Simply swooning! WiP

Check out my Leap Day Give Away.

I want to give a round of applause and a kiss to whoever invented quilt retreats! I returned from one on Sunday afternoon.  It was the most fun I've had in ages. We (Cindy, Jennifer and Dotty) went to the beautiful Pines Resort.  I thought I would surely finish numerous projects. But I didn't. No pressure, here! I finished two Swoon Blocks and a few more Granny Squares.

Green Swoon Block

Turquoise Swoon Block

The fabric I'm using for all nine Swoon blocks (did I say nine!!!) is Peacock Lane for Michael Miller. I'm being good and trying to use my stash. My husband reads my blog. And I think Peacock Lane does the trick. I'm drawn to bright colors. It's important to note that EACH swoon block is 24 and 1/2 inches!
                     
And these are my granny squares.  They're fairly quick to make if you can make up your mind about which scraps you want to use. I dither too much. Which is why I only have four. But who's counting?

Miss Luella & me xo

Leap Day Give-Away

I've been wanting to do a give-away. But as a new blogger I've been concerned that I might be breaking some hidden code of blogging etiquette if I did so this early in my blogging career. Are give-aways only for celebrating a blog-o-versary? Will I look desperate for attention? And then it hit me! It's leap year so I can pretend I've been blogging for one year AND one month! And do a give-away without offending or breaking rules. Yippee! So this is it. I have a precious bundle of DS quilting fabric I'd like to share with someone. It's a little bit of this and that from her Joann's collections.  Do you see the piece of Katie Jump Rope I snuck in there?

I'm happy to ship anywhere in the world where there is a post office or a mail box so feel free to join in. All you need to do is click the follower button (sounds like a cheesy TV ad) and leave a comment about a color you can hardly quilt without.  Easy peasy as Jamie Oliver says! I'll leave this open until Wed. night (12 AM PST) and then pick a winner with that Random Generator thingy that Cindy said she will teach me to use.
I returned this afternoon from a quilt retreat where I made two Swoon Blocks and a few Granny Squares. I'm too tired to unpack but within the next few days I'd like to share a few pics with you. Until then, Miss Luella and I are off to rest and watch the Academy Awards.

 Miss Luella & Me xo

Soul Blossoms Love

Soul Blossoms 1

When Amy Butler's fabric Soul Blossoms first appeared I went a little crazy. I bought a fat quarter of each print and had so much fun with it!  I ended up making three different quilts and still had some left over.  

Soul Blossoms 2

I thought I cropped those white socks!

WIP Wednesday

This is my first link-up with Lee's W.i.P. Wednesday. As a new blogger I'm finding that link-ups provide one of the best ways to make blogging friends. It's pretty spectacular when people come together over common interests. My life is richer because of this already.

The above blocks are just a fraction of scrap blocks I'm continually working on. I have a big basket of scraps sitting next to my machine and when I'm totally burned out on a project or just uninspired, I grab scraps and start building these. I've no clue when I'll actually sew them into a quilt! I like the process of making these so much that I want it to remain a W.I.P.

Denyse Schmidt Fabric

Pyramid Blocks
I've started a new quilt.  I'm using a combination of Denyse Schmidt fabric to create a pyramid quilt. I may add solids... may add some pinks. This is definitely going to be an experiment. There are no failures. Right? Just learning experiences!

Farmer's Wife Blocks
And my Farmer's Wife Blocks are usually on the back burner even though I enjoy the heck out of making them. Maybe a little sarcasm there? 

Granny Square
I'm keen on these granny squares from Blue Elephant Stitches. I've only made one but I expect there will be more in my future. 

Miss Luella & Me x

So much color. So little time.

Fabric from Jennifer Paganelli

Dresden Plate Tutorial

Have a sew colorful day!

Miss Luella & me.

Courtepointe Rouge et Blanc

Isn't this title more intriguing than Red and White Quilt?  For this quilt I enjoyed trying out different block layouts. There are so many possibilities when assembling a pineapple blossom quilt. I used Bonnie Hunter's pattern.  The block is fairly easy to sew but gives a complex appearance. My quilting repertoire (oops, more French) includes stippling or straight line quilting. I'm trying to decide which one would be least exhausting considering the size of the quilt. 

And then, my last Solstice Star. There were only five in the QAL and I'll miss making them.

Two Color Star

5 Stars Plus 1

Which is why I'm thinking of doing this. Half Square Triangle QAL

Miss Luella & me  xo

36 patch quilt

My 36 patch quilt started with Amanda Jean and her quilt-along last July.  If memory serves me (and it often doesn't) Cindy originally joined up with this project and I decided to follow along. 

This was a perfect quilt to work on up at our summer cabin. Miss Luella (my green featherweight) and I were going to work on the blocks together. Unfortunately, Miss Luella was a bit under the weather which is why you see a black featherweight in this photo. 

Miss Luella wants her picture in the blog.

I finished quilting this last night and one of my favorite things about it is just how perfectly crinkled it came out of the dryer. I get optimum crinkles by not pre-washing my fabric or soaking my batting. Yes. There are people who soak their batting. And the wonderful thing about quilting is that we can all do our own thing. And in the end, it's ALL beautiful.

Can you see the crinkles?

Miss Luella and me xo

And the winner of my heart.......

Happy Valentine's Day to my friends and family!

And to my most precious funny valentine.

                            And to my honey, my love for 38 years. Jimmy and Deborah, forever.

Walk of Stars

I could have finished half a quilt in the time it took me to finish this block. There were templates to print, fabric to select and lots of seam matching. Imagination really plays a part in the creation of a block like this. There's just no way to know how patterns and color combinations will come together until the last stitch is in. Overall, I'm happy with this block and I think it works well with its friends. P.S I think it looks better in person.

 I find my iPad invaluable when it comes to following patterns or tutorials online.

The edging on my rosie pillowcase is finished. My friend Cindy thought brown would be the color to go with and I do believe she was right! It enhances the brown polka dots and picks up the scattering of leaves.

The next picture I'm showing you is secret! I'm making a pincushion for each of my quilt retreat buddies, all with a slight variation using the retreat's challenge fabric.  This one is for Dotty. Shhhhhh!

Miss Luella & me. xxxxx

Etceteras

The colorful piece of fabric you see is the challenge fabric provided for the quilt retreat I'm going on this month. Quilters are "challenged" to create something beautiful and unique with their fabric. I haven't quite zeroed in on my project but I notice the fabric colors pop alongside my little granny square.  Pure bliss for me if I can create something using both fabric and yarn.  Cindy's  secret project is phenomenal. She has been sharing "peeks" on her blog.

I finished the edging on my tea towel and added another Farmer's Wife block to my growing collection.

And I made a pillowcase that is calling out for a crocheted edging. But I think the red and white quilt has been patient long enough. Time for me to give her some attention.

Miss Luella & me :o)

Yes to Hexagons!

This is my very first crocheted hexagon.  I have a dream of creating an entire blanket of these babies. Thanks to Bunny Mummy for her very beginner friendly tutorial. She includes step by step photos which are so helpful to a visual learner like ME. I discovered Tahki Cotton Classic yarn. It's super easy to crochet with and comes in a zillion colors.  I started learning crochet by making granny squares.

Now I'm switching gears. Off to work on my red and white cabin quilt!

Luella & Me :o)

Not late to this party.

I was late to Faith's Fresh Lemon's Summer Sampler party but I'm current with her Solstice Star Series.

Ribbon Star

Whirling Star

Another Star

I'm using Anna Maria Horner's Lolouthi with its dynamic designs and colors. I've started the Summer Sampler blocks, also. It's never too late for more skill builders. Pictures in the near future.

Luella & Me :o)

Beginning: The point in time or space at which something starts.

Tea towel edging  - See the beginnings of a ruffle?

I've recently taken up crochet. I am every bit a beginner but my attachment to this art is growing. In fact, I've become a little obsessive with edgings. I made this pillowcase for my friend, Cindy.  Note the requisite edging? Perhaps she'll use it at the quilt retreat later this month.