Chocolatier Block of the Month Club #2 (Eccentric Star and Arrowhead Quilt Blocks)

We're back with Month 2 of the Chocolatier Block of the Month Club.  How appropriate that this month's flavor in my "skittles" version of the BOM is Pink.  Love is in the air after all!
Today, the Month #2 Block Pattern for Chocolatier is now available.  Check your emails and mailboxes!

We are making 2 blocks this month.  We're keeping it relatively simple to get into the groove with this BOM.  We have a jazzed up version of the Friendship Star, called Eccentric Star.  And block #2 is a fun stitch-n-flip, called Arrowhead.  That lighter pinky color had me thinking of those candies that are colored like pepto.... I couldn't find them for their photo shoot though.  These pink and red candies did the job and were delicious too.

Block #1 Eccentric Star

Block #2 Arrowhead

Fabric is Cotton Supreme Solids by RJR Fabrics for my version of the BOM.  Find my color selections listed here.

SHARE with US!  I'd love to see what you make!
There are several ways to share your participation in the BOM.  I hope you'll join in the fun of quilting along online with us.
#chocolatiersampler on Instagram

**A yearly subscription to Chocolatier BOM is available here. LAST DAY FOR THE SALE PRICE**

When you purchase a subscription, an Introduction Guide AND all the current block patterns to date will be emailed immediately upon payment.

Feel free to join in the fun with us anytime throughout the year.  For all the details on Chocolatier, go here.

Hoop Quilt #1 NY Beauty | featuring Curious Dream Fabric

Hey everybody!  I am super pumped to show you this project today.  It's a brand new concept for me and already I'm envisioning a ton of these hoops featuring different quilt blocks.

Let me introduce you to what I'm calling a Hoop Quilt.

This project began back at Quilt Market when my friend, Angela Pingel, debuted her first fabric collection with Windham Fabrics, Curious Dream.  I was able to score a fat quarter bundle at Sample Spree and knew I wanted to do something special with it.

I'm always thinking about the next BOM, and trying out different blocks is a great way to see how they could fit into a BOM.  The New York Beauty quilt block has always fascinated me - it's gorgeous curves and crown of points.  But I'd never made one.  It fell into place that I would make a NY Beauty with Curious Dream.

Well, silly me, I cannot just choose a simple NY Beauty.  Noooo, I had to go pick a complicated one with 4 rings of curves and points/intersections to line up with each curve.  Yikes!  As you can see, there is a bit of a learning curve (terrible pun, yes?) on this block, and my first quadrant turned out all sorts of wonky.

This block tested my patience and will - but in the end, it turned out looking fantastic.  I absolutely love this block.  The fabrics glow in this sunshine NY Beauty.  But..... I am so glad I only have to make one block.  This was a tough one.... if I ever include this in a BOM (and that's a big if), it would have to be a much simpler version.

At the same time that I was slowly paper piecing this block, I was also working on my hand embroidery sampler with an embroidery hoop.  Since the NewYork Beauty is a round block, I just couldn't get it out of my mind that instead of making a square mini with the block, I needed to frame it in the round.

I bought a large 18" wooden hoop for quilting.  And somehow this rainbow-y cheater print just wrapped herself around the frame.

Add in a little big stitch quilting....



And well..... here's the finish.  I don't think I could be beaming about this project any more.  I am completely thrilled!  I've tested where I could hang this hoop in lots of places around my home.  There are SO many possibilities.

Stay tuned.... I have lots of ideas for more Hoop Quilts brewing.  I cannot wait to make more....

DaisyChain Embroidery Sampler - 5 Year Finish!

It may well be 5 years later, but I did finish this Daisychain Embroidery Sampler!  This, my friends, is the definition of crafting.  It's when you take on a project simply for the joy of making.... and you finish it 5 years later.

I'm sure many of you are like this with quilting.  And it may be discouraging to watch here as I finish quilt after quilt throughout the year.  But here's the difference... designing and making quilts is my job.  "Making" for your work and "making" for yourself are completely different.

And when it comes to making things solely for myself, I am in the same boat with the rest of you.  It takes me years to finish!

The baby-in-my-belly who I started making this for will be starting kindergarten this fall.  Whoops.  He (who I was convinced was a girl) does not seem to want this sweet little pastel ABC wall hanging in his Lego landmine, Minion infested, monster truck climbing bedroom that he shares with one of his older brothers.  (I mean, come on, he's the youngest of 3 boys.  And although he's the most-happy-go-lucky, sing to himself, mama's helper I know, he still will live his life trying not to be the baby and keeping up with 2 big brothers.)

......sigh...... I guess that means I'll have to keep this for myself........  I am devastated, as you can imagine.

And would you believe, it happens to match perfectly with my sewing studio?  :)