Sewing but not showing

I am excited to participate in the Doll Quilt Swap sponsored by Lori over at Humble Quilts.  I've wanted to participate in this swap ever since she started hosting it about 3 yrs. ago but I have been too busy, already committed to finishing other projects, or had company and just had to be satisfied with admiring  the work and excitement of everyone else involved - sigh.

This year I'm caught up with my commitments, my company left last Tuesday, and I was able to finish a little quilt top this week.  It's only 18" square so it won't take very long to quilt.  It needs to be in the mail by May 1st so I've got a whole month to get it quilted.  Wish I could show it to you so you could give me some suggestions.  Right now, I'm at a loss. . .

sneak peak

It's pretty cute.  These are the fabrics I used;

I have a number of pieces of fabric that would make fabulous borders but time after time the quilt kept calling for the border it got.

These little quilts can be quite demanding, you know!


We got a new railing on our front porch this week.  I think it dresses up the house a little, gives it a little curb appeal.  I'm very pleased.

The spring flowers are blooming; making everything look beautiful and smell so good.

Gotta love those little violets.  

Our poor poor turtles are really "the worse for wear" this spring.  We've had them about 7 yrs. and for some reason this last winter was terribly hard on them.  This is the biggest of the two "Atlas" and they both have developed a really bad case of leprosy.

The smaller of the two "Mariposa" can be lifted up and put into the trash.  But this big hefty guy,

is too heavy to move in spite of missing  some parts.   Makes me wonder why they did so well for so long and then this year they both decided to fall apart.  The only difference I can come up with is that we had an unusually wet winter.

My quilt club met last night and while I didn't take any pictures I still wanted to share some online pictures of the quilts that Lorraine talked about and demonstrated the technique for.

The Scrap Vortex QAL by Crazy Mom Quilts.




She still has all the instructions up on her blog, see link above.

Doesn't it look like fun?

Kathy of Kathy' Quilts  made one and has it posted on her blog.  She put letters in hers with the message SCRAP VORTEX.  One of the ladies at my meeting last night suggested that you could put your grandchild's name in the mix is you were making the quilt for them.  Fun idea!

I saved this picture from Lee Ann at Nifty Quilts. 

I love this quilt and would like to make one.
Along with all the other thousands of quilts I want to make................

The ideas for scrap quilts are endless aren't they?
Robin

Blockheads Week 1

It's one of those times when I need you to view this as you are galloping by on a horse.

This block is rather deceptive.  It looks fairly easy until the construction begins.  The part that was hard was matching up all those points and corners.  ( I probably should re-do the one on the left.) While I was making this little block (6") I thought I'd use this one to learn on and then make another one.

Once I finished the block, I said; "Good enough!"

(I should  have fussy-cut the blackbirds in the middle)
Always second guessing myself. . . . . . .
Robin

Just lots of pictures

(Check out the GIVEAWAY in the March 4th post - here)

Charm quilt from 2007

 I'm finishing up some old UFOs and turning them into tops.  The only problem with this goal is that I am trying to reduce the tops in storage by quilting them and I just keep making more tops.  This hand pieced charm quilt has been hanging around for a lot of years.  It just needed a border.  I came up with a lot of ideas;
1. Applique border  (would take too long, I just want to get this done)
2. Pieced border with yo yos  (darling border from Simply Friends by Kim Diehl & Jo Morton)
3. Multiple borders  (can't decide)
4.The above border which reminds me of a circus for some reason.

It is about 85" square.

The Whimsey Quilt

 This little quilt was fun to make.  It was much brighter fabric than I normally use.

The thing about this little quilt top is that it is my sister's.  She bought the fabric and asked me to cut it out for her birthday one year.

Then many years later she hired a professional organizer to come in and help her get rid of stuff - I ended up with the quilt parts.  So (after storing it for a few more years to age it like cheese) I used it as my leader and ender project (kinda) and finished it up last week.  And then I gave it to her along with the backing so she can go get it quilted.  Guilt free for me!

I've been continuing to work on the hand quilting for my Peppermint Quilt.  I have been working on this since November.  I'm 3/4 done.  (Just keep swimming quilting----)

 I'm enjoying the process because I love the quilt so much.  It's so pretty in real life.  But, I'm anxious to work on other things too.

We had a gorgeous snow storm last week.  It really covered the mountains with a blanket.

My DH pruned the apricot tree and brought in a few of the trimmings.  We put them in water and watched the buds expand and then burst in bloom.  This is taken just before they opened up.

We'll leave the lights on for you

I finished piecing my winter quilt.  A pattern called "Sleigh Bells" by Jan Patek.  It kind of hard to get a good picture because it is so long.  It calls for wide side borders and narrow top and bottom borders.

Not the right border fabric

I think I want to use black for the border but I haven't found the right piece yet.  I wish I could get some of those black background florals by Brannock & Patek or Blackbird Designs from yesteryear.
I'll just have to keep looking.

I got out another UFO today that just needs the pieced border.  I'm in the process of cutting out the pieces for it now.  Then I will have yet another top to put in my closet (Under the Big Top) but at least it won't be weighing on my shoulders to get it finished.  And it won't be hanging around in pieces for someone else to deal with someday.

When I was apologizing for potentially leaving behind so many tops upon my demise, my younger daughter said; "Don't worry about it,  We'll just tie them and use them."

That sounds good to me.
Robin

Connecting to Slow Stiching Sunday at Kathy's Quilts
Check out the GIVEAWAY in the March 4th post!!!  (Link at the beginning of this post)