More Rainbow Around the Block

I felt bad that we weren't able to use more of Oh Fransson's scraps when we got together for the charity sew , since that was my express desire for winning them. I've been so busy lately with work, finishing up the DQS9, and various other bees and swaps, that I haven't had time to put these together. But my husband got some last-minute Saints tickets and went to the game with his brother Friday night, so I put my nose to the grindstone and took advantage of several hours of unadulterated sewing time! Me, Whiskers, my sewing machine, and J.J. Abrams' Star Trek had a party, and here are the fruits of my labor:

Three New Blocks
(I had to throw in the Tula Pink fleur de lis block to represent New Orleans...woot woot!)

All of My Blocks

All of the NOLA Modern Quilt Guild Blocks

So there you have it! Our guild thought it was important to do our small part and contribute to Rainbow Around the Block since the entire country rose up to help New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Flood vics gotta stick together ;)
But on a serious note (and I'm rarely serious...it's not in my nature), there was something special about mailing these blocks off to Anna Maria's flood relief effort the weekend that marked the 5 year anniversary of Katrina. The city is really roaring back to life, and the Saints Super Bowl win definitely help reinvigorate the city and boost morale ;)...but there are still so many deep scars. My husband and I moved here shortly after Katrina because we wanted to help the people down here and minister to them. Sometimes that means doing a lot of listening. I've found that for most people, all they want is someone who will listen to their story and care. I can't tell you how many cashiers, sale clerks, random ladies in the grocery store, and fellow elevator riders I've listened to. I stood in the middle of Dillard's one day and cried with a lady in the men's department as she told me what she endured in the aftermath of Katrina...and how many people she lost. Despite what you may see in the media, the people of New Orleans are good. They are kind. Generous. Accepting. Devoted. Friendly. Loving. Strong. I'm proud to call New Orleans my adopted home, and New Orleans is proud to welcome me and anyone else with open arms.
New Orleans wants to know the world still cares, and I'm sure Nashville does too. Let's show them we do :)

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Blocks Galore

I didn't do much sewing last week, but I was most definitely a busy bee this weekend. We had a Weekend Sew on Saturday from 10-2 at the newest quilt shop in town (The Quilted Owl), and while they focus more on traditional/reproduction fabrics, they had the most adorable mini Scottie quilt kit. I shall make it, let Whiskers MacTavish sniff it (but not for too long or he'll try to snatch it from my hands and chew it in a dark corner), and then hang it on my wall to be "awwww-ed" over by everyone. Who doesn't love Scottie patterned things?

Only three people (including myself) were able to make blocks for Rainbow Around the Block at our Sew this Saturday, but my mother-in-law came by to offer moral support (and crack jokes) and we had a great time! How could we not have a fabulous afternoon when Oh Fransson! sent me a giant box of scraps for us to use, the owners of The Quilted Owl bought all three of us lunch, and we had one of those wandering conversations that starts somewhere good but ends up being irrevent and hilarious and involves bathing children in Coca-Cola (don't ask). In my opinion, it doesn't get much better than that!

Below are some pictures of everyone's blocks from Saturday. I think I'm going to make a few more with Oh Fransson's scraps before I mail these in, because I feel bad that the 3 of us were only able to use a tiny fraction of her giant stack of scraps. I wanted to win that fabric for the sole purpose of making blocks for Rainbow Around the Block, but our mighty army of three barely put a dent in it! My goal is to make at least 5 more. I think if I use a simple pattern it should be fairly easy ;)

Our Guild's Blocks!

My Blocks
(I copy-catted Angela's design for the 2nd one because it was presh!)

Angela's Blocks (blog)

Karen's Blocks (blog)

And finally we have a photo of my newest 3x6 Bee block! One of my swapmates (Ms. lnwcohen) asked for an aqua + orange + white block, so here you have it! This block pattern is rather meticulous, so I've only gotten two done so far (see the first one here). I don't mind the time-consumingness though because they're so friggin' cute, use a ton of my scraps, and are really fun to put together. My goal is to finish the remaining 4 and throw them in the mail by the end of August.

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