fussy cut sampler - chapter 11

this month i've been eyeball deep in writing summer camp curriculum, sewing aprons and being straight up exhausted.  clearly so much, that i didn't even post anything exciting on here about turning 30 at the start of it all.  oops.  then to top it off, the week that the huge fire in butte county hit also wiped out all my energy and i think i have just recently gotten my sewjo back... again.  thank goodness for things like my wednesday fussy cut class and my montly maker monday gathering to kick me back on track!  this chapter was a lot of fun it its own ways.  i'm not 100% sure i followed the correct "theme" guidelines for the blocks as the book details it out, but i know i made 4 blocks that i really really like.
i was apparently also feeling very gray & yellow with these sets.  i tried to add a punch of color in the 4th block (aka the "you in a block" block) but it just wasn't happening.  must have been some subliminal realization of just needing a few more lighter blocks to balance out the darker blue of months before.  also this month i was able to use some of my fabric i purchased that has just been waiting for it's time to shine.  time to stop delaying you from the fun... here are the blocks!
no need to rub your eyes... those are 100% ballerina dinosaurs in that last block.
a random search on etsy to see what specifically i could find and just happened to stumble across these fantastic fat quarters.  charlotte filshie is the amazing designer behind these dinosaurs (and super hero one) but i wasn't convinced right away because they were only in the UK.  i went back and forth for a few weeks, and the on a whim decided to buy them and not look back.  once i finally got to the "you in a block" block (#44) i knew i had to make them happen.  while i'm way more in to tap than ballet, they were just so silly and amusingly perfect.  plus, pairing them with tacos & a "cochella cat" as angelina calls them just rounded out the block.
i'm nervous for the next chapter with all the intense piecing plans, but sad to see it wrap up and come to an end.  i feel like i say that EVERY month, but overall, this project has been oh so worth it!

fussy cut sampler - chapter 10

october's blocks were a breeze compared to figuring out geometrics and all that nonsense.
also after last month's blocks, i decided to take a step back and put some green and lighter colors back in to my blocks.  the september blocks were filled with lots of navy and gray, which started pushing things back to the original chapters and needed some balance.  i successfully got green in 3 out of the 4 blocks in one way or another, and kept that 4th block lighter in color.  as usual, i still don't think i have a single block i hate... and have yet again... more new fabric that i fussy cut in to these blocks.  totally worth it!
i felt like my use of dinosaurs was also falling to the wayside, so it was fun to bring them back in the focal spots that they deserve.  i know that these next few months are going to zoom by, so before we all know it this might just be a finished quilt top.  gotta knock some other things off my list first, that's for sure!

100 days 100 blocks - 91-100

i can't believe i just made my last post yesterday and now my instagram must return to normal posting status... do i even remember how to do that?
i was planning on keeping these last blocks a bit more simple and less fussy cut... buuuuuuut the shapes were just so perfect for some (aka all) of these blocks. 
do i have a vision of how these blocks are all going to come together?  not a single bit.  but i do know that i have a few dates with a long arm rental in the next month and a half, and i 100% want to get this one done before christmas.  cross your fingers and toes while staying tuned for that post!
also, just 5 days until i find out if i'm one of the grand prize winners!

100 days 100 blocks - 81-90

holy cow, here we are inching closer to the finish line!
this set of blocks wraps up the square section, which was quite a bit of fun, and rolls right on in to the final "haiku" chapter.  i am really looking forward to being able to FINALLY lay all these blocks out and see how they look together.  with this project wrapping up, it also means that my sewing area will be a lot less brightly colored... but i feel like i might be finding scraps of this foundation fabric clear until thanksgiving. 
all the cuteness from these fussy cuts make it all worth it :)

slytherin hazel hedgehog pillow

i cannot believe we are officially in to october at this point!
it felt like it was taking for-ev-er for summer to end, and now here we are getting ready for halloween.  well... our apartment has had bits of halloween since stores started selling things in august.  no shame.  along with those fall/halloween vibes came this little guy!  we (the preschool staff) found out our awesome theater coordinator was leaving us for a new AMAZING job that she couldn't pass up at all.  ever since i made my civil war hazel hedgehog and she had commented on it, i knew someday i would make her a little something when one of us left the program for new adventures.  well... we found out on a wednesday and her last day was a friday.  oy!
two of her well known favorite things are harry potter and hedgehogs, so i couldn't help but combine them in the most perfect way.  i was at joann's anyways to buy a stamp pad and impulsively decided that this project NEEDED to be done.  she is all about those slytherins, so finding these two greens were PERFECT for his spikes with a subtle but coordinated harry potter themed background.  originally i got to the check out line with plans to make it a simple mini quilt that she could choose to hang on her wall, use as a mug rug, etc... but then i decided to transform this little guy in to a pillow!
i always forget how easy it is to transform things in to pillows.  my pillow form was a little big bigger than the "block" alteration in the pattern, so i added a few more inches prior to quilting and trimming.  cross hatch seems to be my jam right now - i did take a walking foot class and still have yet to bust out some new motifs on quilts... someday, right?
since i've also been in apron mode, i used my rolled hem foot to edge the two pieces for the back "envelope" portion of the pillow to give it a fancier edge.  i had originally purchased a different fabric for the back, but it clashed a bit too much color wise, so it found a new home.  i had the perfect amount to use this same fabric from the front on the back!
and here's that other fabric!
since she's a slytherin, i knew this fabric would be perfect.  sure, it is hidden inside, but should it ever need to get washed (she's also a cat owner) then she'll get a little peek at slytherin crest hiding inside.  the white with the tan just wasn't working for me.  i'm sure you'll all understand :)
now that i've made a hedgehog quilt and a hedgehog pillow, i feel very strong hedgehog making vibes.  i posted about wanting to make pillows to cover my apartment and everyone agreed there was no shame in that, including my roommate lorien.  my mom asked if i was going to make a hedgehog for each hogwarts house... and not gonna lie, that sounds like a lot of cuteness!  do i keep going with hedgehogs, or use a different elizabeth hartman animal for each house?  do i just elizabeth hartman our whole living room?
also, i appreciate our leaf covered patio REALLY amping up the fall vibes for these photos.
pattern: hazel hedgehog by elizabeth hartman

fussy cut sampler - chapter 9

the book calls this chapter "geometrics as a focal fabric"
i call it "my fabric with a hint of geometrics"
this collection of blocks also fell back to a very dark blue/gray/hint of yellow vibe, leaving little to no green left in the bunch.  BUT i did get some good use out of fabrics i haven't used yet as well as those cute moon cats.  can you believe we are officially 3/4 of the way done with the book?  this cat & dinosaur vibe is still going strong!  and apparently, much like in chapter 3, my "fussy cut-less" block was instantly drawn out to be yellow and gray.  at least i'm consistent!  will just need to ensure those blocks aren't near each other.  :)
after looking at all of these, i'm ready to brighten up the next batch!
i "accidentally" bought some new fabric this month, that may just have to make their ways in to the blocks.  and time to work in some more greens!  all the more reason for "accidental" fabric shopping with intention ;)

shabby strawberry delight baby quilt

this quilt was the first one my aunt asked me to do this summer, and it came out better than i could have even imagined!  this was quilt number 2 for her other niece, and the request was simply to see if i could find any strawberry fabric to make her a quilt out of to resemble the strawberry outfits purchased for her when she was little.  as i was looking for strawberry fabric, i stumbled across an ADORABLE pattern that made strawberry blocks.  and it was free!
i also found the PERFECT strawberry fabric that wasn't pink on pink on pink.  sure, there is some pink, but also yellow, red and blue.  the line is called shabby strawberry by emily hayes and as soon as i found a shop online that had all the colors i needed, i bought a LOT.  i managed to find everything in one place, with the exception of the green & background fabric.  those i shopped for locally, since i wanted to make sure the colors were correct, since a computer screen can only do so much for you.  besides, it is always important to shop local when possible! (i shopped at fabric garden locally this time, for those that are curious)
this one would have been a lot of fun to long arm, but due to time constraints i didn't have a chance to.  but i love how the grid effect has a sort of strawberry crate feel to it, like we have out here at the pop up strawberry stands this time of year.  i used a green thread, similar to the color of the leaves to stitch the grid pattern.  the back (shown briefly in the first photo) is the yellow colorway of the print used in the blue & red strawberry blocks.  it totally helps create the summery quilt without it having to be girly pink all over.
i got to work on a lot of this quilt at sew day we had in june, which made the tedious half square triangle sewing, cutting and ironing a little bit more enjoyable.  the entire time i was there i didn't get a single block done because of all the little piecing that happened first.  but at least it was done in good company!
because of these fabrics being one way prints, i had to buy a little bit more than the pattern called for, which means i have a good amount more of strawberry fabric still hanging around!  i have been toying with the idea to make a similar one as a donation quilt in the future, tweaking the design of the strawberry blocks in some way to make it look different.  all in all, this was such a cute, fun quilt to make that i would (clearly) make again if needed!
quilt pattern: strawberry delight by sweet bee designs
quilt count: 115