ready to trade

Tomorrow is the day ...

that I trade my 3" hourglass blocks with the others in my Block Builders Bee.  I'm looking forward to seeing the new blocks that will soon belong to me.  I even have a few tiny ideas of how I plan to piece them together into a quilt.

Question for the mathematicians and quilters out there:  if I made between 250 and 300 blocks (3" finished), how large will the quilt be that I make with these blocks?

Answer:  it really depends on how I plan to piece them together -- will I be adding other blocks or other fabrics, or making a design that uses the hourglass blocks from this trade (and nothing else).

The true answer is that I won't really know until I see the blocks that I receive in this trade -- and also until I start playing with the blocks.  Could be I will finally really need to set up a design wall somewhere .......

Of course, if I don't have enough to make a large quilt, I can always make a table runner or two.

Do you have a favorite way to piece hourglass blocks together into a finished quilt?

Hourglass blocks

These are my hourglass blocks, ready for Wednesday's trade.  I'm thrilled that I have them finished so early (DAYS before the official deadline!)

Have I mentioned that I have rejoined the Block Builders Bee - one of the many bees affiliated with the Quilt Guild of Greater Houston (QGGH).  We make and trade blocks four times a year, have lottery blocks to make (hoping to win the entire batch) in the other months, and enjoy everyone's Show-n-Tell while we stitch and chat together, after sharing a pot-luck lunch.  Oh and there are side trades set up by individuals too.

The quilt blocks above are for a trade that Lynn Brown initiated and I'm glad I was able to join it.  I made over 200 of these hourglass blocks -- can you tell what size they are?  want to make a guess?

New ATCs to trade

Always looking for a new challenge, my evening Art Quilt group (BTS) decided to make and trade ATC's (Artist Trading Cards).  As per my usual, I missed the night of the actual showing and trading (it was in the month of May - which is now crazy-busier-than-Dec-month but I'll save that 'rant' for another day).  

I happen to enjoy making (and trading) ATC's and have been planning to make some for a long time (I had hoped to trade some at this year's Quilt Festival - but November flew past and here we are in the summer and I have just now finished them!)

This is a fun way to use up colorful scraps left-over from any project.  The ATCs posted below began as scraps from my quilt "Sitting on Top of the World" (click here to see more of that quilt).  I played further with the scraps --   

 

making some dark ones on blue,

and lighter ones on pale pink.

The original base is inexpensive felt, the middle layer has candy wrappers, bright trims and scraps and the top layer is sheers, voiles and tulles.  The layers are stitched together in a free-form meandering style.  The pieces are trimmed to size and finished off with modge-podge and stitching to a cardstock back.

I took my ATCs (the ones above and more) to our "Beyond the Sunset" June meeting, offering them to those who attended that night even though they did not bring ATCs to trade (that happened in May).  So I simply asked them to bring me one next time.

I still have a few more ... I am happy to trade now or I can wait and trade them at Quilt Festival 2012.

Nine Patch blocks

These are the Nine Patch blocks I received in my first block swap since rejoining the Block Builders Bee (one of many bees affiliated with the Quilt Guild of Greater Houston).

This bee meets once a month to share a lunch, show our latest quilts, stitch a little and visit a lot.  Four times a year we trade blocks where you can make as many (or as few) as you wish to trade.  The day of the trade, you get back the same number of blocks that you put in.  (Hint:  Be sure to hold back some of the ones you made as you won't necessarily get your own blocks back!)  With luck, you will not get many duplicate blocks, as the goal is to have a diversity of fabrics for a very scrappy looking quilt. 

The nine-patches above are just some of the ones I received at our June 2012 trade.  I did not make many blocks (only 32 of the "X" block and 32 of the "O" for a total of 64) yet I did receive a few duplicates.  If I had more time, I would have made many many more -- a few traded over 200 blocks!  Did I mention that these are 3" blocks? 

I'm tickled to be back in this bee -- I was a member about 10 years ago, long before I began this blog.  I am already stitching up blocks for the September and December trades.

Bubble gum?

Oh the joys of youth ... and summer ... and bubble gum! 

Until 

You step in it - but that's not what I meant to say, rather ...

until 

you sit in it and then...

share it (via your tush)

with the leather car seat! 

Wait, it gets better... 

It is the leather car seat in the new car that your wife drives! 

Fortunately my sweet husband told me of his zany mishap as soon as he returned home.  Apparently he sat in bubble gum when sitting on a curb at the gas station while trying to fill my car's tires with air (could happen to anyone, right?).  After examining the gummy trails all over my driver's seat, my first thought was (...no, not to cry nor to call my Mom but...) to check in with today's Guru Master of all Trivia...

 Yes, I am referring to the Google Search Machine (surely you use it often?).

Typing in "how to remove bubble gum from leather seats?", I was rewarded with several selections....shall I leave you hanging?  ...nah...

First remove as much of the gum as you can with your fingers (in my case, there wasn't much that wasn't squished into the leather, sigh).  Then get out your scotch tape and start plucking the gum off the leather (press and pull).  It worked great.

Who knew that one of the many marvels of Scotch tape (not the Magic tape) is to remove bubble gum from leather?

I actually used clear Scotch Packing tape.  After an afternoon of stick-and-release, I have a gum-free driver's seat once more.

Whew! 

Now I should tackle the chore of freeing the gum off of someone's shorts. Or maybe that can wait for another day..... (any tips on how I should do this?.... ice, right?)

Meet Aelita

Have you met Aelita Andre?

If not, please allow me to introduce a young artist at work

(or at play?)

 
I'd love to be creating with her.  Even better, I'd love do this (slightly messy) art in my classroom with my students!  Will you come and paint with us?

The video below tells a little more about Aelita.

This sweet five-year-old, Aelita Andre, has a new solo show opening in 

the Agora Gallery 

New York City 

June 12th to July 3rd, 2012

Be sure to check out her website to see her amazing body of work (and more videos too).

Happy Summer!

It's official .... Summer is here!  

How do I know?

Is it because my two classes that I love teaching have ended and I have brought all my teaching left-overs home to sort, organize and pack away until I need them again in the fall?

No.

Is it because I have watched my niece cross the stage at her college graduation?

No.

Is it because my own kids have been promoted from 8th grade (another stage-crossing of sorts: walking under a balloon archway)  and are ready to embrace high school?

No.

It it because I've discovered Pinterest (what fun!) or have signed up for "Another Little Quilt Swap #7" or have plans to sew more (clothes, quilt blocks, finishing quilts, etc.)

No, no, and no.

It IS because our Air-Conditioning has decided to stop working effectively this morning!
It is summer in Texas, and fortunately I think the thermostat is not rising too far into the 90's today .... hopefully the AC Repairman is not swamped with calls and can pop over tomorrow!


Until then, please send cool thoughts this way!  Meanwhile, I think we will head to the movie theater tonight ... have you seen Men In Black 3?




By the way .... click here to learn more about Another Little Quilt Swap #7, hosted by the fabulous Kate North.

This will be my fourth time to sign-up, though only my third time to participate.

Click here to see "Early Evening", my ALQS#6 entry or here to see "Big Foot - Framed", my ALQS#4 entry.

Of course you probably wish to see the two quilts I received also, right?
Here's the link to see "Zinnia", the quilt made by Nickels in Germany that I own from ALQS#6, and click here to see "Blue Vase" by Sue McBratney in Australia for ALQS#4 that lives with me.

(I missed the all-important deadline for ALQS#5, so did not swap in that one, though I had intended too!  Sometimes life just intercedes with different plans ...)