Quilt U Be Mine reveal

Happy Valentine's Day!
It's time to reveal our Quilt U Be Mine Round Robin quilts!
http://quiltsfrommycrayonbox.blogspot.com/2013/02/quilt-u-be-mine-mini-mystery-round.html?m=1
Ok, so I'm nowhere near being done, but the deadline for the reveal post is past, and I'm so stinking tired and disappointed in myself that I'm about to cry.

Anyway, here are the blocks laid out with the quilt, and another with the paper pattern for the knot border on one side, so you can get an idea of what I'm planning on doing. That Celtic knot border will go all the way around the quilt.

Thank goodness for editing posts. Goodnight, or good morning. 01:00 am.

*Update*
So I'm awake but have a migraine, but I'm in a more calm state of mind. Just disappointed that I didn't finish my quilt top by the deadline. I guess things just always take longer than I think they will.
The Celtic appliqué is not that hard, but there's tons of steps involved, and it's just time-consuming.
But I adore the look, so I'm glad I challenged myself to learn something new! Very worth it.

I started with four little appliqués hearts for my center block. Then I sent it off to Ann in Pennsylvania!

Ann added the beautiful appliqués tulips and fun asymmetrical squares. Then she sent it to our lovely hostess Michele.

Michelle added some more little borders of checkers. Then sent it on to Rachel K is California!

Rachel added the sweet HST in a pretty burgundy and pink with a burgundy gilt-etched florals!

I was so excited to open my package that I opened it with my hubby, and was so surprised and thrilled with everyone's additions. It is a very sweet quilt.

I really enjoyed participating in my very first Round Robin. It's unexpected and very fun, and everyone is so creative! It was fun challenging myself to do new things and try new techniques. I auditioned so many blocks, and got some things ready to make, and searched books and computer programs, and some I didn't get to use. Maybe next time.

And I'm going to keep working on that Celtic knot border.

Here are some pics of what I added to the rest of my group's quilts. Be sure to stop by their blogs to see the finished quilts!

Hugs n Kisses to all my new friends on Valentine's Day, and thanks for stopping by!

Hearts Around

I found this cute heart block in my Quilt-Pro block library, while searching for any blocks that are heart and love related. I'm not sure what it's named, so I'll just name it Cornered Hearts.

The hardest part was that it's a five-patch, and the measurements didn't seem to work out that well for an 8" block. It seemed I had to do tiny bits of trimming on every piece.

Overall, I think it's adorable, don't you?

Hearts and more hearts

I've been paper-piecing these little hearts this week.
The little straight ones are possibly the simplest and most fun little paper-pieced hearts! And I really like how the heart-in-a-heart turned out, too. It almost looks like a heart-shaped gem in a heart-shaped ring, doesn't it?

Just a few notes about removing the paper foundations: every quilter has his/her own preference. For me, when joining sections together, I like to remove the paper in the outside seam allowances, anywhere I'll be joining edges. Then I leave the rest of the paper there, until I'm ready to join the blocks together into the quilt. I just feel it stabilizes the block better until joining in the quilt.

When paper-piecing, it is helpful to use a larger needle, such as a 90/14, which can help penetrate the layers and paper. Then set your machine to a slightly shorter stitch length than the preset. The larger needle holes and smaller stitches work together to help make the paper easier to remove afterwards.

Whenever you decide to remove the paper, work in reverse order of sewing, if you can. That's usually from the outside in. Use a pair of tweezers or the tip of small scissors to pry up the corner of a piece of paper in a patch, press onto the seamline with another finger, which stabilizes the seams and helps prevent stitches from pulling out with the paper. --it helps to do this on a flat, hard surface--
Then slowly pull the paper off along the seamlines.

And I just got my borders done and all attached, on the first round of Quilt U Be Mine! Whew!

Teeny tiny

This week I figured that I needed to buckle down and decide what I was going to do for the Quilt U Be Mine first round....and then tackle it.

I've spent a lot of time in QuiltPro trying to get inspiration and organize what I'm going to do, and also on the web. Funny how lots of ideas come to you when you least expect it, and sometimes not so much when you're searching!

I stumbled upon Bee in My Bonnet, (www.beeinmybonnetco.blogspot.com) and she's hosting a Row Along! Seems super-simple and she's great at tutorials. And inspiration struck me! I saw her Row 3, the Chubby Chevrons or Lozenges, and I figured out I could join a bunch and arrange the directions of the chevrons, and have a Valentine's Day theme. And at the perfect size for the required border widths of the Quilt U Be Mine!

I spent yesterday and today afternoon cutting squares.
I am surprised again, just how small 4" finished borders can be!

So here are my stacks of lozenges, ready to arrange and sew together. That's it for tonight; I'm turning in!

BTW, now that I'm looking at them, I don't think that the pink with green egg shapes print really goes with the rest. What do you think?