January Design Camp 3

It’s my month to host Design Camp’s improvisational bee “Think Outside the Block.”  What fun it will be when eleven amazing creations start showing up in my mailbox, and just in time for my birthday, too!

My daughter picked up this cute fabric at Ikea in Dallas while she was on Spring Break last March.  I love these graphic houses and decided they would be a perfect backing for a sampler of improv designs.

These are the Kona solids I found to match.  From the top they are denim, spearmint, plum, baby blue, oyster, and pepper.  I can’t wait to see what the “Campers” come up with!

I need to finish up one more baby quilt then I can concentrate on our KCMQG winter challenge.  These beauties are from the Madrona Road collection by Portland Modern Quilt Guild member Violet Craft.

You can read about it on the MQG blog here.  I’ve got my idea mapped out and I only have until Feb. 14 to get it finished.  Yikes pikes, that’s pretty soon!  I’m off to the sewing room…

November Blocks

First up is for the Dream Circle at do.Good Stitches.  This cute modern pinwheel tutorial is from Moda Bake Shop and designed by Karin at Cascade Quilts.  Laura is putting together the quilt for Project Night Night.  Love those colors!

Since our guild brought Denyse Schmidt to Kansas City for two workshops in October, Lauren from KC Scrappy Bee requested small  paper bag improv blocks surrounded by this luscious khaki solid.  I’m not sure who makes that smooth and soft fabric but I love it. This is a big block at 16 x 16 but fun and easy.

This block gave me the most trouble.  Amy from Design Camp #3 requested a “dwelling of some person/creature from a fairy tale.”  My first inclination was a castle but I wondered if that was too obvious.  I scoured Flickr for inspiration but didn’t come up with anything I liked better. The roofs on the two towers ended up a little wonky so I think it looks more like something from Arabian Nights and I’m good with that.  The only fabric I added was the dark gray for the windows and drawbridge.

I’ve received my instructions for the December blocks and I’m anxious to get started with them!  As my daughter who’s home from Arkansas for semester break would say, “Happy Holidays y’all!

September Blocks

I know it’s been kinda quiet here at Pearlie’s Girl but I’m finishing my second quilt this month (pictures coming soon) and can share my Bee blocks finally.

This Star Crossed block is going to LRStitched for a Dream Circle quilt for do.Good Stitches.  It’s from a tutorial by Don’t Call Me Betsy.  The other blocks I’ve seen on Flickr are so cute!  I can’t wait for the finished quilt.

Sew in love with the boy for Design Camp 3 sent out these lovely prints.  She said the colors remind her of an Arizona spring.  I didn’t want to waste any of the fabric by cutting it up too much but I’m not sure if the improv block really does it justice.

My final September block is for Marilyn in the KC Scrappy Bee.  She requested a double disappearing nine-patch block from A Few Scraps.  I wasted a perfectly wonderful lilac solid when I didn’t measure carefully while cutting.  I didn’t have anything nearly that color in my stash so I added the plum instead.

It’s hard to tell the plum from the charcoal in the photo.  Good thing I’m taking Lauren’s photography class next week!