I'm back online!

My computer threatened to crash last week, so I have been unable to do much of anything online, except for emailing on Daughter's laptop. But all is better with my computer, and I can post once again!
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I have not been doing much sewing. I have been keeping up with the Bloggers Block-a-palooza Quilt Along. This is block# 8:
Here are the first eight blocks gathered together. Sorry that it is sideways. I have been trying to achieve a balance of darks and lights. I was afraid that 16 blocks of intense color would be too hard on the eyes. Besides, I would probably run out of the bright batiks before the 16 blocks were complete! I do like what I see so far!

Then I got to work on Block #9...

...and Block #10.

This one is awfully bright! The original instructions were to use three fabrics; the center block was to be the yellow-green fabric. It looked a lot like a road sign. So I strategically cut a fourth batik on the bias, then made it a four patch. This fourth fabric had a lot of color variance, so it created an interesting pattern for the block.

My computer screen has some color challenges, and this block does not show up as well as it looks in real life.

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Tomorrow morning block #11 will be posted; I can't wait! This quilt along is such fun.

Two more blocks...

...for the Block-a-palooza Quilt Along.
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This one I had major color challenges. Originally the center nine patch was made with two different fabrics, and the block was beautiful. Unfortunately, it had no pizazz when place next to the other blocks I've already made. So I changed it up a bit.
This second one was very easy; I was waiting for the perfect block in which to use the batik with the stripes.

The color on my computer is bad...the four striped squares look brown, but it is actually a darker green batik. Oh well.

See what happens...

...when I stay home all day long. I've got a sore throat, the sneezies, and a stuffed up head. So I took it easy and finished the Topsy Twosy quilt top!
It turned out really cute! My pile of need-to-be-quilted pieced quilt tops continues to grow. I am waiting for a package to come in the mail--hopefully this week!--that will get me on the road to machine quilting. When it arrives, I will share it with you!
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On another 'note' (ha ha, a little joke...) the A key above middle C on the piano quit working. Husband went online to find a solution. The first two tries did not work, so tonite he opened up the piano and blew all the dust out. You can see the dust flying through the air!
The A key still did not work. Back to the internet to find instructions to remove the actual key. You really can find instructions for anything on the internet, for Husband was able to pop it off, cleaned it up, and now TA DA, the A key is once again working! Hip Hip!

Little Green Quilters' Update!

A second finished WIP! The Quilts of Valor quilt is complete. Hip Hip. I visited the QOV websight (http://www.qovf.org/) and learned I need to label it on the back. And it has to be washed first. So it will be a few more days before it gets shipped out.
I sent the top and backing to long-armer Wanda (http://www.rainydayquilts.com/); she did an all-over meandering quilt design that looks beautiful! Thanks, Wanda!

Here is the presentation case that I made to go with the quilt. It is a very easy to make 'sausage' pillowcase. Great tutorial here: http://www.qovf.org/content/presentation-case.html

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Here is Block 6 of the Block-a-palooza Quilt Along. I have not finished block 5 yet; I am struggling with the colors. But this one is bright!

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I also finished all the blocks for the Topsy Twosy X-Block pattern. It is a very skinny quilt that still needs its borders.

If I do this one again, I will make sure to have more fabric than is required in order to make it larger enough for a bed.

A Productive Weekend

My fabric storage system needed a major overhaul. Because I did not have easy access to my fabric containers, my guest room tended to look like this.
Yeah, I just piled new purchases on the dresser and beds.
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Meanwhile, all the blue-green tubs were stored on the floor in the guest room closet, one stacked on top of the other. The twelve smaller square containers were up on the shelf in the closet, stacked on top of each other. I hated trying to pull out the correct container to stuff a new piece of fabric inside, especially since the containers were already so full!

Enter these beauties! I saw a picture of these filled with fabrics on another quilt site. I went searching and found them at Walmart for only $18 each! I bought four Sterilite three-drawer storage units; the drawers are easily removed so I can really search and play.

Here they are, all filled up (with room for more!). And the storage is no longer in the guest room; it is now next to my sewing machine! ...which is in the dining room. But I am so happy. It was such fun to sort through my stash; I found some fabrics I had forgotten about and now I am thinking about new projects!

I put small scraps in the six small boxes on the top. If I have guests for dinner, I can put the ironing board away, close up the Koala cabinet and (since it is on wheels) push the whole thing up against the window. Plenty of room for dining.

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The very best outcome of all? I have no desire to go to the fabric store! I had no idea my stash was so large and varied. Easy access will be a huge boost to my creative process.

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Next up is to figure out how to hang a design wall behind the ironing board, one that is versatile enough to switch out with a finished quilt when guests are invited for dinner!

Little Green Quilters Update!

I am working on one of my wips! Here is the nearly finished patriotic Quilt of Valor. I sewed the binding to the right side of the quilt. I am pinning it down (using many many many pins) with the plan to machine stitch it rather than hand sew it to the back.

Here is Kit; I sewed her a spy cap...making clothing for the American Girl dolls is also on my wip list!

To see more progress by other Little Green Quilters, click on the link to the right!

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The pattern of Block 4 in the Bloggers' Block-a-palooza quilt along was posted and I got busy making it!

To see more blocks made in different fabrics, head over to the flickr photo pool at http://www.flickr.com/groups/bloggersblockapalooza/ .

Another Button, Another Quilt

There is a new button on my sidebar. It is for the Bloggers' Block-a-palooza Quilt Along, hosted by Quilt Dad; if you click on the button it will take you to his blog. He has 16 designers each creating a block, and a new one posts every Monday and every Thursday.
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I have a fat quarter bundle of batiks that I bought on a great clearance sale last year. I finally dug it out and decided to use the batiks for this quilt along. I've not used batiks before; I find them a bit challenging, for they really stick together and are a bit stiff. But I love the vibrant colors.
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Block 1
Block 2

Block 3

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So yes, I have started another quilt. I made these three blocks last night in order to catch up. Tomorrow is a new block! I've not really done a quilt along before and it is very fun. I love to check the flickr photo pool for this quilt along and see all the varieties of fabrics being used by others and how different the blocks can look, depending on the color value of the fabric. The flickr pool is here: www.flickr.com/groups/bloggersblockapalooza/ .