Just keep sewing

I've been busy as a bee in the sewing room, juggling a bunch of different projects. That includes making my very first quilting bee block! (Get it, busy as a bee?) The first Queen Bee for our group picked the Tic Tac Toe block, and asked for purple corners and a dark paisley-type print for the middle cross. Oh boy, did I have trouble finding the right fabrics. But then good luck intervened! I sent her a bunch of options for the middle and the one she liked best proved to be difficult to get at a reasonable price online and not in any local shops. Then what did I spot in the scrap bundle I got in a recent swap, but that very fabric! And just enough! I ended up picking up the purple and white-on-white from my LQS. I think it turned out very nice and I will mail it today. I did manage to write my name and hometown in the signature block legibly.

As the group leader, I suggested we could all make a signature block the Queen Bee can put on the back of her quilt. How cute is this little churn dash block? Plus I used salvaged HST from the main block for the corners, so it came together fast once I got the math down. I also suggested we could send a few charm squares of leftover or co-ordinating fabric. I may have gotten carried away when I started cutting, as I ended up with a considerable pile. Then I also made her a fabric basket. I tucked everything in there with a card to mail.

I've also been working steadily on my mini for the rainbow swap, which is quite time consuming for something relatively small. Look at all those wonderful colours!

Just cutting out the fabric took quite some time, and then I had 128 wee HST to trim before I could start piecing. Oh, the piecing. Each block takes quite a lot of sewing and ironing with 25 1.5" pieces. But now I've got 12 done, and only four to go! I hope it turns out nicely. I'm at the point where I'm having doubts about my plan, but I'm in the homestretch and must forge ahead.