Spicy Spiral Table Runner - #9 January 2013

I do realize that I already used the Spicy Spiral Table Runner as one of my other month's completed item.  But, the last 2 were not completed until the very last day of January.  And, these two table runners were the only items I actually finished in the month of January.  The first two Spicy Spiral table runners were given away as gifts in December.

I think what I learned with this project was that I don't need to make a whole bunch of one item.  Luckily, these were small and I actually finished them.  But I don't know that I need to make four of the exact same thing again any time soon.

Hawaiian Challenge

I like the idea of quilt challenges.  I haven't yet successfully completed a challenge but I like to think about what I would create within the challenge guidelines.
Four Winds Quilting was having a Hawaiian Challenge to brighten up the Montana winter days.  We had the choice of purchasing a fat quarter or 1/2 yard cut of fabric.  Other than that, the main rule was to have fun.
Since I have not yet learned that small items will possibly be completed in my lifetime, I opted for the 1/2 yard cut of fabric.

I picked up the fabric on Saturday, February 2.  I have been working on the challenge quilt but I am not as far along as I had hoped I would be.  The challenge items are due back at Nancy's store by 10AM on Saturday, February 23, 2013.  Hopefully, I am not still putting binding on that morning.
There will be 2 judges to review our Hawaiian Challenge entries.  The winner will receive a gift certificate to the Four Winds Quilting shop.

Common Bride

The last weekend of January, I got to go to a Common Bride retreat at Trackside Quilting in Laurel.  The Common Bride pattern is by Edyta Sitar.
The smallest pieces in the quilt are 1 1/4" squares.  Super small!
I picked up the pattern the Thursday about a week before the retreat so I could start cutting from my fabric stash.  I did have the light fabric cut by the time I went to the retreat but there is still a lot of cutting left to do.
The Common Bride pattern also has a lot of Y seams in the 25 star blocks.  Learning and getting proficient at Y seams is the main reason I wanted to work on this quilt.  I want to get better at Y seams.

By the end of the 3 day retreat, needless to say, I did not have too much completed.  Just the center star.

So far, I have not purchased any fabric for this quilt.  The pattern calls for 14 yards of fabric.  I have been going through my stash fabric and I have not been wanting for fabric for this project yet.
There is applique in this quilt too.  It will look really cool when it is complete but it is going to take me a long time.

Exchange Blocks

At both the day and night quilt guilds, they do a block exchange.  At the night guild, you have to sign up and commit for a year.  I have participated in the night guild block exchange before and I really did enjoy it.
At day guild, you make whatever block you would like from the two blocks presented for that month.  You could opt to do both blocks or no blocks that month.  When you have completed any 12 blocks, you will be allowed to present a block for other people to creat for you.
I must have been behind because in January I picked up 4 blocks to do for other people.  Since they are not a whole quilt, I just took a picture of all 4 blocks together.  Nothing too impressive but it will be fun when I get to present and receive blocks back.  I will just have to decide what I would like to do.

In the lower right hand corner, it appears that the "block" is just paper.  It is really green and cream half square triangles using a paper to sew along to get perfect straight lines.  The final result is supposed to be 2" unfinished half square triangles.