Blockheads? By Moda

Moda is at it again!  This time it is Blockheads, featuring quilters who will

design eight blocks.  There will be forty-eight blocks with one posted every week starting in March 8.  Are you in for this free QAL?

• Blocks – each Blockhead will post the same block each week on their blog, Facebook or website.
• The Blockheads are all making blocks and a quilt – setting ideas and instructions will be provided at the end.
• Scrappy!  That’s one thing all six of us have in common – we love scrap quilts, the more fabrics the better!  Most of the designers will be making a quilt using their own fabric collections… but there are a couple who are already whispering about making more than one quilt.  (Rumor has it that a few of the designers will be offering “starter packs” of their fabrics.)
• Yardage?  If you know you’re going to want to use a single collection – I’d start with at least 24 fat quarters and 3 to 4 yards of background.

To get you started, here is the first block of March 8: Whirligig  

• Lynne’s Blog / Facebook / Website
• Betsy’s Blog / Facebook / Instagram
• Jan’s Blog / Website
• Jo’s Blog / Instagram
• Lisa’s Blog / Website / Instagram

Button, Button, Who's Got The Button?

Did you ever play that game "button, button, who's got the button?"

 Button, button, who's got the button is a game of ingenuity where players form a circle with their hands out, palms together. One child, called the leader or 'it', takes an object such as a button and goes around the circle, putting their hands in everybody else's hands one by one. In one person's hands they drop the button, though they continue to put their hands in the others' so that no one knows where the button is except for the giver and receiver.

The leader, or all the children in the circle, says "Button, button, who's got the button?" and then each child in the circle guesses. The child guessing replies with their choice, e.g. "Billy has the button!"

Once the child with the button is finally guessed, that child is the one to distribute the button and start a new round.

I never thought much about buttons, except to the play the game as a child or to rummage through

the button jar to find just the perfect one for the dress, shirt, jacket, etc.

Recently, I learned that some of the buttons I have in my button box are highly

collective!!  Who would have figured?  Well, the button collector would!

"Buttons hold history, art, materials, workmanship, whimsy, sentiment, social expression

and the imagination of the button-Maker" spoken by Marlene Tucker, member of

Brazos Button Club.  She owns about 1,000 buttons!

I just might have that many as well--buttons are made of some of the oddest things--like

rubber, jade, Lucite, vegetable ivory , wood, turquoise and coral.

Awards! Rewards!

So, you've finished the challenges and now comes the ribbons, rewards, awards.

I like seeing how individual guilds celebrate their accolades

for job well done!  Here is one way to make an award-- 

First place ribbon is always blue--why?

The blue ribbon is a symbol of high quality. The association comes from The Blue Riband, a prize awarded for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by passenger liners and, prior to that from Cordon Bleu, which referred to the blue ribbon worn by a particular order of knights. The spelling blue riband is still encountered in most English-speaking countries, but in the United States, the term was altered to blue ribbon, and ribbons of this color came to be awarded for first place in certain athletic or other competitive endeavours (such as county and state fairs). It also may be applied to distinguished members of a group or commission who have convened to address a situation or problem; the usual usage is "blue ribbon commission" or "blue-ribbon panel".

Second place winner receives a colorful red ribbon

Each challenge had a different hand made ribbon

And the first place and best of show receives

two ribbons!!

Here is the first/best of show winner!

Alice Sadeghpour

"Dear William With a Twist"

quilted by Mary Jo Yackley

Class taught by Phyllis Rucker:  machine applique turned into

a needle turn applique with a softer border

It was truly a lovely piece of work and deserved

the ribbons it won!

I liked this simple but effective way of placing an

award

and then you have the 'plain old' purchased ribbon--

quite frankly, I'll take any ribbon any which way

I can earn it!

I really don't think a quilter would like a huge

trophy like this!  how could we display it??

Textile Challenges!

Let's take at look at some of the challenges that were presented at the West Houston Quilt Exhibit--got to compete in a challenge in order to win a ribbon, award or reward!

How would you handle these challenges to put your

creative mind at work?

Use the same group of fat eighths to make a quilt

must be 30" square + or - 3"

use any technique as long as it classifies as a quilt

(top, batting, back)

can be quilted, embellished, one fabric may be added or

deleted

This one is more of a challenge:  Each participant

donates a holiday themed fat quarter

Each person does a blind draw of that fat quater

Each person has to make a quilt for the holiday that

is represented by that fabric

quilt size limited to using the drawn fat

quarter for the backing--otherwise, small!

There was the one challenged I posted photos of

in yesterday's blog:  Make a quilt using the colors of the

wrapper of favorite candy (one color can be added)

There was the one color challenge

Round Robin challenge within a bee

All of these give a pretty good representation of putting your mind to work--

I'm thinking--oh, no!  that could be a problem!!

how can we use these challenges in other fiber art medium.........?

hmmmm, watch out spinners and weavers!!

West Houston Quilt Exhibit

Over the weekend, I attended the West Houston Quilt Exhibit, held at the Berry

Center in Cypress, Texas--

this local guild brings excitement to the community with their biennial

exhibit.  I always like to see what challenges that have been issued

to the members.

Love this challenge!  Candy!  What candy bar would you use to make

a quilt?  This one is PayDay--Made and quilted by Gloria Ware!

Such fun!  Pattern was from Owl Be Home by Christmas by Cherry Guidry

 

Celeste Fritz "Love Dark Chocolate!" 

Star Light, Star Bright from book

"Bargello with a Twist"

Hershey's Yes!!

Phyllis Rucker loves Mounds bars,

she chose "Mounds Moroccan Tiles"

from Far Flung Quilts

Oh, can you guess what candy bar?

Bee Twixed!  clever name by Barbara Wenker

Taken from a pattern by Kathleen Andrews,

KwiltArt Patterns  This won third place in

the category 

I know what this one represents!

Peanut M&Ms by Lillie Hays

This was her original design and it

won an award

Hersey's at it again!  This one by Annie Forrest

No reference of pattern 

A collaboration between Pamela Hensley and Georgia

Johnson brings us Heath Bar--the note said:

the pattern was chosen because the ruler was on sale--

no reference to which ruler, except it does triangles

Here you have Millie Savage's take on Mr. Goodbar

titled "Sunflowers" pattern from Laundry Basket Quilts

by Edyta Star--raw edge applique

Do you like Babe Ruth Candy Bars?

Here's Linda Stewart's take on that candy.

It's quilted by Lillie Hays

"Run For Snickers" by Jean Fleming,

also quilted by Jean

Halloween theme was the creative way

Alice Sadeghpour decided to go with

Skor Candy Bar; quilted by Lillie Hayes

First place winner!!

And bet you can guess that candy?

M and M's, of course!

Teresa Beautz's "Old School Meets

New School", also quilted by Teresa--

this won second place prize.

check in tomorrow for more info

My Year Of Therapy Has Arrived.......................

It is a year of knitting techniques from Arnall-Culliford Knitwear

This will be a great adventure through 2017 and I'm looking forward

to what we will knit along the way.

I opened the bag and pulled out all these goodies!

I think I got a good bang for my buck!

lovely yarns

luxury yarns, like baby alpaca and silk!

wonderful sock yarns!

For March, our first assignment is Helical Stripes!

Here we go......... using the Zauberball--we are off

and knitting!! 

UFOs Bite The Dust!!

I always have a good day when I can say I accomplished something in the studio--

finished!  UFO!  Out of the bin into the world it comes!

I've had this one waiting in the wings for awhile--this was to

be made for the WOW weavers basket for CHT

June conference--my contribution--

I like making these hot pads.   I use indigo dyed woven fabric

for both the lining and the main.  These are some yarns that

I dyed and wove several months ago--and sometimes I hate to cut it up--

but I'll weave more--some day!  And this will go for a good

cause.  I also used my indigo dyed fabric for the bias tape trim.

One down!!

The other pattern that has been sitting around for awhile

is this!  I have made several of these--kept two and gave

many away for gifts.  I found this kit in the bottom of 

the UFO bin--so, it must be sewn

This is also using my handwoven indigo dyed yarns for

the outside and indigo dyed cotton cloth for the lining

Perfect blocks for this!

Great for storage of scissors, thread, pins, etc.

It is also a catch all for any loose threads

So excited! To finish another UFO!

Oh, then there is this kit!  Holy Smokes--I have

no idea how old it is--but, I had done all the

stitching on the wool front and back

This is the back

This is the front

Here are the handles--the whole kit was complete except for

assembling--why do I procrastinate with something that is

al------most finished!!

Okay, finally the handles are attached to the front

and the back!  And I have a great carrying bag for my sewing

supplies--another UFO bites the Dust!!

wonder what else is just waiting for a few

simple stitches to be finished??