Weekend Sew

My BFF and I had a weekend together and we of course decided to get her Dog in Sweater quilt by Elizabeth Hartman done. (My DH was off motorcycle tripping with oldest son). My BFF did not want to tackle this quilt by herself as she has not been quilting very long and had not even opened her machine for a year. We studied the pattern, went to two quilt shops and brought fabric then set our plan in motion. The pattern is "easy" from a construction point but detailed and not to be cut without identifying each and every piece A through like DD (that is the alphabet and then alphabet again.) A lot of pieces, a lot of sticky notes. She chose the small quilt that has 4 Dogs in Sweaters size about 45x50 (don't have the pattern here so just my memory of size). The real point is the four dogs are the focal and there are a lot of snowball corners A LOT OF THEM...1" snowballs (letter R) did get us talking like a pirate ARRRR. A couple of  days cutting and sewing about 6 or 7 hours each day got her done (a few breaks for eating and drinking in this). Yes, the cutting took a while and wine afterwards to reward ourselves. But the finish was great and it is a fun pattern to do with a BFF.

AND two of her four dachshunds were there to make sure it met their approval.

Our entertainment on the TV was the French Open. Love tennis and the FO was a perfect backdrop for our project.

HOW nice is nature

Taking a break and found this lovely plant in my driveway as I was walking to The Rectangle to get ready for our trip a few weeks ago. It is a lovely white/green shade and delicate. A weed I guess but too beautiful to be left unnoticed.
HOW wonderful nature is with color, form and beauty.

Coasters in Spring Colors

It is Spring with the birds singing, the rain coming and eye opening color showing up to take away the quiet of winter. New coasters are needed (the old Spring coasters have been washed too may times and seem faded and not so quite bright).
I won in a raffle just the right look for my Spring coasters and it would take another something out of my stash and into the world.

My go to pattern is here https://stitchesonmyneedle.blogspot.com/2017/06/making-patriotic-coaters-easy-peezy.html

How I love to use my stash.
Now it will be brighter under my glass...

How Cute are Scrappy Spools

The Scrappy Spools got set and border and presented at Modern Quilt Guild 

It is a fun piece and nice to use all those selvages into a quilt and out of the scrape bag.  Fun. #fwmqg2018qal   #fwmqgshowandshare

Scrappy Spools

A work in progress, a challenge in my Modern Quilt Guild to do scrappy spool quilt, a nice pattern
placement not so sure of...
I love my use of the selvedges saved over a lot of quilts, it does bring back memories of quilts past and materials used. Working on layout, not liking the ones that are turned...seems like the selvedge is sort of lost since one cannot "read" them.
Back to the design board to play......

How I Recycle an Old Quilt Project

Back in 2006  I took a class on quilt as you go technique based on the Cotton Quilt Theory method of quilt as you go (several books on this). I completed the small top and really did not like the technique or the heavy thick product the top was so I put in in a closet and there it has been. Now I am working to empty those type of UFOs and this one measured (if cut in half) perfect size of two Nap Mats for Safe Haven that my Modern Quilt Guild supports. All they needed was binding and that too I was able to take from the binding basket of left overs from other projects. WhooHoo all things that can leave my studio and do good for someone else.

This is the quilt and it is reversible so it is blue on the other side. It actually looks better than I remembered

The top cut in half is now two Nap Mats bound and ready for little ones to enjoy. I like that is is a good boy Nap Mat with the Texas Rangers baseball material.

Thoughts on Grief Added to Spiritual and Faith Thoughts page above

Mini Fun Applique Quilt

Another mini quilt for the North Texas Quilt Festival auction. It is a fun piece to embellish. I put a bit of Mardi Gras on the cat as I was working on it on Shrove Tuesday and remembered the Mardi Gras beads I had stashed. The Kitten needed to party with panashe!

Pattern: Kitten's Halloween Party (I know but I put a bit of Mardi Gras in it) by: Stitches of Love Quilting

Hearts Linked Mini

 HOW does my heart link with others?

Valentines inspired me to think hearts and this cute free pattern from Cluck Cluck Sew fit into my mind set. Hearts come in all sizes and we are interlocked with each other in many ways but our hearts are linked in ways even we do not always understand. Hearts joined gives me hope that for the greater good there will always be hearts reaching out to link another.

This mini I made to donate to the North Texas Quilt Festival. Pattern: I Heart You Mini by Cluck Cluck Sew (copy right to Allison Harris 2016)


Like to pattern below
 Pattern

Miniature Quilts for sale and live auction – Miniature quilts donated by guild members will be sold at the Expo and 100% of the proceeds will go to the designated guild. These will be sold via silent auction, ‘buy it now’, and live auction each day!

Grapes on the Vine

An applique piece is for me not a quick sew. After a year I finished this grape wreath block. It is a Elly Sienkiewicz's Baltimore Album pattern. The 108 grapes took me way too long to make to get the size I wanted but well worth the small circles.

Before pressing

Done, all good