Like a Little Kid with a New Toy!

I've got a new bag of "potato chips" to share with you my friends!  These blocks are irresistible and YUMMY!

My very first Japanese x&+ block!!!

Yep, I just started a new can't-make-just-one-block project!!!  Honestly, I couldn't help it.... It's all Mary at Needled Mom's fault LOL!!!!  I was totally focused on getting a good chunk of my Diamonds are Forever blocks done this week, and feeling very virtuous :)  Head down, knocking out those blocks.... oh yeah!  I'm in the Zone!!!

Then suddenly, out of the blue - BAM!!!  

I got totally knocked off the tracks!  I was very innocently reading a few blogs the other day with my morning cup of tea as usual, when I pulled up Mary's blog post and saw her AMAZING Japanese x&+ quilt ....

Photo courtesy of Needled Mom

INSTANT LOVE!!!

You can read more about Mary's quilt HERE.

Oh my gosh!!!  I could look at this quilt all day and not get tired of it!  Look at all that scrappy goodness :)  Bright colors everywhere - it's just awesome!!!  Mary joined a Japanese x&+ group swap - what a great way to get so much variety!  My first thought was, "I want one!!!"

I must admit that I've fallen in love with every Japanese x&+ quilt I've seen - something about this pattern really appeals to me.   The first one I saw was made by Carol Muse Skinner, and she used all Kaffe Fassett fabrics.  You can see it HERE at her blog, Postcards from Panama.  Seriously - go see it now!  You'll be glad you did!  Friends, it just about made my eyeballs pop out it was SO beautiful!!!!  I decided then that I really wanted to make one for myself, but I got sidetracked, and before long I had forgotten it.

Then a few weeks ago, the bug bit again when I saw Carla's in progress - you can read about her quilt's journey at her blog Grace and Favor HERE....

Photo courtesy of Grace and Favor

.................. Oh!  I wanted every single one of those blocks!  Yes, my friends, I coveted them!!!  Teals and grays and limes - Oooo-la-la!!!!  Carla did a swap with her friend Cindy to build up the scrappiness of their blocks - great idea right?  She encouraged me to get started on a Jx&+ of my own, maybe even start a swap, but there was too much going on in my life right then and again I let the idea slide.  I did however Pin a tutorial on how to make the blocks from Badskirt blog :)

Then I saw Mary's quilt and the longing returned, full force!  When I commented on how beautiful her quilt is, she replied with lots of encouragement to start my own.  And when I said, "I really want to - maybe I'll do some color planning today ...."  she came right back with, "I'm holding you to it!"  And even offered to make up a few and send them to me to get me started... Wow - Mary is clearly a gifted Encourager!  How could I resist that???

Now you all know how I get when I start thinking in terms of color, right?  It's like offering a dog a steak bone!  It's all I can think of.  There's a reason they call it "stash" - as in "addiction"!  Once I started thinking about what colors I'd like to play with in this quilt, I was off and running - there was no stopping me!

Hot pinks!

Hot oranges and yellows!

With Blacks and Whites to frame them....

I had to wash my orange and yellow stash before I could do anything, and a good part of yesterday was spent washing the rest of my black/white fabrics.  I couldn't resist putting together block combos as soon as they came out of the dryer!  They are truly just as irresistible as a fresh bag of chips!!!

And now there are Four!!!

Between this new project and the Diamonds are Forever blocks, I think I'm in heaven :*)
Thanks to Mary and Carla, I'm well on my way to having my own Japanese x&+ quilt!!!
I'm kinda glad you can't see me doing the Happy Dance right now :*)

I bet you want to start your own now, too, don't you?  LOL!!!

And for an added bonus, this is my NewFO Challenge project for April

I just love checking things off the To Do List so early in the month =^..^=

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

=^..^=