Friendship X and plus blocks: March.

The last Friday in March has arrived so it's time to show this months blocks for the Friendship X and plus swap.

This month I've gone with a slightly different fabric layout in some of the blocks with lighter fabrics for the X and coloured fabrics for the background .

I hope you like them dear swap partner, Jane.

A theme of friendship blocks seem appropriate for today's post.

As I've mentioned before, early last summer I put together a small online bee called the Strip Bees.

One of the group, Jen, makes beautiful draw string bags which she calls Pants Bags, so called because when she goes away she doesn't like putting her pants (knickers) straight into someone else's drawers so she keeps them in a pretty bag! Jen so kindly makes pants bags as gifts for friends and family and she so generously made one each for her online bee friends.

 Here's the beauty Jen recently made for me in a colour scheme I chose.

The back is beautiful too.

I don't think Jen will mind me mentioning this, but as I mentioned last time, the five members of the bee were today due to travel to Jen's home where she was so generously hosting a weekend  meet up where we were to hand over our completed quilt tops and have a fun weekend, but sadly whilst shopping for food for the meal she was to cook us Jen had an accident and is now in hospital.

I don't know if you'll be  reading blog posts for a while Jen, but I know I speak for all the bee members in saying,

" Get Well Soon and we can't wait to meet you when you're better".

Maria x

Some Paper Piecing.

Over the years I've dabbled in paper piecing, and whilst I've been pleased with what I've made, the process has not always run smoothly, so when I saw that Craftsy were having a sale, and that one of the classes on offer was Mastering Foundation Paper Piecing by Carol Doak I thought it would be a great chance to pick up some tips.

The class was excellent. Carol is an enthusiastic teacher who knows her subject inside out. She gives many tips which help to make the process easier and accurate. Carol starts off by guiding the student through how to make a simple Bird of Paradise blocks and then progresses onto more complicated patterns..
I jumped straight in with the most complicated of the patterns, Mariner's Delight Compass. I was delighted with how it turned out and its now waiting to be quilted and turned into a mini wall hanging for my sewing room wall.

Something very exciting is happening in a few days time.
The six members of the Strip Bees quilting bee are all meeting up to spend the weekend at Jen's house where the big reveal of our quilt tops will take place.

Here's the strip I started with. It's now travelled from Suffolk to Hertfordshire, Kent, Wales, Jersey and Birmingham having patchwork strips added along the way. We haven't seen what the others have added apart from a few sneek peaks so it will be a complete surprise.

I'll be sure to take some photos and do a post next week about what we get up to.
Linking up with Sew Cute Tuesday at Blossom Heart Quilts.

Maria.