Happy Easter 2014

I hope everyone is having a wonderful and blessed Easter.  I have a ham in the oven and fresh green beans on the stove.  I don't know what else will find its way to my table but I'm off to a good start.

Yesterday I decided to deal with the two charm packs that were sitting on my cutting table - 30's Playtime by Chloe's Closet for Moda.  I pulled two charm packs of Kona Snow and made another Cherry Charm Pack quilt.  This is a free pattern from the Fat Quarter Shop.  It is a great quilt to make when you just want to sew mindlessly and get it done quickly. 

It took me a tad bit longer than the first one because I was watching Hungar Games while I was sewing.  I loved the books and the movie did not disappoint.

The next couple of weeks will be spent getting backings done.  I have two quilts that I have to make minor "amendments" to before they're quilted.  So I'll get those done also.

I'm contemplating my next project.  Just when I think I've decided, something else catches my eye.  I decided this morning, my Easter resolution, that I'm not going to stress over what should be done but, rather, on what I want to do. 

Penny has been pushing around a plastic Easter egg filled with dog food.  I thought for sure she'd have had it apart by now.  I love playing with her head!

Happy Easter!

Batik Top Finished

This one was quick and easy, and it's exactly what the recipient wanted - a batik quilt with purple in it.

The pattern is Sequence by Sew Many Creations.  I pulled all the purple and some of the green out of two Bali Pops.  The background is a pale green, and I chose a beautiful purple/green batik floral for the backing and a purple binding.  (And, yes, I still don't like purple!)

Next project -- I don't know.  I'm pondering the quilt with solids, one with polka dots, and another UFO.  I guess backings are next up on the agenda!

Low Volume Collectors

I was so excited to see that the Fat Quarter Shop has some low volume bundles up on the site!! 

I've been trying to collect low volumes lately - in other words, I'd been poking a bunch of buttons for small cuts!  I'm not good at ordering small cuts.  I always figure if I'm going to ruin a manicure poking buttons, I might as well go for the big yardage.  (That's a joke, folks!!)

These are perfect!

Happy Moda Low Volume bundle

Moda Low Volume 2 bundle

Art Gallery Low Volume bundle

The more neutral ones are what I've been gathering, but I really like the Happy Moda bundle.  That pop of color will really make the others sing.  Seeing that bundle made me totally rethink how I've been going about this!

It's a good thing I've been sewing lately because the packages will be pouring in here in a few days.

Oh oh oh -- I just realized that there is free shipping on orders over $40 until tomorrow night! 

Score!!  Win/win!!  High five!!

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These are the low volumes I've collected so far.  The three bundles linked above will round it out nicely!

Pattern Play Quilt

I spent last weekend pulling solids from my stash, and ran by the local quilt shop to pick up a few more.  I want to make the Pattern Play quilt in the latest issue of American Patchwork & Quilting!  I have all the fabrics now and I was so proud of myself for putting it together mostly from stash!

Of course, Kimberly at the Fat Quarter Shop has made it easy for everyone else!

http://www.fatquartershop.com/pattern-play-quilt-kit

Just love this quilt.  I don't know if it's the stripes that are attracting me or the fact that I have a bolt of the gray already, but I've been really wanting to work with solids for a while now.  When I saw this quilt in the magazine, I just knew this was the perfect project!

This one will be fun and easy to put together.  Can't wait for the weekend!

2008 Designer Mystery BOM

This top was so easy to assemble that I can kick myself for letting it sit around since 2009 when I finished the blocks. 

The top is flat, but I can't bend over to straighten it out.  However, since it's a pieced border, I will spray starch the border and put a stay stitch a quarter inch from the edge.  I've found this helpful to keep them from getting wonky during the quilting process.

I went ahead and switched the red and green in the quilt.  I always hesitate to change up something that folks a lot smarter than me selected, but I'm happy with the red on the outer border.  Gives it more of a Christmassy feel which is what I was going for. 

Peace on Earth by 3 Sisters is one of my top five favorite Moda fabrics!  Of all time!  Well, since 2001 when I started quilting....

I am really anxious to start another project that I've selected, but first I am going to make a batik quilt for a friend.  I love batiks but hardly ever used them so I gave away my batik stash.  When this project popped up, I bought a set of 2.5" batik strips, some background, binding and backing, and I'm ready to dive in.  This quilt will have some purple in it .... I know, I know, I don't do purple, but anything for my dear friend!

I lost yesterday because I had fasting blood work in the morning, and then stopped by a local quilt shop.  Too long without eating gave me a horrible headache, so I came home, ate and went back to bed.  Needless to say, I lost the better part of the day.  So today I cut and hopefully can start sewing. 

Next weekend another fasting test .... but I'm going to take a piece of fruit with me to eat immediately after.  I don't deal with those kind of headaches very well.  Besides, I surely don't want to lose another sewing day.  I'm not getting any younger!!