A Sweet Christmas Quilt In the Making

Block 5 ~ Hour Glass Four Patch  

Ultimate Beginner Quilt Along ~ Block 5

Free PDF pattern ~ Block 5 ~ Hour Glass Four Patch

I am really happy with how this quilt is working up.



I started this quilt along here

Here are Blocks 4 and 5 side by side.

This will make a sweet Christmas Quilt

Ho-Ho-Ho!

Ultimate Beginner Quilt Along ~ Block 4

Block 4 ~ Half Square Triangle Four Patch

for the 

Ultimate Beginner Quilt Along 

FQS Ultimate Beginner Quilt Along Block 4

Free PDF Pattern for Block 4 Here

Here are my first four blocks.

I am having fun with these pretty fabrics and pattern.

Block 5 instructions will be up tomorrow on 

The Jolly Jabber

Are you sewing along?

A Sweet Shop Block

A cup of Hot Chocolate with a Peppermint Stick

and frosted Christmas Cookies

and Candy Canes for my

Block 3 ~ Picture Window

for the

Block 3 ~ Picture Window ~ Free PDF Pattern

Block 3 Instructions @ Fat Quarter Shop

I am having a lot of fun fussy cutting these fun

Kringle's Sweet Shop by Maude Asbury for Blend Fabrics

Looking forward to the next block on Thursday.

Today was a family day here in the scrapatch.

It is very cool here tonight.

A cup of hot chocolate would be tasty right now.

May the new week be happy and quilty.

Sew I Knew It Would Happen

It's Beginner to look a lot like Christmas!

~ and ~ 

I knew it would happen.

I am actually looking forward to the moments like these.

My Girl and I are sewing along Christmas Quilts together.
My Girl and I are actually "online" quilt along friends right now as she is living in Texas
and I am rooted in Massachusetts.

Here is my daughter's Nine Patch Block.

sent via wonderful modern technology.

My Girl has been bitten by the quilt bug.

At one point she said it would never happen.

That was years after she had dabbled with making a quilted bag and few quilt blocks 

when she was about nineteen after she and a college friends of hers 

attended a big quilt show with us.

So she knows the basics, bought some fabric, 

tried quilt making on and took it off and put it in the "not me" category. 

Until  now.

I cannot tell you how happy I am that the 

Fat Quarter Shop Announced This Beginner Quilt Along

I casually mentioned it to My Girl and to my happy surprise she said she was interested.

Block 2 ~ Nine Patch Instructions and Video Here

Free PDF Pattern for Block 2 ~ Nine Patch Here

Story of our first block may be read here

Of course, I have been sending her helpful photos, tips tricks, video links, etc,

to help her learn all she needs to know to find her way in quilting.

I have always taught my children to listen and learn

and find their own ways of doing things.

They are all very successful in this endeavor

and have taught me many things.

But not about quilting ... Until Now

My Girl is now teaching me new things about quilting ... :-) 

My Girl has been doing her thing researching and learning and planning
to make her first quilting experience as good as she can.
So she is already trying to figure out how best to quilt her quilt
So the other day she sent me this link ...

How To Bury Thread Ends Quilt Video

@ The Littlest Thistle

and asked me if this was a good way to do it.

Um .... "Yes, Girl!
This looks like a really good and easy method." 

:: sheepish grin ::
Then I told her the story about how when I was learning about quilting
on my own via books from the library, magazines and online information.
(before the explosion of online how-to-quilt videos)
I never learned about "burying thread ends"
until long after I had formed the bad habit of snipping them short.

So My Girl is finding what she needs to know to form good habits from the start.

And Her Mama is learning better habits from her.

Win = Win
<3 :-) Me & My Girl :-) <3 

and

Day 49 ~ Block 49
#100days100blocks2019

Getting Ready For Sewing Along Today

Early in the day I like to organize my sewing plans with my morning coffee. 

I was laying out my next batik blocks for my hubby when he wandered through 

with his morning cup, so I asked him for his input.

We played with the cut pieces and this is what he chose.

It is nice to be making a quilt with my hubby,

Usually he just says something like "you do well" when I ask his opinion

and leaves me to my own quilty designing.

Because this quilt is for him, he has been more proactive in the choices.

I like it.

We need to make more quilts together ... :) 

I also laid out my fabric choices for today's block for the

Kinship Fusion Sampler Quilt @ Gnome Angel

I like this block because I can showcase one of the beautiful curio bell jars.

Most of the blocks call for smaller pieces. 

Tomorrow instructions for Block 2 in the

Ultimate Beginner Quilt Along @ Fat Quarter Shop

will be released. 

I saw that it is a Nine Patch Block in the Fat Quarter Shop Livestream today

so I am already thinking of fabric possibilities.

Tomorrow morning I will still be deciding on this one.

Since I am a "Stay At Home Quilter" and do not sew with a guild,

my hubby and my online friends are my sewing circle.
I am happy my daughter, who lives over a thousand miles away, has also
joined my online sewing circle.

I really enjoy sharing and sewing with others.

So Sew-Alongs are my way of sharing and caring with other quilters.

What sew alongs are you participating in right now?

I am always looking for more quilty friends. 

~~~~~~~

Evening Update:

Day 45 ~ Block 45 Done!
and
Only 28 more blocks to go on the batik quilt.

Have a happy quilty night... :-)

Christmas Arrived Early ...

... and this is the very best present!

This is My Girl's very first block for her quilt.

Although we are many miles apart, we are sewing along together with the

Ultimate Beginner Quilt Along @ Fat Quarter Shop

Block 1 Pattern PDF Here

This is the fat quarter bundle My Girl chose for her blocks ...

All The Trimmings by Maywood Studio

Here is my Block 1

I am using this pretty stash stack of 

Kringle's Sweet Shop by Maud Asbury for Blend Fabrics

I am visiting My Girl later this year and hope 

to get photos of our quilts together

under her Christmas Tree! 

I also made my block of the day ... 

Day 40 ~ Block 40 for the 

Kinship Fusion Sampler Quilt @ Gnome Angel

It was another very happy quilty day!

:-) 

I Like Thursday # 23 ~ Family and Fabric

I like fabrics.

I like buying them, fondling them,  folding them, sorting them, stashing them, 

taking them out and arranging and rearranging them,

designing quilts with them,

picking the right ones for the right quilt,

choosing the right ones for the right block,

washing, pressing, cutting, sewing,

making a quilt with them.

Most of all I like cuddling under them in their quilt
and stroking them and admiring their

pretty colors and designs.

Fabric is love.

This is my big beautiful stash closet.

I call it "stash spelunking" when I search through this closet 

because it is a dark cave full of treasures and tight spaces,

some of which I rarely explore.

Mostly, I know where every fabric is.

My memory for my stash is very vivid with images

from fondling these beauties

and tucking them away in the best storage place.

There are shelves behind rolling carts,

bins under bins,

stacked and sorted and waiting.

The carts in the front are on wheels to roll them out to get behind them.

Usually I can find the fabrics I need.

Sometimes I have to un-stack  and re-stack things to find what I am searching for.

Sometimes a particular fabric eludes me. 

This was the case recently when looking for the "right" fabrics for the quilt that 

My Girl and I are sewing along together with 

This Quilt Started Here

Block #1 is Up @ Fat Quarter Shop

I have found and chosen my fabrics!

This is the one that was eluding me in my closet.

It was bought somewhere other than with the first stack of fabrics.

Maybe I did not at first recognize that it was the same line as the other 

Kringles Sweet Shop by Maude Asbury for Blend Fabrics, 
that I had stashed away together.
But I knew it would be a good fabric to add to this quilt.
I just needed to find it.

Yesterday I spent some time looking in my closet, literally with a flashlight,

while we were having strong thunderstorms and I had the electric lights turned off

at their power strips.

There was a bonus of unearthing three surprise fabrics,

the pink and the gray hot chocolate mugs and a piece of the cupcakes with white background
~ how did I forget I had these fabrics! ~ 

... and I found a nice green stripe from another fabric line that will be perfect for the binding.

Time to decide and cut and sew the first block!

I am also having fun choosing the right fabrics for the blocks for the

 New Batik Quilt For My Guy

I have six different block layouts now in the quilt from those four layer cake cuts.

This will be a very colorful quilt

and both my hubby and I are happy with the progress,

So my quilting this week is all about family and fabric.

While I was sitting sewing my first block at my machine by the window,
this beauty visited my window box of flowers,
still wet from the rains.

Butterflies are very special in my life.
The story is that a butterfly landed on me where I met my future husband
and he decided it was a sign that I was "The One."
I already knew by the peace and happiness I was feeling inside when we were together.
Butterflies fly to happiness.

I am happy in my sewing corner today.

Life Is Good

I will be spending part of my day enjoying what is good in the life of my friends at

I Like Thursdays @ Not Afraid of Color 

It is good once a week to sit back and think about all the good things in life.

Day 39 ~ Block 39
#100days100blocks2019

Have a Happy Thursday! 

Accepting the Challenge

I am sewing along withe the 

Fat Quarter Shop Ultimate Beginner Quilt Along

Why am I doing a beginner quilt?

Because one thing I have learned about quilting is that there is always something new to learn and the best way to learn it is by doing

and sewing along with my friends. 

In this case, one of my friends is going to be my daughter,

who will be making her first quilt from start to finish.

This makes me sew happy!

We are both sewing Chritsmas Quilts.

I have been  stash hunting and dithering about my fabric choices

Since this Post 

I have narrowed down the choices to these two:

(1) Glad Tidings FQ Bundle by Brenda Riddle for Moda Fabrics

The fat quarters in the front are for the blocks,

the light blue for the sashing,

the red/white print for the outer border,

the darker red print for the binding

and the blue print for the backing.

If I decide on these fabrics, I may  see if I can find a yard of the red print 

on the left somewhere for the outer border.

(2) Kringle's Sweet Shop by Maude Asbury for Blend Fabrics.

I have yardage, not fat quarters of these.The red on the right is the same binding fabric

as the other quilt.

For this one I would use the solid white for the sashing.

I have enough of the cupcake print for the outer border and the backing.

Looking at these fabrics, I am almost sure I have another print from the collection 

that was bought at a different place and time so it is in another place in my stash.

It is a gingerbread house print.

There may be a a print with hot chocolate mugs, too.

Tomorrow I am going stash spelunking again

to see if I can unearth them.

Then  I will make my decision

by the time the first block is out on August 8th.

It is a free pattern. 

Are you sewing along??? 

Today turned into an impromptu family day in our backyard.

I had a very good day.

 :-) 

Day 29 ~ 149 Days Until Christmas ~ Getting Ready

This is my Christmas in July Quilt Conundrum

Today I went spelunking in my fabric stash cave

and came up with these treasured gems.

I am making a Christmas Quilt, in August, actually.

My daughter and I are both sewing along

and making Christmas quilts with the

The Ultimate Beginners Quilt Along @ Fat Quarter Shop

They have released the 

Beginner Quilt Fabric Requirements & Coloring Sheets PDF

They also have a lovely kit in solids

Ultimate Beginner Quilt Kit for Fat Quarter Shop

but I want to make a Christmas quilt and I want to sew my stash.

So I went stash splunking today and came up with these choices: 

(1) North Pole by Stacy Hsu for Moda Fabrics,
which was my favorite Christmas collection from last year
and I scooped up these beauties in the after Christmas sales.
I would add a white solid for the sashing, I think
The print on the upper left is enough for the backing.
I think I would use the red text print as the binding
and the green snow print on the right as the outer border.

(2) Kringles Sweet Shop by Maude Asbury for Blend Fabrics.

This is all yardage and I think there is a gray cookie print that eluded me 

in my search. If I picj this one I will have to explore my stash closet again.

The red and white basic is a Christmas Basics by Lori Holt for Riley Blake fabrics.

I might use a white solid instead. 

(3) Ring the Holly Days by Mary Carey for Henry Glass Fabrics.

The pretty metallic vines is a yard of Bonnie and Camille's Vintage Holiday 

and it is a good color match for the sashing or border.

The red and green dot is another Christmas Basic by Lori Holt for Riley Blake.

(4)  Season's Greetings by Sentimental Studio for Moda Fabrics.

This fat quarter bundle was bought on deep clearance a few years ago 

and I know I have a couple of yards of one of the blue background

fabrics ... somewhere.  I will find it if I pick this one.

The colors are very rich and it has an old-timey Christmas vibe.

I have always wanted to make a quilt with this but I have just never gotten 'round to it.

(5) Last bit not least is this lovely

Glad Tidings FQ Bundle by Brenda Riddle for Moda Fabrics.

I love Brenda Riddle's designs and colors.

If I pick this I will have to look for fabrics to match it.

It should be an easy with these colors 

or I might go find one of these prints online.

I would likely use white or gray sashing as there are light gray prints 

as well as white.

Well those are the choices!

Which would you choose?

I will, of course, also be consulting with my quilty kitty helpers,

my hubby and anyone who stops by. 

Here is Katniss inspecting today's Kinship Sampler quilt block.

Here is Katniss sitting on the block to get an ear rub.

Here, without further furry help,  is today's block!

Day 29 ~ Block 29

#100days100blocks2019