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

Mystery No More...Quilt

 Bonnie Hunter does a great job of her mystery pattern each year starting in November. The one I just finished is from Nov 2016-December 2016. I actually started on time and made great progress but then RV travel pops up and things in the realm of quilting slows to a crawl well really not at all. I do travel with my machines etc but large quilts and small pieces are not the projects I take along, so it was left on the design board. Forward to 2018 and it is finished. En Provence Mystery Quilt by Bonnie Hunter.  (www.quiltville.com). This pattern is no longer available on her site, but the latest mystery On Ringo Lake is.

Anyway, I like this pattern finish a lot and the designs inside designs the colors make pop. Mine reminds me of MardiGras with the purple and bright color pink and hint of yellow.

I don't mind that it takes me a long time to join the project to its finish, I do love the process of quilting and for me the finished project is not the explicit joy of quilting. Now to sandwich and quilt it.

 I enjoy the entrance of a new year. I love the feeling of hope I can make another year in good health and with joy. I know there is not guarantee of either and yet not knowing if OK as today is just what it is...now. I like the now and the moment of now with the breath entering and leaving giving energy yet taking rest with each exhale. The annual dinner for New Year's Eve with lobster and Dom champagne bring me joy and I love the family/friends gathering to toast each other and a new year. We dine early so those that have other events can get to them and those that don't can hang out.

Celebrate all year long.