Wantobe Quilters Campaign

Me and My Girl have joined the

 Wantobe Quilters Campaign

This photo was taken by a friend at a quilt show in NH last summer when Marissa joined me for a  fun day trip with a busload of quilters. Everything in life is better when shared with a daughter. <3

I like to call myself an "experienced beginner" because there is sew much more to learn.  In this campaign I will be placing myself with the other experienced quilters.

My Little Sweetie, Marissa, is yet to finish her first quilt.  I am hoping the fun and quilty camaraderie of this campaign will give her the impetus she needs to set up her sewing machine next to mine and sew with me this summer before life takes her off to grad school and such. Marissa will be joining the fun as a "Wantobe."

We will be commenting on giveaway threads on the on the schedule of days that are appropriate for each of us and hoping for a nifty gifty or two.  

We learned of this fun adventure though my friend Dorian at Ridge Top Quilts and have signed up through her.  

The quilts posted on the Stash Manicure blog have already gotten me excited about what is to come.  Orange!  One of my favorite colors.

Some of you may remember that I picked "orange" for the "stick swap" with the Scrappy and Happy group.  Time to get out my bag of "orange sticks" and think about making my own "creamsicle" quilt!

Here is a photo of some of my yummy orange dream fabrics ...

mmmmmmmmmm .... creamsicles .... ;) Pat

Waffling Again

No ... not making waffles ... lol ... (although I do make the most delicious Belgium Waffles I have ever tasted... that is for another post sometime ;)

... but ... but ... but ...

I am getting ready to cut my mystery quilt fabric

... and ... and ... and ...

I think I may change my mind and make this my large scale print fabric for a quilt that really says "SUMMER!"

Mina is trying to help me decide ... hmmmmmmm

What do y'all think ????

Go for it ???? ... or use the Capri as planned ????

I think deciding on fabric is the toughest thing for me ... once I finally decide and start cutting I am fine and do not look back ...  ;) Pat

Lonestar Quiltalong Part 1

I have my center finished for the Lonestar Quiltalong at Ridge Top Quilts. 

I am pretty pleased with my first attempt at this 8-point diamond star pattern.  I did have to use my seam ripper to fix a few of the points in the diamonds along the way, but by the last diamond they were fitting together much more easily.  This is one of those patterns that "practice makes perfect"  ... well, at least, "better" ... lol.

I did have my usual helpers hanging out on the quilts and fabric.  Mina is actually being helpful here by taking her nap on top of the extra fabric. 

Butterfly is in her favorite perch on top of a stack of quilts on the shelf above my desk where she can better supervise. As I have said, she likes to be "Top Cat." 

Jess has sent the cutting instructions for her "Bella Cosa" Summer Mystery Quilt Pattern so I am off to cut fabrics.

Tomorrow my hubby and I are going to the Maine Quilts Show so I will not be sewing the mystery until late Sunday or early Monday.  I may not be able to resist peeking in the threads and seeing the pictures of everyone's progress so this may not be a mystery when I actually start sewing, but that is okay.   I enjoy the "sewing together" community aspect of these mystery weekends so much.   As soon as the thread is up where everyone starts posting pictures of their fabric choices, I will be ooohing and ahhing over all the pretties. 

Dorian, who is one of the pattern testers, has already posted a picture of her pretty fabrics here on the Quilt and Needle Blog.  Can't wait to see her quilt!

Have a happy quilty weekend, my friends ...

:) Pat

Quilting Along!

Just when you thought you had seen the last of the blue/yellow/green fabric pictures on my blog.  ;)

While I am waiting for the cutting instructions for the Q&N Summer Mystery Quilt to be ready, I decided to make the best use of my quilty time and join in the Lonestar Quilt-a-long on the Ridge Top Quilts blog.   

Dorian posted a wonderful tutorial for this beautiful pattern and her first ever quitalong.  To find this and join in the fun, click on the image link at the top right of my page.

This is really what I needed to jumpstart me again on the stalled progress I have made on my Matty's Lonestar Quilt.  I do have all the sets sewn together for his bed size quilt but need to get back to the pressing and cutting set strips and sewing the diamonds to make the star.

This small challenge quilt will give me the practice and confidence I need to move on to the larger quilt.

Sew far ... sew good ...

This should make a nice wallhanging in my bedroom.

Thanks, Dorian ... ;-) Pat

My Q&N Summer Mystery Fabric Arrived!

Oh, my!!!!!!  I just love this fabric! 

It is Capri, designed by Pati Fried for Northcott.  This is the fabric Jess at the Quilt & Needle picked for her upcoming Summer Mystery Weekend.  I am so distracted from my other projects today.  I just cannot stop fondling this yummy fabric. 

I saw this fabric line in Fabric Trends Winter 2011 magazine and drooled and dreamed of warm sunny places.  I had no idea that Jess was considering it for her summer mystery kits.  When she posted these last Thursday, I jumped. I was lucky I did. Not surprisingly, her kits sold out in a few hours.


The mystery pattern is, of course, available so if you wish to join in the sewing click on this link to purchase your pattern ...


Q&N 2011 Summer Mystery Quilt

 ... and Jess will email you the fabric requirements so you can find some fabric.


Hope you will be joining us ... :) Pat

Cats On Quilts

I just could not resist taking and posting this title and photo.  My hubby actually brought home these quilt books after visiting his favorite used book store,  Mina, of course, saw this as a photo opportunity.

I take so many photos of cats on quilts .. because, really, they are always there and I can't do a thing without them ... or sometimes I can't get anything done with them.  Mina was batting my hand away all the time I was trying to sew the binding on the D9P quilt. 

Then Butterfly had to come and chase her off and roll up in it. 

Despite their best efforts otherwise, I did get the D9P bound and finished.  Here is the promised photo ...

You can see the last of my pansies tucked into the pot on the left.  They are still blooming there since it is a shadier, cool spot in the yard.


I had three leftover D9P blocks, so I covered another small pillow with one and made a runner for my dresser or night stand with the other two and some more scraps.  Here is the photo ... 

 

Mina is saying ... "Thanks.  Just my size. You made this for me, right?" 

Poor Mina ...  it is going into the bedroom tomorrow ... where Butterfly will not let her get near it.  Sorry, kitty.

My cats really are not good about sharing the quilts ... or their people ... or just about anything.  Butterfly is "large and in charge" and Mina is very much "you are not the boss of me."  The fur flys over the quilts sometimes.  Mina tries to stake her claim on every quilt while it is being made in my sewing/dining/living room area, but Butterfly does not let her in my or my daughter's bedrooms. I should explain. When my daughter rescued Mina from certain death and brought her home, Mina took one look at the other cats we had ... and at the time we also had the sweetest, friendliest elderly cat that was pattering right over to bump noses and say "hello!  how nice! a new kitty come to live with us!" Mina took one look, hissed and growled and disappeared into the boys bedroom and under Jon's bed and we did not see her for days.  We heard her though. The most sinister growl came out from under the bed anytime one of us walked by that room.  Matt was away at college at the time so Mina looked to Jon as her "savior"  I always joked that I was packing the cat when he moved out, but he moved to an apartment that did not allow pets. For years she has run to the door meowing when she hears his vehicle in the driveway and scampers after him all the time he is here. She was such an abused and miserable little animal when we adopted her that I always told him he must have done something right in life to earn the love of that scared, scarred little cat.  He just laughs. Just so you do not think poor little Mina has been left quiltless and comfortless, here she is curled up in her very own basket near my sewing machine on a quilt made from the leftover blocks from Jon's batik quilt ...

What would I do without my "cats on quilts" ?

 ... lol ...  ;) Pat

Reading My Quilty Pal's Blogs

Last weekend, I did some bargain plant shopping and then I did some planting in my windowboxes and small gardens.  Most of the annuals I found were picked over but I found some green ones that  I could nip back and hopefully I should have lots of blooms in a week or two.  Above is one of my boxes that is already starting to show more color. It has been so hot here that I have had to water them at least twice a day. 

I have been staying in where it is cool and have been trying to catch up with my quilty pals.  Here is a couple of fun blog posts from my friends that you should all check out ...


Ms. Margo is giving back to her blog readers by hosting her first ever giveaway!


http://limeandlace.blogspot.com/2011/07/thank-you.html


I am hoping to be lucky and win this pretty charm pack, but I am always willing to share the fabric with my quilty pals so go comment and good luck! 

All of you should also go visit Ms. Dorian at Ridge Top Quilts as she is thinking of doing her first ever Quilt-along!

http://mtnmommy2.blogspot.com/

She has a poll up for the possible quilt-a-long or a full tutorial for the Lonestar pattern.  Check out the lovely gallery and read back to find the link to her recent guest blog post on these singular beauties. The vote ... vote ... vote!

 

During our heat wave, I have also doing lots of sewing. I finished my blue and yellow scrap quilt ... will try to get my hubby to hold it so I can get a good picture tomorrow. Made and mailed a bunch of swap and baby and charity blocks.  Worked some on my Matty's Lonestar quilt.  Right now I have the fabric and pattern ideas out for my "Too Pretty to Cut It Challenge" project for the Q&N.  My biggest challenge at this point will be getting it sewn in time since, as usual, I have waited to the last minute to start it.

Best get sewing ... ;) Pat

Summer Patchwork

I have my scrap blue and yellow and green D9P together and am deciding how to finish it. I have a lot of nice thick, warm quilts. What I need is a thin "warm weather" quilt or two. It has been triple digits here off and on for the last few days. Much too hot for handling heavy batting and lots of quilting.

So I have decided to just use a thin piece of white flannel for the "filling" and I found a sunny yellow fabric in my stash for the backing. This will not be a true quilt as there will be no actual quilting. Even tying is not necessary with the flanneI for batting as it will not shift or bunch when washed since it is cloth. I will sew the binding on as usual and that will be the only place the three layers are stitched together. I have done this once before for a tablecloth and it resulted in a nice drape.  Since the tablecloth is now several years old, I know this one will wash and wear well, too.

The important thing to remember when doing this is make sure that all the layers are very flat.  I press each separately and then, after it is sandwiched, I press both sides completely before I sew on the binding strip.  The finished project will be a patchwork throw for my new bed quilt.

The kitties will like it and it will protect my favorite spring mystery quilt. When it is too hot for that quilt, I can fold it down to the foot of the bed and just snuggle under my new patchwork blankie for a summer night.

As you can see ... Mina approves of my choices ... now if only I can get her to go nap somewhere else so I can press and sew ... ;)

Have a happy, quilty day ... :-) Pat

Lazy Days of Summer Sewing

My Quilty Kitty, Mina, and I have been working on using up the rest of the blue and yellow and green fabric. We made valances, two king pillow shams and even covered an old lampshade.

After that we still had a pile of fabric. So I decided to see how many 3.5 inch squares I could cut to make a lap size Disappearing 9-Patch Quilt. I also pulled a few fat quarters in similar colors left from another project out of a drawer to add to this stash.



After cutting and sewing, I have made 52 Nine Patch Blocks, all with a yellow center block. Then I cut then into quarters.


Now I am re-assembling them into D9P Blocks. This pattern lends easily uses up scrap squares to make very scrappy quilts. This is also an easy way to use up extra pre-cut charm squares, too. Sometimes a neutral background fabric to the squares. I have also seen planned D9P quilts using only three fabrics that have resulted in a very different look.

There are several good tutorials out there for this easy pattern and many variations. Here is a how-to site with some interesting links that I have had bookmarked and have used before.

D9P Tutorial

More piccies of my quilty stuff coming soon.

Mina is still snoozing but my sewing machine is calling to me!

:) Pat

Happy 4th of July!

Today we celebrate independence.

May we also give thanks and honor all by which we live free.