I'm not good at waiting

Remember this quilt? It's still only blocks stuck to my design wall. Why, you ask? I wanted to see what SuzGuz Designs' full quilt layout looked like before I committed to using my own heart and swag border (already designed and ready to go). The company said they were going to sell a center medallion pattern, which would make the quilt both bigger and more interesting than just an appliqued border, so I decided to wait.

And wait. And wait.

The last BOM block was released in December 2008. It's been five months and the completion pattern isn't published yet. This is a little irritating.

The company has released several new patterns since the first of the year and had quilt designs published in major magazines, so they're definitely out there working. So, why not throw a bone to those people who followed your BOM? It's not like they were going to give it out free, they were going to sell it. As in "revenue production" for the business. There's probably more people than only me waiting to see how they finished the quilt.

It's kind of a good-will killer. And it's a shame, because after I found the website, I, wonder of wonders, bought a pattern to make one of her quilt designs (binding currently being applied - photos to follow). Long time readers should know that I don't buy patterns. So, they actually made money from me, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. In truth, I bought it, even though I could have figured it out myself, as a gesture of support for small quilt-related businesses.

Yoo hoo, SuzGuz Designs, where are you?

Happy Anniversary to my brother and sister-in-law

Now that I know they have opened the gift and I won't spoil the surprise, I can show what I made for my brother and sister-in-law for their 38th anniversary.

Please forgive the terrible picture. This quilt was a little too large to hang from my closet door rod, and it sagged. It was made from my second set of Hearts A-Flutter BOM blocks. I love how it turned out, and I love the quilting job that June Adkins did for me. There's outline stitching and meandering around the applique motifs that let them stand out, and a lovely vine in the sashing.

Yes, this is still a blog about quilts

And here's the picture to prove it:

I had a little free time to applique the November block on my Hearts A-Flutter quilt. December's block is prepped but not finished yet. Don't look too closely at the bottom right corner block - it's only basted.

Still, it gives me a bit of an idea what the quilt will look like. The setup and border have me stumped. I haven't found a fabric that speaks to me yet for the border, and don't know whether to sash, or to plain set, or to alternate set or what. I guess it'll come to me. Any suggestions?

I thought that when this BOM was initiated the designer mentioned an appliqued border design which would be available for purchase at the end. Maybe that was just wishful thinking. An appliqued border will make this quilt stretch into next year, for sure, but would be beautiful. If the designer doesn't offer it, I may invent one using motifs from the blocks.

Do-over

I talked about how I wasn't happy with my February Hearts A Flutter block. After photographing all the blocks a few days ago, I resolved that now was the time to fix it. Because I would one hundred times rather make a new thing than try to work over an existing thing, I made a whole new block. I fixed the stem width and fabric choices I wasn't happy with, and made the arrow points a little better. Improvement? You decide.

Original block:
Replacement block:
I personally think the replacement is much better!

And now, for something completely different......

Same pattern, different fabrics. All 3o's repros from my stash. (All the backgrounds are the same, btw. It's my terrible photography.)

Hearts A Flutter BOM using Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum fabric

These blocks are made using SuzGuz Designs' free Hearts A Flutter BOM patterns. All fabric is from the Rock Mountain Quilt Museum line. They are in order by month, and are part of the quilt blitzkrieg that's been happening since Sunday. (Finally caught up, yeah!) The samples from SuzGuz Designs are made using the Swell fabric line from Moda for the samples. It's amazing how different these blocks look using subdued fabrics.

I was THAT close!

Sewing the last leaves on my June Hearts A Flutter BOM, almost caught up on BOM obligations, and I check my email and find the July Hearts BOM newsletter! Arrrrrgh! I was so close! No matter what I do I end up behind and scrambling.

It's about time

Finally, I am a sluggard no more. Quilt fabric has passed through my fingers today and I am almost caught up with my BOM obligations. I made two blocks for the Christmas wall hanging, and four blocks for the BlockCentral BOM (two in blue/rust and two in black/gray/tan). Two more applique blocks for Hearts A Flutter BOM and I will be done for the month. At that point I will bind the gift baby quilt, bind my butterfly lap quilt and quilt a few Linus projects.

All this sewing in addition to 4th of July cooking and watering/tending the outside plants. Whew!

Pictures tomorrow, folks, too tired tonight.

Hearts A Flutter BOM

Oh, aren't I talkative today! Can't help it, I have to show and tell these before I go. I asked JulieK how her Hearts A Flutter BOM was going, and wanted to show mine.

Here's a set in 30's fabrics:












And, here's a set in Civil War Reproduction prints:

Yeah, you didn't know you were talking to crazy woman, did ya? I started the first set using stash fabrics to match my guest room, but I just wasn't happy with how they looked. The arrow shafts are too thick in the February block and the fabrics weren't working for me. I'm going to make another February block before I'm done to replace it. When I found a fat quarter set of the bottom fabrics, I thought I'd try the pattern in another colorway, and give it as a gift when completed. I like the second set much more, but it doesn't match my house. It does, however, match several relatives' living rooms. Wonder who will get the wall hanging?

And BTW, I have to credit Tanya's blog for inspiring me to practice hand quilting. Remember the Thimbleberries Lazy Crazy Quilt lap quilt I made? I'm going to hand quilt it - have already started, in fact. Nothing elaborate, just in the ditch around the blocks, and outlining the printed faux-applique designs. Probably also draw a stencil of one of the small leaf applique designs and put that in the plain blocks. Don't expect to see it done anytime soon, OK?