Black and Orange for a Wedding Quilt- blocks are coming together

Don't look too close, I haven't ironed or squared up the blocks.  Here is the start to the center, hope to do sashings and borders this weekend..

I had to borrow Kelly's camera and didn't know how to take the date off the picture- my bad.

New Blog Group

I have been trying to figure out how we can Knot-A-Long as a group and get the feed back and encouragement we all like to have when working group projects.

I considered doing Links but they cost $$ and you are never sure if anyone reads all the posts.

I also thought about doing a yahoo group just for the Trinity Celtic Knots Pattern but don't really have time (putting that in writing is a sure bet I will find time and form the group- lol)

So after talking to cyber friends, I am proud to announce a new BLOG-  http://knot-a-long.blogspot.com/
you are welcome to follow, and be a guest poster.(just let me know)

I have a couple of patterns left to give away (Lynn, yours is IN the mail)

Let's see if we can't get a few more friends to join us in the Knot-A-Long.

Plans are to start instructions on Tuesday.

If you don't have a pattern yet and don't want to wait and try win one, my friend Pam carries them at her shop.  Her e-mail is pdubsquiltstuff@centurylink.net  

Lover's Knot for upcoming wedding

My Camera is not back to perfect but is doing better.  This shot is still a little washed out but way better then what I was getting over the weekend.  

Sarah came over today to pick out a wedding quilt for her friends.  I hope they like this one, the pattern is fairly easy to do, just a lot of pieces.  It is a controlled scrappy, I have on my TO DO list to make a couple of more with different colors in the 'stars'.

Cassville MO Quilt Show

My friend Pam has a booth at the quilt show this weekend in Cassville, MO.  She is selling fats, and patterns, GO's and dies and a bunch of other need to haves.

Dawn and I ran down to see what was hanging to draw inspiration from.  There were many beautiful quilts!!  (Way to go quilters in SW Missouri!)

Evidently my camera battery is either way to low or I have messed up the settings so please excuse the poor pictures.

The only reason I am even showing them off is to remind myself that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Here's the story:  Dawn and I were working our way up and down the rows of beautiful quilts.  We were commenting on the usual :I could do that, and I couldn't do that etc......
We spotted a cluster of similar quilts that I immediately recognized as Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilts.

Three beautiful quilts sewn by different quilters in different color ways.  Usually when I see these style quilts the comments from others are ":I could Never do that many pieces!"  I have made a few of Bonnie's Mysteries but did NOT do this one.  I remember following the banter of the on-line quilts as they worked through the blocks and on to completing tops.

When I saw the reveal I was a little glad I didn't participate (this pattern and color set was not that appealing to me)  I thought it was great that the quilters who did choose to make one seemed to love theirs, it just wasn't me.

Well seeing all three hanging together just took my breath away.  I am almost glad I don't have a better picture b/c then I would want to dig out the pattern and start my own.

This is the one that just spoke to me  

The fabrics are so scrappy.  I stood in front of it for a couple of minutes just enjoying the different materials.
Another group of gals came up to view this set and I heard one comment on my favorite.  She said:  "I don't really like that one, it is way too busy"  Another gal said:  "I would prefer if they sashed between the blocks"

Just goes to show it really is in the eye of the viewer.

Chicken Quilt

I am supposed to be working on a commissioned piece for an auction this summer.  My problem is I have ideas, just too many of them.

I know I need to just start and see where it leads.  The company requested a Chicken theme and a center applique medallion.  The focus fabric to the left is my inspiration piece.  I bought the bolt so it may be the back too!

Original thought was to do a Stack and Whack blocks border.  I think the focus fabric will look pretty neat 'spinning' around.  Then I considered if I am going to layer and cut to do something unexpected like Dresden Plates or Fans.

I am curious to see how this heirloom piece turns out.  I hope to surprise myself with the final piece.

Black and Orange for a Wedding Quilt- Baseballs too!

A friend of mine asked if I could make a wedding quilt for a couple who are getting married in July.

I should have 'time'.

Then he said he wanted a Baseball theme.---  I am always up for a challenge.

Then he called and asked if I could 'add' photos--- sure (not my favorite but doable)


Then he called to tell me the couple likes Orange and Black-  (I put him on notice that I will NOT be taking any more of his calls-  seriously just kidding)

So much for me making a baseball diamond applique with photos of the bride and groom.....  Instead I decided to do a Black &Orange  swoon quilt

I think Two color quilts always look great.  I am excited to see what I have in Blacks and Oranges that I can mix and match.

The photo is taken at the baseball field.  It shows off the engagement ring sitting on a baseball.

My concern with this block is that there is not enough contrast.  I think I need to re-do the outer orange in a lighter shade.  It may be quicker to just make another block and use this one on the back- lol

Not sure I like this enough with the light to un-sew the outer orange,  what do you think?

Lg Tumbler Borders on a focus fabric- quick and easy future gift quilt

Years ago I made up kits of fabrics for future TO DOs. Tonight I had a little time to kill waiting for hubby to get home and opened a baggie to see what I could do in an hour.
I giggled when I read my - notes- on this one, quickly threw them away and cut large tumblers. The fabric I had purposed for the back is now the center.
I don't even know the size, I will figure it out when I go to quilt it.
Nice way to spend an hour and a half!

I know I am not the only one that pulls fabrics for a quick TO DO and then buries them under other higher priority projects. One summer I had a young girl visit me while her mom worked,  we sorted fabric and made kits. I remember joking that she would probably be married before I got around to some of our bundles.
I still have 4 drawers Full of misc cuts. We cut 6" WOF from favorites and bagged them up in sets of 24 (at the time I liked to make Dresden Plates) Now that I have a GO and misc dies I have been wishing I had time to cut more kits.
This week I pulled out two bags from that summer and die cut tops.
Tonight I threw together a quickie, large tumblers bordering a center focus fabric. It made me smile to think of Zoe and the summer she helped me "clean" my sewing room.
She has been married two years already, guess I can predict the future- lol 

My original notes suggested using the focus fabric for the back and doing Dresden Plates for the front.  Evidently back then I out grew my DP phase.  I don't remember how I acquired this matching collection.  I used it all.  Less then a handful of material left over for the scrap box.
I hope to gift this quilt soon- hold me to that-  cw