Random....Friday?

Anyone else awful at remembering what day it is? I have good intentions of doing a random post on Thursdays to link up with Cindy, but it never seems to happen because I never know what day it is.
And really, that isn't such a bad thing in the summer, is it? So, here's a random post complete with random pictures that don't necessarily go with the text...

Almost walking

I have done absolutely no sewing in the last week or more and it's starting to make me twitch. My machines are ready to be picked up but I really want to get my house painted before I go get them, or it may never get done. Side note: Why do paint colors always look better in the can than on my walls?

Do you read The Fabric Shopper? I just discovered it the other day, but it is a fun little website that features upcoming fabric lines, tutorials, and other neat bits from around the web.

Grapefruit margaritas are GOOD. (So is Shiner Bock. )

Do any of you have a rice cooker? I'm considering getting one but can't decide if it is worth it. I am horrible at making rice but love eating it. I've read that they are good at making oatmeal, too, which would be convenient because I'm not good at making that, either.

I'm really into making salads lately. They are so good for a quick lunch or pre-baseball snack. I'm pretty sure I could eat this Southwest Rice and Bean Salad every day and never get tired of it. This morning I made Corn and Chickpea Fiesta Salad and am excited to go try some. What's your favorite salad recipe?

 

I made Jill these shorts the other day and really want some in my size. They are the Oliver+S Puppet Show shorts and are so cute and quick to make. So far I've made three pairs and will definitely be making more. I got in a bit of a garment-sewing spree a few weeks ago and had fun making some little things for Jill. I have a hard time making myself buy her clothes when I go shopping because I see things and think that either I could make it myself, or everything I find is some hideous color/animal print.

And for the most random thing...any of my American friends self-employed and purchase your own health insurance? Have any wisdom to offer? To say that it is overwhelming is an understatement...

June Blocks

Hi guys!

All of the ladies who were queens in my bees for June posted their blocks early, so I was actually finished with this month's blocks at the end of May. And since I have a few house-related projects to tackle, I took my sewing machine in for maintenance. It really is amazing how much more I can get done around here when I know I can't sew! 

 

Debbie asked us to make these Modern Maple blocks in That Stash Bee. She asked for "leaf colors" on light solid or low-volume backgrounds. I had fun choosing fabrics for these blocks, and opted for two colors that I rarely seem to use. Since autumn is my absolute favorite time of the year, I have a feeling I will be making a quilt of my own with these blocks. 

 

Rachel was the quilter this month for the Imagine Circle of dGS. She asked us to make these Fractured Star blocks using black/white, cream, text, and teal. The tutorial for the star is a little more confusing than it needs to be, but in the end you get a pretty cool block. I'm excited to see this quilt come together! 

 

Celeste asked us to make these strip-pieced hexagons for June in Always Bee Learning. I was a little worried at first, but they turned out quite easy and quick to piece together! 

Imagination, Squared

Taking a quick break this afternoon while the kids are napping to share my latest finish for the Imagine Circle of Do Good Stitches. (Sidenote: Anyone know how to make the actual "squared" symbol?)

 In April, I asked the members of our circle to make this paper-pieced Square-in-Square block by Tamiko using a palette of navy, coral, yellow, aqua, and white/grey prints.  I was so excited when the blocks started coming in, because they were all so much fun. I didn't specifically request fussy cuts for the centers, but several people did just that and made some seriously cute blocks. Isn't this one from Amanda sweet?

 

I didn't take me long to get them all sewn together. I had originally planned to use this Ikea numbers print for the backing, but a few of the blocks came in too small to fit well with the others. Since that would have made our quilt a little smaller than desired, I went ahead and decided to add the borders to bring it up to a better size. I really could not decide on what to use, but chose to go with the Ikea fabric. I still haven't decided if it was the right call, but it is growing on me. 

 

I thought that using more of the numbers print would be a little much, so for the backing I used the other blocks along with quite a few of the greys in my stash, plus some Kona Azure, Kona Ochre, and the coral which I believe is Michael Miller. It is pretty wrinkly in the photo, but I didn't have time to really get it photo-shoot ready. I have to take my pictures when the resident quilt-holder is available and this time of year, that is pretty rare!  

For the quilting, I thought it would be cool to highlight one of the blocks and the surrounding star shape. I had a hard time choosing, but in the end decided to focus on the Itsy Bitsy Spider block because I thought the surrounding prints made the star pattern stand out a little more than the others. I quilted double lines around the star, then echo-quilted single line a few inches apart in the rest of the space. It didn't really turn out as I had hoped, since the front is busy and the quilting kind of gets lost. 

Overall, I'm pleased with how the quilt turned out. This is my third one for the Imagine Circle and I am already plotting what to do for my fourth. If you have any spare time to join, I highly recommend putting your name on the list for do.Good Stitches. I'll be sending this one off to our charity, Threading Hope, which benefits underprivileged children and families around the world.