Tuesday 11 September 2012

Dots on Dots Blog Hop

It's my turn - whoo hooo!

How much fun has this theme been! Have so enjoyed myself although I did lose my mojo half way through (and also had the children at home and went away for a couple of weeks) so I didn't produce as much as I thought I would but I am still pleased with my creations.

Firstly I made this:


my plan was to make about a dozen of these and make them into a quilt but I didn't like this in the end so didn't make anymore.  I am not sure whether it's the colours and there is too much white (I then went out about bought all the grey and blue spot you can see on the flowers below but never regained my mojo for carrying on with these blocks!).  Or whether it's because I am too fussy and can't get perfect points:


see in the middle there and to the bottom left of the bottom left spot?  Am I just been too fussy?  I used a template to cut out all the pieces and 1/4" foot so in my eyes they should all be perfect.

Anyway with that project now cast aside I decided to do some beach scenes (having just come back all inspired from our lovely Devonshire coast), and made these:


The beach material is a fat quarter I have had sitting in my stash for ages and the blue sky is an old shirt! Like a bit of upcycling me!  and then here is one done in my bright materials:


Then as I am going through a flower making phase (see previous post) I made this:


and then I completely lost my inspiration and couldn't muster up the energy to produce another beach quilt (was planning one with a row of beach huts and another with a boat on the sea in my mind) so I did what always cheers and motivates me and got my sizzix dies out:


these are from T!ms tattered flower die.  I was going to put all the rolled rose flowers on the top but decided it was all too bulky so opted for buttons instead.  I have also made another quilt but have decided to try and see if I can get it published as I haven't been showcased in a sewing magazine yet and there is a new one produced here in England - but again that's a job for another day!

All blocks are left unfinished as I loved the idea of Madame Samms of joining them all into a quilt although knowing me they will be added to the UFO pile for a while as I am in the next two blog hops too!

Anyway if you have perserveered through all my ramblings to here - well done! sorry for whittering on but to reward one of you I would like to do a giveaway of 20 handmade flowers - in the spotty colours above or I could swap a few for crocheted flowers if you prefer.  Giveaway is open to anyone who comments on this post and I will pick a random winner on the 22nd (day after the last day of the hop) and will post anywhere in the world.  You don't have to be a follower but I would love it if you were!

Thanks for joining me on my blog hop day the rest of today's schedule is:


and the full schedule can be found here on the lovely Corrie's blog.  A big thank you to both Madame Samm and Corrie for organising this hop.

Thanks for looking - Definately dotty from Solihull

edited to add a tutorial for the kites:

Step 1: Get some lined paper and draw a straight line vertically on the page, use a 2B pencil as these show through your bonding paper well:


Step 2: Next I estimated approximately how big I wanted my kites (I don't do strict measuring - far too time consuming!) and I decided I wanted the long sides to be about 10 lines in height and 2 inches wide at the widest point, so I draw a horizontal line across at the 10 line height


Step 3: then positioned my ruler like so:


where the 1 inch cross square met the line is actually 11 lines up from the bottom point and the ruler is angled so that the inch point hits the 10th line, then draw your next line from the bottom point up the 10 line mark.

Step 4: Reposition the rule on the opposite site and match up exactly as before and draw your line:

you are left with this shape:

which should be perfectly symmetrical!

Step 5: reposition the ruler to the height you would like the top part of the kite to be - I decided up 3 lines high:

and draw your next line:
repeat for the other side:
voila - a perfect kite!

Trace this through onto Bondaweb (the English version of double sided heat and bond I think) and then iron onto four pieces of material, position on your block and iron in place.

I then simply sewed around the outside of the whole shape starting at the top point, when I returned there I turned the quilt and sewed a line from top to bottom directly through the centre, turned the quilt again and retraced the line up to the widest (10th line) position (this was all done by eyeball no strict measuring involved!) then I sewed across to the left, turned and sewed all the way over to the right, turned again and sewed back to the middle.  Then I sewed back up to the top and all around the whole kite again.

To add interest I sewed wiggly lines from each deckchair to a kite - the children can now play the game where they have to find out which kite is being flown from which deckchair.  To finish I cut strips of each fabric approx 1.5" x .5" sewed up the middle by hand and gathered it so it looks like a bow, then sewed it on a flag bottom - normally I would do three bows per kite but as I have made my quilts into little puzzles I decided to stop at one otherwise the quilt would be far too busy.

Hope this helps! sorry its all written in a rush before my school run so I hope it makes sense!

 

116 comments:

Maria Kievit said...

Love all the work you put into your blocks! And it all had dotted fabric in it also. Thanks for sharing.

The Slow Quilter said...

Flowers, flowers, how does your garden grow. Your blocks and flowers are great. I am already a follwer of yours.

Chris said...

Wow....lots of lovely ideas! I've been a follower for a while now.

Wendy said...

Marvelous job ... and your blocks are all lovely! Thank you so much for sharing!!

Terry@ a quilting blog said...

What fun blocks...love the flowers and beach scenes!! TFS

Vroomans' Quilts said...

Dotty flowers are such fun. Lovely blocks and thank you for sharing with us today.

carla said...

Hi!!! I love the first block and the color!!!! The other blocks are all very pretty too!!!! Love the flowers!!!!

carla said...

Hi!!! I love the first block and the color!!!! The other blocks are all very pretty too!!!! Love the flowers!!!!

Judy B said...

Oh I love the 3D flowers! The kites at the beach, well I love then too! Thank you for sharing and the great giveaway.

Cherry's Prairie Primitives said...

Love all your flower blocks!! Super cute kites!!

Britt-Inger said...

I love all the things that you have made so dotty. You have many ideas and you are a very creative lady.
Thanks for sharing

Nati said...

So cute! Love all of them. Do you have a handy tutorial for those kites?

Heleen Groot said...

You did great. And yes, you are being to fussy.I don't see the faults here, and even if: A quilt is all about celebrating imperfection. That shows its handmade! I particularly love your flowerpot block.It looks spectacular! (The other blocks are just amazing.....)

Pauline said...

You were inspired! Great show of blocks, I love them all, I like the roses in front of your block aswell!

charlotte said...

Love the kites!! Cute idea.

Catherine said...

I think your blocks are great! Your kites are something else! Sooo cute!

Lyndsey said...

Your blocks are lovely. Such great ideas. Also stop worrying about it not being perfect it all looks beautiful. Quilting is about having fun and being creative so enjoy yourself.

Thearica said...

You were busy busy! Love your blocks!

Betsy said...

Great use of your dots.

Wendy said...

so many gorgeous things you've made! I can't get my points to match either, no matter what! I think the aqua dot would look fab with the grey dot. I'm loving all the flowers too! I have that tattered flowers die and have never used it, so thanks for the inspiration!

Sparky said...

Good Morning...an absolutely charming dotty collection...love your kites, flowers, well everything....YOU are a dotty enthusiast lol ohhh loved the boys school pics...they are such BOYS lol

Sheila said...

Great wallhangings, and flowers! Thanks for being part of the hop.

beaquilter said...

lovely blocks and cool little flowers

krislovesfabric said...

Your flower blocks are particularly stunning! Thanks for sharing and of course I'm a follower :)

Cliodana said...

your blocs are very great but have a big crush on your blue flowers! so beautiful i'M thrill you give some away!!!

Sharrieboberry said...

It is the perfect kite! Thanks for the tutorial!

Rose Prairie Quilts and Farm said...

I do the same thing at time, doesn't quite look the way I thought it should. Love the flowers, what girl doesn't like flowers.

Truffle queen said...

Geat blocks! Those points can drive you nuts - but you are the biggest critic! It's a beautiful block - as are ALL of your blocks! I REALLY like the last one - flowers and buttons! So sweet! Thanks for sharing!!

Gill said...

I love the seaside quilt! What a great idea!

Amy, a redeemed sheep said...

Wowza! You have gotten a lot done! It's so hard to choose my favorite block, but I think i like the fabric flowers growing out of the pot. That one is super cute!

Daryl @ Patchouli Moon Studio said...

You certainly were a busy gal. I like those die cut flowers. I think your first block with the dots and stripes needed perhaps a bit more contrast with the colors as it needed something to make the block pop a bit more. I think we all have trouble with matching points at times...that's where you can get creative and add touches of applique or buttons to place on those not-so-perfect points. It is a nice block.

Mommarock said...

Love those kites!

Fignie said...

BEAUTIFUL!! I can't seem to pick one that I like the most - they are all stunning to look at! And, I kept admiring the flowers - and then to read you're doing those as the giveaway - Good idea! :)

pinsandneedles said...

Very clever idea with the kites/beach chairs. Thanks for sharing!

Carol Swift said...

Even with all that mojo eluding you, you sure came up with some beautiful blocks. The kites are very, very cute! Love the flowers, too. Thanks for hopping with us. :O)

Charlene S said...

If you produce all this wonderfulness with no mojo, then with it WOW!

Susan said...

Thank you for sharing all of your fun projects! Very creative!

Kathy H said...

Your blocks and flowers look great. You came up with some wonderful ideas. I am a new follower and look forward to your posts.

Laurel09 said...

Cool giveaway - I love the dotty flowers you made! I think my daughter and I could find some really fun things to do with those! Also quite like the beach scenes you made.

Ariane said...

Oh I love all your blocks!!! They are just wonderful!!!

Corrie said...

The kites are really cute in all of the dots! Thanks for showing all of them. Neat flowers!

Sara Hall said...

I love the flower and button block, so adorable!

SIMPLESEW said...

I love all your flowers, and those cute kiddos... Hope to see you on my Dots to Dots Day

Diann said...

What an interesting assortment of blocks. The kites on the beach are fun, but my favorite is the 3 dimensional flower block. Nice job!

Just Quilt It said...

I love all of the beautiful blue fabrics. You are very ambitious to take on so many great blocks.

IHaveANotion ~ Kelly Jackson said...

You sure have been busy...such beautiful creations. The dimensional flowers grabbed me...thanks so much for sharing.

Smiles,
Kelly

blueberrymoon said...

Fantastic blocks!! The kites are really cute!!! Great work!

Joyce Carter said...

All of your blocks are so beautiful! I love the beach scenes with the kites. And the flowers are gorgeous.Thanks for sharing and for the giveaway.

Gmama Jane said...

Oh I just love your flowers! I like the one from your last post too!! I would be thrilled to win some and would use them for my granddaughter's hairbows!!
I'll become a follower
Blessings
Gmama Jane

Judith said...

Blocks on Dots are wonderful and love the dotted flowers. Thank you for the tutorial. Great ideas and enjoyed visiting. Judith, Texas

Susie said...

Love the blocks even the one you think is not good. Thanks for sharing. Susie x

StitchinByTheLake said...

I loved the way you put the stripes and dots together in the first block, but fell in love with the three dimensional flowers! And the kites are just darling - that would make a great kid's quilt. :) blessings, marlene

Anonymous said...

Your flowers are just so fun! It was lovely to visit with you and I'll be back to see what other lovelies you're working on.

Rosemary B❤️ said...

Rosemary B Here:
I love the blocks you made. Really great and creative! Thank you for sharing your project!

Cecilia said...

I rea lly like your kite blocks and your dotty flowers. You accomplished a lot considering you were so busy. Thank you for sharing.

legato1958 said...

Your kites blocks are so darling!! All of your dots blocks are so darn cute!

Thanks for the giveaway chance. I am a new follower.

susie
legato1958@aol.com

sew.darn.quilt said...

Your kites and flowers are superb,
these are such sweet hangings.
Thank you for the chance

Phyllis said...

I love the flowers and the colors you chose. The kites are great too!

Scrapbook-ChickADoodle said...

Very cute. Especially love the bright kites and the flowers. Thanks for the tut and the opportunity to win.

Needled Mom said...

I love all the pretty flowers and the colors are wonderful and fresh. They will be fun all sewn together.

Anonymous said...

Fun blocks. As a "quilting" gardener or a "gardening" quilter...I love flowers! I just clicked to "follow you". Come see me now or during the WICKED Blog Hop!

Lelia said...

Oh my, what lovely projects. Thx for sharing. And your flowers are AWESOME! I adore fabric flowers, too.

Enjoy the day

Patty said...

Thanks for sharing all the ideas.

Lisa said...

You make great flowers and kites! Really love all your little blocks

Quilt n Queen said...

WOW you have been busy playing with your fabrics...lots of dots and lots of inspiration. Great job! and thanks for sharing, see you in the next hop...happy stitching, Pauline

barbara woods said...

love your blocks thanks

Amy's Crafty Shenanigans said...

Loving the pots of flowers and the applique flowers with button centers - so clever!!! Fun giveaway!!

Susan said...

I love the kites! Thanks for the tutorial and I am going to make some of these this afternoon. Love the fabric roses. I am a new follower.

Linda said...

You've certainly been busy! What cute ideas you have! I'm now following you and look forward to seeing what you will show in the future!

BizyStitches said...

I really love the beach blocks. So cute. Thanks for the tute.

Brenda said...

I do love the little kites flying over the beaches! So cute ! I really like the flowers you made and the buttoned flowers that you did. All beautiful!

Lyn said...

The kites were my favorite. Love the little flowers. really nice! Thanks for sharing

Anonymous said...

Love the little kites!

PolkaDotClassic said...

Love your blocks! very creative and I have been there when something dosent look like it was in our "quilting dreams"
Thanks for sharing
Marta

Anonymous said...

OMG Sunshine Girl, it's a wonder you get anything done with 4 boys! They must keep you pretty busy. Your blocks are very cute, I love the color turquoise, so anything with that in it would be my favorite. Your little kites are so cute. Thanks for sharing-from CA, USA!

gpc said...

Love it all, especially flowers and kites! What happy work! :)

Aunt Marti said...

Love your kites!

MoeWest said...

This is a great collection of dotty projects. I especially liked the bright kites block and the 3D flowers.

Laura Ann said...

Love what you've made :) your points on the first block are perfect.. and I love the 3'd flowers u made.. :) I wanna learn!

Sheila said...

Great job of all of these blocks , love the beach scenes.

Homemaker Honey said...

My favorite block is the one with the flower pot!

Deborah
homemakerhoney @gmail .com

Cindy said...

Lots of fun blocks. I love the kites the best!

Debby said...

Love, love, love those flowers in that pot block. Your work is happy and I thank you for sharing today. Debby (in Virginia, DC suburbs)

Karen said...

What great blocks! I really love the kites. I haven't seen that before, so thanks for sharing not only the block but also the tutorial for making the kite shapes! :)

tink's mom said...

Your flowers are amazing and I really love the kites. Thanks for the how to.

LJ said...

What a wonderful array of blocks!! Yes, I'm sure you're too picky - most of us quilters feel the same way. My favorite project was the second kite block - the colors just jumped. Great work!

evelyn said...

These are beautiful. They would make a great quilt. Don't be too fussy-when you have lots of blocks together-the little mistakes just disappear. Thanks for the kite tut.

Michelle May-The Raspberry Rabbits said...

Love them all!

Marjorie's Busy Corner said...

great pieces...love your flowers

Sue said...

Great work! I love the kites. They are wonderful!

✾Jamie Lee Cooley✾ said...

Those kites sure are cute, and so are the handmade flowers.

Connie Kresin Campbell said...

Great blocks, neat flowers and kites!!

Farm Quilter said...

I really like your first block - mixing the stripes with the dots looks great! Actually, all your blocks are wonderful! So much creativity!!! Your flowers are amazing!!! Since I enjoy the way you natter on, I'm a follower :)

In stitches and seams said...

great little kite lesson... love your projects ...sew many to chose from to pick a favorite ... I think I would pick the kites as it has been sew windy this summer
in stitches

Janet said...

Oh I posted on your last post - now I have to post here. Anyway I love the kites and the dotty flowers. So clever.

Joanne said...

How fun! Your projects are a wonderful and refreshing sight to see. Thanks for taking the time to share all of them. You know, regarding your first project that you decided to abandon, we are our own worst critics. Relax and revel in your talent! You have tons of it. :-)

Julie said...

Love your festive blocks! Your flowers are way cute, perfect with dots!

Kay said...

Your work is amazing, you had me with the first piece in aqua which is one of my all time favourite colours. Thank you for the info on making the kite design too. Super pretty giveaway.
ks(dot)eyles(at)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk

Leah said...

Love all the blocks! Great work!

Annieofbluegables said...

Wow, I love all your blocks and the roses beneath. You are so talented.

Barb said...

You post was another one that kept me smiling!

dream quilt create said...

All of your dotty projects are gorgeous!

Nanbon44 said...

love the flowers, thanks for all the great ideas

Julie C. said...

You made so many cute projects with your dots! I love the kites, but the flowers stole my heart. Thanks for the inspiration.

Lori said...

Wonderful blocks. I especially like the kites. The flowers are pretty. I have ideas already. Thanks.

Katherine said...

Fabulous! I'm especially loving the block with the dimensional flowers. Too cute.

Thanks so much for sharing and being a part of the hop!

Kim said...

Your blocks are sew much fun! Thanks for sharing.

Suze said...

I love the quilt with the flowers. You are very creative. Thanks for doing a giveaway of flowers - how sweet you are!

Missus Wookie said...

I always like seeing what you've come up with. Love the stripy colourful deck chairs - very summery :)

Shannon said...

Beautiful blocks!! All of them are so sweet. Great job. I hope you have your mojo back!!

Carolyn in Kentucky said...

I love all your blocks, but especially the flowers you have made. thanks for the tut on the kite.

Vesuviusmama said...

Had to laugh since you started by saying you didn't get much done and then went on to show gobs of projects! Lovely, all of them!

Pat said...

I love all your blocks but I think the flowers with buttons is my favorite.

Rebeckah Austin said...

Love the blue, it is so peaceful :)

Anonymous said...

I love the colors in the first block... but strips can be tricky!
Your kites are just perfect! Thanks for joining in fun.

Anonymous said...

... I meant "stripes" not strips. Fingers don't keep up with the thought process... ;-)