A Very Easy Quilt

 Before you see the easiest quilt ever, these are the Block Head blocks I've made so far.  I'm still using a Moda Scrap Bag, but I did get some yardage for later.  I love these earthy shades.

 This is the easy quilt.  I received a free pattern from an order I placed with Suzzette's Fabrics.  It is just 10 inch squares sewn together with sashing and corner stones.  This is going to Hands2Help.  My jolly bar quilt doesn't meet the size requirements and I don't have any fabric even close to the shades in that quilt, so it's just easier to make another quilt.  I really like this easy quilt. 

This is the most recent Solstice block, Honey Bee.  I've got to sew on the petals, but I'm hoping to get other things done today. 

That's it.  

Have a wonderful week.

God Bless You.

Beginning Blockheads and Solstice Continued

 On the Moda blog, The Cutting Table, a BOW by 6 designers has begun.  I was drawn to it because the people involved tend to make traditional designs and their fabrics are primitive/reproduction types, which I also like.  The first block, Whirlygig, was given by Lynne Hagmeier of Kansas Troubles.  I had a Moda Scrap Bag to use which worked great because the pieces were 3.5 inches wide, the called for width. I'll see how far I can stretch it.

The 6.5 inch blocks seemed so small to me after making the super sized blocks for Solstice.

This week's block, Jacob's Ladder, is 18.5 inches.  

When I layed out all of my Solstice blocks it looks to me as if I have two quilts going.

I pulled out the darker floral.

What was left looked more harmonious to me.

It's might be too early to be playing around like this, but going forward I'll be choosing blocks for each separate quilt.  I don't think the fabrics work together.

I had a week taking care of a sick person, me, but things are looking up.

Stay well and God Bless!

Jolly Bar Quilt

Fat Quarter Shop sells a pre-cut they call Jolly Bars.  They are 10" by 5" cuts and come with a pattern for using them in a quick quilt.  I also have the book with patterns for using them, and that's where I found this design.  Since Confessions of a Fabric Addict is highlighting star quilts for her Hands2Help event this year, I chose this design and a Jolly Bar pack of Bunny Hill fabrics which I already had. 

 It did go together quickly, but the stars would show better with darker fabric.  

When I quilt it I will work at making the stars stand out.

 Without the border it was only 36.5" by 47.5" so I added the border to meet the charities' requirements. 

This is this week's Solstice Block.  

 When I put all of my blocks together I see too much white, so I would like to have a dark or medium sashing when I put it all together.  But that's a few months away.

Have a wonderful week.  I'm coming down with a cold so curses to that little germ that settled in me.

God Bless.

Begin again, or is it Same Old, Same Old?

 I took a bit of a blogging break and have missed my blogging friends.  I hope everyone is well. I'm feeling my age but who isn't?   I'm going to try to post at least once each week.  My goal is to get some of my many UFO's moved to the finished stack.  I began with this one, one of my favorites.

I began this project in January, 2012, made 12 blocks and then it became an UFO.  I never forgot it, but just didn't have an interest in putting the blocks together.  A few weeks ago I pulled it out and have made four more blocks.  This is the Radiant Star block designed by Eleanor Burns for the 2011 Winter issue of 100 Blocks by Quiltmaker.  I love this block.  I'm going to play with sashing ideas, and will definitely do borders.  

I joined Pat Sloan's Solstice QAL.  It's a block a week until June.  

Hopefully, this will not go to the UFO stack:)

You can't see the colors very well, but the common colors they all share are black and white. I may have chosen a few too many fabrics for this one, but there are at least 15 more blocks, so I'm hoping they all pull together in the final product.

Take care and God Bless Everyone!

Last Minute, As Usual

 Tomorrow is December 1st, and today I put together an Advent Calendar, just in time to begin counting.  This is a panel from Stof fabrics.  I love the simple images. 

I think I'm going to hang it with some satin ribbon, but it's my first Christmas decoration up so far.  It's a start.

We've been making pierogi ( a kind of Polish filled dumpling) at my parish which will be sold for Christmas.  I had a nice autumn harvest apron but not one for Christmas.  So, I made a reversible apron.  I used  another chef apron for the outline and sewed a pocket on each side, with some lace on the edge.   If I don't wear an apron I am covered with flour by the time we are finished.

I enjoyed a lovely Thanksgiving at my sister's.  Hope everyone enjoyed theirs, as well.

God Bless.

Maggie's October Dance

I noticed that I had not posted for the whole month of October and wanted to get one in before the end of the month.  This is the Maggie's First Dance quilt with the filler blocks.  It wasn't intentional to use Christmas colors, and especially with the floral theme, but I do like the impact they give. 

Autumn is here and the heat has been turned on, but I am loving the cooler temps and beautiful feeling of this season.  Today I am making apple butter in the slow cooker and it smells heavenly. 

God Bless.

A Finish and Closer to a Finish

Last year this quilt top was finished but not quilted.  Now it is and hangs in my living room.  I really love it.  This is a Lynette Jensen design from her book, Quilting for Harvest.

I'm working on quilting the Homespun Hearth mystery quilt I made earlier this year and hope it will be finished this week.  I went with just a narrow border of the two darker fabrics.  The binding will probably be the plaid.  The backing is the lighter floral.  This was all pulled from my stash, and I like the darker tones.  In fact, the light floral is fabric from my late mother's stash. 

This is the fourth and last block for the Maggie's First Dance BOM by Jacquelynne Steves. 

In October we will receive the setting.  Some of the participants have used their blocks to make tote bags and such.  I'm not sure what I will do.  I used batiks from my stash for these blocks, and at first, I wasn't loving the result.  But now I know I made the right choice.  I used Crayolas to tint all of the flowers in my embroidery.  I like the way that looks, too.

We are having lovely, cooler autumn weather this week, my favorite.  Very refreshing and energizing.

Hope all is well.

God Bless You!

A Finish

This is Brenna's quilt all done except for the label.  I hand quilted it with long stitches and it's been washed making it very crinkled.
I'm happy with it.

Swirls and Whirls by Sherri McConnell, American Patchwork and Quilting, June '14

I used leftover blocks in the backing.

Brenna told me she likes polka dots and stripes, pink and turquoise. 

On to a new project.  I have an autumn wall hanging to quilt, and if I complete that this week I'll be amazed with myself.  Two finishes in one week?  I'm going to try.

Don't know about you, but I am ready for autumn weather.  

Have a wonderful week.

God Bless.

Third Block Maggie's First Dance

This is the third block in the Maggie's First Dance BOM by Jacquelynn Steves. 

I like the way the crayons added color to this block.

I also fixed the mistake I made on the second block.   

I was leery about my choice of using the batiks I had on hand, but I am pleased with how the blocks look together.  There is only one more block to go.

I'm working on Brenna's quilt and have two rows of twirls to go, then the squares.  I think I'll be doing some machine quilting as well.

Hope you are all well.

God Bless.

Pretty Postcards

 Isn't this pretty?  This is the postcard I received from my exchange partner, Jo, from the latest postcard swap organized by Sheila of Sheila's Quilt World. 

 I'm not sure which orientation is right, but I like this pansy either way.  Thank you, Jo.

I'm always impressed by the artistic abilities used to make the cards I receive.  

This is the card I made and sent to Jo.  I guess we were both in the flower mindset.

I haven't been idle, just quiet.

I have been hand quilting Brenna's quilt with long stitch quilting.

 It's slow going but progress is being made.  I hope she still likes turquoise and pink by the time she gets this quilt:)

I'm going to share a picture of a block that I made for the Maggie's First Dance BOM.  I made this block last month, and just yesterday put up the 1st and 2nd blocks as I prepare to make the 3rd.  Well, don't ask me why I didn't see the obvious mistake I made in putting the pieces together, but see if you can spot it.  I'm not talking about the geese points.  

If you spotted the bottom row and the geese on the wrong sides, that's it.  How could I not see that?  And it went up on facebook.  Geesh!  Anyway, that's something else to fix.  

I hope you all are enjoying life.  

Happy quilting.

God Bless.

An Almost Finish

This is the Homespun Mystery Quilt sewn together but missing the border.  I might have to fudge that because I am running very low on the navy fabric.  Nevertheless, I really like this project.

I was making great progress on the quilt for Brenna, but I am not happy with the batting I have so I'll be making a trip to Joann's for something else.  I like The Warm Company Warm and Natural cotton batting.  It has a nice weight and doesn't feel too light.  That's my own opinion, not a paid statement.

I attended  a local quilt show last week.  It was very small but interesting. 

This picture is made of tiny bits of fabric glued to a background fabric.  I've got to try this some day. 

This is another work by the same quilter. 

This same quilter made this quilt that used Brazilian embroidery; her stitches were gorgeous.  Apparently, the difference in the Brazilian embroidery is the twist in the thread, which is made here in the United States.

 

I'm showing this quilt because it has all of the lighthouses in the Cape area, and my Dad worked in one of them when he was a teen.  It is a beautiful quilt.

Hope you have a nice week ahead.  Stay safe and God Bless!