Pandora's Box

Paul: There is a lot going on here.
Me: Yup. Do you like it?

A new finish

Paul: It kinda works.
Me: Doesn't it?
Paul: What is this one called?
Me: Pandora's Box.

Orphan Blocks

Paul was shocked!!!  He proceeded to relate the story where all the monsters (death and sickness) were unleashed and all that was found at the bottom of the box was Hope.

Gathered and Captured

I tried to (somewhat calmly) explain. I did not open the Pandora's Box. I did not release the monsters. I captured them and put them back in the box.

Flimsy - Before the Skinny Borders were added

Paul: So you are Pandora?
Me: No and this is not a box. It is a concept that all these orphan blocks (bee blocks and audition blocks and orphans too) were floating around and creating chaos. And now that chaos is captured and showcased in a quilt!!!
Paul: You are so full of it.
Me: You totally get me :-)

Color!!!

Diversity :-)

Although these random blocks were captured into a flimsy in August 2018 (Motivated by Mari), other projects took precedence and the flimsy became an UFO.

And festered while other projects/quilts took precedence. But now that it is done...I am thrilled with the finish.

So much is happening...

Skinny Border

A skinny border was required to protect some points.  Pandora's Box flimsy measured 56" by 58".
At this size it made more sense to piece a backing than to cut up precious wide backings.

Pieced Backing

Striped Binding

A spicy striped binding tamed all the naughtiness while keeping things upbeat.

Paul: You did not follow my advice on pieced backing?
Me: Not this time.
Paul: Why not?
Me: I just wanted it done as soon as possible.
Paul: Um Hmmm.
Me: If I make all my pieced backings the same way, won't you call me a one-trick pony?

Labelled

Joyful

I proudly added my label.
Time for a happy dance. Another UFO slayed. Monsters captured.
Absolute Joy!!!

Pandora's Box

Speaking of joy, I acquired gorgeous new fabric at Quiltcon.  It is a fat quarter bundle called Viva Mexico from Paintbrush Studios.  The ten fat quarters are printed on a continuous piece of fabric.

Picture from Paintbrush Studios

I went to Quiltcon with a strict policy of "Only Experiences, No Acquisitions"
But when Paintbrush Studios announced the Buy One, Get One Free for all FQ bundles...the firm stitches of my resolve were unraveled by the seam-ripper of temptation.

Gorgeous Colors

Juicy and Bright

I cannot wait to make something with this bundle, especially these bright pinks.

Viva Mexixo

Yummy Pink

March is here and so is the new color for Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2020.
Stick around, browse for a bit and leave a comment (naughty or nice), while I go herd my teals (bluish-greens and greenish-blues).

Bluish Greens

Greenish Blues

Greenish Blues on the left. Bluish Greens on the right

If you have questions about block patterns in Pandora's Box quilt, please go to this previous blogpost, which is laden with links.

Linking with Angela and all my other favorite linky parties. See full list on the sidebar.
As usual I'd love to hear your thoughts on anything, but particularly on Pandora's Box.

One last look!

Motivated by Mari

Mari made a quilt - Misfit Toys.

Misfit Toys is now going to AQS Quilt Show in Virginia Beach!!!  Mari shared this fantastic news with me on Friday. I jumped with joy for her.

With Mari

She gushed, I listened.

And in that moment, I knew I had to drop everything and make a quilt using up my leftovers - bee blocks (Honey Pot Bee) and orphan blocks and audition blocks.

Sandra and Elizabeth

I met Elizabeth in Buffalo. She mentioned a quilty term that I had not hear before - Coping Strips.

When the blocks are of varying sizes, she adds strips to the smaller blocks to bring them to the requisite size. These strips are aptly named coping strips.

Now, some folks call them sashing but I believe sashing is used with uniformly sized blocks.
See you can use sashing strips after you have used coping strips to make all blocks uniform :-D

I needed coping something but I chose to use coping blocks (also used coping strips in two places). Or you could call them filler blocks. The Charlie Brown+Snoopy block is a coping block. The improv slab next to it was leftover from Fire Pit, used also as a coping block.

Coping Blocks - Charlie Brown, Cool Leftover Slab from Fire Pit, Warm QSTs

I made coping blocks from leftover triangles discarded from Curry Favor (picture above) and from those leftover from making Doggone Cute blocks for KaHolly. 

Yellow Gray QST is a coping block using leftovers from Doggone Cute blocks

The leftover blocks from Charmed Encore worked perfectly as coping blocks.

Coping Blocks - Framed Charm Squares, 4 HSTs, and a house

I also used a coping strip to bring the red tree block to size. See picture above.
Simple 4-patch blocks made perfect coping blocks, sometimes used singly sometimes in a series.

4-patch blocks, used in a series - left corner

There were some composite HSTs leftover from Animal House. They became houses with mix and match roofs. I tried the same pattern in a larger size. Did not work.  Kinda loses its appeal in that size.

Here they are - three modest houses and one Mac-mansion.

Three modest houses and one Mac-Mansion - UGH

I loved the Blended Scraps Block so much that I made a whole quilt - Shadow of Light. The first block from that endeavor is near the top left.

Finished Flimsy

My experiments with paper-piecing are all here - the black/red/yellow star that was a moderate success, the very pointy 1.5 star, the Tall Tales book block which was a huge success, the two mushroom blocks where I used freezer paper and the As-You-Wish block (envelope+letter) which I declined to paper piece.

Paper Piecing Adventures - Star Blocks and Mushroom Blocks

The lattice block next to the tree block also came from the Honey Pot Bee. As did the Pantry Jar block and the Star Kisses block.

Star Kisses block from the Honey Pot Bee

The BHQ Economy Square Block had me whining because it has 81 pieces in just one block.

The 81 piece Economy Square Block

Before I wrote my most popular tutorial, I made an audition block in purple and red. It finally found a place in here.

Audition Block - Purple Red and Cream

I enjoyed making the strawberry block. Made in three colors. You can see the red one below. Saving the pink and orange ones for the Quilt Guild BOM later this year.
Did not enjoy the Echo block. This was a perfect place to get rid of it, but if you love it here is the link to the tutorial.

The Strawberry (love) and Echo (hate) blocks

This flimsy also has one of the discarded blocks from The Queen's Necklace (top row), next to the leaf block, which I loved so much that I have made several. Yes, they will make a quilt - just not yet.

Leaf, Kaleidoscope and Tall Tales Blocks. Pantry Jar, As You Wish and Tree Blocks

In the picture above, there is a coping strip (with a snail) next to the leaf block. I recently got that sliver of a fabric in the scrap bag that Sandra brought for me when we met in Buffalo!!!

This is one quilt with so many stories!!!

Some posts are laden with pictures. This one is definitely laden with links. I am trying to give credit where credit is due. It is possible that I missed some. If so, please ask and I will supply the link/inspiration in the comments.

Thank you Mari - I started because of you.

Thank you Sandra - I completed it because of you. So that I could make it to this Dreami party.

Lots of color = One Happy Quilt

Who has inspired you lately? I'd love to hear from you. 

I will be liking with all my favorite linky parties, see sidebar for full list.

_____________________________________________________________________

OOPS!!!

I almost forgot. Here are the winners from the giveaway.

1. Solids Kona FQ Bundle to Dottie Bishaw (#30) and Gran Chris (#52)

2. Four warm prints FQs to Kristin (#74) and four cool prints FQs to Frederique (#5)

3. Pink/red scraps to Lisa Marie (#10) and Blue/green scraps to Clare M(#80)

Emails will be sent to the winners later today, unless you are a no-reply blogger, in which case please send me an email. If I do not hear from you in a week, you will forfeit your prize and I will pick someone else.

Thank you so much for celebrating with me. Big hugs to you!!!

What a Year!!!

It has been a rollercoaster of a year for me in so many ways.  Paul and I celebrated our 10th anniversary.

As my surprise gift, we went i-flying.

That was an exhilarating experience which I happily repeated.

Quilting wise, if there was an overall theme running through 2017, it had to be scrap vortex.  I completed four of them, including Happy and Lucky.

Lucky and Happy

The Honey Pot Bee blocks were a mixed bag.  Here are a couple of my favorites - the Stripey Stripe Block.

Stripey Stripe Block 

And this leaf block by Intrepid Thread is so striking, I am sure I will revisit and make a whole quilt out of it. 

Feather Leaf Block

I really enjoyed making some of the blocks. Others failed to excite me. It will be a long time before anything can become of those diverse blocks.

I dipped my toes into paper piecing. I definitely prefer the freezer paper method, which I used to make these mushroom blocks.

So cute

Magic Mushrooms

I met quilty buddies from Pennsylvania, Delaware and Germany!!!

with Sylvia in Pennsylvania

with Mari (at the Lancaster Quilt Show)

With Melanie (visiting from Germany)

And I met Bonnie Hunter.

Here are my top five quilt picks of the year.

The most popular quilt was My Twitter Feed.  If I had to describe it in one word it would be Joyful.

My Twitter Feed 

Joyful Birds

It received such rave reviews at the 2017 Quilt Show, I glow with joy every time I think about it.

My entry to the Moda Bake Shop was very well-received. Esmeralda is the most ambitious quilt, I have made so far.

Esmeralda - A queen-size princess of a quilt

A queen-size, kaleidoscope quilt with a thousand pieces, completed in one month (with the tutorial and pictures) is a major accomplishment.

Esmeralda - Close-up

Being published in the Moda Bake Shop was definitely something to dance about.


The Shadow of Light is a small quilt but it packs a punch. The inspiration came from the Honey Pot Bee - the Blended Scraps block. The process included many love hate moments.

Shadow of Light

In the end, I love it so much that I am sure that I will be revisiting this pattern.


The surprise pick of the year is the Playing Footsie Quilt. The quilt design is simple but it is the story of loving and longing that received such an extraordinary response from you.

Playing Footsie

If I had to describe it in one word it would be Soul-soothing or Comforting.


My Parikrama quilt is the last finish of the year. When I was piecing this quilt, it reminded me of spices, Bollywood dance/song numbers, or the hustle and bustle of a busy open air market.

Parikrama

The process was almost effortless, like I was being guided by an external force, where each step just came to me naturally. When it finished it was evocative of the Temple and the Goddess. It was Mystical.

For a year that had no plans, no goals and absolutely no to-do lists, it is remarkable that it brought me Joy, Accomplishment, Love, Comfort, and Mysticism.

Having no deadline/goals allowed me to make fun blocks like these bikini ladies from Sew Fresh Quilts.

Lorna's Lovely Ladies

Made these house blocks for the victims of the Quebec Mosque shooting, requested by the Montreal Modern Quilt Guild.

House Blocks for the Montreal Modern Quilt Guild

And these Doggone Cute blocks for KaHolly.

Love these puppies

I have plenty of deadlines at work, which I consistently meet or exceed every month. Therefore I am going to keep my creative pursuits free-flowing and spontaneous. It worked for 2017. Why not do the same for 2018?
What do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

I will be linking with Meadow Mist Designs Best of 2017 and all my favorite linky parties. See sidebar.