Quilt Guild Box Exchange

We got back our box exchange blocks at the last quilt guild meeting. Here is mine. I love it! The top 2 on the right are the ones that I made. The directions were to make your choice of either a crazy quilt block and/or a wonky log cabin block. The person could make one or two blocks. They had to use this brown batik fabric that I included (brown w/ some green, orange, and yellow with branch like patterns). I also included some yellow fabric for them to use if they wanted to. I think everyone used both fabrics. I also asked them to stick to a certain color scheme, and to use fabrics that were nature inspired. I really love it. They really look good together. Now I just need to make a quilt out of them.

Oh, I also won 10 of the 30 block of the month blocks. There were 3 winners (10 blocks each). I was so happy. I really wanted them. I did not win mine back. They are all so different and interesting. You can look on an older post to see the ones that I had made. They were inspired by African quilt blocks (no rulers or rotary cutters were allowed).

Patriotic Plastic Bag Wreath & Recycling Champion

I made this from start to finish today. I bought a wire wreath frame, but you can used recycled material cut into a wreath form. This is a medium size frame. All the plastic bags need to be about the same size in length. The handles and bottom seem need to be cut, then you tie the bag in a knot around the wreath frame. You bunch them together, and then fluff them. The blue bags are newspaper bags. I tied them on first so that I could have them evenly spaced around the wreath. Then I tied on the white bags. One hundred and twenty bags were used to make this wreath. The bow was $1 from The Dollar Tree. I used a twist tie that I had saved from a bread bag to hang it. Some places have red bags, but I did not have enough of them saved to add to this wreath.

You can see a picture of my Christmas plastic bag wreath on my blog as well. Another plastic bag wreath idea is a Halloween one made from gray and/or black bags.

I was also named Chelmsford's recycling champion for the month of May this year. Here is the link to the article.

Block of the month

Last month Opal in my quilt guild showed everyone May's block of the month. It is inspired by African quilts. The drawing on the left was on the instructions for this block. We were not allowed to use any rulers or rotary cutters or templates for this block. We were given fabric that was kind of a white and black plaid with orange, yellow, and green squares in it. We did not have to use it (I did), but we were suppose to base our fabric choices off of it. We were also asked to throw in a crazier looking fabric in the mix. It was a fun challenge, but it was a challenge. The half square triangles were tough.

Scotty Dog quilt block

This is the last block that I have received in my quilt guild's block exchange. It is made with reproduction or close to reproduction 1930's fabric. I think it is really cute. Since we all made one block each, we cut out the fabric using templates. Each colored piece of fabric in the block is different. The original person precut all the background pieces. I would love to make one of these (with different fabric). I think it would be really cute for my youngest son who loves dogs or for my parents. Tomorrow night is the last quilt guild meeting before the fall. We are displaying the box exchange blocks on fabric and returning them to their owner. I am looking forward to seeing mine.


I have googly eyes around my computer desk. Just for fun (kicks and giggles), I glued some on my stapler. I think it looks like a beaver now. if I gave it ears, it could be a bunny. Now I have a little friend to keep me smiling at my desk.

TV Show prep & quilting

Yesterday I went to the telemedia station to meet the main people who I will be working with. They gave me some things to think about for the show. I also got to see how Town Talk (a local show) was directed. The name of my show will be "Its Easy Being Green." I scheduled the taping of my first three shows for next month. There were scheduling conflicts with taping it this month. However that gives me a few weeks to work on the opening as well as prep for the show. I did the homework that I assigned myself last night (emails, phone call, etc.).

The first show will be a craft show about what what you can make out of plastic shopping bags. I will focus mainly on making plyarn and fusing the bags. Then I will show some of the things that you can make out of it. If I have time, I'll talk about making wreaths out of the bags as well. However I would like to save that for a holiday themed show.

The second show will be a guest and craft show. My friend Bonnie Rankin will be my guest. We will be making things out of beloved fabric items that we have inhertied. How does this fit into the "green" theme of the show? We are reusing or as Bonnie has said, using the 4th "R," re purposing. Not all eco-crafts are about turning trash into treasure. Bonnie came over to my house this week to talk about what we are going to do for that episode.

Bonnie's visit inspired the third episode. It will be about quilting. Quilting began as a eco-craft. People used scraps of fabric (instead of throwing them away) to make beautiful quilts to keep them warm. The main craft of the show will be a "grandmother's flower garden" quilt pattern. Not only can you use scrap fabric, but you can recycle clean food boxes and used poster board & card stock. This morning I did a google search for hexagons, and I printed out several templates. I then took them to Staples and enlarged them on the copier. I also copied some onto cardstock. I began paper piecing one hexagon pattern that I found. I also cut several hexagons out of food boxes. I would like to sew a few hexagons together using old t-shirts. When making t-shirt yarn, I only use from the material under the sleeve seams. So I have several top half of shirts that I can use for this project.

Another recent project of mine that takes no time at all is making magnets. This started around Valentine's Day when I saw these super cute wood cut outs for about 50 cents each. I bought a pack of nice round magnets and glued them on the back of the wood cut outs. I have made a few more since February. I also attached one of those magnets to the back of a large googly eye. A long time ago I also made magnets using those free business magnets that sometimes come in the mail. I would glue pictures of magazines or wallet size photos of my son to it. The "Fox and the Hound" image came from a children's catalog.

Like I said I would in my last post, I have been trying to quilt a block a day on the "Steps to the Stars" quilt.

Elephant

Here is the elephant that I crochet for my mom last March. The pattern is free at lionbrand.com. I also made one for my toddler. I just need to sew on one ear and I'll be done with his elephant.


I will be going to my family reunion in July, and so I need to have my grandmother's quilt finished by then. I am trying to hand quilt a block a day. Well, actually more like a star block and half of 3 to 4 step blocks. That means that I should be finished quilting it this month, and then I can move on to the binding. When I am finished with it, the next quilt project will be to quilt the 2nd quilt top that I made. I basically learned how to piece different blocks with it. It's a sampler quilt. I have never made a quilt for my bed, and it's about time I did just that.

TV show & quilting

I had a meeting at the telemedia office today to pitch an idea that I had for a show. It was approved (yeah!!!!). The show will be called "It's Easy Being Green." It will be an environmental show. Every odd numbered episode will be about crafting with recycled items. Every even numbered episode will have a guest on it. I hope that everything will go smoothly. I am going in on Wednesday to watch how a show is filmed as well as to meet the people that I'll be working with. Then I will start taping it this month.

In other news I have been working on my Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt. It is hand pieced, and I started it when I was last pregnant over 2 years ago. I have also started hand quilting the Steps To The Stars quilt. That quilt is a gift for my grandma. I'm going to see her in July, and I would love to have it finished by then.