Friday, May 31, 2013

Hive 1--June Intro & Mini-Tutorial

Hello ladies ...  I'm so excited for this month!  I've loved making blocks for everyone else and am stoked that its my turn.

1.    Name?    Heather

2.    Where do you live?    Springfield, Oregon

3.      Family status (married, single, kids, grand kids)?    Married for 21 years ... 3 kids

4.     Hardest quilt thing you have ever made?    Would you make it again?  I'm new to quilting, so everything seems hard until I actually try it.  FMQ is a challenge--I really want to get comfortable with small designs on my home machine.  I'm working on it, but very slowly.

 
5.  Favorite dessert food?    The Next Best Thing to Robert Redford--a family recipe for one of those layered desserts (crust, cream cheese, chocolate pudding, whipped cream).  I've heard it called other things and seen many variations (peanut, lemon ...)--most of which I like, too.

6.   Last time you laughed REALLY hard (and what was so funny)? I laugh with my oldest daughter often over her misspoken words and phrases, but that's not what came immediately to mind.  Several months ago, my son invited a friend over after school and he ended up staying for dinner.  Not an uncommon occurrence in our home ... we were having homemade pizza and salad.  My oldest was having trouble getting the salad dressing open ... imagine a little teasing and ribbing ... when all of the sudden there is a very loud POP--it blew up everywhere; I'm talking ceiling  walls, people, everywhere.  The look on the friend's face was priceless, and we were all totally cracking up.  He must not have been too scarred--he's come back several times since :)

7.  What is your day job? Right now I work weekend swing shift as a front desk clerk at a local hotel.  However, I'm taking tests and collecting paperwork to renew my teaching licence so I can begin substitute teaching again in the fall. (I let it lapse after I had baby #2 13 years ago.)  I'm really excited!

8.   When did you learn to sew? Who taught you?  I think my mom taught me to sew, but my earliest memory of sewing was a state-sponsored after-school class in 3rd or 4th grade.  They used old-fashioned singers that I'd give my left arm to own now :)    As I got older, I sewed clothing with my mom.

9.   Do you remember the first thing you ever sewed?    I still have an angel Christmas tree ornament that I made from that class.  Don't know if that was the first, but it was close.

10.    Life philosophy?    I believe life is all about choices, so I try to make good ones :)

June block for Hive 1 Block is the Granny Block.  (I must be on the same wavelength as Sandra over in Hive 4).  I perused the same tutorials as she did, but I followed the one from Blue Elephant Stitches with a couple of adjustments.  I'd like you to choose all one color for the center of the block.  I don't care what color, but I'd like it to go from light in the center, then medium, then dark, the outside blocks are Kona black.  I chose to go all scrappy for this one, but you could do the medium and dark ones all the same if you wanted, too.

Cut (25) 2-1/2-inch squares as follows:
1 light square
4 medium squares
8 dark squares
12 Kona black squares

Lay out the squares in the order that they'll go together.  This helped me to keep things straight.

I found that working from the center-out was the easiest for me.  Join the blocks together in rows, note that two of the black ones will not be joined at this point.
Press the seams open on the rows.

Working from the center row outward, join rows, ending with the single black squares on the outside.
Press all seams away from the center row as you go.

You're done.  I'll do the trimming at my end.  Thanks!!  I'm only asking for one, but if you feel the urge, I'd love more.  It comes together quickly once I actually got going on it.  Can't wait to see what you all come up with :)  THANKS!

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Hive #2 June Block

My name is Nataki Komunyaka Roberts and I currently live in Baltimore County Maryland by way of New York and Alabama! I am married to a wonderful husband Vic who support all my crafts, quilting, sewing, photography, painting, graphic arts, silk screening, crocheting  you name it, I tried it somewhere at one point in my life… My sister who is an artist herself has loving label me as the Craft Queen…. I now have a facebook group call CraftQueen… where we speak on all things Crafts.... I also blog about all my crafts here at www.komunyaka.com.


Anyway my hubby and I have two little boys, Victor III and William 6 &3 respectively.  The hardest quilt I started about 8 years ago call the double wedding ring and I am still working on it, once finish I don’t think I will ever do that again.  My favorite dessert is anything with cake and strawberries… What I found funny are my boys… my boys crack me up all the time… One time my little guy came to me and ask when we going to have a baby sister… I still have not gotten any sleep since I had my youngest… that was 3 years ago.  HA HA HA…. No more kiddio for us…well not right now anyway…

 My day job… Well I had two, I am an engineering professor at a local university and also work full time as an engineer.  At night I am also a student, soon to be finish.. I hope… I learn to sew from my mom when I was a little girl but I did more crocheting than sewing then.  About 10 years ago I moved to Maryland to go to grad school and pick up sewing at Joann’s fabric and met some lifelong friends who taught me everything I know… I ended up making my wedding gown… All thanks to them…  Now the first thing I ever sewed was a suit for my mom that she wore and it fell off of her by the end of the day. 

My life philosophy? Life is short, and it's up to you to make it sweet” A quote from Sarah Louise "Sadie" Delany African American Author.  I saw so much bitterness from family who hated the path they chosen in life…I did not want to live like that.. So If I don’t like something about me I go change it… I don’t sit there and grumble about it…So I put on my biggest smile I can muster so I can brighten everyone day... 

So this month project… I am so excited about this one because I looked and looked to find a different type of quilt block… I wanted to do something Hawaiian since we got married in Hawaii, but in my search for an easy pineapple quilt, I could found something better.  

It is called Octagonal Orb Quilt Block. It is a lot of fun to make… I made 3 so far. Please only make one they end up being about 17 inches each, if you like to make more it is up to you… but since it is so large and so many pieces one is great.  Once done please don’t cut I will cut as needed to my finish size. Below is the link to the Tutorial, it calls for a template to cut the Triangle after piecing it together, it was easier to use wax paper as a template, it is translucent enough  to see thought it and flexible enough to cut like a paper pattern. 


I would like the blocks to have some color theme to it.  I love bright bold colors and with my background in image processing … I love working with the color spectrum.  Making the color light to dark dark on the outside!

RED ORANGE YELLOW
YELLOW GREEN BLUE
BLUE PURPLE INDIGO 
RED PURPLE BLUE
Or Shades of one single color... you chose... 

 If they are not next to each other please don’t mix them.  Please use the colors in the same color family like the blocks I show and  please pull from your stash… if you have a lot of red colors use shades of red orange and yellow, or red purple and blue.  If you have a lot of blue and green try blue green and yellow.  They can even be a variation of one color shade like the purple orb block I created, shown below. I use a 5 inch charm pack to create that one. Please use Kona Black for the solid part as demonstrated in my quilt blocks and in the tutorial.  The actual page was removed but the pdf is still there at the Modern guild website. I hope you enjoy making it as much as I did. The below blocks are without the end triangles, please add them like the finish block above. 



Hive 4 blocks

Here are the blocks for me Amber.

Hive 1, May Crosses

I really feel like a schmuck.  I finished these the first week of the month, and there they sat.  I do like them, but they should've been sent out ages ago ...

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

HIVE 4 JUNE BLOCK

June block for Hive 4 Block is the Great Granny Block, from the wonderful Lori Holt over at the Bee in My Bonnet blog!
It is a larger version of the granny block from Jolene at Blue Elephant Stitches.



It is an easy block to put together. 

 It is a 12.5 inch block and I would love to have TWO from each of you if possible! It is a perfect block to use up jellyrolls and other precuts, as the squares are all 2.5 inches!  (all except the background rectangles of Kona Butter)

There is a wonderful tutorial for it at Lori Holt’s blog-Bee in My Bonnet.

 I would like the background to be Kona Butter, as previously mentioned. For the palette, I have chosen a picture below for you to pick your fabric from.  I love these colors, especially the oranges and corals.  If you choose to use the warm plum please use it sparingly as I would like it to be an accent rather than a focal color!
 Also ignore the light-lights in the the palette-those will be the Kona Butter!
I love bright colors and rich, saturated colors, tone on tones, polka dots florals, plaids, text fabrics, checks, stripes, mottled fabrics, a few solids mixed in-they are all good!  I do not really like Civil War or 30’s fabrics.  Otherwise anything goes!
 
 





 
This is the palette  that I would  like you to use.  

I have also picked some fabrics from my stash that I will use to make more blocks.








For one 12.5 inch block you will need:
 
From  KONA BUTTER  

Cut twelve - 2 ½  x 3 ½ ‘’  rectangles for row ends
 AND  
 four - 2 ½  x 5 “rectangles for the corners   


 for the subsequent rounds:


BABY-Center square cut one -2 ½ “square



MAMA-first round cut four -2 ½ “squares of a 2nd color



GRANNY -second round   cut eight - 2 ½ “squares of a 3rd color 



GREAT GRANNY -third round cut twelve - 2 ½ “squares of a 4rth color      



Assemble the block as directed and add the Kona Butter rectangles as directed in the tutorial but DO NOT TRIM!!!     I will do this when I have them all.

I have not yet made this version but have made many of the 9 inch version.
  I promise I  will post my sample blocks on the weekend as I am just bombarded with issues at home and  work at this moment! :{