I'm Still Alive...

Sorry I've been MIA for the past couple of weeks!  I've been busy - my bosses went on vacation (one two weeks ago, one last week) so it was a little extra busy for me at work, I went away the past two weekends (visiting family and a 15-mile kayak trip on the Allegheny River last weekend and learning to sail at Lake Erie this past weekend), and I've been too busy sewing to blog!  So here's a few things I've been up to.

QuiltCon Block Challenge:  The first QuiltCon will be held in Austin next year and they held a block challenge to make a raffle quilt and then the remainder of the blocks will be used for charity quilts for a local shelter.  The Pittsburgh Modern Quilt Guild decided to partake in the project.  I had intended to make something a little nicer but I was sick and ended up making these two blocks at midnight the night before our meeting.  I think they turned out well for being last minute!  Simple HST blocks.

My QuiltCon Block Challenge blocks

Charming Stars:  In the Spring, I was lucky enough to win a charm pack of Good Fortune from Kate Spain herself!  I bought a few more and turned them into this quilt, following the Moda Bakeshop tutorial for the Charming Stars quilt (with a few minor tweaks of my own for the sashing and borders).  Finally finished!  It took a few nights sitting on the couch sewing all that tangerine binding down, but it is done.  It has been on my bed for the last few weeks, but it might turn into a gift at some point.  It still needs a label.  I should get on that ASAP.

Charming Stars out on the patio!

A close-up of the quilting - each block is quilted the same way.

I used a larger print from Good Fortune for the backing and the binding is Kona Tangerine.

Birds of a Feather:  This quilt is currently in the trunk of my car.  The quilting was pretty simple, I didn't take a picture of it yet though.  And I used Aurifil thread for the first time and LOVED it - it totally lives up to the hype (hey Aurifil marketing people - I will take some free thread in exchange for that endorsement... please?)  The binding is sewn to the front (I did end up choosing Kona Ash, if you were curious!) and it's my "I'm in the field today and there's really nothing going on and I'm bored and don't want to kill my phone battery" portable project!  As much as I want to just take a night to finish it up (it's small so it won't take long), it's important to have a to-go project ready at all times to keep me occupied!  It's a little tough to use the sewing machine in the car :)

My latest greatest project:  This is still unnamed, but it's the first really really modern quilt I've made.  It's all solids (Kona Nightfall, Pepper, and Ash) and I just ordered some gray thread for the quilting.  It is inspired by my favorite parking garage in downtown Pittsburgh.  When you see the whole quilt, go to a Pirates game (at night) and look across the river...you'll see it!)  This has been my major focus lately.  It's the first project I've starched from start to finish and it is SO much easier to work with starched fabric!  Coming soon: a post on different types of starch.  I've tried several.  The top will be finished tonight, then it's off to work on the pieced back.  Sometimes that's more difficult than the actual quilt...

Turn your head sideways... for some reason blogger is turning this picture sideways.  The rows are actually arranged vertically.

Groove:  Well, my poor Groove quilt isn't very groovy yet.  I was lucky enough to win a pattern from Pile O Fabric last week (thanks!!) after procrastinating and not buying the pattern, it worked out really well.  I've got my own pile o fabric sitting in my dining room, washed and ready for pressing/starching.  Maybe that will be a Labor Day weekend project.  We'll see.

Linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced!  Head on over and check out some of the other awesome projects in the works!

I'm also linking up with this month's At The End of the Hallway at From the Blue Chair!  Check out the other links and see some great finished projects!