Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Granny Square Goodness

Sometimes I don't know what possesses me. When it comes to fabrics, I'm like the kid in the candy shop that wants to eat everything in sight. Or at least give it a good shot by trying!

That inherent trait is what prompted me to sign up for a block swap - Not Your Granny's Bee.  Just to clarify, I no more have time for a Block Swap than I do for learning a new language. But I loved the scrappy look of having 24 different Granny Square blocks thrown together to make a quilt. So I signed up!

The blocks I was assigned to create were to include Aqua and Purple with Kona White, Snow and Charcoal backgrounds. Having only one of these colors in my stash, I set to work to Seek and Purchase 5 modern purples and 8 modern Aquas. My LQS didn't have anything to contribute, so I went online and found most of my fabrics - it was quite fun, actually! Here's what I came up with:


Satisfied with the combination, I set about trying to figure out the best layout for them. I liked the darkest purple for the center, and tried to arrange the lighter aquas on the interior of the block.


Then I began cutting them up and piecing them back together. I finished the first block last night, and I was quite pleased with it - I wasn't sure how I'd like the aqua and purple combo, but I think I'd really like to make an entire quilt out of these colors.


Here's a little closer view - I wish I could figure out how to make my photos look as good online as they do in person. Oh, well.


We have until mid-August to finish the blocks and mail them off for the Swap. Having completed this first block, I'm very excited to see what everyone else has come up with - it should be a very fun quilt to put together!


Now, in all my spare time, I only have 23 more to go!

As a side note, just a year ago today, I got up about 5:00 a.m., while it was still very dark, and let our 12-year-old Cocker Spaniel out the backdoor to do her morning business and check out the perimeter of the yard to make certain everything was secure. She is awfully protective and watchful of us.  Well, I almost immediately heard one loud, disarming bark, which alerted me that something was not right. As I went to look, I saw Misty rolling on the grass, and I knew immediately she had been skunked! Oh my goodness, what a way to start the 4th of July!

I've never dealt with a skunked dog before, so I didn't even think of closing the door as I went outside. Subsequently, she darted in the house and began to roll on the carpet. So I scooted her out the front door to roll around on the front lawn awhile. Then I put her in the bathtub and tried to wash her. It wasn't until our veterinarian's office opened that we were able to buy some type of Skunk Smell Remover. It worked like a charm, but now I had that smell in my carpets and the bathroom. The professional carpet shampooer successfully cleaned up the carpets, but that bathroom smelled for several weeks afterward. We got antibiotics for her poor eyes, as the skunk gave her a direct hit - she must have been right on top of him, er, rather, behind him.

Anyway, I'm thankful that it is now daylight on the 4th of July and Misty has been outside with no ill troubles so we can enjoy this year's festivities without a story to tell.

What's been your Most Memorable Fourth?

Linking up with Freshly Pieced, Linky Party Tuesday at Quilting by the River, and Quilt Story

24 comments:

  1. Beautiful block and I'm like you.....love buying fabric! Hope a skunk doesn't show up this year to spoil your 4th.......that must have been awful!
    Thanks for sharing.
    Quilting at the River Linky Party Tuesday

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  2. Love this! Can't remember if you are in my group 1 or if you were in 2...I hope 1!!!

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  3. This block is beautiful :-) I think I may have to try it! I'm currently trying to plan a new quilt. I can't decide if I want it all the same block, or a sampler mash up type of quilt. It's so fun and so hard planning a whole new project! Thanks for some inspiration!

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  4. Love your choice of fabrics and colours :) It's my first 4th July here so this has to be my most memorable so far, very excited about Macy's fireworks outside my window tonight! (popped by via Q at the R LP)

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  5. hi again, don't know if you know that you have word verification turned on - if you want to remove it I've done a tutorial about it on my blog http://madebychrissied.blogspot.com/2012/06/tutorial-dreaded-comment-word.html. Sorry and hope I haven't offended you though if you want it there :)

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  6. Those colors are just amazing together! Your first block looks terrific and I know the next 23 will be as well.

    We have had a dog skunked once. What a nightmare that was. Glad this 4th is off to a better start.

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  7. Cute block and you picked just the right fabrics! I would not have thought of putting aqua and purple together by themselves, but I really like the look! Cute story too - enjoyed reading it :*)

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  8. I'm with you on the fabric=candy! Totally stuffing my eyes, too. Lovely granny squares by the way! :)

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  9. I love shopping online for fabric especially when you need just a bit more to qualify for free shipping. You are just forced to buy more! LOL

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  10. I absolutely LOVE the colors you were assigned. I've always wanted to do a block swap - I bet it feels like christmas when the different blocks start arriving :)

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  11. The block looks gorgeous! It looks like it's sewn perfectly. Very nice colors. :)

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  12. Too funny about the skunk! At least it wasn't a porquepine!! I am loving your aqua and purple grannies - so much so that you have set me onto a new 'favourite' colour sheme :) YUM!!!

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  13. Love the colours in your Granny squares - such a great story about the skunk too!

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  14. Love your blocks - joining swaps is rarely about need or logic for me either. Hope you're in group one so that I get one! The color combo is unique and it's fun to be forced into trying new things now and then - especially when the outcome is so great.

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  15. I like the way you did the lay out of the block. Looks really nice. That is funny...23 to go in your spare time! As if you have any spare time. :) We also had a dog sprayed directly by a skunk and I know what you went thru......what a terrible smell! Thanks for sharing. :)

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  16. I still have yet to try the Granny Squares. I love your color combos :)

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  17. Lovely color combination! I'm on one of these quilts too!

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  18. I love the block! Those colors together are so fun! I have a picture with my dad when I was five and he's holding a sparkler and I'm freaking out. Red face, tears, screaming, and all that jazz. My mom took a picture before she rescued me. Fast forward years later. I had a four year-old who I wanted to show a sparkler too and same thing. Me laughing her freaking out, red face, tears, screaming. My hubby took a picture before I put down the sparkler and let her ease into it a bit. It was funny because we played with them every previous year and she loved them.

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  19. The block is great! The finished product is going to be so fun.

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  20. So beautiful colours! I am making these blocks too, pretty blocks. But I hate to cut away fabric, and make them with triangles at the end.

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  21. love this blog- it just reaffirmed the total addictiviness of fabric and quilts. Think i might have to try this block swap malarky myself. You have inspired me to investigate more.

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  22. I love your fabrics! They look great together, my 2 favorite colors combined :) I don't have a particularly memorable 4th, other than that was usually when we celebrated my birthday, always fun.

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  23. I certainly wouldn't have thought to put purple and aqua together, and I think the white really brings the colours out! Nice job of how you put them together too. :-)
    If you're ever short of fabric have a look at my spoonflower site : http://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/art_on_fabric?filter_action=recent&info_action=&nav_action=all&shop_selection=all_recent&sub_action=new_profile
    I have all sorts of designs on there and I'm willing to change colours of the existing designs if required :-)

    Thanks for the interesting add on about your dog.. I didn't know that that sort of thing happened to them..shame... Our dogs used to get porcupine quills in their faces...they really suffered a lot of pain but at least they didn't stink ...and we only had vet bills to pay lol...

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  24. Love the fabrics you are using in your granny squares. I am glad when I had my dogs they never encountered a skunk.

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