Medallion QAL First Border Linky

We are off and running with our medallion quilts!  Are you enjoying the process of making a quilt border by border?  Does it look as you imagined it or has your quilt already taken on a life of its own?

As a group, we have a stunning start to our medallion center pieces.  I have seen them pop up in blogs here and there, but I am REALLY looking forward to this linky party to pull them all together and see what you have created.  Between the last QAL post and this one, you should have created your 15 inch center block and then added one border to it.  If you are following Track 1, your quilt top should now measure about (ahem!) 24.5 inches unfinished.

Over the next two weeks we will piece and add our second border.  This border is 4 inches (finished) on all sides (in Track 1), bringing our top to 32 inches (finished).  Do take a bit of time to read the Catbird Quilts post discussing this border as Melanie gives a lovely overview of color, design, proportion, etc that you may find very helpful when choosing your next step.  Join me again on 5 March to link up your photos for your second border, to encourage one another and to draw inspiration from the others in the linky party.

An InLinkz Link-up

Bee Blessed February Blocks

Are your January Bee Blessed blocks packed up and sent off?  They were so straight forward and easy to make AND came together beautifully!  I look forward to seeing the finished quilt.  

This month Sarah and Judith are asking for little heart blocks using this tutorial.  Isn't that a cute block?  It won't take you a minute to make, but together they will make a huge difference in someone's life.  Do take a bit of time and get stitching.

Medallion QAL Linky Party

I am delighted you have decided to join in our Modern Irish Medallion QAL!  Have you been busy daydreaming about what your medallion quilt will look like?

I hope by now you have taken the time to read through Melanie's first post, giving us our guidelines for getting started.  Do you think you're going to follow the clearly described Track One, or are you more a Track Two free spirit?

Over the last two weeks we were to each create an inspirational mosaic and dig through our stash to pull fabrics setting the tone for our quilt.  Maybe you're an over achiever and have already started stitching your first central block for your quilt.  Each and every one of us would love to gain inspiration from your mosaic or drool over your fabric pull!  Please leave a link to your blog post below and we'll all hop over there for a peek and a giggle.  Be sure to visit the other links you see below and offer advice and encouragement.

Over the next two weeks, here is your challenge:  Re-read the QAL first post and create your central block for your medallion quilt.  Seeing as this is only one 15 inch block and we have two weeks to sew, go on and read the QAL second post and make your first border.  This will give you a 24 inch square quilt top.  Come back here on 19 Feb and link up to show everyone your medallion quilt center.  Happy stitching!

Modern Irish (Scrappy) Bee: February Blocks

Happy February, Modern Irish Bee buddies!  I hope you had fun making Ruth's blocks.  They were really fantastic scrap busters, weren't they?  I can not wait to see what her finished quilt top looks like. It is going to be a stunner!

It's Cindy here, queen bee for the this (very short) month.  If you follow my blog, you know I have been slightly obsessed with spool quilts for nearly a month now.  I have finally found an online tutorial for spools that I adore, so I hope you will join me in making a few blocks over the coming weeks.

I ask you to use Kona White for the background and then somewhat monochromatic fabrics for the spools.  You can see I took "monochromatic" quite liberally in my test blocks above, but you get the idea.  I ask for bright, cheery modern-type fabrics preferably with only medium or small spools in brown (there's a place for brown...I know...). No batiks or civil war-type fabrics.  They're not my thing.

There will be four colors of Aurifil spools in the final quilt: Kona Tangerine (orange), Kona Red (well, for red), Kona Medium Grey (you get the idea) and Kona Kiwi for green.  A parcel including including a F8th of one spool color is on its way to you right now.  A F8th should be more than enough for you to make your blocks, so send back any scraps you have greater than 2.5 inches square.  I can use that to finish the quilt off.  Please let me know if you need more spool fabric.  Cutting mistakes happen :)  

The tutorial is more of a set of cutting instructions than piecing instruction.  The blocks are quite straight forward and direct to piece, but if anyone has problems getting from their cut fabric to the finished block let me know and I will happily go through it with you. 

Now, how many of these weirdo shaped blocks will I ask you to make?  I did a bit of figuring based on the surface area of two 12.5 inch square blocks.  Here are two possible options that are equivalent size-wise to traditional blocks:

Option 1: 

1 large spool

3 medium spools

5 small spools

OR

Option 2:

0 large spools

5 medium spools

6 small spools

Depending on your stash, one option might suit you better than the other.  I do not mind which you choose.  Hive buddies, I hope you have fun making these blocks.  I am very excited to see what you create.  Thank you for taking part in making my next quilt :)