Hive 8 - October Block Tutorial

What is your name?

My name is Christina.  IG/Flickr: free2bquilting and my blog feelingsewblessed.blogspot.com, which has not been updated in many months.  EEK!!!  Guess when I receive your amazing blocks I'll have to blog about it.

Where do you live?

I live in Lawrenceville, New Jersey -- central jersey just south of Princeton.  I am an hour from Philadelphia, an hour from New York City and an hour from the Atlantic Ocean (YEAH!).

Tell us about your family (Spouse, kids, grandkids, pets, etc.)

My son, Andrew, is a college junior.  We currently do not have any pets, 

but he loves fishing at the jersey shore with his grandfather.

Tell us about how you got interested in quilting.

When I first started sewing quilts, the internet or access to it was not like it is today.  I started when my son was little because I wanted to make something special for his teachers.  I would come up with an idea and then spend countless hours, days, even months, figuring out how to do it.  Yes, I did things the hard way, but the end result was exactly as I'd hoped and sometimes better.  Here's one of my early quilts which is still hanging in the school. I traced the boys hands on fabric, and then they signed their names on their fabric hands.  It's a cherished memory!

I then decided I wanted to make something for myself and take classes.  I made this king size quilt from a wall hanging class. Haha!  Told ya I do things the hard way. ;) 

Although it doesn't have a modern flair in either fabric or design, I love the vivid colors and was/am pleasantly pleased with the final results. I also learned with this quilt that quilting by checkbook suits me best.  ;)

How do you organize your fabric stash?

I started by organizing my fabrics in clear bins by color.  I found though that I was constantly wasting time going through bins to get what I needed.

So then I got these bookshelves off our local freecycle.  Yes!  They were free!  YIPEE!!  Then I started putting colors in bins and wrapping larger yardage fabrics on comic book boards to display on the shelves.   With a few sets groups by projects.

This worked for awhile until my fabric addiction and my project wish list got out of control.  LOL!  I currently organize the bolus of my fabric by project or group by color; I have a lot of "future" projects!  This way of organizing my fabric has worked very well for me this year. 

Who is/are your favorite fabric designers?

I don't really have a favorite designer.  I purchase fabric that I like.  I have three groups in my stash right now that I cannot wait to work with --  Denyse Schmidt, Kate & Birdie Paper Company, Carolyn Friendlander.

What is one thing you have learned that you wish you knew when you first started quilting?

I wish I had learned how to use my sewing machine before I started sewing.  I am self taught.  When I first started, I didn't understand how to use stitch length and tension correctly.  How to correctly measure a 1/4" was probably the second thing.

What is your favorite sewing/quilting tool and why should we all go out and buy it?

I have to say my machine, my rotary cutter and of course, my trusty seam ripper are my tools of choice.

Who is your favorite fictional character and why? (Could be from a book, movie, TV show, etc.)

WOW!  This is a tough question.  I have read a lot of books and seen a many movies over the years, but it's hard to pinpoint one character.  I guess I'd have to say Mary Poppins.  She is creative and loving to the children in her care, while having friends in the community across various walks of life.  Kind of emulates my life a bit.

October's Tutorial

WOW!  This was really hard to select one block pattern.  I started off the year thinking I would do one pattern, but completely changed my mind as the end of year approaches.  I have totally LOVED scrappy quilts of late, and have been enjoying using my scraps to make various gifts and bee blocks.

I am choosing Elizabeth Hartman's Knee Socks Quilt Block, the scrappy version.  The tutorial is here and here.

Photo from Elizabeth Hartman's tutorial

Here's my block.

I am asking that the background fabric be white, and that for the scrappy pieces there be no pink, no purple, and no brown, please.  Bright, modern fabrics, with minimal flowers would be great.  Because this block is 24.5 x 24.5 unfinished, kind of like two 12.5 inch squares, only one is needed.  I know this is a large block, but it really doesn't take a ton of fabric, and I am hoping you can use up your scraps.  If you'd like to provide sections, that's fine too.  All is appreciated!

This quilt will be for ME!  Yeah!  I won't be putting it all together until January, so please forward your block when you can.  i will be sure to post once it's done.

Hugs and thanks Ladies!!!!!

Christina