A Belated Happy 2016

I haven't posted for a few months for various reasons, but none of them very awful or worrying.  I just didn't have anything to share and also got tied up with personal things.  I have finally been able to get back to making quilts and would like to show them. 

I did complete the quilt I was working on for my sister and gave it to her for Christmas.  She was very pleased with it which is very gratifying. 

A few weeks ago I began work to finish the PatchKats quilt (by Denise Russart) and have the top done.  It's very big, I think the largest quilt I've ever worked on.  I had to purchase 3.5 yards of 105 inch backing.  Quilting this monster is going to be a trip.

I went back to making the blocks for Jacquelynne Steves' Sew Sweet Simplicity

quilt from last year.  I'm working on that while I wait for the fabric I've ordered for a quilt I will be making for my sister's middle granddaughter.  At Christmas she asked me to make her a quilt; I love that. 

 I used my Sizzix for the apple applique. 

So now I have two blocks and either 2 or 4 more to go.  I'm going to use this as a table cover.

I hope you are all well and enjoying your time to create lovely things.

God Bless!

Coffee Grounds, A Year of Cottages and Kats

 I'm showing off my lily because this is the first year in about 4 or more years that it has bloomed, and the secret is coffee grounds.  This poor plant has been attacked by small red beetles every year, and nothing I did worked (I do not use poisons, just bee friendly, butterfly friendly and pet/people friendly things.)  I always throw coffee grounds in the garden and this year I threw them directly on this plant, just by accident.  I noticed after a few days that there were no beetles (after I picked off one.)  So every day this lily was covered by coffee grounds and every day it grew.  And it made me happy by blooming.  Now I'm using coffee grounds directly on any plants that show bug damage.  It's pretty darn good.

 This month we sewed a small portion of the non-black kats bodies together.  So I'm up to date on this project (PatchKats designed by Denise Russart.) 

 A week ago I completed the last little house in the A Cottage Year quilt, designed by Kathy Schmitz and shared with me by Lesley of The Cuddle Quilter.  I devoted whole days to getting the embroidery done and felt great when I cut that last floss.  But now I have to put them all together.  Not sure what I'm going to do.    

I like the way this looks, but have to get the right fabric mix for the log cabin strips that finish the block.

My apologies to Sharon of Vroomans Quilts for leaving out the quilt block charm from my "Let's Book It" prize.  When I opened the package I was so happy with the sewing machine that I stopped looking for anything else.  Isn't it neat?

I have a few more Lynette Jensen books that I'm drooling over, and I'm loving her quilt, "Twilight Village."  It's in The Thimbleberries Book of Quilts published in 1998, and it fits right in with the current house block designs that are popular.  I will probably work on it along with the Cottage Year quilt.  That should keep me busy for awhile.

Hope you are enjoying your quilting time.

God Bless You.

Canterbury Bells

A clowder of kats.