Trying out Bloglovin'

With the notice that Google Reader will be discontinued in July I've been paying attention to the other options that bloggers have mentioned.  Bloglovin' seems to be mentioned often and I decided to give it a try.

This link is supposed to allow folks to follow my blog in Bloglovin'.  Hope it works if you're following blogs through them.

Temecula Blues

Earlier this year the Temecula Quilt Company posted this free little quilt pattern on their blog.  I love their fabric choices, but opted to try one in blues and whites from my scrap basket. 

There was some difficulty with rows two and three.  Finally I discovered that I had somehow switched the piles and was trying to make block twos from the block three pieces, and vice versa.  No wonder they weren't going together right!  (eye roll)

The best thing about this pattern is that it is just the right size to use a 42 inch square of fabric for the backing.  No piecing!

Linking up to share this week's work with:
confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com
crazymomquilts.blogspot.com

Simply Sweet finish

This little crib size quilt is Simply Sweet.  The free pattern can be found at Cheri's blog.

My four-patches are 2 inch squares and not the smaller size Cheri used, but it's what I had available.  Just using up scraps as leaders and enders.

I had some fun with the back of the quilt.  My Elna can do machine embroidery and this little butterfly pattern looked simply sweet for the solid green setting squares.  But I should have used a lighter color thread to show up better on the top.

 Then I attempted a leaf pattern in free motion on the borders.  Not great, but it's a process - right???

Simply Sweet from the back.

Spring and two Surprise quilts

Happy Spring!!  Today is the first day of Spring, but you wouldn't know it looking out the window here in Minnesota.  Deep snow.  But the sunshine is warm and bright.  The light is amazing - something any artist would envy.  With the sun high in the sky and snow on the ground, pure light is reflected everywhere!


There haven't been any blog posts for a while because I've been diligently working on the Surprise Quilts for my great-nieces.  Last night the final binding was sewn.  They're done!  And just in time.  The family is visiting this week from Seattle, and I can give the girls their quilts this weekend when we have a family gathering.  Can't wait to see their faces!


The pattern is Nana's Surprise and is free at Quilter's Club of America.  Fabrics are predominantly from the Savannah collection by Fabri-Quilt, Inc. with a few others in the very dark and very light tones added for balance.

The quilts are the same, but different.  This one has pink corners, the other one has green.  The random pattern has the fabrics falling in different places, but they are the same mix of fabrics.

Love the sweet pinks for two lovely little girls.  I usually don't work in pinks, so it has been a bright and cheerful project for Spring.

(Friday update)
Linking up with Sarah  to celebrate!  Take a look at her blog to see what great quilts folks have been working on - and consider participating in her Hands2Help Charity Quilting Challenge.  It's always rewarding to use your talents to help others.

Design Wall Monday

Here's what is on my design wall this week.  I've taken a bit of a break to throw together this leader & ender project.  The half square triangles are an odd size 1 3/4 inches square and were made from the trimmings of a Mystery Quilt I worked on last summer.

Inspiration for the stars came from Bonnie Hunter's Grandpa's Star which was published in Quiltmaker Magazine March/April 2012.  They really don't look like exactly like her block, which had a sashing through the center.  There is a similar traditional block called Wheel of Time.

The blocks finished up at 5 1/2 inches, and are set with alternate plain blocks from my scrap bags.  Count two more yards of fabric used up! Don't you love the block in the center with the eagle?

Now it just needs a couple of borders to frame it up and it will be a nice lap quilt to snuggle up with a good book!

Do you like my little trash cup?  It's a soft drink cup from Arby's that reads "It's gonna be a glass-half-full kind of day."  It's great to have by my sewing machine to pop in all those threads and little scraps.  I have another one by my cutting board that's from the Minnesota State Fair!  Brings back memories of summer. *smile*

Sneak Peek

All week I've been squeezing out minutes to work on the quilts for my great-nieces.  This morning  I have a sneak peek for you!  The last border just went on the first quilt top.  Woo Hoo!  The second will not be far behind since they are being made in tandem.

They are alike, but not identical.  The blocks are random. One quilt has pink corners and this one has green, which is an easy way to tell them apart.

Hmm....

There is one problem though....they're too big at 73x94 for twin beds.   Looks like so many queen size quilts have been made here lately that my math was off.  They are one row of blocks too big in each direction.

Options are take apart some of the stitching, remove the extra rows and re-cut the borders smaller OR leave them alone.  Not that long ago I would have not even considered adjusting them, but it seems I have more patience now to get things 'right.'  Now is the time to make a change if I'm going to.

Work has come to a screeching halt.  Decisions...decisions.  Time to call in the advisory teams!
So I'm linking up with Sarah at confessions of a fabric addict. Stop by her blog and congratulate her on her new ETSY shop.
And linking with Amanda Jean at crazy mom quilts.

Isabel's Surprise

It's been awhile since the last blog post, and not much quilting has been happening here.  "Life happens" as they say.  I took a break from quilting to help a distant family member who moved from an apartment to a nursing home.  Her apartment needed to be vacated ASAP, so I helped her nephew sort and bag, launder and donate.  Whatever was needed.  But we only had two weeks to get everything moved!  My living room and kitchen were loaded with bags and boxes for a few days, and now most of those have been dealt with.

Isabel's Surprise: main field

So, today some relaxation was in order!
DH went ice fishing and I got some quilting done.
What a treat!

My great-niece has her 6th birthday this week, and I've been working on a pair of quilts for her and for her little sister.  The main field of the top quickly went together this afternoon!

The pattern is Mystery Quilt 7 from Quilter's Club of America.  It was so much fun to make and went together so quickly that I decided to make quilts for the girls in snappy pinks and yummy greens.  The field is random, so you don't have to think too hard about it, and there are no seams to match except for where the blocks meet in rows and columns.  It's a great scrap quilt!  Can you believe it's just 5 1/2 inch strips?  Cut, join, cut, join and the block's are done!

Here's my original "Nana's Surprise" aka MQ7: