"Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning, the devil says...."Oh crap! She's up!" Unknown

Thursday, March 16, 2023

Crossroads Veterans Quilt

 This latest quilt is from the never ending box of scraps
from the Pineapple Bed quilt I made for my bed.
This quilt is the third quilt made from these fabrics
and I don't think this one will be the last one.

I had won a jelly roll pack of these fabrics a long time ago
and decided to use them to make pineapple blocks.
I quickly realized that I loved this color palette in
the  pineapple blocks and began to add more batiks to the mix,
including another jelly roll pack of these fabrics.

Once the pineapple quilt was finished,
I realized I had a lot of these 2 1/2" strips left.

Libby at Life on the Hill showed a quilt she had made
from a free pattern, Crossroads, by Free Motion By the River.
It was perfect for the leftover 2 1/2" strips I had.

These blocks went together so quickly and were so easy to make, too.


 
 
A quilt group in my area makes quilts for the local
Veterans hospital and they want the quilts to be 48x60". 
I started making the 12" blocks and soon had enough
for a quilt.... minus one block.
UGH!!



As I was looking through my box of scraps,
I found enough little pieces to make four 6" blocks.
That would work!
So, a little added pizzazz is in the corner of this quilt.


 
 
Backing was found in my stash
and it was quilted and bound last week.
Once it's washed, I'll give it to one of the members
of the quilt group for the VA hospital. 


 
I see other quilts using this block in my future!
It's a great block for donation quilts.
 
 
Happy Quilting!



Friday, March 3, 2023

"With Love" Baby Quilt Finish

 Mary at Needled Mom Quilts made a quilt using
and I had to get the pattern.

One of my nieces is expecting her third daughter
in April, so what a perfect time to make this quilt.


 
 
 
 
I had a bundle of fat quarters that were waiting to be used.
The pinks and reds worked perfectly for this design.
The greens made a nice lattice.
 

 
 
For the border, I added a flange inside the binding strips
for a little extra pizzazz.
 
 

 
 
These little flowers were fussy cut for the centers of the hearts.
 
 

 
 
While looking for backing, I found this print in my stash.
I have no idea how long I've had it or where I bought it,
but I love it for the backing of this little quilt.
 
I'm ready for this little one's birth!
 
 
Happy Quilting!

 

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Scrappy Jabob's Ladder Finished

 This quilt just makes my heart sing.
I love the colors, the batiks, the design and the quilting.

It was made from the scraps of a queen size pineapple quilt
I made for my bed and love that I was able to get
two quilts from these fabrics.
(At least one more is coming soon!)
I have wanted to make this quilt for years and am so happy with the finish.


 
 
This design was so simple and quick to make
and is so striking, I think.
Making nine patches is one of my favorite quilty things to do.
 
 

 
 
quilted it for me and did a beautiful job.
 
 

 
 
I found an ombre for the backing and love it with the front.
The binding is the same fabric as the border.
 

 
This quilt measures 71" square and was going to be donated,
but I think I need to keep it for a while. :)
 
 
Happy Quilting!


Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Pumpkin Patch Quilt

 It's not fall, but my Pumpkin Patch is finished!

The blocks for this quilt were made by my Bee Mates
in the Gridster Bee and I could not be happier with the end result.

On Saturday I picked it up from the quilter and started
right in sewing the binding in place.
Last night I sewed the label in place and it's a finish!


 
 
I have the prettiest pumpkin patch around!
 
 

 
 
The variety of pumpkins I received from my Bee Mates
was so awesome.
I never imagined they would be so creative and fun.
 

 
 
Here are the signature blocks in order of the pumpkin placement
on the quilt.
 
 

 
 
The quilter I used had a design with pumpkins and leaves
throughout... perfect for this fall quilt.


 
 


 
It will be fun to pull this quilt out in the fall
and think of the ladies who helped make it so special.
 
 
Happy Quilting!


Tuesday, February 7, 2023

Coiled Placemats

 I have a drawer in my hidey hole with several bins
that hold different size scrap cuts.
I've tried to get into the habit of cutting the scraps into these
sizes when I'm done with a project.

One of the bins has the skinny strings and it was
overflowing to the point where it was getting
difficult to close the drawer.


 
 
Out came the hank of clothesline and the wrapping began.


 
 
I use 50 feet of clothesline for each placemat.
Over a couple of evenings,
I wrapped the clothesline with the strings
and then was ready to sew.
 

 
 
These go together so quickly! 
I love the randomness of the fabric scraps, too.



 
 
These will be put aside to gift to someone since
I have a set for myself already.

I do not know how they wash yet.
Mine have been used,
but have not needed laundering.



 
 
The bin now fits into the drawer and the strings don't get in the way of closing. 


Happy Quilting!

Thursday, February 2, 2023

Bunny Pillows

 A few years ago I saw a post on Pinterest
where someone had made pillows from dish towels.
Every since seeing that post, I have made a bunch
of pillows from dish towels for Christmas and other holidays.
Last year I bought some Easter dish towels, but never made the pillows.

They are done and ready for Easter to arrive!


 
 
I find that Home Goods often has the best selection
for dish towels that would make cute pillows.
These are all embroidered and so sweet.
 


 
 
This one I cut off center
(I was distracted!),
but it's still cute.
 

 
 
The rickrack is the bottom of the dish towel,
which would put the design too close to the bottom of the pillow.
I cut some from the upper part of the dish towel and
stitch it to the bottom.





 
 
 
I use the coordinating towel for the back.
There's plenty of fabric to put a hidden zipper in the back
and then the binding is from my stash.
All I need now are the pillow forms!
 
Happy Quilting!
 
 


Friday, January 27, 2023

Gridster Pumpkin Patch Top Finished

 I've mentioned before that I belong to a Quilting Bee
made up of 12 women from around the country.
Each month one of us is Queen Bee.
Last year my month was November and
I asked the other bee mates to make a pumpkin block
I had altered a bit using a pattern 
by Dodi Poulson for Landauer Publishers.
It was a free pattern, but I asked permission to use it for this.

Well, my bee mates outdid themselves with their blocks.
I asked them to have fun making the pumpkins
and they came up with some beauties!

Over the last few days I free motion stitched the stems onto 
each block, trimmed them down and played with sashing fabrics.

The top is now completed and I could not be happier with it.


 
 
Look at this pumpkin patch!
Aren't they all so fun?
 

 
 
My original plan was to use a bright fall leaves fabric
for the sashing and borders,
but it really took away from the pumpkins.
This fabric has been in my stash since before I had
a stash... before I started quilting in 2002!
I was going to make a tablecloth with it and never did.
 
 

 
 
The creativeness of my bee mates just amazed me.
The quilt was going to have more blocks,
but this is large enough!
I have three more blocks that I made
and will use those for something else.
 
 

 
 
Backing fabric has been ordered and once it's here
I'll send it off to be quilted.
 
 

 
 
These vines were fun to sew!
 
Fall is not my favorite season,
but it will be much prettier now that I have this quilt to use.
 
I'm linking to "Confessions of a Fabric Addict" today.
 
 
Happy Quilting!


Monday, January 23, 2023

Two Picnic Quilts

 Back in the fall I was playing around with some fabrics that
had been in my stash for a while.
I wasn't sure what I wanted to make, so I began
cutting and sewing half square triangles.

After playing with the two different colorways on my design wall,
I came up with these two quilts.
They are now quilted and ready for warmer weather and picnics!


 
 
You know this one is my favorite because of the turquoise!
 

 
 
The colors in the quilt below are washed out in the photo.
The greens are much brighter in person.
 
 

 
 
It's amazing how many design layouts one can do with a bunch
of half square triangles!
 
 

 
 
The backing fabric I used has been hanging out in my stash
for quite some time, too.
It's fun for the backing on two picnic quilts!!
 
 

 
 
These are my first two finishes for 2023.
Hopefully there will be many more!
 
Happy Quilting!


Wednesday, January 11, 2023

Scrap Quilt top from Pineapple Fabrics is Finished

 I have been feeling under the weather and have had no energy,
but after a couple of days on an antibiotic,
the desire to sew has returned.
 
The blocks I started making with the scraps from my
Pineapple quilt are all sewn together
and borders have been added.
 
 
 
 
These colors just make my heart sing. 
They remind me of the ocean... sea glass... water of many types.



 
 
There is more blue in this border fabric than the photo shows.
And the quilt is even.  (I had to stand on a stool to get the whole thing
in the photo.)
 
 

 
 
I was thinking it would be a baby quilt, but it's too big.
Once it's quilted, it will tell me where it's supposed to live.
 
 
In addition to finishing this top, I've added some birds to my flock.
 
 
 
 
These go together so quickly and are so fun to make.
They are a Block Lotto pattern that is free on line.
 


 
I'm not sure how many I'll make, but I will keep adding to 
the flock until I sense that I have enough.
 
 
Happy Quilting!

 

Friday, January 6, 2023

More Squirrel Blocks Made

 My Pineapple Quilt has been mailed off to
Rebecca Grace and I cannot wait to see what
she does from her end.  She really works magic on my quilts.



While straightening my Hidey Hole the other day,
I began to put away the scraps from this quilt
and they said "NO WAY!".

Of course, I had to listen.


 
 
This is where I am today.
I may add sashing in between the big blocks,
but I'll decide once all of the pieces are made.
 

 
 
 
I see a HST's that need to be moved! 
Playing with these scraps just makes me smile.



 
 
 
The last of the nine patches are laid out and ready to sew. 

This may end up being a baby quilt.... 
a big baby quilt, though.
A niece is due in April and this quilt could be
used for a boy or girl, in my opinion.

In the evenings, I've been doing a little
needle-turn applique.
It's been a while since I've done any of this
and the rust needed to be knocked off, for sure.

Here is the first block.




The pattern has that purple petal hanging down like that,
but I'm not sure it's going to stay like it is.
This pattern is called Fields of Flora
and can be found here.
 
 
Happy Quilting! 

Tuesday, January 3, 2023

Distraction!

 This is what I get for trying to clean my Hidey Hole!


 
 
These scraps would not let me put them away!
So.... another quilt was started instead of cleaning.
Distractions can be fun!
 
 
 
In addition,
the January blocks for the Gridster Queen Bee were made
and mailed off to her.
This Bear Paw quilt is going to be fun!!
 
 

 
 
 
Happy Quilting!