Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Tour - Love it

http://www.quiltmaker.com/blogs/quiltypleasures/

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks issues are some of my very favorite magazines.  In fact, yesterday I browsed through my issues to find blocks to use for the Boston Modern Quilt Guild project for the Marathon victims, and of course, I was able to find several blocks that are perfect.  The tour for the newest issue is this week and there are many giveaways, so click the link above and join in.  Good luck to all of us:)

Quilts for Boston

This is an fyi post.  The Boston Modern Quilt Guild is collecting quilt blocks to make quilts for those who were affected by the horror of the bombings at the Boston Marathon.  Please visit their site and consider helping out if possible.  http://bostonmqg.blogspot.com/p/quilts-for-boston.html 

They also have a button to post to your website if you would like to do that.  I am a Massachusetts resident who has been praying along with others since this horror, and now I can contribute something materially as well.

Another fyi.  A few years ago I contributed blocks for the Quilts of Valor organization, and subsequently heard from one of the men who received a quilt from them that included some of my blocks.  It made him happy and made me feel that my time behind the sewing machine is very worthwhile.  I feel pretty sure that the same applies here. 

Thank you, and of course,

God Bless You.

Trip Around the World in Progress

My grand-niece asked me to make her a quilt in pastels and for some time I've been watching for a design that would catch my eye.  The April/May issue of The Quilter Magazine http://www.thequiltermag.com/ has on its cover a Trip Around the World quilt that is a bit different because it is set on point.  Julie Lynch designed it and she named her version Sun-Kissed World.  So now that I had my design I just had to get the fabric layout to my liking.  In a traditional Trip Around the World quilt there is a center  block with organized rows of colors orbiting around it (albeit in a square formation.)  I chose my fabrics and cut them  into 4.5" squares.

 

Then last Sunday I auditioned them and moved things around a bit.  I made a four patch square for the center block using the solid pastel fabric, Fairy Frost by Michael Miller. 

 

I thought this would be the final layout.

Today I began putting it together on point.   Excuse my sloppy bed; it made a good design wall.

 

When I got to the edge I just didn't like the coral so I changed to green and stayed with that.

 

 

Here are my rows.  The squares are sewn together and the rows are pressed in alternating left/right directions waiting to be sewn together.  I hope to get to that tomorrow.  Then I have to think about the border or maybe try it without one. 

 

 

I had a wonderful day sewing today.  This project came together so easily. 

 

I did finish America the Beautiful and love it. 

 

Hope you are enjoying your weekend as well.

 

God Bless You.

Hello World

The thing about working on UFO's is that there isn't much to post except the bits of progress so I 've let my blog rest for awhile.  I've reached the point on my America the Beautiful quilt where I am auditioning fabric for the binding and that makes me very happy.  I just have a few pictures of the FMQ I've done.  Look at the difference a little stippling makes.

 

And I've enjoyed making twinkly stars because they look nice and are easy. 

 

 

I am surprised at how long finishing this quilt has taken.  I am just not a fast quilter. 

I made the 10th block in the Ben Franklin qal http://erikhomemade.typepad.com/files/our-editor-block-10-benjamin-franklin-mystery-quilt-page-1-3.pdf  It is called Our Editor.

And I put together a body pillow cover using Blank Textiles' Bora Bora.  These fabrics transport me from my very sedate home to daydreams of the tropics. 

 

I finished the mini quilt I was making during SewCalGal's International Quilting Day.

 

I have won some nice things as well.

This is from the Worldwide Quilting Day site.  They had a whole month of giveaways.  I've never tried Aurifil thread so now I have the chance.  Thank you.

This I won from Judy Chain of Sew Fun Quilts during SewCalGal's Golden Quilters Awards.  I love that I have the makings of project already cut and ready to sew.  Thank you, Judy and SewCalGal.

And also from SewCalGal is this collection of batiks from Hoffman Fabric.  I hope you can see the pansies, daisies, ferns, leaves graphics and in the upper fabric the shells. There is also one with sea horses.  I had just purchased a Bali Snaps pack of Hoffman Fabric and as you can see it blends well with the other pieces.  This will be another fun project to put together.  Thanks again SewCalGal.

Is that it?  Think so.  I did put together another I Spy quilt for my sister's grand kids and my day was made when my nephew posted a picture of his little one and in the background was my quilt on the floor.  It's being used. That warms a quilter's heart. 

That's where I am.  Hopefully America the Beautiful will be a finish this week.  I hope you all had a blessed and happy Easter.

 

God Bless You.