My Spring Frolic

 

 

Started Here

 

 When these beautiful fabrics arrived from Happily Ever After Quilts

Then Hannah Met Posh

 

 

<3 and they became stitched together with love <3

 

during the

 

Mystery Quilt Weekend @ The Quilt & Needle

 

 

If you are still sewing this as a Mystery Quilt ...

 

Stop!

 

Warning: Spoiler pictures below!

 

I have the center of my top together!

 



 

Here is a close up ...

 

 

... and another close-up

 

... and a step back ...

 

 

Ready????

 

 

 

.

 

 

.

 

.

 



 

 

Isn't my quilt looking gorgeous????

 

<3 <3 <3

 



This is the center of my soon to be queen size bed quilt.

 

The actual sewing of this top is really very easy.

 

The layout is a bit tricky, but the pattern lays it all out is an easy to follow format.

 

Time to add the borders!



 Pattern Availible Here @ The Quilt & Needle

 

Since this will become a big beautiful new bed quilt for me
I have been very good about only sewing it for 30 minutes a day ...

... well maybe a few days I ran over my 30 minutes just a little ...

... so I can keep up with other quilty goals.

Linking up with the

30/30 Sewing Challenge Week 4

... just keep sewing ...

 

:-)

A New Test Quilt - WIP Wed

Fabrics for a *new* Test Pattern Quilty Adventure!

 

Today I am starting a new project. 

I will be testing a pattern for my very good friend

 

Dorian @ Ridge Top Quilts

 

I am really excited about this pattern. 

It is fun and easy to make and very striking.  The good news is that although this is a test quilt and I cannot post too many pictures right now, it will soon be a

Free Pattern

available as for a short time from Dorian

and at our quilty home away from home at

 

The Quilt and Needle

 

More details will be posted as they become available!

Sew exciting!

  

More WIP

I have also been finishing up the swap blocks for my

 Stitchin' Sister friends ...

 

Tulip Lady Fingers

 

in orange, brown and white.

 

and

Ohio Star Block

 

in 30's repros ... sew sweet!

 

Both of these blocks are linked to the free patterns at

 

Quilter's Cache

 

Today I am linking up again with

 

WIP Wed @ Freshly Pieced

and
 

  Fabric Tuesday @ Quilt Story  

Have a happy quilty day!

 

:-)

 

Got My Paint Chip!

This is the Paint Chip that arrived in the mail today for

  The Quilt & Needle Paint Chip Challenge.

Tea Stain - Cliveden Gray Morning - Grandma's Linen

Our paint colors for this challenge are randomly assigned

by the Challenge Moderator

I am feeling pretty good about these neutral greens.  I do like greens but the grey tones in these are outside my usual color box. 

I joined in this challenge with the idea that when the paint chip arrived I would find something in my stash and make it work for this project as I am on a "no new fabric purchases" budget  ... well ... with the grand exception of fabrics for my daughter's wedding quilt.  

I was not really concerned that I would have to drop out for lack of fabric as I do have a very big beautiful stash ... but in these colors?

I lucked out on this one!

On Saturday, I had unburied the pink squares and strips I had tucked in the back of a closet so I could work on the pink color blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge at So Scrappy.  The fabrics paired with these pinks are the exact green grays on this paint chip card.

The card is from the "neutral green" in Lowe's Valspar Paint Colors. The pinks I am using to compliment these colors are from "neutral red" in the color selector.

So I have my challenge project already next to my sewing machine!

The original squares in this quilt all came from a baggie of scraps that I found on a white elephant table at a nearby quilt show a couple of years ago.  At the time, I wondered why picked them up and what I might ever do with them.  Then last summer I was drawn to the "Rhubarb Pie" quilt featured on the Keepsake Quilting catalogue and decided to see if I might make my own version of this quilt.  So I added some similar greens and pinks from my stash and started sewing it as a leaders and enders project.

At some point I decided to put it away for awhile as I was not sure I was liking the way it was looking and that maybe I needed to tinker with the pattern.  When I got my paint chip today and started thinking, an image of how I want to put my own twist on this sprang into my mind.  So I am off and running on this challenge.

It is all just for fun with my quilty friends at the Q&N.

You can still sign up for this challenge here on the

Q&N  Paint Chip Challenge Forum Discussion 

 or through the 

Quilt & Needle Facebook site.

New friends are always welcome at the Quilt and Needle!

I hope you will be joining us!

:) 

A Quilt For All Seasons - Winter - Scrappy Background

 "After"

A Quilt for All Seasons - Winter

Scrapalicious Background 

Layout Detail

Today I am piecing the top of my winter version of

The Quilt and Needle Mystery "Quilt for all Seasons" 

 To see what this layout looked like with my original scrappy squares background see

 "Before"

Today I am starting the work week off in a good way by again joining in the fun at  

Plum and June for their lovely 

Monday Link Up

Hope to see you joining us today! 

:) Pat

WIP Wednesday

My scrappy snowflake mystery blocks layout

This pattern is my winter version of

 The Quilt and Needle Mystery "Quilt for all Seasons"

Today I am working on making the setting blocks scrappy, too, so the quilt will look more scrapalicious.

Today I am linking up for the first time with
 Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday.

Welcome to all who may visit my scrapatch!

Have a happy quilty day!

:)

January Swap Blocks

My January Swap blocks are done!

This was an easy block, Woven Ribbons from Quilter's Cache, in country colors and white.

Hope they play nicely with all the other blocks!

I think I have my Dare To Dresden idea and design.

My scrappy mystery background fabrics are waiting.

Time to sew!

:) 

Winter Mystery Blocks

Here are my completed snowflake blocks for the The Quilt and Needle Winter Mystery "Quilt for all Seasons" .  I love the fabrics in these blocks.  This pattern will be released soon as a whole quilt pattern on Quilt Woman site and the Q&N Online Shop.

I have these blocks out today and laid out to study the setting.  Because I chose a scrappy background for these blocks, I am going to have to make some personal adjustments to the setting blocks to make my background scrappy happy.

While I am studying this layout, I am sewing my January Swap blocks.

Have a happy quilty day

 

:-) Pat

It's a Mystery!

Here is my sewing for the first step of the

 Quilt & Needle Winter Mystery Quilt completed.

Since this is a mystery and a pattern that my SAYM friend, Jess Smith designs for profit as well as fun, I cannot reveal more.

I can tell you that I love, love, love, love this pattern.  That is four "loves" because the design is actually four quilts in one.  It can be made as individual wall or baby size quilts or sewed together into a king size quilt.  I have plans to make all four designs, one for each season, and am choosing my fabrics so that I can group them together on a wall or maybe make the king size.  I am also using a scrappy background and may use some more of my snowflake fabric scraps in other parts of the quilt as well.  I love the visual texture of scrappy quilts.  I also love using up some of my smaller pieces of fabric.

One quilt top is an easy weekend of sewing.

Sew if you are looking for a fun easy project, please consider purchasing the pattern and joining us in the fun.  Jess is always very helpful with selecting fabrics and providing how-to help by email or on the forum.  After the mystery weekend the pattern will be available on her site as a whole pattern.

 

It snowed here yesterday ... a really good day to stay in and sew. This is what my backyard looked like late last night. Today the guys are shoveling ... another good day to stay in and sew.

More pictures on the Quilt and Needle Forum of my sewing and the other pretty quilts that are coming together this weekend.

Hope you will be sewing with us

 

Have a happy quilty day

 

:)

Q&N Winter Mystery Quilt Weekend

My Winter Mystery Quilt Fabrics

I am getting ready to sew with my friends at the Quilt & Needle

on Jess Smith's newest mystery pattern. 

 

It is called "A Quilt For All Seasons" and the

Fabric Requirements are posted on the

Q&N Blog

 Pattern Available Here

Hope you will be joining me in this quilty fun!

 

The more ... the merrier ... :-)

Quilter's Christmas Party and Operation Homefront Drive

Hello and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays,  my friends!

 

 

My favorite part of Christmas is having my family and friends around me. My favorite Christmas tradition is our annual Christmas Tree Gathering ... getting together as a family and finding our tree, bringing it home and decorating together. 

Today I am gathering online with other quilters and sharing the fun at the Quilter's Christmas Party that is happening over at Sew Cal Gal's Blog.  There are some great prizes to be had from the generous sponsors of this quilty holiday happening. 

There is also a drive to benefit a great cause. Find this button ...

Operation Homefront

... on Sew Cal Gal's Blog.  Learn more about this cause to pause and consider as to why we should donating by reading this post about the  Operation Homefront Drive.

To donate click on the Operation Homefront button on the right of her blog page and  remember to add "Sew Cal Gal" in the comments.

I hope you will open your hearts to gift the families our servicemen and women this holiday season and let them know that ...

Over the years I have made many blocks for several Quilts of Valor initiatives and every block I have stitched with thanks and gratitude for the sacrifices made everyday by our military families.

Q&N Quilt of Valor

On my quilty home away from home on the web, The Quilt and Needle,
 we have a special section where

 The Snug Society Gives Back

in the Q&N Quilts of Valor Initiative threads.  

Above is a photo of our most recent quilt.  For more photos, including one of the recipient and his family read through the thread. In keeping with the QOV Foundation's mission "to cover all service members and veterans touched by war with quilts," the members of of the Q&N have quietly been making blocks and quilts since 2009. Members may nominate any friend or family member to receive a quilt. Many of these quilts have been made by uni-block drives and others have been designed specifically for the recipient.  New members to the Q&N are always welcome.

Throughout the day today I will be posting more and welcome you to my

Quilty Christmas Open House

 

and I will be visiting other participant's blogs.

 

Come join the party!

 

:-)

Making a Sewing Room a Quilty Home

My Sisterhood of Quilters
are now keeping me company in
 My New Sewing Room

 

Miss Dorian knows me sew well. :)

 

This quilt is one of my favorites.  I started it when I went to the Quilt and Needle Retreat in Texas in March, 2009, so that I could meet some of my online quilty friends.  It is a very special quilt for many reasons.  It is one of Jess Smith's Mystery patterns.  Jess kitted it especially for me from fabrics from her shop to which I added one fabric from my stash from home.  I got to start sewing this one with her and her Mom, Miss Connie, and Miss Cindy, Miss Nancy, Miss Jami, Miss Milica, and Miss Lizzie.  I also got to meet some of my other quilty friends and their families.  The sisterhood of quilter's panel is signed by them.  When I sew now in my quilty room, they keep me company. 

 

To read more about this quilt when I finished and entered it in a Q&N Challenge in 2010 read here.

 



I have always loved the colors in this quilt. 

It was a big job to hang as it is a big quilt.  It takes up the entire wall.  I do have more plans for this wall, too.  These are "coming soon."

I am also adding some easy and inexpensive touches to make my sewing space more efficient and organized.  Some of these items, like the thread racks, I actually won in a basket at a quilt show a few years ago and have never had a place to hang them before.

My quilty kitties are settling in, too ...

Butterfly says "Mine!"

 

Katniss says, "No! Mine!"

 

... while attempting to claim "the best spot" and other feline jostling for position.

Obviously, they both want the nice soft flannel bed by the window. There is some hissy fitting but the fur is starting to settle.  Both are assertive and territorial cats, but they are big marshmallows. The may hiss and growl but their fur does not stand on end and they do not go for the neck. If you do not have cats, this means they are not really fighting.

 Pat says, "Excuse me. Mine!"

 

I am working on "Making a Sewing Room Home Part 2"

 

Have a happy quilty day!

 

:)

 



Quilt Bloggers Festival

 

"Delectably Twisted"

Best Category: Two Color Quilt ... Blues and Browns

 

I am joining in the Blogger's Quilt Festival Fun!

Here is my quilt ... # 325
 

Best Category: Bed Quilt ... Oversized Queen ... 98" X 98"

Machine Pieced and Long Arm Quilted by Pat Broe

Pattern Source:  "Unexpected Twist" by Jess Smith

Custom Border:  "Delectable Mountains" 

This is my favorite quilt that I have made this year. I had sew much fun sewing and quilting and gifting it.  I made this quilt for my daughter.  The cat in the photo is her kitty, Butterfly, who was very helpful in making and inspecting this quilt.

Close up of Top

 

Butterfly inspected this quilt for comfort before I quilted it, too. ;)
 

Border and Quilting Detail

 

I love participating in the Mystery Quilt Weekends at The Quilt and Needle and sharing the fun in the forum threads and have made many quilts and many friends there over the last few years. Since I made this quilt as a gift for my daughter to take with her to her new apartment, when I saw that the spring mystery was to be a two color quilt I chose two colors that I believed she and her young man would both like, so I picked shades of blue and brown. 
 

Brown/Blue Mystery Quilt Fabrics

 

I bought all the fabrics for this quilt one trip to my favorite local quilt shop, Bits 'n' Pieces in Pelham, NH.   When I decided later to make the quilt larger by adding a custom pieced border, I had to go back to the shop for more of the lightest blue fabric, but I had already bought the last of the bolt of this color. Fortunately I was able to find a lighter blue shade of the same fabric to finish the quilt.



 

Since this quilt was a home warming gift for a new apartment ...

... I made it into an ensemble that included matching pillowcases with pieced borders and toss pillows made with extra blocks and pieces from the quilt and ...

 

also included a Table Topper, Mug Rugs and curtain tiebacks

... to make her new home cozy, comfy and quilty. Whenever I make a quilt, I like to use up extra fabric, blocks, units and such to make other quilty goodies to go with the quilt. My daughter and her young man were very pleased with their apartment warming gift.

 

For those interested in reading more of the making of this quilt,  I have several posts on my blog in May and June, such as this one, with more details about the sewing and quilting.

 

 Butterfly on folded pieced quilt back

Butterfly loved this quilt and did not want to see it leave.  Maybe she just did not want to see "Our Girl" leave home.  My daughter thought about taking her kitty with her to her new apartment, but at twelve years old, Butterfly seems a little too settled into her old home to want to move and share life with their new puppy. So now Butterfly and I are keeping each other company  ...

Quilty Puppy Love

... and the quilt is in its new home with a puppy to cuddle.

Thanks to the Blogger's Quilt Festival for giving me the chance to share my quilt and welcome to all who stop by to visit.  I am looking forward to seeing all the other quilts in this big lovely online quilt show.

Have a happy quilty day!

:) Pat