Happy Halloween

This is my first Bee finish and it's from the 2013-2014 Halloween Quilt! I wanted to come share, but to get full details you can visit my blog post here!

I am so glad I did the scrappy binding on this quilt with the wide border. It pops each block out and I'm so thrilled on how this quilt turned out! All of you made such a difference in helping this become awesome! It will be cherished for years to come!

Don't you love this back! It showcases many of the prints and I love it so so much! Check out my blog post for more images, and again I am grateful for each of your creativity and love into each block that you made. You have no idea how much this means to me!

XOXO

Blocks & Intros

I'm really excited to be part of the Bees Knees Quilt Group and just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Kim Walus. I've been sewing for 40 years now and I made my first quilt when I was 18 years old. I learned to sew in 8th & 9th Grade. I had an Amazing Home Economics Teacher and later on when I moved to Highland, Utah in 1998 I met her once again. Our older children and her younger children became friends. After attending my sewing classes at school I soon realized that my mom didn't know how to sew but she was an amazing nurse and I'm grateful for her love and support of my passion for sewing.

When I started quilting I realized that I didn't have any family members or ancestors who had ever quilted or so I thought. It was just last year while looking through a few of my dad's photo albums that I happened to find a picture of my Great Grandmother holding a quilt along with a group of women!! It's my one and only claim to having a Quilting Ancestor. I was really disappointed to hear that my dad couldn't tell me anything about her quilting life. 

My Great Grandmother ~ Alice Watkins Williams

(top left corner)

Sometimes, I feel like I missed out on the family tradition of Quilting that runs in many families but I know that I can be a quilting pioneer in my own family in making an effort to create a love for handmade things. I'm teaching my own daughters and others how to sew and make their own quilts!! It's been an amazing journey thus far.

Some of you may know me or have met me around town. I feel like I know most of you and I have enjoyed following all of you on your journey's through the years. I've watched while many of you have flourished in blogging, designing books, writing patterns, and many of you now even have your own fabric lines and businesses.  I am always in awe of the talented women who exist in the quilting community and have been so inspired by your work!! 

I'm here to admit that it's been well over a year since I've actually made any kind of blog post but, I'm happy to say it was like riding a bike when I opened this page to write and upload the pictures.

Some of you wonder why it's taken me so long to jump back in and I can't promise that I will be making lots of blog posts like I have in the past. Life has just taken a turn in a different direction and my focus in life has changed somewhat. First off, we moved to Florida 6 months ago and it's been a year since my husband was let go from is job of nearly 20 years. To keep it short. . . it's been a life changer. . . and it's been a hard change at times but it's been a marvelous opportunity to grow and increase our faith, our commitment, our devotion to our ( LDS) Church, and to deepen our family ties!! Our little family is now spread from Utah, to Florida, and extends to New Zealand. 

I'm posting pictures of both of the blocks I've made so far. . .   

This is October's Maple Leaf Block that

I finished a couple of days ago for Shari Butler.

I enjoyed the simplicity and ease of making this block. I loved sewing with the linen fabric and it works so well with the cotton prints. I look forward to seeing pictures of the finished quilt!!

This is September's Camping Themed Block that

I finished and sent off to Melissa Corry last month.

I enjoyed the creative license that Melissa gave us to create what is going to be a very unique and fun quilt for her grandparents. I can't wait to see it finished with all of the blocks together.

Shari's Maple block, October

Here's the block I made for Shari :)

It was so quick and easy to make.

 I am going to make the quilt but it might have to wait until next fall.

Shari's Maple Block

I love the block Shari picked this month for us to make.

Modern Maples

is one I'm getting ready to make this week myself

so it was fun (and easy) to make one for Shari too.

Off in the mail tomorrow :)

Nedra

October Bee Blocks

So a little late, but the Bee Blocks went in the mail today! Yeah! :) I chose a very easy block and in fact i cut them all for you, the only one that is a little long is the stem. I chose the maple block from Amanda Woodward-Jenning's pattern from the lark crafts book. I chose it for one, it's downloadable free on the web, and I wanted a manly quilt made for my husband. You can download the pattern here.

What do you think of the colors???

I cut out all my blocks. There are 18 in all, and I'm only sending one block to each of you. I cut them out over conference weekend, because for one I couldn't decide what I wanted until I started to see all of the blocks together.

What size quilt block do you want your bee partners to make? (Give finished and unfinished measurements, just to be sure.)   Finished block is 12" x 12", unfinished is 12.5" x 12.5". I want the unfinished block! :) 

Can your partners use any of their own stash fabric to use in your quilt block? If so, are there any limitations?

No need to add anything from your stash, I have provided the right amount for one block.

Is there a specific color of thread (white/off white) you want your partners to sew with?

White is preferred.

Do your partners have to use at least a little bit of every fabric you send or can your partners decide?

Just use what I sent! :) 

Do you have a general theme or is it up to your partners to decide? Are there any specific themes that you do NOT want in your quilt block? Likes/dislikes?

Just follow the pattern here!

Will you allow any embellishments on the quilt block (i.e. embroidery, raised items such as yo-yos or fabric origami)?

No embellishments! This is a manly quilt!

Can you link us to any flickr or Pinterest photos that you would like us to use as inspiration for your quilt block?

Just follow the pattern here!

If your partners are super motivated and are able to make two blocks out of the fabric you send, would you accept more than one block from your partners?

No need for an extra block. :) I'm trying to make this super easy!

Do you want your partners to return any leftover larger size scraps to you when they return the completed blocks or can they keep them for their own scrap stash?

No need to sent leftover fabric. There won't be much left. :) 

Note: I'd like to try to get the blocks back by Mid November if possible. If you can't just send block back and I will do it. I'm trying to get it to the quilter's by December so I can do this quilt for Dan for christmas. He doesn't know this is for him. I'm super excited to surprise him. 

They are mailed out! :) 

XOXO! :) 

An Appliqued Owl for Whoooooo?

This is my first block for the Bees Knees quilting bee.

 Melissa from Happy Quilting, sent me some really cute camping/outdoors fabric called "Smore Love" by Cosmo Cricket, and gave our quilting bee the freedom to make our block however we wanted to!

The quilt will be for her grandparents camper and will have a camping or outdoor theme.

Whooooooo????

Do you spy that owl fabric?

I love owls, and I immediately knew that I wanted to make an appliquéd owl :)

I drew my little owl....

...hand appliqued him, and added a patchwork border.

My block is an unfinished 12 l/2" square.

I wrote a more detailed post on how I made my little owl, on my blog, dream quilt create.

I can hardly wait to see all the blocks everyone makes for Melissa's grandparents quilt!!!