from blank pages...: Exploring Creativity: My First Alphabet summed up! + SALE!

This post is a part of the Exploring Creativity series. You can read all about it HERE. And HERE is the post sharing the pattern for this month, My First Alphabet.

I meant to post his yesterday but I got TOTALLY distracted with the October's Exploring Creativity pattern!! It's going to be awesome!!! (Actually, they're going to be awesome!! As I was updating the pattern I originally picked for this month, I couldn't help but play around some more and came up with a spin off pattern from it which has turned into it's own pattern and well, I'll share more tomorrow! Stay tuned for the announcement and flash sale! You know I can't resist those flash sales.)

BUT of course before we move on, I want to sum up what I learned from making my My First Alphabet projects! (Which I'm still finishing up... heehee. I have two tops complete, and then the phrase with the 60-something letters is still in progress... I made 108 letters total! WOAH! I still think they are fun though, and could totally keep going!)

Alright, I am in a rambling mood, so let's just skip ahead to my projects...

I have been wanting to make an alphabet mini ever since I made this pattern. It just hasn't ever happened, until now! I couldn't resist using the 6 inch alphabet pattern to make these!! SO fun! I think I like the 6 inch pattern even more than the 3 inch pattern... though I don't think I can really say that and be honest. They both have their place.

All prints are by Anna Maria Horner. I used kona cotton white for the background, but through in some random low volume prints (cotton + steel, Lizzy House, Karen Lewis. I love how it turned out and can't wait to get this quilted up!

With this project I tried really hard to get the rainbow just perfect. Though what I really learned from this was to let go and just let it happen. I tend to be a control freak, but as I was assembling the Love is Made of Hearts quilt, it was so liberating to join all of these random blocks together and see how completely perfect it turned out!! There is no way I could have made it any better. That process taught me a lot about using the different variations of the prints and colors to add interest and beauty to the quilt, rather than seeing those as imperfections. I'll call it the journey of scrappiness.

So This was a good project to practice some scrappiness. and I'm really happy with how it turned out. (If you are on IG and liked this, thank you!!! I appreciate all the love!)

The second top I made is this one I drew up in orange and blue. I did like it in the colors that I originally saw it in, but I'm glad I changed it. Especially since copying someone else doesn't entail much exploration or creativity. lol.

I used this project to help me fine tune my own style and what I like, and help me figure out where I want to go with my own unique style. I used colors that I love, and decided to copy this disappearing 9-patch design that I used in this mini quilt - which I was really surprised at how much I love it!

I am going to do matchstick quilting on this quilt - with the lines super close together. It takes forever, but I LOVE the finished result.

And of course I love the message of this quote. What I take from it is how important it is that I am myself. Completely and entirely me. And only when I am ME, can I truly believe in myself. The two are inseparable, and I think integrity, personal integrity, is a ~~big~~ HUGE part of that. Otherwise that belief can't be anchored, because without that integrity, what you're attempting to believe in isn't real. And there isn't anything to anchor to in the first place. So to me it's a beautiful message of purity, freedom, and strength.

P.s. I have to add, that my husband loves me so much!! He removed all of the paper off of both of these projects for me!! I am totally spoiled! ;) Thank you Mr. Bohn! You're the best!

What did you learn and experience this month?
Did you find growth and direction as you worked on your projects, or even just planned or dreamed about what you would make?
I'd LOVE to hear your experience! (Seriously! I really want to hear it! I hope you'll share (If you blog about it or share on IG, you can link your post to the linky, or share in the comments below). And if you didn't really think about it last month, I hope you'll join me this month and notice where you're creative journey takes you!)

Summary of this months Tips:

Use scraps, and Piecing with dark fabrics HERE
Sizing tips, chart for 3 inch letters, and a new FREEBIE HERE
Color tips HERE
Links to my different paper piecing tutorials HERE
My new favorite paper piecing tip when not using cutting templates HERE! As well as tips and sizing chart for the 6 inch letters