The Marmite Block - Do You Love It Or Hate It?

The theme for the 1 November meeting of our NYC Metro Mod Quilt Guild Block Lotto is Flying Geese.  This follows on nicely from my October Bee Blocks for Maria - Orderly and Liberated Flying Geese - making me a dab hand at stitching them up quickly.

What's a Block Lotto, I hear some of you asking?  Well, first of all, participation is optional, if you do choose to take part you get one raffle ticket for each block you enter into the Block Lotto.  When all entries are received a raffle ticket is drawn and the winner takes away all the blocks entered.

Let's get down to it - October Block Lotto instructions:

1: finished block must contain at least one flying geese unit;

2: at least one of the flying geese units in the block must be red; and

3: the finished block must be a 12.5" unfinished square.

Here is my finished block...

which I hate... 

or maybe I love...

I just can't make my mind up either way, this is the strangest feeling I've ever had making a quilt block.

Let's start this story again - this time with the block the other way up just so it doesn't feel quite so repetitive.

I pulled out my red scrap box to find fabric to make the block and right then and there I saw four 5" charm squares that I really dislike.  Do you have that, fabric in your collection that makes you uncomfortable, that you try not to look at, let your eyes move on quickly and hope the niggle inside you goes away?

If you don't like a fabric in your stash the first question is how did it come into your possession?

Mine was by way of a Flickr fabric charm swap.  Ever joined in one?  I've joined in two; one was strictly Kaffe Fassett fabrics - the organiser was strict about everyone's chosen fabrics and the resulting received charm pack was wonderful - well it couldn't be anything else as I loooove Kaffe Fassett.  My other swap was a Scrappy Fabric Charm Swap.  Now I know for some scrappy sounds wonderful and I totally agree, when scrappy comes from my own scrap stash and I'm in total control (did I really just own up to being a control freak on my blog?!).  I'm not so keen when it's an amalgamation of many people's stashes, for me this is in danger of becoming fabric vomit.  

So why did I take part in this Fabric Vomit Scrappy Fabric Charm Swap?  Well I wanted to support the organiser, an online quilty friend, and I thought I could just divide the charms across my colour separated scrap bins and use them up for projects such as this.  To be fair the majority of fabrics in the swap were really lovely - just not together!!! - separated amongst my stash they'll all be very useful over time, however there were one or two that really set my aesthetic nerves jangling

If you don't like a fabric in your stash the second question has to be why is it still there?  

Why not swap it - you'll be amazed how one of your quilty friends may love it as apparently we don't all have the same taste in fabric it seems!, donate it to a quilt guild or charity store, or use it - maybe make a charity quilt?

I struggled with my conscience, is it okay to make a block using fabric I've chosen but don't actually like?  I wondered how I'd feel posting about a fugly block I've created from choice - that one was simple, I just wouldn't, post about it that is.  Still to finally be rid of four 5" charm squares that I didn't like and wouldn't have to look at again in my stash!!!  That decided I set about making the block.

I pulled the four 5" charms squares and made four Flying Geese Units.  I sewed the scrap ends together along with a small piece of black solid and included them too, then added a black solid to make it up to the required 12.5" block size.

Finally I stood back and looked at the block. [hmmm, it's actually not bad] did that thought actually just go through my head? [kind of got a Japanese feel going on] oh no, stop talking head voices.  I know let's show it to hubby and see what reaction he gives [he's going to love it, oh look at his face he does love it, oh what have I done? now he'll want a whole quilt made like this].

There you go I eat my words and have decided to share the block after all and be totally honest about it.

 Still can't decide if I love it and hate it though, it's quite a Marmite Block moment.  I do indeed HATE Marmite, fortunately so does my husband so we've never encountered this (un)romantic problem:

I think the block could look great in a quilt made up of all these fabrics/colours but continuing the theme of being honest let's face it these Block Lotto blocks are going to be a pile of Scrappy Blocks - can red Flying Geese pull all that together in a whole quilt?  The winner's got their work cut out - I really hope it's not me!

Have you made something for someone else with a fabric you don't like just to get rid of it? 

Share your Charm Swap experiences too.

As always you can check out all the blocks that our Guild make for the Flying Geese Block Lotto on my Quilty - NYC Metro Mod Guild Challenge Blocks- I'll add more pins as each person in the Bee posts photos of their finished blocks and you can see my NYC Mod Quilt Guild post here too.

And you can click this link to see all of my NYC Mod Quilt Guild Bee Blocks and Challenge Blocks/Quilts.

Featured On:

Saturday Spotlight

   

Orderly and Liberated Flying Geese - NYC Metro Mod Quilt Guild Bee Blocks

 
Chris here again - still catching up on my NYC Metro Mod Quilt Guild Bee Blocks - October this time and our Queen Bee is my lovely friend Maria.

Here's the Bee Block package:



Maria's instructions:
Block 1 - Orderly Flying Geese
Create 4 Flying Geese units using the No Waste Method available here at patchpieces.com and join the 4 units together point to base to create a 14.5" x 7.5" block.

Use the Cotton+Steel solid fabric supplied (I think mine's Gale Force but not 100% sure - it's a really deep dark grey) as the sky or the geese plus another fabric of own choice.



I used the Cotton+Steel solid as the geese and my sky is Philip Jacobs for Rowan, Cactus Dahlias Gold - I've used it previously as the backing for my Autumn's Golden Gown quilt (this link includes a tute for the quilt top :D ).

Block 2 - Liberated Flying Geese
Use the same two fabrics as Block 1 and add a third fabric of own choice.
Maria gave three sizes choices for the block and I chose  14.5" x 14.5".



This time I've used the Philip Jacobs fabric for the Geese and the solid and additional fabric for the Sky.  I have no idea what my third fabric is, I took it from my scrap stash - though I do know it came into my possession back in July 2012 for another Bee Block - Liberated Log Cabin for Binita.

I made four Flying Geese units then extended each to 14.5" wide.




Here's how it looks upside down - should Maria choose to use it this way!



And the two blocks side by side.





Almost up to date on the my Guild blocks - just one more to go before Saturday's Guild meeting - the last one's a Lotto Draw Block and guess what the theme is - yep Flying Geese - watch out for that one coming up very soon!!!



As always you can check out all the blocks that our Bee make for Maria on my Quilty - Flying Geese Pinterest Board - I'll add more pins as each person in the Bee posts photos of their finished blocks and you can see my NYC Mod Quilt Guild post here too.


Clicking on a image will take you to a new page of crafty goodness :)
 

For details of other fabric, yarn, trim and notion stores that I've visited around the world along with the NYC stores I love, exhibitions and events I've attended and wonderful people I've been lucky to meet click the links below or in my side bar :D

   

     

Wonky Log Cabin Block Tute - NYC Mod Quilt Guild Bee

   

Hi, Chris here, catching up with my NYC Mod Quilt Guild Bee Blocks - this one's for September and our Queen Bee is Andrea Deal of Gotham Quilts.  

If you haven't heard of Gotham Quilts yet then do check out their website - it's a brand new online fabric store owned by my two friends Andrea Deal and Ivete Tecedor, based in Manhattan but shipping internationally.

Not surprisingly Queen Bee Andrea picked some pretty gorgeous new fabrics for her blocks with her whole store to choose from!   

Forest Frivolity, Moonshine in Strawberry by Tula Pink for Free Spirit

Stitch Circle in Candy by Michael Miller

Chicken Coop in Egg Blue by Joel Dewberry for Free Spirit

Mini Confetti Dots in Cantaloupe by Dear Stella

Stampede Lawn, August in Mint by Sarah Watts for Cotton+Steel

Our instructions for the block:

"do a 12.5" wonky log cabin variation like the one pictured... . I have a cool new Tula Pink print for the feature fabric, but don't feel like you have to use it in the center. ... ".

I choose two images from the Tula Pink fabric and fussy cut them - first the tent as the central starting point for the block

and a long strip that included the two pink deer.

Time for the my Wonky Log Cabin Block tute -
click the image below to take you to the tute I wrote for the June 2014 NYC Mod Quilt Guild Bee Block.

I've used exactly the same process to make this latest block.  The only thing I did differently this time that I don't normally pay attention to was keeping the fussy cut central Tula Pink tent section totally horizontal to the finished block.

This was simple to do, I just made the block larger than necessary and then using the grid on my cutting mat and my long quilting ruler made sure this section was horizontal by wiggling the block between the mat and the ruler to line it up perfectly before trimming the block back with my 12.5" square ruler.  Wishing I'd taken a pic of how I did it now :(

Oh dear, yet another block that I wish I didn't have to hand back!  I'm particularly enjoying how I've cut away a lot of the pink round of fabric so you only see a really small section of pink down the right hand side of the block.  The trick is not to worry about cutting away a fair amount of a strip you've just sewn on - it's the best way to get large sections and unusual angles within the block.

I just love making wonky log cabins - anything that doesn't involve measuring and yet looks so precise in the finished piece is okay by me.

Two final questions for you:

1: How do you like your log cabins, wonky or straight?

2: Have you visited the Gotham Quilts online fabric store yet?

As always you can check out all the blocks that our Bee make for Andrea on my Quilty - Wonky Log Cabin Pinterest Board - I'll add more pins as each person in the Bee posts photos of their finished blocks and you can see my NYC Mod Quilt Guild post here too.

And you can click this link to see all of my NYC Mod Quilt Guild Bee Blocks and Challenge Blocks/Quilts.

Featured On:

Saturday Spotlight

 

 

   

     

Cloud9 Fabrics Cirrus Solids HST Block Challenge

Remember the Cloud9 Fabrics Baby Quilt Challenge I took part in with my NYC Mod Quilt Guild back in June when I made this Foxy Circle Quilt?  

Well, Michelle Engel Bencsko, Co-Founder, Design & Marketing Director at Cloud9 Fabrics set our Guild another challenge to introduce Cloud9's new range of Cirrus Solids.

There're 21 colours in the Cirrus Solids range - chambray weight cross weaves and 100% certified organic cotton.

Our current challenge to create an 8.5" x 8.5" block comprising of only HSTs in a layout similar to the examples in the given black and white diagram below.

There's three given colour groups with different rules for each group - I chose two packs, Combo 2 - Invigorating and Combo 3 - Soothing 

Although I've not put this post together as a tute I've included my design notes for both blocks so you make them too.   Both blocks are quite simple - 16 half square triangles (HSTs) joined together to form rows that are then sewn with nested seams to make the final block.  I've written tutes for both of these processes before and here's links to those if you need them.

HST Tute

Joining Squares And Nesting Seams Tute

The blocks are made up of 16 x 3.5" squares which are joined as HSTs and trimmed down to 2.5" blocks, joined in rows of 4 to produce an 8.5" block including seam allowance.

 HST Block Challenge: Combo 2 - Invigorating

Above are the Cirrus Solids fabrics supplied by Cloud9, aren't they gorgeous?  

Rules from left to right: first two fabrics must be used in any amount as a positive, the third fabric must be used in every HST as a negative and then use one colour only in any amount as a positive from the remaining five fabrics supplied.

My design and chosen fabrics.

Here're the cut 3.5" squares:

2 x Coral, 4 x Lava, 8 x Ash, 2 x Iris

HSTs sewn, trimmed and laid out in rows as shown in the design.

My finished Combo 2 - Invigorating Block

Here's a close up of the fabrics - I want to try to share the texture with you, it's a really great cross weave.

HST Block Challenge: Combo 3 - Soothing

The next group of Cirrus Solids fabrics supplied by Cloud9, I love these even more than the first group if that's possible!  

Rules from left to right: first two fabrics must be used in any amount as a positive, the third fabric must be used in any amount as a negative and then, from the remaining five fabrics supplied, use one colour only as a positive for a maximum of 2 HSTs which must touch within the finished block.

My second block design and chosen fabrics.

Here're the cut 3.5" squares:

1 x Turquoise, 6 x Rain, 8 x Sand, 1 x Fuschia

HSTs sewn, trimmed and laid out in rows as shown in the design.

My finished Combo 3 - Soothing Block

Another close up of the cross weave fabric.

And the two blocks together.

Michelle will be judging the finished blocks and a 'best block' winner from each of the three colour groups will receive a Fat Eighth bundle of all 21 Cirrus Solids colours.  The finished blocks will be made into a Cloud9 Fabrics marketing sample quilt and after it's made its rounds it'll be auctionned.

You can see all the blocks here on the NYC Mod Quilt Guild website.   

I really enjoyed working with the fabrics, I was nervous that the weave would fray easily but it didn't and it also held its shape well when cut on the bias without needing to use starch.  I was impressed that it didn't shrink when I water sprayed it before pressing - don't know if you've ever noticed but some fabrics do?!!!  It's soft yet has a great weight and I like the look and feel of the texture.  I'm enjoying that there're so many more solids and particularly solids with texture available across the fabric companies these days rather than always turning to Kona (though I do love them!), still it's really refreshing.

Have you tried Cirrus Solids yet - what do you think of them?

Click these buttons to see more of my NYC Mod Guild blocks and my tutorials

Disclaimer: Some fabrics used were supplied by Cloud9 Fabrics at no charge to mbCD otherwise this post is for informational purposes only, no payment or commission is received on click-throughs and opinions are my own.