Choose Your Own BlockAlong 9/29/2014

Welcome to another week of the Choose Your Own BlockAlong. I am really excited about this week's blocks! I think I hinted last week that I may be using only Cotton + Steel for my City Sampler. It makes perfect sense, as I am totally in love with this collection (I feel almost stalkerish...haha). But it also makes sense as all the lines from the collection coordinate so well with each other. 

My first block is actually a repeat. No. 100 was the first block I made, and I loved it. But, at the time, I was not planning an all C + S quilt, so I had used another one of my favorite fabrics. Here is my do-over:

No. 100

My second block of the week:

No. 53

And my third block of the week:

No. 82

I am now up to nine blocks,

and boy am I excited about where this quilt is going!!

I have actually started taking notes of my quilt (a first for me) to help me stay organized. I still haven't decided on a layout. This may be a problem, as the layout/assembly involves choosing colors, which I really haven't thought about yet. I've been having too much fun playing with my C + S ;-)))) 

Don't forget to check out the blocks that Rene' and Cindy have made this week. I know they will be amazing!! 

And if you are on IG, we'd love for you to join the fun there! You can find us at @frustratedquilter, @renecreates, and @liveacolorfullife. Be sure and hashtag the blocks you are working on

#chooseyourownblockalong

Thanks, as always, for visiting my blog!!

~ Michelle ~

RJR Cotton Supreme Solids Blog Hop and a Giveaway

 I am so excited to participate in the RJR What Shade Are You? blog hop. For those who follow me on Instagram, you know how obsessed I am how much I love the new Cotton+Steel Collection. Lately, anything and everything I've been making has been with Cotton + Steel, especially the Homebody line.  A couple of months ago, I was asked by RJR Fabrics if I needed some RJR Cotton Supreme Solids to go with my C+S. Well, of course I did ;-) They kindly sent me the following solids to play with:

(Blue Bayou #300, Navy #30, Proud as a Peacock #289, Rio RP #311, Carnation #135, Tropiacana #339, Turks & Caicos #292, On The Rocks #283)                                          

And I had the perfect pattern to showcase their solids.

Twinkle, Twinkle is one of Megan Nichols' patterns from her Quick-Sew Baby Quilt Club (I have been itching to make this quilt to hang in my therapy room at school). Megan's club runs from June through November, with a new quilt pattern delivered each month. You can still sign up for the club...previous patterns will be sent out within one business day. I have received four patterns, and they are beautiful and wonderfully written!!

I usually bombard IG with lots of progress pictures, but I was keeping this project under wraps.

I used Jacquie Gering's sectioned curves technique for quilting. I love the way the gentle curves add movement to the quilt.

I love hand stitching the binding to my quilts!!

I absolutely loved working with RJR's Cotton Supreme Solids!

They are a perfect combo with the C+S collection.

I found that there was less fraying than with other solids, which has always been frustrating for me.

And the colors!!!! Oh, my...beautiful!!

So, what shade am I? I have no idea ;-)))) But I do know that I really love the Cotton Supreme Solids and can't wait to get more! Luckily for me, Pink Castle Fabrics has a Color Inspirations Club that is calling my name!!!

One of my favorite parts of a blog hop is the opportunity for a give away ;-))) RJR Fabrics has been generous in offering a reader (US and Canada) a bundle of the solids used in my quilt. If you would like to win these gorgeous solids, leave a comment and I will randomly pick a winner next Tuesday. Be sure and leave an email address if you are a no-reply commenter.

You can also see other wonderful quilts from their blog hop on RJR's Facebook page.

I'm linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts finish it up Friday!

Thanks, as always, for dropping by!!

~ Michelle ~

***The giveaway is now closed***

Choose Your Own BlockAlong 9/22/14

Welcome to another week of our Choose Your Own BlockAlong. Please forgive my brevity this week...I've been burning the midnight oil lately, trying to finish a project with a deadline,  and I am beat ;-) 

 I am continuing with my City Sampler using my much loved Cotton+Steel. 

Here are my six blocks: 

For those of you keeping count, I should have 8 blocks. It didn't take long for me to realize I wanted all my prints to be from the Cotton+Steel collection, so I already have 2 orphan blocks. I'm sure I will find a way to use them in a future project.

Don't forget to head over to Rene' Creates and Live A Colorful Life to see their progress. I had a sneak peek of Rene's blocks, and they are gorgeous!!! And be sure to stop by Friday for a finish and a giveaway!!

Thanks, as always, for visiting my blog!

~ Michelle ~

Choose Your Own BlockAlong 9/15/14

Welcome back to another week of our Choose Your Own BlockAlong. I have two more blocks to share from the Tula Pink City Sampler.

Both blocks were made using my current favorite line, Cotton + Steel. I'm beginning to see a pattern ;-)

No. 44

No. 38

I am loving the C + S blocks...

Six down, 94 to go ;-)

Don't forget to drop by Rene' Creates and Live A Colorful Life to see their progress.

Thanks, as always, for visiting my blog!

~ Michelle ~

Choose Your Own BlockAlong

Welcome to this week's Choose Your Own BlockAlong! I sure enjoyed seeing the blocks that Rene and Cindy made last week!! And I can't wait to see their newest blocks!

This past week was a challenge for me. Between work, family, and end-of-Summer colds running through the family, I wasn't able to even think about my blocks until Saturday. Fortunately for me, Tula Pink makes it easy to choose blocks based on available time ;-)

Each block has the required number of fabrics and pieces.

 Needless to say, I chose blocks with very low numbers ;-)))

Both blocks were pieced using Cotton + Steel...my favorite!! I had some difficulty with the first block. I'll attribute my cutting and/or piecing errors to the cold medicine. It may end up as an orphan block, which is a shame as I ended up liking the mustard colored solid used. 

Here are my four blocks placed on the City Sampler grid.

My blocks look so lonesome...haha!!

 As more blocks are made, I will need to decide the layout I want to use. In the book, Tula provides 5  possible layouts. The number of blocks and setting fabrics vary according to the layout. I also need to be thinking about color choices for the blocks. So far I've been winging it ;-)  I need to be making some decisions very soon!

Rene' was kind enough to make a button for our BlockAlong. Be sure and grab it from my sidebar if you want to play, which I hope you will. 

 And don't forget to head over to Rene' Creates and Live A Colorful Life to see their blocks for the week.

Thanks for stopping by!!

~ Michelle ~

And So It Begins...Choose Your Own BlockAlong

I am so excited about a new project with my sister Rene', of Rene Creates, and friend Cindy, of Live A Colorful Life...and my return to blogging! During the summer, Rene' and I were discussing the endless list of projects we would like to work on. I have been itching to start my Tula Pink's City Sampler quilt, and Rene' has been wanting to make a Dear Jane quilt. However, we both have lots on our plates and have been slow to get started. Cindy was also busy planning her next sampler quilt (remember her amazing Farmer's Wife Fridays?) We thought it would be great to work on our sampler quilts together, as a collaborative project, to hold each other accountable share with each other.  And So It Begins...our Choose Your Own BlockAlong.

Each Monday, we will highlight, on our blogs, the blocks we have made for our quilts. I am hoping to make two blocks a week. I know that's not a lot, but I want to be realistic. I have A LOT going on now that the school year has started.

Here are my first two blocks.

No. 100: Tula PInk's Acacia

No. 27: Amy Butler...

Here are my blocks with the corresponding blocks from the book.

The book has a place for you to write the name of each block (which I won't be doing...I have a hard enough time naming quilts...haha) and to write fabric notes (which I probably won't remember). I am terrible at remembering fabric designers and/or collections, so please feel free to leave a comment if you know, or if I am mistaken, about the fabric...I will be sure to add it to my notes!

I will be uploading my pictures on an excel document to help me stay organized while working on my blocks. Debbie, from A Quilter's Table, has a great tutorial for creating a grid for the City Sampler blocks. 

Hmmm...I have quite a ways to go ;-)))))

I hope you will join me each Monday as I create my way through the City Sampler quilt.

Don't forget to head over to Rene' and Cindy's blogs to check out their blocks!

Thanks, as always, for visiting my blog!

~ Michelle ~