Swimming Upstream

 I rarely purchase quilting magazines.

The price has gotten ridiculous

and a lot of the quilts just don't appeal to me.

 

This months issue of

American Patchwork and Quilting,

however, had several quilts I liked. 

One quilt really drew my eye,

especially since I was given a stack of blue fabrics

left-over from a quilt a friend was making.

Before I looked at the name of the quilt

I thought this design looked like fish.

 

 

 

My version of "Swimming Upstream" is different from the magazines.

My borders aren't wide enough to add another fish block to them. 

 

 

 

This top came together in no time and was so relaxing to make.

I love making HST's. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was made as a donation quilt for the Veterans' Hospital

and will soon be taken to the ladies who quilt these.

Thank you, Holly, for your blue fabric pieces!

Happy Quilting!

Blue and White Twinkle Star

 Two years ago I was invited to join the

Gridster Bee, which is an on-line quilting bee.

Each month one of us is queen bee and we choose

a quilt block for the others to make for us.

It is one of the most fun things I've done as a quilter.

Each month is a new adventure and I have really 

been challenged by some of the blocks.

Last year my month was September

and I asked for blue and white

Twinkle Star blocks using
this tutorial.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 My bee mates came through with flying blue and white blocks!

I asked them to make two blocks each and I made the rest.

The photo below is a truer to the actual colors.

 

 

 

 

Some were so generous and made three blocks.

The amazing thing is there are no duplicates of fabrics

except from the same quilter.

 

 

 

 

These are all of the quilters who participated.

I could not love this quilt any more than I do.

 

My quilt was beautifully quilted by Jennifer at

Peaceful Hill Quilting.

 

 

 

 

This year my month is May and I need to start thinking of my block.

It will be hard to top this one!

 

 

I'm linking to Design Wall Monday today.

 

Happy Quilting!

 

 

 

Shell Bouquet Quilt

 For years this Philip Jacobs fabric, Shell Bouquet, has sat in my stash.

I love it and just couldn't make myself cut into it.

Finally, it was time.

 

 

  

 

 

I need a few baby quilts for girls and thought this would make a sweet one.

Well, I started making blocks and cutting blocks

and got a little carried away.

 

 

 

 

This ended up being about  48"x64".

It's a little large for a baby quilt,

but would grow with the child.

 

 

 

At first I had white sashing and the pink cornerstones,

but that was just blah.

After consulting with my sister and sister in law,

we decided on the Tula Pink hexagon print.

 

The fabric has been used and I am pretty pleased with the outcome.

Now I just need to decide if it will be given to a baby or someone else.

Happy Quilting!

Baby Sewing

 In between making blocks for my latest

baby quilt,

I've been making hooded bath towels

for my littles.

With a new one on the way,

new towels were needed.

 

I use a double looped terry cloth  

from Naturesfabrics.com.

This fabric is really absorbent and so soft.

My daughter and son-in-law said they will

take as many towels as I want to make.

 

Do you think ten are enough??

 

 

 

 

 

I started to pull fabric to cut the binding,

but instead pulled out my bin of binding scraps.

Some of the bindings don't match the hood fabric,

but I don't think the littles will care.

My binding bin isn't nearly as full now.

:)

 

 

 

While shopping the other day,

I found this "Cars" fabric.

My two littles love the movie "Cars 3",

so I had to make pillowcases!

Now back to making quilt blocks.

Happy Quilting!

Moths

 Last week I was in one of my local quilt shops

and saw this moth fabric.

I just had to have some.

They also had a quilt book with designs

for quilts using one yard each of three fabrics.

Usually I'm not a fan of these quilts,

but a couple of designs caught my eye.

I bought the moth print and the gray filler

and used one of the patterns in the book to make this.

The orange fabric was in my stash.

 

 

 

This design really shows off the moth fabric,

which I like.

 

 

 

 

This may become a donation for the Veterans hospital,

if they don't think it's too wild.

 

One of my nieces HATES moths, so it

definitely won't be for her.  :)

 

 

Happy Quilting!

First Baby Quilt

 The beginning of 2024 will be the known as the

Baby Quilt Era for me.

Between now and the middle of May,

I have 6 baby quilts to make.

One will be for my newest granddaughter,

who will arrive in May.

:)

 

The first baby is due at the beginning of February.

The nursery for this one will be navy, hot pink and gray.

While searching the internet for new ideas,

I came across this pattern called Radiant

by Bonjour Quilts. 

Several years ago I made two quilts

from the pattern Diamonds in the Deep

by Bonjour quilts

and loved making them.

They are very well written patterns.

I knew this one was going to be fun, too.

 

 

 

The top is completed!

The navy blue isn't quite as dark as it is  in the photos.

 

 

 

 

You can just see that it's a bit marbled, too.

 

 

 

 

This will be the backing fabric for this quilt.

Now to get it quilted!

 

One down, five to go!

 

Happy Quilting!

A New Year

 The year 2023 came to and end and it's difficult to believe.

Looking back, the year is just a blur.

I didn't do an end of year blog post this year,

but I am happy with what I was able to accomplish.

For the first time ever, I kept track of the books

I read and listened to in 2023.

The vast majority of these books were audio books...

my new found love.

I can multi-task!  Listening to a book while

sewing, driving, cooking, walking, etc.

is awesome!

 

 

 

I didn't start using Goodreads until I was into the year,

so I actually read 102 books in 2023!

My favorites were "Demon Copperhead" and "The Rose Code". 

I ended 2023 with making some special garments for my

grandchildren.  They are being baptized this coming Sunday

and my daughter asked if I would make them their outfits for the big day.

This is my daughter's wedding gown, 

fresh out of the storage box.

I took it apart and made a dress for Olivia.

 

 

 

This dress is a combination of two patterns and a little of my own creation.

 I was thrilled to be able to use part of the zipper and buttons from the wedding gown.

 

 

 

(I'm terrible at tying bows!)

 

 

 

 

 

For Miles, I made a little Johnny

and smocked crosses for it.

The most difficult part of making this was putting

the snaps on it! 

I bought a light blue shirt to go under this for him.

*************

As I had a few minutes here and there,
I have been making Drunkard Path blocks

from a bundle of fabrics I've had for years.

 

 

 

This morning I was able to finish sewing the top together.

 

 

 

 

 

My first flimsy of 2024!

 

 

May 2024 bring you many blessings

and lots of time for creating!

 

Happy Quilting!