fussy cut sampler - chapter 12

so december has clearly come and gone...
and between typical december activities plus disneyland at the end of the month followed shortly by a trip to universal studios with friends in january, chapter 12 didn't actually get finished until the end of january.  but don't worry, this post catches you up to where the project is accurately sitting at.  still in block form, though actually placed in rows now versus being separated out by chapter completion.
this set of blocks basically took the skills we learned in all the other chapters, and then amped them up a whole lot too.  things like freezer paper, pattern matching and even creating a little ransom note signature block.  it was hard work, but oh so worth it!
now that all the blocks are done, i guess i should start thinking more about the sashing.  with a few other projects now complete, i can really start to buckle down and get this one complete.
here's to hoping it is complete before the end of 2019!

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!

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 ;)

fussy cut sampler - chapter 8

in contrast to last month's blocks being done moments before the month ended, these ones were finished just days in to the month!  our fussy cut class was actually on the first of the month, which also made this a 5 wednesday month.  it feels like it has been forever since i finished these guys, but looking at the photos of them again makes me so happy.  something about the fabrics and the blocks just clicked, and once i knew what ideas i had in place, i didn't second guess a single thing.
i used this chapter's blocks to also bring a bit more gray back in to the quilt.  i think for awhile it went to a bold color filled way that while i love those blocks, it needed more of a middle ground between some of my much lighter blocks.  block 4 in this set even features a very velcro (one of our own real life kitty boys, not the sewing notion) looking kitty as well as a little elroy looking cat in the center.  just needs a little pink nose on him!
this chapter also makes me want to have a quilt entirely of the first block you're about to see.  it is such a cute little block!
this all means we are at 3/4 of the way done... INSANE!
our monthly class has dwindled a bit in those attending, last few months there were just the bare minimum of us.  i so hope that everyone finishes it up, because so many people had cool project ideas... and cat fabric themes!
i still feel like i have so much to learn in the realm of fussy cutting, but it also seems i may have sparked the interest of my mom with this project.  perhaps i'll have to loan her my book when this is all over so she can make a cat filled fussy cut quilt herself... if you saw her cat fabric collection, you'd instantly know where i get it from!

fussy cut sampler - chapter 7

so lets take some time to get real.
these blocks were so close to not being done within the month, it isn't even funny.
i got in the zone with working on my 100 day 100 blocks, and my brain kept telling me to work on my fussy cut sampler.  that, plus my work schedule made it so i wasn't able to attend the scheduled class AND maker monday in july, which have been where i planned the blocks as well as sewed them.  PLUS, these blocks were a little trickier than before, involving things like cutting in to a tossed print and creating a focal point out of them as well as using a solid fabric to eliminate all surroundings to isolate the image.  well... i went through like a bajillion ideas before i hit these finalized blocks that i am now thrilled with.
so yeah... i started pulling the fabric on the 22nd and cutting on the 28th.
when did i finish sewing?  last night, and then i photographed these 10 minutes before i ran out of daylight.  crunch time, y'all.  but boy does it feel good to have these done in time for class TODAY to get ready for the next batch of blocks.  well, without further adieu, here's july's blocks!
i'm still trying to wrap my brain around having 7 chapters worth of blocks done now.
i'm also trying to stop myself from buying more fabric and involve some of these in to blocks again... even though i JUST bought more fabric yesterday... oops!
but at the same time... sorry, not sorry.
i easily have enough cat & dinosaur fabric to make a few different renditions of this quilt.  which is pretty exciting to say the least.  how many dinosaur, cat & cat/dinosaur quilts will there be in my life?  we'll have to wait and see!

fussy cut sampler - chapter 4

in the midst of all that went on this month, i still managed to get all of my chapter work done this month!  i bought more fabric, even though i said i wouldn't, but at least i already put it to good use!  it was this month that i realized i had a lot of BOLD blocks, and thought i would try toning some of my upcoming colors down a bit.  my struggle currently resides in the fact i bought so much navy that i really don't have any middle blues to bridge the gap at the moment... and i'm REALLY trying to not buy anything more... but i already did that last week when i found myself at thistle dew in fair oaks.  again, sorry not sorry... more about that shopping trip later.
i've come to find, and i think my fellow fussy cats have as well, that the class time together is best spent planning and cutting, then sewing them together at a later date - in my case, i've used maker monday evenings to do them which really seems to work great since they are more portable than some of my full quilt top projects.  and yes, i'm still working to keep that equal balance of cats, dinosaurs & cats/dinosaurs!  it is harder than i thought it would be!  that might also be why i keep buying fabric...
and just like that, chapter 4 is done.
hard to believe that in just 2 days, chapter 5 will be beginning!
as the school year comes to an end and the summer camp days inch closer, i REALLY hope my work schedule doesn't mess with my fussy cut class attendance!  i need those social sewing days, that's for sure.  i'm looking forward to finding out what my next batch is going to look like, so stay tuned!

fussy cut sampler - chapter 3

march came, and march went... just like that!
this month, i did the process of making my blocks a little differently.
at the monthly class, i simply cut and planned.  mostly because this whole "transparency" concept was making my brain hurt.  i picked out a few more yellows to intertwine, since i didn't have anything to represent a lighter shade.  i also threw in some lighter blues, in hopes to balance out that color since all i had so far was navy, navy and more navy.  no shame in that, but was trying to figure out how to bridge the gap between the dark and light.  this chapter sure helped that!  i also finally got to use some of my new cat fabric that i've been dying to use - you'll see it on block 4, which i've been planning out in my brain since i knew what it consisted of (scale).
so here are my blocks, 2 of which i love, 1 of which i tolerate (it is the only block in the book that doesn't really fit any fussy cuts.  don't get me wrong, i like it, it is just missing a cat or a dinosaur!) and 1 block that i'm still debating if i tolerate it or if i will re do it to add said missing cat or dinosaur.
and there is month three!
i still need to look in to more dinosaur prints, as to add some variety in to the next blocks.
believe me, i have my etsy cart filled with a few ready to go, just waiting for that paycheck to hit!
i actually sewed all four of my blocks together at maker monday, which might be my new strategy to get these done each month.  if i use the time on the first class of the month to plan and cut, then i can just sew the other times... AND i will only have to haul my machine once.  that might be the stronger selling point.  especially if i plan to have my machine serviced at some point.  anywho...
here's the month's blocks hanging out together! as you can see, i'm trying to step back on my yellow and bring some green back in again.

fussy cut sampler - chapter 2

i feel like i've blinked, and now february is over!
totally failed at a mid-month check in, but at least now i'm here with the update for my fussy cut sampler quilt.  this month was all about striped fabric and incorporating it in to the blocks as well.  luckily, stripes also mean fabric that has a design organized in rows which allowed some of my themed prints to fit in quite nicely.  am i guilty of purchasing more fabric than technically needed?  absolutely.  but i'm finding that i have the prints for the fussy cut, but not so much the solid/blender parts.  when i first made the first block (the pluses) i had a totally different fabric in the bottom corner.  it said stripes, so i went with the one striped fabric i had.  i had a huge mental debate in my head, and ignored my gut feeling of the dinosaurs and went with the stripes...
i.  hated.  it.
that same week, while planning to prep the fabric for the rest of my blocks, i ripped it apart and resewed it to what it is now.  lesson learned for the month:  trust your gut instinct.   here's the whole collection for chapter 2 (technically blocks 5-8, but i keep writing them as 2.1-2.4)
i think blocks 2 & 3 for this month are my favorites.  that big cat ball fabric is a new one i purchased while on a mini field trip and has cat balls of all sizes.  they just crack me up!  probably because they look like mushu... one fat cat ball.
i also took a conscious effort to look in to getting some more yellow fabrics to blend in with that cray bold block from chapter one, and i'm really liking the balance between the blue, green & yellow with the grays and whites.  i have some pink fabric i'm a little afraid to use, since i don't know if it will totally overthrow the color scheme or just add a little punch in here and there.  if i use it (it's the same cat pink dots as the blue on block 4) i know there is some pink dinosaur fabric designed by dear stella that would fall in as well.  do i want to add pink?  even just a little pop here and there?  let me know what you think!
and since i didn't think to to do this last month,  here's chapter one's blocks all together, followed by chapter 2.
chapter 1
chapter 2
spoiler alert: i've got some new cat fabric i can't wait to use in chapter 3!