Around the World Blog Hop!

Today I am participating in the Around the World Blog Hop--I was invited by Gina over at Occasional Quilter.  The goal of this hop is to share a bit about my creative process (or lack thereof) and invite others to join in the fun!  You can read Gina's post HERE.  It is always neat to see how other folks create so I will be linking up to three more blogs at the end of my post so the fun can continue.   I also love the ability to connect with other bloggers and see what they are doing that inspires me!

Who am I?
I am "Andee in AZ" and Bonnie Hunter's # 1 Fan!  At least that is how I identify myself to all my quilty friends.  I have been seriously addicted to quilting for the past ten years or so.  I sew a lot!  People seem to think I get lots done, my most frequent comments are about how many finishes I have.  I always have several works in progress and a few marinating but I rarely have anything I can really call a UFO--I am a finisher!

What am I working on?

If you follow my blog you are aware of all the fun stuff I am sewing, but in case you are new I will share what I have been up to lately!

I have been on a Block of the Month kick this year!  I am working on this Quilt of Valor from the Quilter's Newsletter Magazine "Ooh Rah!" pattern on their website.  Check out the pattern if you want it.  I donate my Quilts of Valor to Alycia in Colorado!  She has a great blog with pictures of soldiers getting quilts and can always find someone willing to quilt and bind my flimsy so I can donate my fabric and time doing what I like to do--piece them!

I am working on the Classic Meets Modern Quilalong on Sew at Home Mummy's blog.  This BOM is obviously modern and while there are tutorials that are super easy to follow, there are also suggestions to help make each block more uniquely your own.  This is about as far as I go toward designing anything!  I love that it stretches me and that each block is incredibly fun--I am not sure I can give this one away when I get it done!

For my third BOM, I am working on "Traditions" which is from a local shop BOM.  Here is what I have so far on those blocks.  The best part of this one is the cost of all the fabric for the blocks is ten bucks as long as you keep up with each block and show up to pick up the next block on your day/time.  Fits my current budget and keeps me on track!

I also have a long term leaders and enders project.  This is a challenge set forth by Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville in which we make a specific block as leaders and enders between other projects.  This year Bonnie has us sewing lozenges!  I have found I do better with this sort of thing if I do it by color--turning it into a smaller monthly goal so I do the Rainbow Block of the Month color for each month and by the end of the year I will have enough for a full quilt.  This month the color is lime green--I went ahead and did all the greens so I may just start assembling some of what I have this month so it doesn't wait til December!

I am also doing the Rainbow Scrap Challenge Sampler.  Angela is hosting this at her blog this year.  We follow the rainbow color and make fun blocks that Angela suggests and provides tutorials for.    Here are all the blocks I had done about a month ago, and the red ones added since.  I have never done so many 6 inch finished blocks and it is really fun to use my precut scraps and have such variety in here!  I also love that there are traditional and more modern looking blocks. 

 Another long term project I am working on is Wild and Goosey--designed by Bonnie Hunter.  This pattern is from Quiltmaker.  It is in the May/June issue from 2013 and you can find it here.  These blocks are paper pieced and are each one is scrappy goodness!  I love each and every block!

I feel like the brights make this one look more modern.

Hawaii Sunset on the other hand is old fashioned traditional!  I love it too!  This one is waiting on sashing and borders to be complete.  I love civil war fabrics almost as much as I love modern fabrics.  I just keep putting off finishing this one!

 I can almost label this quilt a UFO...this is Talkin' Turkey (another Bonnie Hunter don't you know) which I did for the Rainbow BOM last year.  I had hopes of making another of each color this year but I just have not done it!  I love to look at the blocks and do plan to get it back under the needle soon.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I am a pattern follower and rarely venture out from a pattern!  When I first started quilting I really preferred working with one line of fabrics, or at least coordinating fabrics and I mostly did traditional piecing.  As time went on I realized I really like the look of scrappy!  It took Bonnie Hunter's Orange Crush mystery quilt and alot of time sewing on it with tons of different fabrics for me to fall in love with scrappy!  I love scrappy even more than coordinated now!  Then farther along the line I realized I loved the look of modern quilts!  I started sewing more modern stuff, but at the same time I kept on sewing traditional stuff.  So that might make me unique, it seems like most quilters I know prefer one style over another and I really like them both equally! 

Why do I write/create what I do?
I love to document things.  I started out writing in a journal and putting real pictures in it of each and every quilt I sewed.  I number my quilts too!  Eventually I found someone's blog and decided to start writing online--eventually I stopped writing in my journal and the online outlet became my documentation of my quilting and my life.  I wish I could read about my great grandmother's life and so I hope one day my descendants will read about me and my family. 

Now be sure to continue hopping along and visit three of my bloggy friends!
1. Ros the Quilter is my go to longarmer of choice who lives about forty minutes from me.  She is a dog lover and fab grandma who always has tales of the grands on her blog--along with lots of quilty goodness of course! She also loves Bonnie!
2. Amy of Amy's Passions is a fellow Packer fan who lives really close to my Dad's old place in Wisconsin!  We have shopped at the same quilt shops and share a love of all things Bonnie Hunter but we have yet to meet in person.  Her blog has quilting, crocheting, life, kids, gardening and lately even hobby farming!  I feel like I know this lady without actually meeting her.
3. Angela of SoScrappy shares my name, my love of Bonnie, and all kinds of inspiration on her blog!  She writes of work and home, kids, trips and lots of quilty stuff!  She hosts the Rainbow Scrap Challenge and has a weekly link up for all of us rainbow sewers!  I have not met her in person yet,  
since she is in Florida, but I am hoping one day I will meet her too!