Monday, September 1, 2014

Hive 7 - September Block Tutorial

What is your name?
My name is Amanda Hickey I have a lot of nicknames but just don't call me Mandy. I work for a large regional bank in the fraud department. Apparently, I don't take pictures with just myself in them anymore.

Where do you live?
I live in Acworth, Georgia (just outside of Atlanta). I have lived here for 12 years but I have been in Georgia for 25 years. I was born in Kansas but have lived very little of my life there. Most of my extended family is still there.

Tell us about your family.
I have been married to my husband Neill for 6 years but together for much longer.


We have a 2 1/2 year old girl named Maddie Jo. She is all kinds of toddler fun. She loves all things Disney but right now she is crazy about Tony (Iron Man). She is also a girly girl who loves her jewelry and shoes. Everywhere she goes she has her stuffed Minnie and it has been like that since she was 9 months old. This kid is seriously crazy about her Minnie.

We also have one ridiculous  shar pei/pit bull mix name Jake. He is the old man of the house and has been that way since he was a puppy but we love him anyways.

Tell us about how you got interested in quilting.
My grandmother and aunt have quilted for as long as I can remember. As a child when I would stay at my grandma's house I use to sleep in the stash/spare bedroom. One of our favorite games to play at her house was fabric store.

How do you organize your fabric stash?
I have mine organized by planned projects and then the stash on bookcases from ikea.

Who is/are your favorite fabric designers?
Tula Pink has always been a favorite and I am proud to say I have a piece of fabric from everyone of her collections. I also love Bonnie and Camille which I also have a size able stash. I love Lizzy House too, almost all of blocks I have sent out for this bee have some of her fabric in them. This picture is only part of what I have. Keep in mind I am a third generation stasher.



What is one thing you have learned that you wish you knew when you first started quilting?
1/4 seams are not a suggestion but a must!

What is your favorite sewing/quilting tool and why should we all go out and buy it?
A decent sewing machine. First couple years I sewed on a cheap $20 machine we got at an estate sale and I thought that it was great. 2 years ago at my hubby's suggestion I get a new machine as a early Christmas gift. I can't believe what a difference having a good sewing machine made.

Who is your favorite fictional character and why? (Could be from a book, movie, TV show, etc.)
I can't even begin to list all of my favorite character before having a child I would read all the time. Right now I am loving Doctor Who with the new season/Doctor on.

Here are a couple quilts that I have made. I am at that age where it feels like I spend all of what little sewing time I have making baby quilts.


I love these whales!


One of my favorite baby quilts that I have made I used scraps from my daughters quilt to make this one.


One of my favorite quilts I have ever made. It is made with Kona crush (which I am so sad they stopped making) and a bundle of Neptune. The patter is on a whim by Camille Roskelley I have made three quilts from it and I am sure I will get around to making a fourth.


My Tutorial:
I have been wanting to make a rainbow quilt for sometime now and I think this is the perfect opportunity. Like most quilters I have a crazy amount of scraps and I want to finally put them to good use. So for my block  I would like everyone to make an improv block in a single color.


I know that Carly posted a tutorial for June on how to make a improv block but here is a link to a tutorial http://myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.com.

Guidelines for my block:

  • I would like the block to be no bigger than 12.5 wide but the length does not matter.
  • Please stick to all one color for each block, the prints do not have to be all tonal but the majority of the fabric should be of that color.
  • The blocks can be red, orange, yellow, green, indigo, blue, violet, or pink pick whatever you have the most scraps of. I am lacking in orange, yellow, and pink scraps so blocks in those colors would greatly be appreciated. 
  • The funkier the better!

Now the fun begins! My block finished at 12.5 x 26 I started sewing my scraps together and just kept going. As you can see I have a healthy pile of green scraps. In this block I managed to get some of my favorite prints in it 2 from Neptune, a couple B&C, and a Lizzy House. Dig into your pile of scraps and sew until your heart is content :)


 

If anyone has any questions let me know. I can't wait to see what everyone puts together!

1 comment:

joworimakes said...

is the "my quilt infatuation" quilt your inspiration? so stick to strings and rectangles and squares? or is there room for other things like scrappy flying geese in a block?