Bee Blocks!

Our Modern Quilt Guild is having a Block Swap - basically, a speedy-bee where we have 3 months to sew blocks for 11 people.  Everyone can ask for the type of block they want and provided fabric or asked you to use fabrics from your stash (or both!).  Can I just tell you, I am having a ridiculously fun time doing this!  I have so enjoyed trying to create something fun for what type of block was requested.  Here's a couple I have finished so far:

 This one is for Diane, who provided some fun graphic prints in lime green, black and white.  She asked for blocks with circles and/or lines.  I added the black fabric with the white circles, as well as the black framing strips on the sides.  I like how it turned out (and I hope she does!), and I can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with for her.

This one is for Jennifer, who provided a ton of fun strips of various fabrics in reds, pinks and brown/blue.  She provided an inspiration board on pinterest that was a great collection of quilts featuring squares and improv log cabins.  Can you believe this is my first log cabin??  Like, ever?!  I've been quilting for almost 10 years, probably made over 60 quilts, and this is my first log cabin.  I LOVE this block!  It looks great in all kinds of fabric and Jennifer's quilt is going to be amazing.  I added a couple of fabrics I thought she would enjoy...I hope she likes it!  

And just for kicks, here are a few more of the never ending x & + blocks.  These things have kind of taken over my life - well, at least my sewing room (let's not get too dramatic here folks) - but every time I finish one I love it, so on I plod...

 And because I can't resist - here are a couple of doll quilts I made with my daughter and her friend. Last weekend we watched our dear friend's two kids while they had an overnight trip.  Five kids between the ages of 3 and 6 make a PARTY!  My friend's daughter has been begging to sew for like a year now, so this was the perfect time.  I thought of several different projects that might be good for a first-timer kiddo, but in the end, I thought it best to stick with what I know best, which is quilts of course.  Who says 5 and 3 are too young to quilt?!  They were so proud of what they made, and put their quilts to good use right away, as you can see in the picture below.  What I hadn't counted on was the boys also wanting to make one!  Silly me - of course they would want to!  There's a machine involved!  So, naturally, I ended up with all 5 of them crammed around the sewing machine during some parts - and everyone got a turn at the machine.  Now, whenever I sneak away to the machine, they come running because they want a turn.  Alas, I may never have another straight seam again...but totally worth it in my mind to see the joy on their sweet faces.  Makes this mama proud!