Blocks I Tested for Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Volume 4

Here are the blocks that I tested for Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Volume 4.  Enjoy!

Olde St. Nick

Block #313, by Susan Marth, Suzn Quilts  This block is so perfect to begin the holiday season with.  I loved the black outlines Susan used for this fusible applique Santa block.  I used a tiny zig-zag stitch on my block and also machine satin stitched the eyes.

Winter Blooms

Block #309, Cheryl Haynes, Prarie Grove Peddler  I did this block in similar colors to Cheryl's original.  I love the dark background.  It really makes the white flowers pop out.  It was fun to place the petals just to to for the flower centers, which look like small stars.  I also enjoyed making the chain stitched stems.

Sunday Rose

Block #325, by Chris Hoover, Whirligig Designs  This block is paper pieced.  The shapes were unusual and it was interesting to watch this block take shape.  

The Balancing Act

Block #316, by Denise Russart, justquiltin.wordpress.com  This block is so cute!  Denise does a lot of these doggie designs.  The directions are for needle turn applique, but I did mine as a fusible applique.  I forgot to reverse the pieces, so my puppy is facing the opposite way!

Posie Pathway

Block #317, by Erin Russek, One Piece at a Time Quilts  Another really pretty floral applique block!  I just love doing these.  The pairs of leaves were just darling.  

Linked

Block #348, by Moira McSpadden, The Quilted Snail  I had a hard time getting the pieces of this block to fit together properly, but it was worth it in the end.  I used quite a different color scheme.  It was fun to put the chicken fabric as a background for this block.

Sephora

Block #345, by Becca LoGuidice, Willow Hill Quilts  Becca's block is much more elegant than mine, but I tried to stay in my color/fabric scheme and made this fun block with the farm animals looking on in the background, and using the chicken fabric again on the vase.  Cute?

Patchwork Bouquet

Block #349, by Amanda Murphy, Amanda Murphy Design  Here's yet another great floral applique block.  I tested this one when I had a bad cold, so I was really unsure of my color selections until I finished the block.  I guess they look okay together.  I really like the red stripe fabric and used it in quite a few of my tester blocks.

Brer Bunny

Block #353, by Marjorie Rhine, Quilt Design NW  Quite an original looking bunny, I must say!  The more I look at it, the more I like it.  It was fun to match the red stripe going around the bunny in this block.  The eyes and nose are fusible applique, but I think this would also be cute with button eyes.

Ozark Cactus

Block #384, by Judy Laquidara, Patchwork Times  This block was fast and fun to put together.  My block looks more like some kind of fanciful Easter flower than a cactus!  I really used different colors than Judy!

Patchwork Pansies

Block #360, by Terry Clothier Thompson, Peace Creek Pattern and Book Company  I really love the colors in Terry's version of this block.  Mine came out a little faded.  It was fun to accent the flowers with a little bit of embroidery.  With both piecing and applique, there is a lot going on in this block!

Confetti

Block #354, by Laura Stone Roberts, Assistant Editor, McCall's Quilting  This has got to be the most unusual block I have ever made.   Each little square has a french knot in the center.  What an original design!

Until next time, please visit the shop at Curlicue Creations.  Have a super day!

Jennifer 

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Thanks so much to everyone who joined me and all the other designers for the blog tour last week.  It was a blast to visit all the great blogs, and to read everyone's comments.  Don't forget, the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Volume 4 will be at your local newsstand tomorrow, November 15th!  The winner of the free issue from my blog was Jill from Lakeside, California.  Congratulations, Jill!

In My Garden Block

Again, here is a picture of my block from Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Volume 4.  You can get full instructions to make this block in the magazine.  

I really enjoyed  reading all your comments about strange things found in your gardens.  There were 41 different critter sightings, including 10 turtles, a large number of snakes, a scorpion, a couple of tarantulas (Ewww!), an iguana, a reindeer of sorts, a bald eagle, an armadillo, and a javelina.  There were just too many to list them all!  Could someone please tell me what a javelina is?  I have no idea.  Some of you found interesting things growing in their gardens, like a mystery flower, unusual mushrooms, and poison ivy - yuck!  Still others found strange items, a pepper shaker with pepper still in it, an old septic tank cover, a g.i. joe doll, etc. One reader even has a motor in her garden!  And for those of you who didn't have a garden, I just loved these two creative answers about  what you would grow if you did have one.  One reader said a fabric garden, and another said money!

 

Lots of Love Quilted Trivet

Here's something growing in my garden!  LOL!  This week I made the Lots of Love Quilted Trivet and put it in my shop, Curlicue Creations.  It measures a handy 12-1/2" x 12-1/2".  The back features a cute country scene.  You can see the back and some other photos of it at the shop.  It's been so much fun making these trivets.  They are like mini-quilts and getting to be addictive!

Liberty Coins

Yesterday, I also went into one of the "mystery" boxes in my quilting studio and found these strips for a Liberty Coin quilt.  I sewed all of the little strips together to make these four long strips.  I'm thinking maybe some black fabric to go in-between the strips.  If I ever finish it, it would make a nice bed quilt for one of my boys.  ;)  Back into the box it goes, for now!

Button Dolly

And now the shopping spoils of this week!  I couldn't resist this cute button dolly I saw at a local thrift shop for 25 cents.  Her arms and legs are made out of strips of red and white buttons.  I just love her bright red hair, standing straight up on top of her head!  Too cute!  Especially posing with my still blooming basket of marigolds.

Quilty Print

Wes brought this cute print home for me along with some quilting books.  One of the books is "Olympic Games Quilts - America's Welcome to the World".  This book has pictures of quilts that were made for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia.  One quilt was made for each participating country - 396 in all!  There are patterns to make a few of them, but the real treat is looking at all 396 of them!  Great eye candy!  A lot of these quilts have nice movement to them.  Fitting for the Olympics!

Until next time!  Please visit the shop at curlicuecreations.com  and also "Like" us on Facebook.

Have a super day!

Jennifer

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Volume 4

Oh yes!  The day is finally here.  I'm as happy as the day is long that you have decided to visit my blog today for the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Volume 4 Blog Tour. Thanks so much for coming.  It's an honor for me to be a part of this, and I want you, dear readers, to be a part of it, too.  I will be giving away a copy of the upcoming 100 Blocks, Volume 4 to a lucky reader today, so read on!

Here's a peek at the cover of the magazine.  I have a copy of this in my hot little hands, and it is just fantastic!  There is such a great variety of blocks to make, and it is exciting to see all the designer's creative minds at work. 

How did I  come to be a part of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks?  I started out as a block tester for 100 Blocks, Volume 3.  While testing blocks I was inspired to submit a block of my own, and voila!  It was accepted for Volume 4.  I also tested 14 blocks for the Volume 4 issue.  I will be showing my versions of those in a later post, when the issue arrives on newstands, November 15th.  

In My Garden

Here's my block, In My Garden.  So cute!  I did find a turtle in my garden this summer.  The boys gave it a good examination, and put it gently in the woods.  The pieces are all fusible appliqued and edged with a tiny zig-zag stitch.  

In My Garden Quilt

I also made a small wall hanging with my block.  I love the way the stripey border looks like the woods at the edge of my garden.  The four patch blocks in the corner remind my of a checkered racing flag.  Perfect for my speedy turtle!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Please be sure to visit the other designers on the blog tour all week.  You can find more information at quiltmaker.com/100blocks.  To see more of my designs, please visit my shop at curlicuecreations.com.  

To win an issue of the upcoming Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Volume 4, leave me a comment about something unusual you have found in your garden, or if you don't have a garden, what would you grow if you did?  I will pick a random winner out of all the comments from today.  

Until next time, have a super day!

Jennifer