Lucky Stars and Smocked Dress

 I have been MIA for a couple of weeks for good reason.

A friend and I spent a week in Florida

celebrating a big birthday for her

and, more importantly,

the end of treatment for her breast cancer.

 We were on Anna Maria Island, which was so beautiful.

It was a wonderfully relaxing week and it was WARM!!

 

While I was in Florida, I smocked a little dress for my granddaughter.

It has been years since I've smocked and, thankfully,

it came back to me quickly.

 

 

My little Love Bug is a redhead,

so these colors will look so nice with her red hair.

 

 

 

The smocking pattern is one I made up as I went along.

I had planned on using a smocking plate pattern,

but kind of went off on my own very quickly.

This will be delivered tomorrow when we get to see her.

I did manage to get the Lucky Star quilt top finished!!

It hasn't been pressed since it was finished,

but all of the blocks are sewn together.

The batiks and Kaffe play so well together.

There are quite a few Kaffe pieces left over,

so I'm going to have to come up with something else to make with these.

I had ordered backing, but am not thrilled with it.

A solid fabric may be used instead.

Happy Quilting!

Fun With Bits and Pieces

 As I have been making the blocks for my

"Lucky Stars" quilt,

I have been saving the triangles cut from the stars.

There was no way I was going to make tiny HST's

with these bits and pieces,

but I couldn't throw them away.

Then the other day I was thinking about a

"Sew Together" bag I want to make for a gift

and got an idea.

What if I stitched all of these little triangles to a background

and used them for the outside of the bag?

Out came a glue stick, some batting and a piece of ugly fabric.

Here is what I have....

First I randomly glued these background triangles to the ugly fabric.

Then I randomly glued the batik triangles on top of the

background pieces.

I just used a little swipe of a glue stick...

just enough to hold the triangle in place.

 

 

 

After I made a quilt sandwich with another piece of ugly fabric and batting

I pulled out a bunch of different color threads

and started stitching straight lines.

I only marked the first line and then

the rest were organic.

Doesn't this look like tissue paper modge podged to something?

I love how the triangles became a little mis-shapened while sewing them down.

I had more than enough triangles to make two outside pieces

for the bag with some pieces left over!

The fun part is done!

Soon I will begin working on these bags

and am excited to see how they look when finished.

Mindless sewing is the best some days!

Happy Quilting!

Kaffe, Batiks and Polka Dots

 This fun and happy quilt is coming along nicely and quickly!

I have five more blocks to make for the twin bed size,

but may add another row on the end.

 

 

 

I love the morning light shining through the windows onto

my design wall.

These are not in any kind of final placement.

I've been putting the blocks up as I finish them

and will rearrange them once I'm finished.

 

**Edit**

Someone emailed who is a No Reply Comment and asked about the

background fabric.

It's Rainbow Sprinkles by Andover.

Doesn't it just make you smile??

 

I'm linking to Design Wall Monday.

Happy Quilting!