I must say thank you to everyone involved in this beautiful quilt. It will be treasured forever and loved by many. My first experience in a Quilting Bee was one that I will never forget and I'm so excited to continue with it into 2010.

A Notion or Two September, October, November, & December Blocks

So...it's January 2010 and I was just able to finish the remaining four blocks for A Notion or Two this past weekend. I know. I'm such a slacker, but you gotta understand that the last four months of 2009 zoomed by so fast I felt like I blinked and it was 2010. But enough of my excuses...

Without further ado...Here are the remaining blocks for the 2009 A Notion or Two Virtual Quilting Bee...

September's block for Lolly:

October's block for Amber:

November's block for Allyn:

December's block for Dana:

I had such a great time being a part of my first Quilting Bee ever and can't wait to get started with this year's!

A Notion or Two August Blocks

We had two blocks for August in A Notion or Two. Amy and Sarah definitely gave me some fun stuff to work with!

This was Amy's block. She provided a beautiful embroidered block to each of us and said as long as the block is 12.5" x 12.5" we could do what we wanted.
Sarah's block was a strip block. I had never done anything like this before and was kind of intimidated at first, but once I started doing it, it was a blast! I absolutely loved this process and will definitely be doing it again.

A Notion or Two July Block

This block for A Notion or Two was definitely a challenge for me and the most intricate applique work I've ever done, but it was fun to be stretched like this. Hope you like it Tara!

A Notion or Two April Block

I finally finished my A Notion or Two April block for Russ.
Sorry it took so long. April just blew by!

A Robot for Finnegan

This month's block for A Notion or Two was so much fun. It was for a fun little guy named Finnegan...and Finnegan like robots.
So...since I had some left-over fabric for the block and some fun fabric of my own, I figured I would make a robot for the little guy.

Introducing Gidget, the Gadget, Robot!
It was all improve (which was fun and a little tricky at the same time) but I enjoyed every second of it. AND I got to use the machine applique feature on my sewing machine for the first time. Seeew much fun!

Oh yeah...and here's the block for mommymae.
It's a pinwheel, so it's a classic pattern, but the fabric and the way it's laid out gives it a modern twist. I also embroidered the little guy's nick-name on the bottom-right corner.