Sunday, February 22, 2009

Welcome, OP Challenge Blog Hoppers!


Good morning! Welcome all of you OP Challenge Virtual Reality blog hoppers. It's early. The kettle just boiled so the tea is steeping and I'm ready to show you how I improvisationally piece one of Pat's blocks. Above you can see the prize for one of you hoppers who leaves a comment on this post today. There's lots of lovely floss and decorative threads, beads, buttons, ribbon, fabric, some little cards, and some tags I stamped for you, and a festive nail file. Naturally, in keeping with the challenge, everything is ORANGE! Now, back to the sewing. This block divides down the middle quite nicely, so first, I free cut the fabric for the center block.

Next comes the fabric for the outside block.

These can be chained pieced together. (While I'm not showing photos of it, I always press after I've sewn a seam.)

Next, I free cut the sides of the outside square.

Now I'm ready to sew my second seam.

To make the cross in the middle, I first sew two side sections together with a strip of the cross fabric.

After those are sewn and pressed, I cut the final strip for the cross.

After pressing, here's the new block.

I'll be working on the back of my "Mérida Remix" piece today, taking lots of pictures, and updating progress this evening. Thanks for your comments!

81 comments:

jabeybaby said...

Enjoyed your blog and what a nice giveaway!

Margi said...

Absolutely love how you are doing your blocks and WOWSER on the orange. Gotta love it, I'm thinking about putting pink and green in the mix today to go with the purple and orange! WOO HOO!

margi

Sarah Vanderburgh said...

Thanks Dana. Great giveaway. I will be referring to your way to build the block now that I'm getting down to my scraps of orange. I'll be able to get a few more blocks out of my favorites this way.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful orange giveaway, orange is my favorite color! My blocks (mini version) are done!! This has been fun!

Anonymous said...

I like the free cutting idea....I may try this on the next quilt. Cuz I'm really liking this block! Monica, ment1234@aol.com

rebecca said...

What a fun bucket of goodies!! Rebecca

Anonymous said...

Love your OP block. I like blue/navy with the oranges, and I made a blue orange block, too.
Your prize looks wonderful. Pick me, pick me! lol

Anonymous said...

Pick me, pick me! I guess it doesn't hurt to beg a little. But since I rarely win anything, it might not help. Thank you for the quilt block tutorial and thank you for participating in the OP Challenge Blog Hop. Take care.

Anonymous said...

Pick me, pick me! Please pick me! Just a little begging. Since I rarely win, I thought I'ld give it a try. Thank you for the block tutorial, and all that you do. I really never did a blog hop. It's sure interesting to see what is "out there." Take care.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Dorrie said...

Love your blog and what a nice giveaway, orange is definitely in!

Christina D said...

I like your free form cutting.Thanks for sharing your instructions! I would love to use
the threads if I win!

Unknown said...

Dana...thanks for the short tutorial on your OP block. I've been having fun making the OP blocks this weekend. And am having fun with the "blog hop". What beautiful threads of orange in the giveaway! Here in Wisconsin everything is white (as in snow) so that wonderful orange is making things brighter!

Niena said...

Hi Dana. Wud luv to win ur giveaway :). It wud be a great achievement coz I had nvr win anything b4. But it wud be stupendous just to imaginine bout winning it, afterall I've been following ur blog less thn a week. Anyway, I do enjoy reading ur blog. Hv a nice day.

Ruth B said...

Oh my, it is orange paradise! I'm lovin the orange and will keep my fingers crossed on your giveaway.

Carrie ~ Cricketwood Prims said...

Thanks for showing your OP project, love your bright orange and purple....
What a wonderful giveaway.

Mel said...

Love your OP post! I'm having a great time sewing up my OP blocks! I love the challenge to use orange as the focus fabric!!

Trudi said...

What a lovely blog, and thanks fro the tutorial, its really creative, I'dbe tempted to squared them up, but in a wonky way :0) Lovely givaway too, hope I win!

lesthook said...

Love your blocks and your bakelite braclet!

andsewon said...

Oh another push for me over to the brighter orange side. Nice giveaway for sure!
Lola

Unknown said...

Great prize! I really enjoy your blog!

Qubie said...

What a cute giveaway. Your blocks are looking great. Hope to see more from you.

Rita said...

What a fun selection of all things orange! Thanks for offering a great giveaway.

Darla said...

I am late to the OP retreat weekend, my family does not take a break.:( The block looks wonderful,and fantastic giveaway!

Anonymous said...

I love all the yummy orange - my favorite, the orange sunglasses eraser.

ljeannej@yahoo.com

QuilterMary said...

I'm loving the orange! and the blog hop!

QuilterMary said...

loving the orange!

QuilterMary said...

loving the orange!

Susan @ Blackberry Creek said...

Great technique. Sign me up for the giveaway, please.

Anonymous said...

Everything orange-perfect choice for an op giveaway! Your freehand cuts are a great idea. I'll have to try it on a scrappy quilt.

Mary on Lake Pulaski said...

The photo of your prize looks like a work of art. I am loving orange more and more every day.

Linda said...

I like your OP blocks! I also like how you are putting them together! Thank you for the tutorial!
Great giveaway! Thank you for hosting one!
Linda

Alba said...

Woah that's a lot of orange loveliness you've got there. Thanks for taking the time to do the tutorial.

BigEeh said...

I love the red with the orange. I have not seen that yet, but the two really work well. Julie in WA

bestjlb said...

Love your blocks and your blog. I enjoyed reading about your books and reading plans. Have a wonderful day!
Janet in Kentucky

Anya said...

Such a colorful giveaway! Thanks for the chance.

Nancy said...

Oh what a wonderful free style quilt block.... I am working on my last 6 blocks...I needed to take a break as I found myself sewing the wrongs pieces together...LOL

Great giveaway as I stitch too and those oranges threads look great...

Jan said...

Yummy prize.
Love the blog & oP block.

Mad Hatter's Ex said...

I'm new at quilting, and this tutorial was awesome! THanks for the work you put into that! And cool orange bucket! I'll take the bucket!!!!!!!!!!!

71square said...

I love the free cutting idea. Saw another kind on another blog recently. The casualness of the cutting leads to a playfulness in the sewing and the finished project. And the way I sew, casual is probably best! Thanks for the variation!

Kim

Anonymous said...

I am not usually an orange person but am fast changing my mind. Love your block and your tutorial is great.

Becky said...

Love your more rectangular blocks!

Thanks for a great givewawy!!

aztel2000 said...

It was fun reading your blog and your blocks are looking great!

Wenche said...

This block is so easy to make and looks so good! If it wasn't for this OP Challenge Blog Hop I wouldn't have found yours! I need to read some more :)

Messy Karen said...

love your bold orange blocks. & the orange threads. thanks for the demo. i've enjoyed exploring and finding the different colors and techniques we are all using.

Anonymous said...

What a great give away
cant wait to see if i won
thank you for the chance
going to win
nice look see on how someone else makes a block great
ter
anmlvr13(at)yahoo(dot)com
trying to courage to set up a blog
give me some hope

Anonymous said...

I love the threads and all the other orange in your give away...what a creative blog.

Anonymous said...

Oh, Dana, thanks for showing your piecing technique for these blocks. I'm a bit of a hidebound traditionalist when it comes to cutting and piecing, but your demo makes it seem so much less "out there" somehow. I could do that! In fact, I WILL do that! Maybe not with my OP blocks, but some time soon. By the way, I read back a bit, and enjoyed your book meme answers. If I had a blog, that would be something I'd enjoy answering there myself ;-)
I'd enjoy winning your fabulous orange collection of goodies. Have fun today, can't wait to see your completed backing for your piece. Happy OP! -- Lydia

Amy R said...

Dana - Thanks so much for a great tip. . . I read your hand quilting post and I'll have to try that. . . leaving the tail long so I can pick up the thread when I move the hoop. . . Thanks again! So glad you joined in on Pat's OP Challenge. Glad I got to "meet you!"

Roselie said...

Your blocks are coming out great. Love the orange goodies. Nice blog.

Roselie

Anonymous said...

Hi Dana,

Love you blog and block, neighbor (globally speaking!). Those are some joy-joy colors!! What a fun collection in the giveaway!!

This is my 1st virtual retreat and blog hop and I'm happy to see non-bloggers and less connected other folks can comment. Thank you!

Lindabee said...

Love your orange blocks. Also love the giveaway. Thanks for participating.

Unknown said...

I found your website for the first time today, and will be back.I love the orange bucket and threads how generous. Please count me in for the giveaway

Unknown said...

I found your website for the first time today, I am not sure my last posting has been posted so here I am again. I love orange threads and the bucket. Please coount me in for the giveaway

Bfun1 said...

Love the orange and the bucket of embellishments!

MissaB26 said...

Wish I was brave enough to make blocks your way! Love your blog, I've added it to my RSS reader. And I'm stealing the book meme (I tried to find it on the Booklist website first to go back a source but didn't find it.)
-MissaB (another teacher-librarian, quilter and sometime theater geek)

Anonymous said...

Love the free form cutting instructions for the OP challenge. Thank you very much. And I would really like to win the bucket o'fun... how awesome!

Stitched With Prayer said...

I really really love your blocks. Boy, orange is starting to look like it should win "The Most Cheerful Color" award. Thanks for a chance for your Great givaway!!! I was wondering last night about doing the rest of my blocks without cutting them, thanks for the tutorial...wonderful.

Lisalou said...

This is my first Blog hop and it is really fun! Thanks for the chance for the great orangealious prize!!

Jan said...

I love your give away. I am doing one set of blocks with teal and green, the other with lime green and a white/pink/purple. Can't wait to see what we all get done.

Cloudmom said...

Great to see your progress!

Carrie P. said...

What a lot of fun orange stuff. Someone will enjoy your giveaway and maybe it will be me. Love your block.

Kwiltsfl said...

Quilts and books - two of the best things on earth! I love the Kaffe inspired baby quilt in a previous post!
Karen H

Kelly L. said...

What a wonderful orange bucket of fun! Non-quilters can't understand what makes a quilter's heart flutter like fabric, thread, embellishments!

Kelly
Quilter in Quakertown

Anonymous said...

Great new method of doing the blocks! Also liked your blog. I'd love a chance to win the giveaway.

Ray said...

Thanks for the offer of the wonderful giveaway! I need to get to sewing - I worked Friday and was busy yesterday - then slept in really late today -- OH MY!!

Dawn said...

Love your blog! Thanks for offering a give-away to add to the fun of the OP!
Enjoy!

Anonymous said...

All that yummy orange, I just love your giveaway!

Thanks for the chance to win such yummy prizes.

Sue Cahill (sbonetsue at yahoo dot com)

Jennifer said...

Love the giveaway ... yummy! Look forward to seeing your blocks come together ... the slight wonkiness of them is wonderful.

Jan said...

Hi Dana,
How fun was this. I started following you via facebook and now we are in the OP Challenge together. You won 1 of my surprise orange FQ sets. I have also sent you an email. Please send me your snail mail so I can get the package out to you.
Congratulations!

Sue said...

Thanks for a wonderful give-a-way and I've really enjoyed your blog.

Deb said...

I'd love to be entered for your giveaway. I'm taking a break from making blocks and doing some blog hopping!

Betsy said...

Your OP block is lovely.

scrapworking said...

Very creative! Thanks for the great giveaway. Love your blog header too!

Melody Ann said...

I love your site and your fabric choices. Thank you for sharing.

Melody Ann said...

I love your site, fabric and demonstration of how to make the blocks. Thank you for sharing. P.S. My first comment did not show up, I am sorry if I end up with 2 comments.

Melinda said...

I like the way you are piecing the block and love the things you are giving away. I am glad to have discovered your blog.

HelenMarie said...

I love the colors of your block... and what a great tutorial on how to make it!
hm

Unknown said...

Glad to have seen your blog, go Orange!!!!

Anonymous said...

Your blue and orange combo is smashing. Thanks for the tut on making the quarter blocks, and also offering such a nice gift from your blog. Nellie

Viooltje (Violet) said...

I'm also ironing my patched pieces al the time, but I'm a slow handquilter.
Lovely prizes, I hope I can play a long, I'm living in a different timezone and I'm bloghopping behind most of the OP prizedrawingfun all weekend, but I'm having great fun watching you all. *Ü*
Thanks!
:o)