Saturday, March 16, 2024

My Fast and More Fun blog day

 I was so happy to be included in this blog display for Villa Rosa Designs. Love another opportunity to rummage in my stash for something fun.  

These are the 5 pattern cards we were given to choose from.  And I was excited to choose.  ( And like kids in a candy store,  I wanted to do them ALL.)  

And rummage around  I did to find something for me and something to give. 

First off, being as it was last month, a couple of Valentine charm packs were found to make this great pattern for a table runner.   These were Flirtations designed by Sandy Gervais many years ago.  The colors remind me of strawberries and chocolate: great combinations. 

It was great to arrange patterns and colors balancing them just right.  And I did it a few times to create the length I needed for a table runner to fit my table.  I added a brown inch strip for making the flange to frame the blocks. Lastly a contrasting red border and brown binding finished up the top. 

As it was a geometric and simple design, I just quilted it by stitching in the ditch. And the binding was sewn while watching tv. 

              

I love it!  Yeah! fabrics that needed to be used for a holiday!  Just what I needed. 

And for my second creation, I selected the pattern Gypsy and had these leftover fabrics from a quilt for my grandsons when they were toddlers. Bright boy colors and designs just ready for another boy!   Originally, it was a layer cake and yardage.  

It made a perfect baby quilt: 


It was easy to utilize the group of fabrics called Rockets and Robots.  I balanced the colors having the same print on opposite sides of the design. 


The back was yardage pieced to match it. 


The quilting designs were just loop de loops using a King Tut variegated thread. 


The quilt is rather puffy which I like as I used a wool batting. 


I did add a circular piece of fabric to the center as the focus. 
Off to space I go!  

Thanks to Tricia of Villa Rosa for including me in the hop! 
These are easy and quick patterns to make. I'm sure you will enjoy them. 

Don't forget to leave a comment.  Three will be selected for entering to win the prizes.   




Thursday, March 14, 2024

Fast and MORE fun Blog Hop

 


For the next week, look forward to many variations of some simple patterns from Villa Rosa Designs. 
Tricia, the designer, makes many simple and easy patterns many of which you find in quilt stores on small cards. They are always a snap to create and she provides so many different ideas.  

There are 28 total blogs offering our own takes on her patterns.

But first see her blog today to introduce the blog hop at villarosaquilts.com

So you must visit as many of the blogs as possible and comment.  "Why?" you ask.  Because you will have the opportunity to win some great prizes and each blogger offers another opportunity. 

So I will not let all of the cats out of the bag.  Go to Villa Rosa Quilts and find out for yourself.

Monday, March 11, 2024

BIG finish with small pieces

 I am so excited to get this quilt DONE.   For the past year, I have been merrily sewing all these pieces to make my 9 patch WONDER!  It has been fun to have it on the side, idly making little 3 inch 9 patch blocks. Then I would assemble the bigger 9 patch blocks, followed by sashing  one row at a time. Sometimes it was just the best project to not have to think about as you assembled groups of 9 patches. 

 I want to thank Gretchen Weaver for her inspiring quilt which spurred me on.  Here is her quilt.  The original pattern was in American Patchwork and Quilting which I did find in my stacks of magazines. 

( Notice the photo is taken outside! Yeah to warm weather.)

And for this beauty, I only had to purchase the blue solid fabric, the red border fabric and the backing fabric. All the little pieces were from my stash cut from the variety of colors; I used as much as I could from my scrap container. But alas, they seem to have multiplied again.  And even though I used up a wealth of backgrounds, I still have many pieces left. 

History of the quilt began here. Followed by additions: here and here and here.   Piecing the borders were here.   If you are so inclined to see the enlargement a bit at a time. 


Here you can see the beautiful red print on the back and the quilt design.


And here you can see the setting better as well as the paper pieced borders.



The quilt is 7 blocks in each of 7 rows. Plus it has sashing with one 9 patch block in the middle of each. 
Total size of 96 inches square !  

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Enjoying the creativity

 I am back to quilting. Not that the vacation to Hawaii wasn't wonderful and I missed quilting while I was there, but sitting at the machine is fun and I so enjoy it. 

So here are some projects I have been working on: 

Stash Bee: for those who don't know, it is a group of women who sew for each other once a month. Every month, I new person decides the design or block and colorway. This month is a Terry Rowland block designed to use up scraps. Here is a video of how she makes the blocks for the colorwash quilt: here. it was also made by Kate of The Last Homely House in England. Here is her instructions: scraps. Each block within the block is 3 inches finished making the 9 patch 9 inches.

Anyway, our queen bee of the month wanted a block of 9 individual blocks together in a colorway. We only are asked to make one block.  But I love sharing with others so much, that I always make extra. 10 blocks does not a quilt make. 



And I got out my Dear Jane box and forged on for more blocks: 





These are 5 inch blocks and the last one needs hand applique.  Evening work. 

And lastly,  working on a seasonal wall hanging for me: 

Each block is 4 inches.  This is creativity in progress. Center design is to be determined. 


Monday, March 4, 2024

Back from vacation



 My dear husband and I took the vacation of a lifetime; a cruise in Hawaii touring 4 of the islands: Oahu, Maui, the Big Island of Hawaii, and Kauai.  What a whirlwind week! The weather was warm!!!! That in itself was rejuvenating: 70 degrees or warmer. Each day we had an activity planned from whale watching to luaus, sunset cruises to kayaking, etc. We didn't use the ship for much more than sleeping and eating. 



lava tube

But we loved the sights  the lava made land covered in tropical foliage. And the water itself had the most amazing hues of blue. Such an array of colors surrounded us all week starting with a rainbow to greet us at the airport after we flew for all of the day across the continent and sea. 

My body still has the feel of sea movement as I sit here. The repeated sway of the waves up and down in my blood. I love it!  I have always loved water and now I witnessed new rushes of the ocean on a far larger scale than the lakes I have always been on. And then to taste the salt in the fluid around you and feel it after it dries on your skin. God truly does amazing things.

And as  a quilter, I was able to locate one quilt store on the city of Kona on Hawaii called Quilt Passions and bring home some wonderful treasures. They were in the process of getting ready to move to a new location. The owner was so friendly and helpful.  

I did not get to peruse the store for very long as I had an uber driver waiting. But I loved this hawaiin print dress and purchased the fabric for it.  


They also had many lovely sashiko kits.  This one is foilage of the island, but I purchased a turtle as well as a Hawaiian design.  Plus more sashiko thread. 


I will have to show those later.   
Mahalo :  thank you in Hawaiian  for reading my blog today!



Monday, February 26, 2024

St Pat's quilting

 I had my quilt guild last week and the pattern for the Block of the Month was a shamrock.  You can easily find it as a free one on Bernina here.  It is on a 10 1/2 inch square background.



It was fun to use up  lots of green scraps.  I showed it to my daughter and she liked it.  So I made a door hanger for her and a second one for my mom at the nursing home.  I even had some shamrock fabric for the back of both.  I did enlarge it from 1 1/2 blocks to 2 inch cut blocks to make it bigger.  It measures 17 inches across. 




Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Winter Quilt Show part 2

 Here are a few more quilts I enjoyed at the Winter Quilt Show February 3.

So many little triangles!  Oh my!


such fun quilting and design

A modern feel that might be good for a gift to make


Very cool bias made strips in a Celtic design.


Wonderful design by Sarah Fielke


And yes, I did get a few new projects at the show.  There was so much inspiration, plus we went to a fabric shop near by.


Here are my new starts.   
I borrowed the Dear Jane quilt book from a friend this summer and saw a pastel version at a quilt store.
The blocks are both pieced and applique.


These are 4 1/2 inch finished blocks.  I need to redo the gold one. 


I saw this line of tiny muted pastel checks called toolbox something?  and knew that they worked for the project I wanted to complete.

And lastly I saw this cute little cross stitch pattern. I had to have it. 







Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Snowmen everywhere

 Last January I started Merry Merry Snowmen by Ann Sutton of Bunny Hill which was a 9 block pattern.  I did it with a friend and we met weekly  to sew together and share fabrics most French General. All the snowmen were appliqued in wool by hand.  And all the other details were appliqued in cotton by machine in a blanket stitch. 

I finished the top and the back in October and sent it off to be longarmed. And I collected it in January. 

There have been countless hours attaching the binding and the rod pocket.  And then all the eyes needed buttons and other small details.  

Lastly I have been quilting the large applique designs. 




AND for the big finish:  Hooray for me!!!!!!!  

Completed size 62 by 66   (Photo a little yellowy )





Sunday, February 11, 2024

First Quilt Show of the Season

 Yesterday I had the great pleasure of going to a quilt show in the Washington County Fairgrounds of Wisconsin.  It was a little windy blowing the coldness, but so worth it! I always love the inspiration and seeing all the quilters come out of the woodwork to get inspired. So many goodies to shop as well. 

The quilts also were just so amazing as well. 

Size of these houses were just SOOOO small. Love  the arrangement and all the colors. 



This one just blew me away with the amazing free piecing and lovely small detail quilting and this just shows that the back is ALSO pieced.  Oh, my!


Such amazing work and completed on a 1917 treadle machine.  
Be still my heart. A first place in this category


Close up of the next quilt made by a mother daughter team.  The needlework on the wool was exquisite. 





And this was the Best of Show  


I have been spending my evenings putting on button eyes  and coal French knots for my snowmen. 
It is almost done.