I will not buy, I will not buy, I will not buy......

I have to keep saying that to myself.

There is crazy temptation every day.  I was lucky to get a spot in....

Rainbow Swap

I'm going to send of two yards worth of green - 56 charms each of two colors.  And get back 112 in a rainbow selection.  We're all assigned a color, which is an awesome plan.  So that way the colors will be nice and balanced.

The trouble comes in watching the flickr group as more charms are added. 

I seriously need a yard of each of these!  It is very hard to keep from pushing little buttons each night.

So I'm thinking of either a Lynn-Bob-Square-Pants quilt like Kati's.  Or maybe a set of placemats like Lee's.  I love making bowtie blocks....and not so much HSTs.

Any Suggestions for a rainbow pile of 112 charms?

(I think I've posted every day this week....can you tell we're inside, hiding from the heat!)

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Bee Horror : part II

For this horror, you find yourself waving your hand in the air - me! me! I want to join - and then realize you have no idea how to do what you volunteered for.

I never made a block with a curved seam.  

But I LOVE to learn new stuff, and how hard could it be?!

 

I was given a block design.  I had to make the correctly sized pattern pieces.  This involved lots of sharp tools.  

I did not stab myself with the compass.  

I did nearly bleed on my block as I took a huge rotary slice into my thumb while cutting out all the pieces.  Good thing I have lots of butterfly bandages because there is NO TIME for an ER visit.

This story ends happily with a seam-matching, square, correctly sized block - on my first try!  It looks a tad rumply from pressing in some guides for pinning, but it's flat and pucker-free.  I made a second and it worked as well.

Huzzah!

I am beyond excited that I did it.  I took pictures as I went along and will share them one I get them cropped.   One more reason why bees and swaps are great.  They can really push you to expand your skills.

I've done some of this, too.   Finally, a happy swap block,  for the potholder pass swap. 

I really enjoy just cutting fabric up, then sewing it together as I go along.  No seam-matching, curved edge pressure here!

Swap Pincushion

 Another fun swap!  The Scrappy Pincushion Swap

 (and my white and blue pumpkins from TJs - I love them!)

Some bits of quartered Neptune charms were hexed, then I lined the underside with fusible fleece.   I stuffed it with a very fine grain lizard litter.  My favorite for the heft it gives to a pincushion.  

I'm hoping that fleece lining will make sure the grains don't sneak out of hexagon seams.

I kind of tufted it with a button on the top and bottom.  I think that keeps it in a nice, firm shape.  I like my pins to stay where they are stuck.  

Sending it off today.....I hope my partner enjoys it!