30 Blocks 30 Days My Turn

It's my day to share block 8, Staggered, from Carla's 30 Blocks in 30 Days QAL, now Blog Hop.

 To make this block, you need 2 colors and 4 rectangles of each, 3" x 5 1/2". I decided to use some flannel I already had and make a baby quilt.

Next, arrange the rectangles so they alternate. (I don't have a clue why this photo got turned sideways, but there it is...)

Stitch the pieces together. I made 20 blocks for the baby quilt. It was really easy to chain-piece them all.

Then I had to decide how I wanted to arrange the blocks. One way is the way Carla showed on her blog:

But I decided to turn every other one sideways at which time I noticed the blocks made neat plus-sign type figures, so I kept that design. I didn't want borders. Oh, and I rounded the corners (used a spool as a template) so I wouldn't have to make them square. I wasn't keen on binding a flannel quilt, so I made it envelope-style. Then I had to decide whether to top stitch around the edges or not, and I decided not to. My quilting, which is a meander/stipple, goes all the way from edge to edge.

We had sun on picture-taking day, thankfully, but as is usual in central Illinois, the wind was uncooperative.

My husband helped hold it straight. :) I could have taken the photo without his legs, but what for? This way is more fun. :)

Then the wind died down for a bit and I could get this shot.

Here's the back. I used a small green check flannel that was also in my stash.

Thanks, Carla, for setting up this great Hop. I hope all visitors check out everybody's blog, even those who have already shown off their lovely projects.

Here's the list of bloggers and Carla's tutorial for each block:

Date

Project Designer

Block

April 1st	Creatin’ in the Sticks	Block 1- 4 Patch
April 2nd	Kwilty Pleasures Blog	Block 2 - Double Stuffed
April 3rd	Sew Incredibly Crazy	Block 3 - Baby in a Corner
April 4th	SBD Embroidery and Quilting	Block 4 - Dutch Door
April 5th	What About Rheema	Block 5 - Surrounded
April 6th	Quilted Delights	Block 6 - Tacked Up
April 7th	Joy Studio	Block 7 - Stripper
April 8th	Just Sew Quilter	Block 8 - Staggered
April 9th	Quiltscapes	Block 9 - Topsy Turvy
April 10th	beaquilter	Block 10 - Chunky Pinwheel
April 11th	Freemotion by the River	Block 11 - Painted WIndow
April 12th	krislovesfabric	Block 12 - Broken Cinder Block
April 13th	MooseStashQuilting	Block 13 - Reaction
April 14th	Quilts by Joanne	Block 14 - Median Strip
April 15th	Persimon Dreams	Block 15 - Center of Attention
April 16th	Needled Mom	Block 16 - Bounce
April 17th	Just Let Me Quilt	Block 17 - Sweet Sixteen
April 18th	Life in Scrapatch	Block 18 - Yeah Eights
April 19th	Quarter Inch Crafter	Block 19 - Weave
April 20th	Seams To Be Sew	Block 20 - Classic
April 21st	Just Let Me Quilt	Block 21 - Spot
April 22nd	Something Rosemade	Block 22 - Cross Walk
April 23rd	Thimblemouse and Spouse	Block 23 - Opposites Attract
April 24th	Books, Hooks, Sticks, etc.	Block 24 - Possibility
April 25th	Words & Stitches	Block 25 - Camper Window
April 26th	Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats	Block 26 - Catching Z's
April 27th	Selinaquilts	Block 27 - Broken Stripes
April 28th	QuiltFabrication	Block 28 - Stockade
April 29th	Lakeshore Stitches	Block 29 - Dovetail
April 30th	Creatin’ in the Sticks	Block 30 - Slow Tee

30 Blocks Hop continues

Today is Day 6 of 30 Blocks in 30 Days!

My day is 8--2 days from now (think I should get started on my post...)!

Here is the list of bloggers, starting with today's:

April 6th	Quilted Delights	Block 6 - Tacked Up
April 7th	Joy Studio	Block 7 - Stripper
April 8th	Just Sew Quilter	Block 8 - Staggered
April 9th	Quiltscapes	Block 9 - Topsy Turvy
April 10th	beaquilter	Block 10 - Chunky Pinwheel
April 11th	Freemotion by the River	Block 11 - Painted WIndow
April 12th	krislovesfabric	Block 12 - Broken Cinder Block
April 13th	MooseStashQuilting	Block 13 - Reaction
April 14th	Quilts by Joanne	Block 14 - Median Strip
April 15th	Persimon Dreams	Block 15 - Center of Attention
April 16th	Needled Mom	Block 16 - Bounce
April 17th	Just Let Me Quilt	Block 17 - Sweet Sixteen
April 18th	Life in Scrapatch	Block 18 - Yeah Eights
April 19th	Quarter Inch Crafter	Block 19 - Weave
April 20th	Seams To Be Sew	Block 20 - Classic
April 21st	Just Let Me Quilt	Block 21 - Spot
April 22nd	Something Rosemade	Block 22 - Cross Walk
April 23rd	Thimblemouse and Spouse	Block 23 - Opposites Attract
April 24th	Books, Hooks, Sticks, etc.	Block 24 - Possibility
April 25th	Words & Stitches	Block 25 - Camper Window
April 26th	Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats	Block 26 - Catching Z's
April 27th	Selinaquilts	Block 27 - Broken Stripes
April 28th	QuiltFabrication	Block 28 - Stockade
April 29th	Lakeshore Stitches	Block 29 - Dovetail
April 30th	Creatin’ in the Sticks	Block 30 - Slow Tee

30 Blocks hop starts tomorrow

It's almost time for the 30 Blocks in 30 Days Hop that starts tomorrow.

Carla at Creatin' in the Sticks has assembled 29 bloggers (Carla is showing a block twice) who will be showing their "stuff," focusing on one block for that particular day. Mine is block 8 so I will be on April 8.

Here is the schedule.  You'll want to visit everyone. Don't miss out!

Date

Project Designer

Block

April 1st	Creatin’ in the Sticks	Block 1- 4 Patch
April 2nd	Kwilty Pleasures Blog	Block 2 - Double Stuffed
April 3rd	Sew Incredibly Crazy	Block 3 - Baby in a Corner
April 4th	SBD Embroidery and Quilting	Block 4 - Dutch Door
April 5th	What About Rheema	Block 5 - Surrounded
April 6th	Quilted Delights	Block 6 - Tacked Up
April 7th	Joy Studio	Block 7 - Stripper
April 8th	Just Sew Quilter	Block 8 - Staggered
April 9th	Quiltscapes	Block 9 - Topsy Turvy
April 10th	beaquilter	Block 10 - Chunky Pinwheel
April 11th	Freemotion by the River	Block 11 - Painted WIndow
April 12th	krislovesfabric	Block 12 - Broken Cinder Block
April 13th	MooseStashQuilting	Block 13 - Reaction
April 14th	Quilts by Joanne	Block 14 - Median Strip
April 15th	Persimon Dreams	Block 15 - Center of Attention
April 16th	Needled Mom	Block 16 - Bounce
April 17th	Just Let Me Quilt	Block 17 - Sweet Sixteen
April 18th	Life in Scrapatch	Block 18 - Yeah Eights
April 19th	Top Stitch Tech	Block 19 - Weave
April 20th	Seams To Be Sew	Block 20 - Classic
April 21st	Just Let Me Quilt	Block 21 - Spot
April 22nd	Something Rosemade	Block 22 - Cross Walk
April 23rd	Thimblemouse and Spouse	Block 23 - Opposites Attract
April 24th	Books, Hooks, Sticks, etc.	Block 24 - Possibility
April 25th	Words & Stitches	Block 25 - Camper Window
April 26th	Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats	Block 26 - Catching Z's
April 27th	Selinaquilts	Block 27 - Broken Stripes
April 28th	QuiltFabrication	Block 28 - Stockade
April 29th	Lakeshore Stitches	Block 29 - Dovetail
April 30th	Creatin’ in the Sticks	Block 30 - Slow Tee

Blog Hop Coming Soon

Whew, time goes SEW quickly--how can I have let more than a month go by without posting?

First of all, the Blog Hop hosted by Carla of Creatin' in the Sticks, 30 Blocks in 30 Days, begins April 1, and I will be the featured blogger on April 8. Stay tuned for that project.

 I have a bunch of things in progress, but no "finishes" for awhile.

The one below is a 3 Dudes Quilt, done Man Sewing Style with the black inserted between 2 1/2" strips. I love the colors. Got the top put together at our quilt retreat at the beginning of March (more on that later). The blocks had been finished for a year.

We spent a weekend at our daughter's in St. Louis a few weeks ago.

 Below is Amelia (right front) waiting her turn for a balloon person. This is her friend's birthday party.

Here is Amelia's little sister Camella playing in a car at the party.

A friend asked me to quilt this for her--so I did. She was going to finish it with a self-binding. It's a lap quilt or even wall-hanging.

Here are some of the projects done at our quilt retreat at Threads of Time, Danville, IL.

I had the blocks for the pink quilt all done and finally got the top put together there. Betty Sue did the 2 wall hangings on the left.

The Hunter Star is mine--blocks mostly done (all done before retreat was over), and the bunny placemats were done by Michelle. The Hunter Star was a lesson at our Cerro Gordo Quilters meeting. It is done the Missouri Star Quilt Company way, and I used a charm pack I had plus some matching fat quarters and 6" strips, so there is quite a color variation. Still pretty, but a 2-color one is more stunning, I think.

I also finished the yellow quilt top below. Kathy did the 2 flower wall hangings. The yellow top is a pattern and charm pack from Fat Quarter Shop's Sew Sampler one month in 2017.

So, I did get several tops down--now I have to quilt them all!

Below are photos of some of us at our retreat. 

Sometimes there were "phone" wars to get silly pictures of each other.

Sometimes we really worked.

Here we all are. SEW much fun! Threads of Time is a great place to have a retreat! 

We love it there!

Don't forget to follow along beginning April 1. I'll post the schedule before then.