MC for April = ORANGE!

4-30-11  This is what I have so far:

4-8-11 A few changes, candles are added for Jesse (4-04) and Kelly (4-09) and Dustin (4-09) The bunny grew up! I printed a pattern and sewed all lines paper piece style(on the back side of the fabric)- then cut and removed paper and did raw edge applique. Since this is now my B-day month block, I am going to either add 50 pieces of confetti or 50 words about me. additional poss TO DO- spider for April Fools, Mayflower ship for saying April Showers bring may flower's 4/5/11 So far progress has been slow. I sketched out some ideas and have decided on the following; A cake to celebrate my B-day! Eggs and a Bunny for Easter, A Spider on the Cake (very bad April fools joke from when I was a kid- "Look there's a spider on your back- April Fool's"- told you it was bad!) I haven't made up my mind yet but I think I want 50 different orange things like confetti. I may cut circles b/c I am also trying to use my GO in my MC projects.

Again I am going to reserve this spot for my "Orange" project. I will edit in progress. As of this minute I am just 'blank' I will have to find my notes and see if I can come up with something interesting in orange and April (or spring). I am looking forward to having another block for my challenge quilt!

I asked the pups for suggestions and they just laughed! (I think it was laughing) Do you know how hard it is to get puppies to sit still for a photo?

Jack and Oreo are now 3 months old. Jack 'knows' his name and Oreo comes when I holler for Jack. Their trick for today is tipping over the trash can. Their reward is getting to spend less time in the kitchen!

After picking up the trash a couple of times I figured out to remove the container out of their reach. (again I know I heard them laugh!)

Up Coming Wedding....and a Quilt label

Kelly came over today and quilted the top for her friends Dawn & Kevin. She let me make the label!

Kevin's last name is Outhouse- I am sure the couple will get a kick out of my one of a kind marker!

Early Best Wishes to the new couple, Kevin and Dawn.

I wasn't invited to the private ceremony but I am hoping someone remembers to bring me home some cake! Hint Hint- be good cheryl

New Blogger in the house

check out Dustin's Blog

it's not quilting but he is pretty funny.

FYI his 'wife' is my 'daughter' -

quilt group and a little late night sewing

I have always been a fan of RW&B!
This top was cut from scraps and was set 5 x 5 blocks.

It may or may not get borders. As Is would be a nice donation piece for a lap quilt or baby gift.


I will def. be making many more scrappy tops with variations of this block. A new favorite to cut using my GO dies!

Kelly's top is ready to get in line for the machine. She is coming over this week to get me caught up on a couple of quilts for a friend.
Once the machine is free, she plans to do a little personal quilting. (I am hoping she will sneak in a few tops from my collection- I think several have aged enough to get quilted!)

Good Friend, Debbie H brought this beautiful brick top to show off. I am so proud of her for busting stash, and for doing such a great job. Seeing this makes me want to start cutting bricks!

Deb also brought a WIP to share. The center medallion is her own design. The butterflies are ones she has had for awhile.

Again I am thrilled to see this Work in Progress. It is a graduation gift for a niece and will have framed photos on the sides.

It was fun to see a new setting for the scrappy butterflies.

Deb says this is pretty much all from stash too.

I also got to show off the quilt blocks I tested for QuiltMaker mag. There were two that I can see making more of. Both had applique- go figure! I will share them as soon as I get permission. From what I understand the 3rd book of 100 blocks is about ready to print.

Isoceles tri die GO Cutter

This one is growing on me!

I haven't set the blocks together (yet) I am not sure which way I prefer. The first set has alt blocks (one w/red corners, the other white) The second set all has red corners. I like both and am sure I will end up making a top or two out of each layout.

Kelly likes the first setting. Since this is just for fun I will try do it her way.

I may try some wonky letters as a border.

I am loving my new GO cutter. These were cut from scraps but I am sure it would go even quicker if I was cutting fats!

Another Butterfly border-

Favorite DIL, Kelly asked if I had a quilt she could use for a wedding gift. I let her pick through a few tops that were made with her in mind.
Of course she wants to keep those for her personal collection (I don't blame her, she might have a fight getting them from me when she is ready to quilt 'em!- lol)

I have several Works in Progress that just haven't decided what they want to grow up to be.
Today the "Green and Blue Squares" got a chance to move up from a child's top to a future gift to celebrate friend's vows. There is just something about scrappy butterflies that make plain tops come to life. The blueberry print border fabric will be used on the back and as binding material too.


Funny thing is I started this top over 5 yrs ago. I did strip piecing and sub - cutting and after a few blocks was just 'sick' of the blue and green. It sat for a couple of years until it got sewn into a small top and added to my "Gift It" pile.
About a year later I needed a baby quilt for a shower and added the blue border. I changed my mind on the gift for that child and this top went back to the waiting list.

Kelly will do the quilting sometime this week and I will bind it for her. I am so thrilled to get to use more scrappy butterflies. I swear these can go anywhere. I have gotten to where I just have little baggies with sets in them waiting for projects to liven up. Lucky for me, this set was already tacked to the background blocks so they were easy to raw edge applique.

Earlier this year I purposed to do at least 11 Give A Ways on my Blog. I know this is not the 11th of the month but I would be happy to send out up to 11 sets to readers who do not already have a set.

Leave a comment, I will figure out a fun way to pick the winners. Do you have a small top that could use a beautiful scrappy butterfly border to help it grow up?- be good cw

Favorite Things Quilt- revisited

This quilt was made years ago. Our quilt group exchanged the 25-patch scrappy blocks and the 4-in the corner blocks.

Many beautiful Irish Chain quilts were made that year. This is one of my favorites.

I was in an applique mood and each trade I added my embellishments.

Some were free hand. Some from color books, others from mag. patterns of the time.

I bet you can see a few that will bring back memories!

The tulips and daises have been favorite blocks to applique and I have made several quilts from each.

The car applique was from a mag. and I made a birthday quilt for our daughters 16th using the pattern. (She is 26 now!- still uses the quilt)

This quilt lives with my mom and will be passed down to our oldest daughter someday. Favorite Things brings back a lot of memories of the gals I sewed/quilted with over the years. It also holds a sample of the fabrics we liked and the applique techniques I was experimenting with.

Do you have a favorite quilt that brings special memories for you?