1st Round Robin Border Done!

This is the photo of my completed border on Ann's Medallion ... far from perfect, but it was made with love. This is my first attempt at the Dresden Plate/Fan pattern, which is one of my favorite block designs. I did enjoy the challenge. After trial and error, I had to hand-applique the fan blades in the end as my machine applique skills are just not up to the skill level of Ann's center block.

I am thinking it was just as well I posted the sketch in this blog. Otherwise I might have wimped out and gone for an easier border. ;-)

I dropped this in the mail to the next quilter tonight at the automated postal center in our main post office .. just in the nick of time before the next RR arrives on my doorstep, I think.

I hope you like it, Ann!

Cheers! :-) Pat

Round Robins and Other Challenges

The picture is my progress on the Round Robin border that I am working on for Ann's lovely medallion. Not much progress, as you can see. I have fabrics ... I have a design sketch ... I have her request sheet ... I even have a template ... I am adding the first border ... I am getting nervous. I love doing these, but I find them very challenging. I have had a plan since I received this beauty and I hope it will work. I always second guess myself when I need to get this done and in the mail before the mailing deadline which is a week from now. I always hope that what I do will please the recipient and make it easy for the next quilter who will add a border. Wish me luck!

Since this is a challenge for me I got to thinking ... (always a scary and wayward thing ... ;-) ...) that the Olympics are starting tomorrow in Vancouver, Canada ... (hmmmmmm ... Ann is from Canada ... is there a connection here in my haphazard head?) ... and I always like to watch these athletes challenge themselves and represent their countries, my mind started playing this song. Okay ... um ...

The torch is on its final legs of its journey! ...

http://www.vancouver2010.com/

so ... the new tune in the player is "Fanfare For the Common Man" by Aaron Copland ... (I like the Emerson. Lake and Palmer version ... it rocks!) ... which I associate with striving and accepting and rising to the daily challenges of our lives ... like I said ... my mind leads me down strange paths ... ;-)

Back to facing my personal challenge ... as I wave my little flag for the men and women from the USA who are travelling to Canada today ... good luck to all !

:-) Pat

A Good Day to Stay In and Sew

... and sew ... and cook ... and visit with my online friends ... dream of quilty adventures ...

This is a block I made with some of my winter "Snowpeople Fabric Swap" goodies from a swap I ran last winter on Block Central. I need to pull this fabric out and make a larger quilt.

It is snowing here! The forecast is for a major storm and everything is shutting down in the northeast. It is a good day to stay in, set chicken soup to simmer in the slow cooker and sew ... and make goodies. I love chocolate!

The following recipe arrived in my email box this morning via a newsletter from one of my favorite nearby quilt shops, the Pine Tree Quilt Shop in NH ...

http://www.pinetreequiltshop.com/

Do you get the idea that I have a LOT of favorite LQS? ;-)

Easy Oreo Truffles

1 (16oz) pkg Oreo Cookies

1 (8oz) pkg Cream Cheese

2 (8oz) pkg Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted

Crush 9 cookies to fine crumbs.

Crush remaining cookies to fine crumbs in medium bowl. Add cream cheese; mix until well blended.

Roll mixture into 42, 1" balls.

Dip balls in chocolate; place on wax paper-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs.

Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Store in refrigerator.

Here is the link to subscribe to their newsletter and recieve the original recipe ... must give credit where credit is due ...

http://www.pinetreequiltshop.com/Newsletter.html

Stop in sometime and fondle the fabric ... I am sure you will find some that says take me home!

While you are there, if you are hungry, you might like to stop into Rosie's Place which is in the same plaza.

http://roseysplacerestaurant.com/

Food here is always fresh, good, well prepared. My hubby likes their juicy burgers and onion rings. I love their middle eastern flavors and sweet potato fries with plum dipping sauce. My daughter loves their Buffalo Chicken Roll-Up. My second son and I have stopped there, too, and he likes their chicken or burgers. As Matt would say ..."Mmmmmmm ... food!"

Think I shall be visiting these places soon ...;-)

Enjoy!

:-) Pat

My (Not So) "Ugly Fat Quarter" Challenge

The Quilt & Needle is sponsoring an "Ugly Fat Quarter - with a Twist" Challenge and here is my entry. Read all about us here ... http://www.thequiltandneedle.com/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=1222&posts=283&start=1

Each of us sent an "ugly" fat quarter of our choice hidden in an envelope or bag and Jess swapped and sent them back out. Here is the "ugly" I received via Margo from VA ...

At first I though this was "not very ugly" and thought I had lucked out, but the more I looked at it and tried to find fabric to use with it, the more the "ugly" showed itself. The colors are really "off" in this fabric and it was very hard to find contrasting or matching fabric. I took it to four quilt shops and just could not find any other prints that would work with it or even much in the way of tone-on-tones. I finally settled on some Kaufman Fusions that I had in my stash.

The more I looked at the fat quarter, the more it looked like "old porcelain" to me and I wanted to make something different from my usual "flat" quilt projects so I found the pattern for a quilted "French Tea Cozy" that has been in my "things I want to do" file for sometime. I made my own templates and have them tucked away for future use. The pattern is from Favorite Things ...

http://www.favoritethings.net/favorite/patterns/home_decor/french_kitchen

and cut the front and back of the cozy from my "ugly" and used the Fusions for the bottom and lining and added some cute flower buttons. This is a "quilt as you go" pattern and it was actually rather easy to do.

I like the way the tea cozy "dresses" the tea pot in this pattern!

I had just enough scraps left to make a matching table topper using some templates from an Atkinson Designs block pattern ... http://www.atkinsondesigns.com/patterns/patternDetail.asp?productID=501

The setting for the topper is my own design. It was a large square until I cut the scalloped edges with a large round tray from my kitchen. I used darker contrasting thread for the top and did much more quilting than I usually put into a smaller project. When it came to the binding I had not enough of any of the fabrics so I had to find something else. I took it back to the quilt shop and went around in circles trying to find something ... anything ... to match again and came home empty handed again and went back though my stash again and found a piece of a dark coral-red that went well with the top thread.

I have a lot of fun and learn so much being a part of the circle of the supportive quilters at the Quilt & Needle. I wish they could all come join me for tea and cookies and sewing ... you, too!! ...

Enjoy!

Come see all the "uglies" and entries as the last are appearing in the album and in a few days come back and vote! It is going to be a tough choice, though ...

http://www.thequiltandneedle.com/forums/photos/photo-thumbnails.asp?albumid=85

:-) Pat

Swaps! Swaps! Swaps!

Since I do not belong to a local quilting group or guild, my online quilting buddies are my main source of inspiration and helpful hints ... and gentle nudges ... and who get me right out of my comfort zone sometimes ... lol!

I have learned and shared so much quilting the wide wide web!

Above is my first ever strippy scrappy string block. It is winging its way to Michigan now to its new home. Meg chose lavendar for the two inch center strips for her block units. I joined this lovely group of online ladies to make these in this "Simple Scrappy Strings Swap" on Block Central ...

http://blockcentral.net/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/970609484/m/528102092

Everyone is a winner in this swap! Each month we will make a send a block to the lucky recipient of the month. We even have a buddy system in place to insure that no one misses out on all their blocks on any given month. :-)

Here is the pattern we are using for this swap ... from Mary Quilts ...

http://www.maryquilts.com/strings/string-diamonds/

I am also partictipating in some monthly charm and strip swaps on this great forum ... like this fun 30's Repros Strip Swap ... my choice this month! ...

http://blockcentral.net/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/5711044763/m/702105282

Here are the strips I am sending ...

Keep watching for the many wonderful goodies I am receiving ... everyday I am watching for my mail carrier to drop these beautiful "squishies" in my box ...

hmmmm ... best go check to see if the mail has come yet ... ;-) Pat