Christmas Quilt 2012: Block 16

This little block deserves a post on its own. Here is the tutorial. Just for perspective, the block is 6.5 x 6.5 unfinished, and the little itty bitty christmas tree trunks are 0.25 x 0.33 or so... And the little tries are paper-pieced, and I did about every other seam incorrectly. So to say that this block caused me a lot of frustration is a huge understatement! But it is finally done, and trimmed.

One more block left! And on that note I am going to go take a break from sewing to ring in the New Year with my husband.

Happy New Year, everybody!

Christmas Quilt 2012: Blocks 14 & 18

Blocks 14 and 18 are now done! Only 2 more blocks are left, which is very exciting! Block 14 is very similar to another equilateral triangle block I made for the Summer Sampler, but the technique used was different. I think this way may be a bit easier. The unfinished size is 8.5 x 8.5. Here is a link to the tutorial. I used all prints instead of solids, and I am quite happy with the result.

Block 18 was quick, and very easy. It took me only about 20 minutes (which is how long it took my husband to tell me a story and set up a TV show on the computer for us to watch). I incorporated some blue into it, because I think there is currently not enough blue. The unfinished size is 6.5 x 6.5. Here is a link to the tutorial.

Christmas Quilt 2012: Blocks 12, 13 & 15

Here is a new batch of blocks. I think most of the ones I have left are smaller. Block 12 was nice quick and easy. It is 6.5 x 6.5 unfinished. here is the link to the tutorial.

Block 13 was interesting to make. It felt more like 3 little blocks put together. It is 5.5 x 18.5 unfinished. Here is the link to the tutorial.

I decided to do Block 15 one day when I was really tired after work. It was another very quick to make block. It is 6.5 x 6.5 unfinished. Here is a link to the tutorial.

After these blocks, I have 15 out of 19 done. I have yet to make 14, 16, 17, and 18! So very close!

Christmas Quilt 2012: Blocks 10 & 11

These two blocks were quite fun to make, both very quick to put together. Here is the tutorial to both. Block 11 was nice and large. I didn't make it quite how the instructions dictated. I cut out a large rectangle 12.5 x 3.5 and 2 white squares 3.5 x 3.5, and attached the white squares using the flying geese method. I like how mine turned out, since it has fewer seams. The unfinished size is 12.5 x 18.5.

Block 10 was another tiny 6.5 x 6.5 block. It was very easy to put together. I chose to use a white print instead of solid white, and I quite like the result.

And here is a picture of all the blocks before 10 and 11. Most of the bigger blocks are done so it is nice to see how they would all look next to each other!

Sadly though I don't think I will be done in time for Christmas, seeing how tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and I am still in the thick of making the blocks. I hope to finish it by the Russian Orthodox Christmas now, provided I can decide how to quilt it. I have 12 out of 19 blocks made, 7 more to go.

Christmas Quilt 2012: Blocks 6 & 19

I made blocks 6 and 19! I made 6, because I had a gaping hole in my list of blocks yet to make, so I made block 6. It was a cute little block. It uses foundation piecing, which was my first time doing strip piecing with that method. It was challenging for me, in particular because I could not press my seams open. The resulting block turned out quite cite. The unfinished size was 6 x 6, which is a strange size... We will see how it turns out. Here is the link to the tutorial.

I chose to make block 19, because I wanted to make the last huge block. The finished size is 14.5 x 18.5. Here is a link to the tutorial.

I need to get a picture of all the blocks together. I really like how they are turning out! I am done with 10/19. So probably no way I can finish by Christmas, but maybe for Russian Orthodox christmas?

Christmas Quilt 2012: Block 8

I made block 8 yesterday! The tutorial can be found here. Although, just a word of warning, the tutorial is not complete. I was extremely confused for a while. Essentially the tutorial skips the last few steps, where you add on the red part to the two halves to get a symmetrical square block. The unfinished size is supposed to be 11.5 x 11.5.

My colors are a bit different from the original as you can see. The reason being is I didn't want my background color to be off-white, so I picked a light green. I think it goes with the other 2 quite nicely. I also like my fussy cut birds if I may say so myself.

Christmas Quilt 2012; Block 9

I decided to take a plunge and make the remaining big block. I decided that once the big blocks are out of the way, I will have a better idea of what fabrics I need to have left over for the remainder of the blocks. Here is the tutorial. The unfinished size of this block is 18.5 x 18.5. originally I wanted to put light blue in there instead of light blue, but when I started putting it together, it just didn't work! So I remade a quarter of "kite" blocks (which is no small feat), but I will say that I am very glad I did. I am quite happy with the result.

So I am done with 7 out of 18 blocks. 11 more to go, but the rest are smaller.

Christmas Quilt 2012: Blocks 5 & 7

Here are my next couple of blocks. I am skipping block 6 for now, because I want to use some scraps, so my plan is to make more blocks, then go back to 6. Block 5 was 14.5 x 8.5. It love how it really looks like 2 Christmas trees! Here is the link to the tutorial.

Block 7 was also really fun to make. It is very simple and turned out pretty fun. The tutorial is here. The unfinished size is 7.5 x 14.5.

I am working on another big block now, and I still have some finished projects to show you coming up!

Christmas Quilt 2012: Blocks 3 & 4

Blocks 3 & 4 both featured presents! I love presents, so these were fun to make. Block 3's tutorial can be found here. Mine looks quite different, because I was nervous I would not have enough fabric cut, so I didn't make the angles as dramatic. I ended up cutting off one whole color off of the edge... Oops! But I qiote like how it turned out! The unfinished size is 7.5 x 14.5.

Block 4 was also presents. The tutorial can be found here. The unfinished size is 6.5 x 6.5. I made mine differently than the tutorial. I used one whole piece of white for the background of each column, and then used the method for making geese units from block 5. I lie having fewer seams in the background fabric.

Stay tuned for blocks 5 & 7!

Christmas Quilt 2012: Blocks 1 & 2

With just a month left before Christmas, I decided that I need to make us a new Christmas quilt. There was a quilt-along that I have really wanted to do in July, but the fabric I wanted to use wasn't out until sometime in August, so lo and behold I missed the quilt-along. But now all the blocks have been posed and I can just make all of them at my own pace. Here is a link to the block-thon. All the block tutorials can be found on the Free Spirit Fabrics blog.

The fabric I am using is Deb Strain's Share the Joy Chrismas line.

I like that fabric line, because there are a lot of smaller prints. I prefer that for the smaller blocks. Some blocks in this block-thon are only 6x6 finished!

So without further ado I present to you blocks 1 & 2: Block 1's tutorial can be found here. The unfinished size is 18.5 x 10.5:

The second block's tutorial can be found here. This one was quite big, unfinished size being 18.5 x 18.5. I used up the panel on this block. I love how it turned out!

I am quite enjoying this quilt-along! So far all of them have been pretty easy. I also love how they are all different sizes! Thy are also all very Christmas-y, either presents, or tinsel, or Christmas trees! I will be posting more blocks tomorrow.

Also be on the lookout for a bunch of my finished quilts! I finished them a while ago, I just need to take pictures. It is quite hard to take pictures of quilts inside an apartment, because the lighting is never quite right and there isn't enough space!