Almost been a year!!!

Really neglected this blog....I blame Instagram! It's just too easy to post there....also our computer bit the dust and we are using a hand-me-down from our girl.  That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!:)

Ok..since the last post I did back in March 2016 was about the Mini Mania Challenge let's just start there!  Do you remember that this is a monthly challenge to sharpen skills and take us out of our comfort zone?  Come join us!:)

Here we go....

Challenge #14 Drunkards Path

Yes...it's tiny!

#15 Cathedral Windows

The letter "D"!:)

#16 Seeing Stars

Smorgasbord!:)

#17 Seminole

Another tiny one....I was lazy!

#18 Dresden Plate

Love that ombre background!

#19 Flying Geese

Be on the lookout for this one again!;)

#20 Joseph's Coat

Ticker Tape style!

#21 Applique 

Used a lot of leftover EPP shapes.

And now getting up to date...

#22 Our House...

...or a wee village of them!  This mini flew away to New Jersey as part of the first ever 

Modern Quilt Guild Swap and I'm excited to say....

I'm going to QuiltCon East 2017 in Savannah, Georgia!! 

WoooooooHoooooo!!!

Ahhhhh....glad to be back!

~d

The Parents' Quilt

(Batiks bought at our own Webfabrics.net booth!:)

While wandering around the Hampton Quilt Show I found this awesome seaglass fabric. Mom loved it and picked these batiks to go with it and thus began my year long adventure!

Made a bunch of big log cabin blocks cutting them into quarters and the agony of block placement began.  Had over ten different choices and settled on....

...this one!  Backed, basted and hand quilted it definitely needed to be bigger to fit on a queen sized bed!  Decided to put it on point and add corners...big corners!!

Once the front and back of the corners were on it was time to pop that batting in and do some more hand quilting! All this is using the Quilt as you Go (QAYG) method.  Love that!!

 (Color is wacky in all the photos because of the lack or abundance of sunshine!:)

A big old sun in each corner....but still not big enough!

Solution...borders.  Added one side at a time....pinned quilted part into our rug, pushed back top and taped down backing.

Added batting, smoothed down top and pin basted....easy peasy QAYG!!

Not very impressive on our double bed!

Much better hung over the back deck at my parents! 

The best place though is on their bed....one year after purchasing the fabric!

Hmmm....that stool needs recovering....there is leftover fabric!:0

~d

New Year, New Mini Mania Challenge #11

Hmm...what to do for the Mini Mania Challenge?

 Had some scraps.

Leftovers from this quilt. 

 Which was in this book.

Challenge 11 was to make a sampler....with nine blocks.

So I did....eight around the border and one big one in the middle.

 A bit of hand quilting with perle cotton to finish.

I love the stripe stems....and everything else about it! 

So glad I get to keep it!

In the meantime we had a Blizzard...

...a really big Blizzard with over 30+ inches of snow.

 There was loads of time to do some English paper piecing.  The Glorious Hexagon quilt pack #1!

Of course that was after we did some shoveling!!

~d

The leftovers

So many projects....so little finishes...or at least ones I can show. 

Here is one, second for the third quarter.

It was made from the leftover half square triangles from this runner.

 There were soooooo many different ways I could have put these forty half square triangles together.  I have over 20 different configurations on my camera but love the way this one carries your eye out.  Sort of like a square drip of water ring!:)

 A few more geese and bits in the back and the envelope opening makes this more versatile. 

Table topper or pillow...I'm thinking pillow!:)

 Made a few ornaments for a swap.  Half inch hexagons.

 Never again!!

 This is what I am working on today.  All pin basted and half way hand quilted.

Of course there are always other things going on too!  

How about those Thanksgiving/Christmas cactus?:)

Like my new Instagram button up there on the right?

Thanks little sis! xoxo

~d

4th quarter Finish Along list

Challenge #8...having our way with log cabin blocks!

September Mini Mania Challenge....sixteen log cabin blocks using one or one and a half inch strips going three or four rounds around center.  Easy Peasy.

Picking a design...not so easy!

Log cabin blocks are as versatile as half square triangles...just a little more involved to piece.  Therein lies the problem....you really need to think of your design before stitching all those strips together!

 Using leftovers from the Grandmother's Flower Garden WIP and some neutrals from my scrap bin, flowers grew in a lovely log cabin lawn. Used a little Chenille-It for fuzzy stems. 

Yes, it's a 16" mini...

 ...and a 16" pillow!

 Love to make pillows out of minis so they serve double duty.

 A little applique, some buttons and perle cotton stitching brightened it up!

Now it is tucked away waiting for the quilt to be finished. Some day!!

 At the shop we are getting ready for Houston, cutting, cutting, cutting.  

Made new fabric logo labels....

 ...for our new fushia aprons!! 

 If you visit I don't think you will miss us! 

~d

Granny is finally Squared...or umm...quilted!:)

About three and a half years ago (hanging my head in shame) Round 14 at the Old Red Barn Co. Quilt Along was a Granny Square quilt.  

 We were supposed to use 2.5" squares but you know me...I gotta go against the grain and....

 ...I had a stack of 4.5" Hoffman 1985 batik squares already for piecing.  Why not?

 So Mega Granny was born. I didn't have enough to make two more squares so  improvised with scraps in the center. I like it!

  Chunky quilting is my fav and this was easy.

Especially when you don't have to mark the quilting lines!

Yeah for the seventh finish!

At the shop we have a new service project...

"Donate a block, Donate an Organ"

It's all about making quilts to hang in dialysis centers to bring a little smile to the faces of patients while they wait.

Don't you think Batman can help with his awesome strength?:)

Some Batman strength is needed to finish this puppy. It will be following me to the last quarter of this year's Finish Along!

Protein helps too!

Oh...forgot to point out the button up there....I'm going to have a quilt at the

International Quilt Festival Houston 2015!

My Wind Cave landscape will be in the National Parks Special Exhibit AND I will be at the show working the Webfabrics booth!!  

Our shipping manager/pal Kerry has TWO quilts in the same exhibit!

Come say Hi...hugs gladly accepted too!:)

~d

Third quarter Finish Along list.