Getting back to my regular sewing rhythm (and a link party)

Finally I am getting back to regular sewing, planning and designing rhythm!!

The Ongoing Project List:

1. Growing Up QAL - all future sashing options have been designed! (cannot share)
2. Splendid Sampler - no progress
3. Charity quilts - no progress
4. SK project - no progress
5. Molli Sparkle's "The Honey Pot Bee" - scheduled my post for Wed! So excited!!!
6. Project QUILTING - waiting for the next challenge
7. En Provence QAL - COMPLETED a gazillion of units (see below)
8. Bullet Journaling into my Quilter's Planner - no progress
9. 70273 Project - no progress
10. Book binding - no progress
11. Twilters! Bee - waiting for next month swap
12. MP pillow cover - decided on theme, but not designed yet

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Even if I cannot share all the future sashing options I designed for the Growing Up QAL, I can certainly share the one that I released last Monday!

Gemstone Sashing: pattern available at alidatweloqdesigns.blogspot.com

And these are two of my blocks using that sashing! It is going to be a colorful and cheerful quilt!!

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Last November I participated in the Bonnie Hunter's En Provence mystery QAL. I made very few units for each clue and I waited for the reveal to design my own version. 

Then I forgot about the project :)

Then I remembered that I picked that project for Elm Street Quilt One Monthly Goal (link 62) so I decided to push it and make the 135 units that my design was missing

The goal I set was to assemble these units in the completed quilt top and I plan to do this today and update this blog post to link my progress in the Elm Street Quilts Goal Finish post!

EDITED TO ADD: the quilt top is completed!!

"The power of diversity" 55'' x 55''

I renamed the En Provence quilt because I followed a different design and I want to honor the fact that I included all kinds of fabric in this quilt (batiks, small prints, big prints, solids, textured) and because each of them is super unique, together they make an amazing design that wouldn't be so beautiful if it was done with a single kind of fabric.

While the entire quilt is super scrappy, I decided to "control" the scrappyness in the teal background of the center stars: in this way our eyes have a place to rest to enjoy all the rest of the scrappyness.

Since this event was such a great push to get fantastic progress on this project, I already decided what I will pick as my Goal for March. I love that we don't have to "finish" a project, but just reach the goal that we set!

My Goal for March will be to complete "The Dark Tower" bookshelf part of my Stephen King big project! My goal is just to assemble the top of all the book covers and quotes from the 8 books of the series. Let's see what I can come up with!!

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How about you? What are YOU up to?

Link it here and share it with me!!

An InLinkz Link-up

Struggling with time (and a link party)

Where did the time go?! These past few weeks have been quite crazy!!

The Ongoing Project List:

1. Growing Up QAL - March block(s) ready (cannot share)
2. Splendid Sampler - one block done (see below)
3. Charity quilts - no progress
4. SK project - one block done (see below)
5. Molli Sparkle's "The Honey Pot Bee" - no progress
6. Project QUILTING - "We the Rainbow", project done (see below)
7. En Provence QAL - no progress
8. Bullet Journaling into my Quilter's Planner - no progress
9. 70273 Project - no progress
10. Book binding - three small notepad done (see below)
11. Twilters! Bee - completed first block

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When the Challenge 4 of Project QUILTING was announced I immediately knew what it was going to be about for me... rainbow = colors = skin color = diversity = equality = inclusion = we the people!

So this is my piece for the challenge: it includes rainbow flags that celebrate equality and diversity and there is a gradient of many kind of skin colors, textures, tones, all walks of life... we the people!

(temporary title) We the Rainbow, 32''x21''

I have to be honest: I don't think my piece is "done".

It is complete, in the sense that it is stitched and quilted, so it qualifies for the challenge...but the piece is still talking to me... the piece wants to say more, but she needs more time to express her thoughts :)

This is where I struggle for these short timed challenges: while it's great to have the incentive of completing the piece, sometimes a piece need to percolate in your mind a little longer...

Especially a piece that I plan to submit for the Threads of Resistance exhibits... 

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One more block for my Splendid Sampler (with selvages and batiks) journey!

Block 75 - Stitch Crazy

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Anothe block for my Stephen King collection.

The Gunslinger - Book Cover - 5''x7.5''

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The block I made as part of a Bee swap

"My Birds", Pattern by Tina

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And last, but not least, I made few more stitched notebooks! I used some fancy cardstock and some graph paper and I think they turned out pretty nice!!

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How about you? What are YOU up to?

Link it here and share it with me!!

An InLinkz Link-up

Blocks blocks blocks (and a link party)

Quite a productive week!

The Ongoing Project List:

1. Growing Up QAL - February block(s) are ready to be released on Monday (cannot share)
2. Splendid Sampler - two blocks done (see below)
3. Charity quilts - no progress
4. SK project - no progress
5. Molli Sparkle's "The Honey Pot Bee" - stitched my block (March) and completed one of the February blocks (see below)
6. Project QUILTING - "Rough Texture", project done (see below)
7. En Provence QAL - no progress
8. Bullet Journaling into my Quilter's Planner - I was planning a "January" review but I didn't have time or energy to do this... so I will do it next month!
9. 70273 Project - Four blocks done (see below)
10. Book binding - no progress
11. Twilters! Bee - new swap I joined, but haven't started this month block yet

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My weekly contribution to the 70273 project.

Check this link if you want to contribute!!

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When the Challenge 3 of Project QUILTING was announced I was trying to think what to use for my inspiration... and looking around me the only thing I could see was divisiveness and fear... so the only thing that came up to my mind when I thought about "texture" was barbwire.

I know how it feels to be in fear because I am an immigrant... I have the right religion (right, for now), I have the right skin color (right, for now), I come from the right country (right, for now), I have the right gender (at least if I just talk about make up and "dress like a woman") but I couldn't express my vote in the election. I respect the system, so that's fine, but I go to work every day for the American people, to support terribly sick people and give my contribution to maybe one day discover a cure for the worst illnesses. And the American people sent me a message that I am unwelcome, useless and unwanted. It is hard to keep doing my job... but then I go to work and I see real people suffering and I don't care if they voted for him or not: I will give them my decades of education, experience and hard work until they decide I am disposable. But until then, I will keep fighting for them too, because there is hope for humanity, we have seen it happening in the worst times of history: as long as some humans maintain some of their humanity and spread love instead of hate and fear, there is hope.

So this is my piece for the challenge

Rough texture, 5''x7''

I appliqued irregular strips of red, white and blue and I overlay a dryer sheet to create the texture effect and then I thread painted the barbwire design. I also cut out pieces of the dryer sheet just to add more interest in the texture.

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After the sadness of the early days of the week, however, I decided to turn toward the positive part of humanity so I decided to focus on inspirational blocks for my Splendid Sampler (with selvages and batiks) journey!

Block 96 (which I rename "Peace in the sunshine")

Block 88... "Love is the answer"

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And last, but not least, I stitched up the block for February The Honey Pot Bee.

Quilter's Pantry box, by Adrianne

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How about you? What are YOU up to?

Link it here and share it with me!!

An InLinkz Link-up