Block-a-Palooza, Blocks #9 and 10

(I meant to post this before the February small projects post, but oops!)

Block #9

Here is Scott's block: Lemonade Stand.  He blogs over at Blue Nickel Studios.

I really liked this block and at first, I wasn't really sure if I would. I wanted to add in more of the deeper pink fabric from the first block. It sort of is a color cousin to John's Block #1, with the darker pink in the corner and the blue/green hop dot.

This is a detail of the center 9-patch.  The geese were 1.5" x 2.5" unfinished! The tutorial called for piecing three triangles, but I did the basic square-on-rectangle method, because I knew they'd have a better chance at coming out pretty close to the way they were supposed to.

The colors in the photo above are wrong, but there seems to be something happening between Photoshop and Flickr and I can't be bothered to make them agree.

Block #10

Amy from Amy's Creative Side contributed Turned Geese to Block-a-Palooza. I love this design!  It's very modern, there are 16 geese in this block!  Amy uses the no-waste method in her tutorial, as Kay did.  I really like it, though, I still may do the best with the waste method...  Gotta practice more. I wanted to make a blue block. But I didn't want to use the strong stripes in this, since I couldn't work out whether my stripes would end up going the right way with the no waste method. and because the stripes tend to take over any block I use them in. I have another one that is lovely, but I think this design was better for smaller prints.

1. Block #1, 2. Block #2 Word Search, 3. Block-a-Palooza Block #3, Shoofly Geese, 4. Block #4, 5. Block #5 - Geesey McNinePatch, 6. Block-a-palooza #6 - You are here, 7. Block-a-Palooza Block #7, 8. Block #8, 9. Block-a-Palooza Block #9

Random comments about the Bloggers Block-a-Palooza experience:

I love it! I'm having a great time following along. I'm excited to see the new block every Monday or Thursday. I have enjoyed each one for different reasons. I have also definitely looked at blocks and said, "That is incredible and I don't think I can do that!" But taking it one block at time, each component at a time, lo and behold I have kept up. 

Block #9 above was one that I looked at and said, "hmmm... I'm not sure if I'm into this one." But then after I made it - I really liked it. I love the tiny, delicate geese in the middle. It's one of my husband's favorites. His other favorite is Block #10, which I also like. Even though it is made up of the same components as all the other blocks, it manages to look really different. I'm not sure I want to go so far as to say this (but I guess I will), but it seems like the most modern-looking of the bunch.

I really love Kaye's Block #5 and Monica's Block #6. I found them quite challenging. I remember seeing them and thinking - "oh, my version is going to be terrible." And true, my construction of Monica's is not stellar, but when I look at them, I am so happy because I think they are such great designs and I'm happy with the choices I made for them and the fact that I actually put them together. (Run-on sentence much?!) I'm even thinking of doing a riff on Kaye's block as a whole quilt!

I think that Cherri's Block # 4 and Angela's Block #8 are the most traditional looking. That being said, I love the simplicity of Cherri's pinwheel. And I think the basket applique makes Angela's block unique.

(Isn't this typical Type B behavior that I didn't start from Block #1 and go in order from there?)

I think John's Block #1 was THE perfect starting point. I wish that I had made my diagonal a little more pronounced. I know from the Flickr pool that these geese were firsts for a lot of us and I love that it set the tone for the whole quilt-along - 9-patches and/or geese. I think Amanda's Block #3 was another great one and really complemented John's.

The last two are Elizabeth's Block #2 and Heather's Block #7 - the square blocks. Heather's block is one that I might re-do (but probably not because I'm too lazy) - due to my choices, NOT her design. With the simpler blocks, I think I needed to take more care with the fabric selection because I couldn't rely on a complex design to carry the block. I also did not add enough contrast to the diagonal in Elizabeth's block. And even though I think it's going to stick out as a Packers' block (green and gold - I'm actually a Minnesota, so I can't really cheer for the Packers) in the final quilt, I thought it was a  great block to construct, from an experience point of view.

My only other note is that this has been a great exercise in choosing fabrics. I am choosing within a set cohort of fabrics - the Nicey Jane collection, Grunge fabrics in Poplin and Duchess, and Kona Snow and Corn Yellow. But I try to be deliberate in the fabrics I choose for each component. I think this quilt-along lends itself to smaller scale fabrics. I do have several FQs that have larger 5"-7" motifs and they don't really fit in this concept. Some are getting chopped up smaller and some are just getting passed over.

I am really, really enjoying this and learning a ton. I am really enjoying seeing everyone else's blocks. Check them out at the Block-a-Palooza Flickr Group. And I really, really like to say really.

Really.