One New Quilt Top - One Finally Ready for the Bed

In my little bits of spare time in between all the other quilting and sewing projects, I've been working on another bed size quilt top.  It doesn't really have a name.  It was not a store bought pattern, but a computer designed one using EQ.  The last border was attached Sunday afternoon.

Any ideas on what to name this?

The quilt top finished out at 88" x 88".  By the way, that is sunlight streaming through the window onto the bottom middle of the quilt top.  I don't know what I would do if Kirsten was like most teenagers and her room was never  relatively clean.  I use her bedroom floor to spread everything out to measure during construction and to take a photo of the finished top.  It's the only room in the house big enough to do so!

I don't really have any plans for the quilt yet...but I'm sure I'll think of something.  For now, it goes on the stack of "items waiting to be quilted and finished."

On the topic of "items quilted and ready to use"....I can officially say I have a completed bed size (queen) quilt for my own bed.

This is the quilt top I started last summer when I attended a Bonnie Hunter workshop with my friend Marianne.

Bonnie Hunter calls this pattern "My Blue Heaven"...of course, since there isn't really anything blue in my scrappy version, I have named my quilt "Happy, Scrappy Stars".

As a reminder, Bonnie offers this quilt pattern and tutorial FREE on her website...

http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2005/06/my-blue-heaven.html

I did have an extra incentive to get the quilt completely finished and ready to use.  My friend Marianne surprised me a couple of months ago by signing us both up for another Bonnie Hunter workshop that will be hosted by a quilt guild in Glen Falls, NY.....THIS WEEK!!!!! The actual workshop day is Friday, May 10th but we both have about a 4 hour drive (from opposite directions) so we plan to meet in Glen Falls on Thursday and check out a few of their local fabric shops.

During Bonnie's workshops, after we take our lunch break, she has a time of "show & tell", where she asks the participants to bring and show any quilt projects we have made using her designs.  I can't wait to show her my scrappy version of her pattern.  When I took the photo above of the quilt spread out on our bed, Ray did the appropriate amount of "oohing & ahhing" over it.  Then I told him that I was happy he liked it but he couldn't sleep under it quite yet....not until AFTER I take it to show Bonnie Hunter and then the very next Wednesday will be my own quilt guild meeting and I want to take it for "show & tell" at that time also.  After all that is done, the quilt will officially be put on the bed and slept under!

Here is a close up of the quilted front....

Close up of the back....

You can't really tell in the photo, but I the backing fabric is actually a tan, mottled color and turned out really nice.  The quilting design is an edge-to-edge design called Mimosa, designed by Urban Elementz.  I used the solid chocolate fabric to make the binding for the quilt.  Believe it or not, I did not use my handy, dandy, binding attachment foot to sew it on....I did it the old fashioned way by sewing the binding on by machine to the front of the quilt, then turning the binding to the back and handsewing with a blindstitch.  It only took DAYS to handsew 350 inches of binding....but it looks great and I'm proud of myself! LOLOL

Now I need to gather up all my sewing stuff and start packing it up to leave on Thursday.  I think I'll go give my Ruthie (1947 Singer Featherweight) a spa treatment (oiling and cleaning) so she'll be all pretty and ready to sew up a storm at the workshop.  By the way....ALL the piecing for my Happy, Scrappy Stars quilt, including sewing the binding to the front of the quilt....was completed on my Ruthie!  She's a good ol' girl and a workhorse that LOVES to sew!

What A Tangled Web I Weaved!

I'm almost embarrassed to admit what I've been doing the past few days.  You will probably come to the conclusion that I am completely crazy and worry too much about my quilting blocks!  I will probably agree with you!

First off...do you remember my last post concerning birthday blocks heading to Massachusetts?  Well, the birthday girl requested "fire-filled" colors...in oranges, reds, yellows, lime greens, etc.  I made two blocks but as I prepared to mail them, I just couldn't shake an uneasy feeling that I had not chosen appropriate colors and fabrics for her blocks.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVED the finished blocks, I just started to question if I had truly understood her request.  My youngest daughter and my mother both thought I was going a bit overboard with my worries and suggested I just go ahead and mail the blocks....but I couldn't do it! LOLOL

Rather than mail them off, I set them aside and started working on the next birthday girl in line to receive quilt blocks.  Peggi lives in Washington State and her only request was BRIGHT...any color combinations, just BRIGHT and if a neutral is needed...use white.  Easy enough...right?

So I started working...

1st block I came up with is called "Wind-surfing"...designer is Nan Baker.

2nd block I experimented with is called "Round Rosie"...designer is Pam Vieira-McGinnis.

I liked both of these blocks, but then the thought entered my mind that the last two blocks I made  would be considered BRIGHT and I liked them even better. :)

Here's a reminder of the last two blocks I had originally made for Chrissy in Massachusetts....

I'm so confused at this point!!  What should I do!!!

After more thought, I remembered Chrissy mentioning her love of butter yellows, etc...well, the yellow in the above two blocks is more bright lemon rather than soft butter.  Then I re-read the birthday list and realized that she has requested "light filled colors" not "fire filled colors".  Now I'm even more uneasy and confused!!!!!

Back to the drawing board (and my fat quarter stash)....

I pulled out a few softer colors of oranges, yellows and lime greens.

I made a second Round Rosie block...doesn't this look totally different from the bright version two pictures above (with orange, purple, yellow and pink flowers)????

Then I chose a totally different pattern for the second block....

This is called "Lattice"...designer is Cindy Lammon.

The two blocks together....

I feel better now....my heart is no longer racing...

The more I look at this new blocks the more I think an entire quilt using these softer colors of orange, yellow and green would be BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

Here is a pic of the two brighter blocks next to the two softer blocks....

The packages are filled, addressed and Ray has taken them to the post office for me today....so I can't second guess myself any longer. :)  The top two bright blocks are on their way to Peggi in Washington state and the bottom two blocks are now on their way to Chrissy in Massachusetts.

Are you wondering what I did with the first two blocks I shared in this post?.....

For now, they will go into my "orphan block" plastic storage container.  I may decide to use the "Wind-surfing" block as a pillow top for Amanda's beach-themed home...and keep the Round Rosie (right) to add to a future orphan quilt top.  Who knows....I have plenty of time to decide what to do with them.

Massachusetts Birthday Blocks soon on their way!

The month of May will be a busy month for those in the Birthday Block Swap.  We have 3 ladies who will be turning a year older.

The first birthday quilter requested her blocks be pieced using "colors with fire" - specifically orange, red, yellows and lime greens.

I did my best...hope I interpreted her wishes correctly.  :)

The first block is called "Chained Star".  Designer:  Sandy Harris of Sundrop Designs

I'm really starting to like all the bright, wilder fabric colors and prints I am using on some of these blocks.

The second block is called "Writer's Block".  Designer:  Diane Harris, Interactive Editor, Quiltmaker

Different...isn't it?  :)

Here are the two blocks side by side....

I need to get back to the sewing machine to work on the other quilter's birthday blocks.

Happy Sewing!

Gifts from Prague

This is one of those posts that I had meant to share a few months ago and totally forgot!

My dear friend Marianne and her husband traveled to Prague to visit one of theirs sons and his wife.  I still find it hard to believe that she actually thought of me during her exciting time of travel and family fun.  (She must be a true friend!!!) :) :) :)

Imagine my PLEASANT surprise when I received a package in the mail containing a few gifts she purchased for me in Prague!!!!

FABRIC!!!!  The gift that is always the right size and color!! :) :) :)  Plus, there was the most beautiful little thimble.  I LOVE MY GIFTS!!!

The funny part is that she had originally thought she would find some unique fabrics, only attainable in Prague...but instead, when she spotted the Civil War Reproduction fabrics from the good ol' U.S.A., she thought it was too funny and couldn't resist getting them.

So, when I use these fabrics in a reproduction quilt in the future, I will be able to share the story that the fabrics came all the way from PRAGUE!!!!

Thank you again Marianne!  You're the best!

Completed Baby Quilt & Cake!

The fence rail baby quilt is completely finished now...quilted, binding sewn in place...ready to be wrapped and mailed to Yorktown, Virginia for the baby shower in a couple of weeks.

I'm pleased with the quilt and hope the mom-to-be likes it!  I never would have thought to put these colors together for a baby quilt on my own, but I think it's very cute.  It's a good thing I was told what colors to use!  I believe the green floral print that was used in the blocks, then used to back the quilt also, really helps make the overall look more feminine for little Adalyn Emma.

And of course, the cheddar fabric always makes me smile!

Can you see the matching Christmas ornament (using the scraps from the quilt) in the left hand bottom corner? :) :) :)

I used a paint pen and wrote "Adalyn Emma, 1st Christmas, 2013".

Before I close this post, I thought I'd share a super easy and DELICIOUS dessert recipe with you.  It certainly didn't last long at my house...and there were only 3 people home to eat it!!! :) :)

If you like chocolate and cherries...then this is the dessert for you!

1st....Take a 13" x 9" baking dish and spray it with Pam.  Then dump an entire bag of marshmallows inside.

2nd...Take any boxed chocolate cake mix and follow the directions as if you were simply making that cake.   I used a milk chocolate cake mix because that was what was in my cabinet! :) :) :)

Pour the cake batter evenly over the marshmallows.

3rd...Take a can of Cherry Pie Filling and gently spoon and spread (as best you can) on top of the cake batter.

4th...Bake the cake per box instructions or until done (mine took just a smidgen longer to bake than the box said...of course, I may not have let the oven warm up enough before sticking it in either!) LOL

It's funny...the cherries tend to end up in the bottom and the marshmallows end up on top.

5th...To make it pretty and finish the dessert....spread Cool-Whip on top (as the icing on the cake).  If I were serving this to guests, I would have done this....but since it was just for home consumption (LOL), I just let everyone add their own Cool-Whip to their piece whenever they were in the mood to cut themselves a piece.

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!  This is SOOOOOO  GOOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!!

Birthday Blocks off to North Carolina!

I've been busy making two birthday blocks to be sent to Diane in North Carolina.  She requested a black, white and red color theme for her blocks.

This first block is called Galaxy X and was designed by Deborah Johnson (In the Doghouse Designs).

I had originally cut the pieces for the black parts using a different fabric.  When I started to piece the block together and could see the fabric underneath the bright light of my sewing machine, I realized that the black fabric was actually navy blue!  Oops....back to the cutting board! :) :) :)  Don't you just hate it when that happens! :)

The second block is called Windblown Star....

As far as I can tell, this is just a traditional block that no one can claim ownership of the design.  Its simple to construct but I think it is an interesting design.  I'm very pleased with both blocks!

I snapped a picture of them together before packaging them up to mail... (sure wish I had thought to do this with all the birthday blocks I've made so far!)

I need to go check my birthday list because I think May will be a busy month also with either two or three more birthdays!  Thankfully, there are a few months that I get a rest (I think!).

Keep sewing!

Birthday Blocks heading to Texas!

It's that time again, a wonderful lady in our Birthday Block Swap group is having a birthday on April 19th.  Life has been a little hectic (what's new, right??), and I waited to the last minute to get her birthday blocks made.  My dear hubby is taking them to the post office for me today.

Once again I'm IN LOVE with these two blocks and it is so difficult to let them go!  And once again, I chose block designs that are completely new to me and are quite a challenge to piece together.  Patricia had requested that her blocks be made using the colors purple, turquoise, lime green and white as a neutral.

This first block is called "Chain Mail", and was designed by Debbie Maddy.

In my opinion, this is a very modern design.  There are 54 pieces within this 12 1/2" block.  It took me the better part of the day to do this.  It wasn't exactly a hard block to piece together, it just required much thought when piecing the individual shapes together in order to do it right and not end up having to rip out and make corrections. :)  If at all possible, I try to avoid ripping out seams! LOLOL

I can only imagine how beautiful a quilt top would look totally constructed with this block design...but I honestly don't know if I'd ever have the patience to construct multitudes of this one design.  It would take forever!

The second block is called "Codex", and was designed by Scott Murkin.

I believe this design would also be considered a modern pattern.  As you can see, I used the same fabrics in both the blocks.  This block's construction was easier and took less time, but it still required my brain to work hard to make sure I was putting each piece together correctly.  There are 33 pieces within this 12 1/2" block.

If you are interested in either, or both of these patterns, they both can be found in Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Volume 6, Winter 2012.

Before I packaged them up to mail to Texas, I couldn't resist laying them side by side and taking one last photo.

Oh my goodness...I really would love to keep these blocks...but I must let them go. :)  I hope Patricia likes them as much as I do!! :) :)

Until next time,....