Find the Good

Browsing flickr is a great past time of mine. I get so much inspiration while perusing all the creativity that is there. Here are a few of my new finds. My mom wants to do something similar with her picnic table. She has been collecting tiles at garage sales and she thinks she is getting close to having enough. Picnic tables or quilts this tile style is delightful.

I really like the embroidery with floss on this simple block. I have big plans for a quilt I'm creating and embroidery floss. May be a while before that is done.

The echo effect with the fabric and the quilting really caught my eye in this colorful creation

And you know I love anything scrappy. So when I saw this scrappy happy bag I just had to share it.

These vivid colors on these owls with the wonky stars above made me smile. So I simply had to include them in this weeks find the good.

Hope you've been inspired and that you have a creative fun week!

Let's Go Dutch

When I first started seeing whirligig quilts I thought of windmills. Which got me thinking of my Dutch heritage and I knew I had to design a quilt around them. I started playing on EQ and Let's Go Dutch was born. The pattern includes; Let's Go Dutch Baby measuring 48"x 55" and

Let's Go Dutch Momma that measures 71"x 85". I quilted them both with swirls. I thought they looked like wind. Which worked really nicely with my windmills. The pattern is now available on my website. To celebrate I'm linking up with Sarah, after all a new pattern deserves a little Whoop Whoop! Make sure you stop by Sarah's blog, not only will you get to see what everyone else is celebrating you can enter to win the giveaway she is having. Let me just tell you it involves lots of pretty fabric and you don't want to miss out.

Good For A Laugh

I don't normally post on Thursdays but I thought this might give you a giggle so I thought I would share. As I was getting ready this morning my mind must have been on other things because see the scrubbing bubbles next to my hairspray well guess which one I used on my hair. I'll give you a hint it wasn't the hairspray. I just reached down and grabbed what I thought was my hair spray and sprayed away. It kind of freaked me out when I spayed it and my hair turned a foamy white. Took me a minute to figure out what was going on. After the initial shock it was pretty funny.

A little Wonky Fun

In my final bee block for the month I was able to make any block I wanted. First I chose a basket block. As you can see I pieced some of the baskets. I then placed the back and basket pieces so they were both right sides up and overlapped a little and made a diagonal cut. Place them right sides together and sewed them together. The I repeated the process on the opposite side. I then used my roll of masking tape as a template for the handle. I squished it to make the handle more elongated. I tried bias strips first but could not get them to curve as small as I needed with out having bumps. I then lined up my handle with the basket and sewed them together. I think they turned out kind of fun. I see more of these in my future.
Next I made a little house. The roof triangle was missing a corner so I added some cherry fabric to make it a complete triangle. Next I cut strips and squares and made windows and doors. Used my Nifty Notions ruler to make the sky on either side of my roof and put everything together. Another fun block to make.

The last two blocks are for Victoria's stripes, plaids and dots challenge. I really had to hunt through my scrap bins to find stripes and plaids. Dots didn't seem to be a problem. Then I just randomly put scraps together to make first this block.

And then this one. I sent them off yesterday. Victoria will keep one to put in her challenge quilt and if I'm lucky a set will head back to me.

Find The Good

Don't you just love a quilt retreat? They are so full of what a quilter loves.

By Patchwork Pottery
Sewing with good friends. Getting input and help from other talented quilters.

By Lufftocraft
Lots of show and tell.

By Carliewired

Lots of time to just sew and create.

By CBCCQ

And just let your hair down and be a little crazy.

By Sewtakeahike

So if your up for this kind of fun, and would like to come on a quilt retreat with me, come join me at The Panguitch Quilt Walk. It's the first weekend in June, so not to far off, but enough time to plan a fun little get away. There are tons of classes from some very talent ladies. I will also be teaching a few classes. Jan has been so nice to highlight them on her blog. And whether you take a class from me or one of the other talented ladies. I can guarantee we will have fun at this retreat.

Whoop Whoop

Whoop! Whoop! Today is a day for celebration! Not only did I finish this quilt that I got the inspiration for here. But the creator, Val and I are in a bee together. So I'll be getting a block from her and I'll get to make one for her. Is that cool or what? Also cause for celebration is this ladder full of quilts for Happy Chemo. YEAH! YEAH! YEAH! Seven more quilts. Thank you Vivian, Sue and Suzy!!!

Please excuse the background. I was trying to stay out of the snow and still be able to get the ladder full of quilts. Can you believe Wednesday I was wearing flip flops. What happened to spring?
The Happy Chemo Quiltometer is up to 20.
Slowly, slowly we'll reach our goal.

To celebrate this joyous occasion I'm linking up with Sarah.

Make sure you check our what everyone else is giving a Whoop Whoop about.

Living On the Edge~Thankfully~Giveaway!!!

I don't know why it is that many of my quilts cease to progress when it's time for borders to be put on. But if one of my quilts gets stuck this will be the spot that it gets stuck at. And there it will sit on a hanger in my sewing room. Well, the last couple of days I've decided to move some of these border lacking quilts along.
I'm a big fan of pieced borders. I like the effect they have so for my kaleidoscope quilt I randomly pieced bits of fabric and made a border. It was a lot of fun and I think it fit in nicely with the scrappy effect of the quilt. For my scrappy star I had the borders mostly done. I just needed to make them a little longer because I decided it was time for me to learn how to do mitered corners. I used this tute and all though the first was not perfect by the end I was feeling pretty good about mitered corners and wondering why I had put off learning how for so long.

Now if you've been reading this blog for very long you know that I'm trying to make/collect a lot of quilts for Happy Chemo. You might have also picked up on the fact that my sister, Julie, and her hubby, Eric, are the geniuses behind Cosmo Cricket. Well, they very generously donated a bunch of fabric for Happy Chemo Quilts.

Here is some of their Snorkel line. This is one of my favorites.

A bunch of Tailor Made. And some Jitterbug.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Julie and Eric, you're the best!!!

Hey my sister just let me know she recieved some of her new line and she is having a giveaway on her blog. If you want to pop on over and have a chance at some Cosmo Cricket of your own.

Find The Good

This find the good is full of hugs and kiss.

By Spotted Stone Studio

Dedicated to my hubby who like my quilts is perfect with lots, and lots of character.

By Hanies

Who I find most attractive when he is welding a vaccuum or washing the dishes.

By Brenniequilts

Who can make me laugh, like no other.

By Shelly Sews

Happy Valentine's Sweetie!

By Stitching Hands

And a Happy Valentines to you! Hugs and Kisses,

Em

A Feather in my Quilt

I've been quilting my stacked coin quilt. I did random meandering similar to what Beth did on her quilt. I wanted something different in the stacked coins. I've never tried feathers and figured this was a good place to try. Especially since my mistakes would not be to obvious in the various fabrics. So I watched a few youtube videos, took Victoria's advice on practicing in a notebook.

Then I bit the bullet and went to town on the quilt. Not perfect but I think I might be confident to do it on another quilt in a place where I would dare show off the quilting.

After all like Victoria said on her first attempt, 'You have to start somewhere.

Busy Bee

I may have gotten a little carried away after my BFF sway ended. I had had so much fun with it and was enjoying the two bees I am in that I didn't want them to end. So I was almost stalking the Quilting Bee Blocks on flickr looking for another bee. And I found two more then I read about an opening in A Notion or Two on Dana's blog and asked if I could play. It just sounded so fun, you meet neat people, I love the way it stretches me and it just gets my creative juices going. So now that my heart has run away with my head I'm in five bees. Crazy I know. But look at all the fun I had this weekend making bee blocks.
These first two are for Rene in my Twice as Nice Bee. She wanted buildings and asked me to make a school, the school bus was really fun to make. I'm so glad I found the little girl faces in my scrap bag.
And a greenhouse. I still need to do a little embroidery on the greenhouse. The hanging baskets need plants growing out of them and the flowers need stems and leaves. But it is mostly done.

This is for Cat in The Stitchin' Bee. She sent lots of different textured fabric and asked for an owl block. I pulled out a puzzle I had as a little girl and that my children have used through the years to get an idea for an owl and this is what I came up with. Another fun sew.

These are for Kate in a Notion or Two (third round). She wanted wonky stars. I love the fabric she sent and wonky stars are so much fun to make.

Then for Jennifer I made two of these bright bold monkey wrenches for my Twist on Tradition bee. This is going to be a great quilt for her son.

I haven't received the fabric for my fifth bee, Sew Bee Wonky. But I can't wait to play with it when it comes. Erin has given us free rein to make whatever we want from her fabric. Can't wait to get it and let it speak to me to see what it becomes.

If you haven't tried a bee yet I would recommend it. But probably not five at one time. That takes a level of craziness you might not want to be part of.

Find The Good

February is a wonderful month dedicated to sweethearts.

By Freeze Frame03

To expressing love to those that are most special to us.

By Freeze Frame03

Wheather that be with hugs and kisses.

By Kelbysews

Flowers and chocolate.

By Melodylynn128

Or romantic dinners and love notes.

By Hectichousehold

However you express your love, make sure the ones that mean the most to you know it. After all unexpressed gratitude does no good. In fact it's the same as ingratitude.

That being said, thanks for stopping by. I appreciate your comments and hope you have a 'LOVE'ly February.

Happy Chemo Sew In

Yesterday was my second Happy Chemo Sew In. Here are the quilts that were finished as a result of our last sew in plus the two from Sharon. Makes a lovely stack, don't you think? And here are a few of the lovely ladies that made it possible. Marilyn and Mickey at the sewing machines. Shelly getting strips ready for another coin quilt.

Diane putting strips together for a rail fence quilt.

We were also able to tie the D9P. Considering it was made from my ugly fabric it made a pretty nice quilt. Hopefully it will make someone happy. With these the Happy Chemo Quiltometer is up to 13. Little by little we will reach the top. I'm linking up with Sarah for a little Whoop Whoop.

A Little Progress

After a little sewing room clean up, I was pondering what project I wanted to work on next. I felt the need to work with brights and since this is on my PhD list with Myra's challenge I choose it. I went to my scrap bins and pulled out a bunch of bright scraps that I then cut into strips varying in width from 1 1/2" to 2 1/2". This is what is left in the bucket after I sewed the strips together.

Once the strips were sewn together I cut them into 6" widths and used my 45* wedge to make these triangles.

Next I added Kona white and sewed them into these squares. I have a bunch more to make but I'm pretty happy with the progress I have made on this happy quilt.

Hopefully soon I will have a good sized flimsy to add scrappy borders to. And before to long quilt and bind so this quilt can be enjoyed.