Tuesday, March 25, 2014

I'm Ready For Christmas - Nine Months Early!

Thank you to Shanna and Melissa for hosting the Lovely Year of Finishes.  It has caused me to pull this wall hanging out of my UFO pile and finish it up. And I'm thrilled I did!


This was one of the first quilts I pieced, and the very first I ever tried any applique techniques. After I got it finished, I decided it would be great to cozy up in and use it as a lap quilt, but with the applique I don't think that's such a good idea. Once I decided to use it as a wall hanging, as was the original intent of the pattern, I sewed fun red buttons on the holly leaves to make it a wee bit more festive.


The fabric squares appear to be very shiny, but that's probably a result of using the flash on my camera.


I had fun quilting all sections of this quilt. I especially like the curved floral motif I made  for each square in the body of the quilt.



And the texture on the backside is fun, too!


All in all, this will make a nice decoration for a big wall that we have and add to the festivity of Christmas for years to come. And maybe, one day if I have grandchildren, they will like the Christmas stockings and enjoy it, too!

This was also one of my finishes for the first quarter of the 2014 Finish Along - yes!  I got 2 out of 3 goals done, and got some things finished that weren't even on the list. So I'm a happy quitler!

Always quilt with a smile,
Barb

Linking up with:
A Lovely Year of Finishes
Linky Tuesday
Quilt Story's Fabric Tuesday
Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?
Link-A-Finish Friday 
Needle And Thread Thursday
2014 Finish Along

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Give A Little To Make A Heart Shine

If anyone wonders why there are so many Quilty bloggers, so many Quilty readers, and so much Quilty chatter across all the social media channels, the answer is simple. It's because quilters are good people!

They give of their time, their talents, and now we have another opportunity to give of our creations. The Hands2Help Charity Challenge, sponsored by Sarah who blogs over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, has begun. With three great charities to choose from, you can create a quilt and know it will be going to a worthy cause.


This year the quilts will go toward Quilts of Compassion, Survivors of Hurricane Sandy, or Happy Chemo.

I have never been on the receiving end, but I have seen some people that have been and their gratitude brought a smile to my face and warmed my heart.  So, even though I have no idea who my quilt will go to, I am awfully glad to be participating in a small way. Kinda like a Pay It Forward for all the blessings life has given me.

Would you like to participate? Signups are this week, and Sarah even has sponsors to entice us to join the cause. Check out her blog post to see what you might win in her giveaway, just for committing to making someones heart shine!

What better thing to do while we're waiting for spring to boot winter out of the picture?

Quilting with a smile,
Barb


Sunday, March 9, 2014

Fun With Charms

I was delighted when I ran across this pattern!  It was attractive, easy to piece, free (gotta love free!) and called for two sets of charm packs.  I went to my fabric stash to see if I actually had two sets, and lo and behold, I did! And it was fabrics that I had not known what to do with until now.


The fabric line is a couple of years old and is Moda's A Stitch in Color by Malka Dubrasky.  One of the charm packs I won (a long time ago) and the other I acquired through the Charm Pack Club through Fat Quarter Shop.  And the pattern is called Charm Pack Cherry Quilt. Did I mention it was free from the Fat Quarter Shop? Yep - best kind.

The patterns and colors are all out of my comfort zone, and I seriously thought about giving them away because I just couldn't visualize that they'd look good.  



But then I found this pattern, decided it looked like a quick, easy way to piece them together, so I went for it. What a pleasant surprise! I really like it.  I think the brightness created with the white squares really calms it down and allows your eye to travel around the quilt and really look at the variety of colors and designs.  Since the fabric has been around a couple of years, it was hard to find enough of the same collection for the backing. I finally found enough, and once it arrives in the mail, I can work to get this one finished up.



All in all, it kinda reminds me of a breath of fresh air. And spring. And happiness. 

(Can anyone tell me why these photos upload in a rotated fashion?  They were taken square on, but when Blogger uploads them, they rotate and I cannot figure out how to switch them back. ???)

What have you been quilting this weekend?

Remembering to always quilt with a smile,
Barb

Lining up with Linky Tuesday, Fabric Tuesday, and Show Off Saturday.

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Lovely Year of Finishes March Goal

K.I.S.S. - you all know what that means, and that is exactly what I need to do to keep myself on track with my goals:  Put blinders on, set the goal, ignore all those other projects that are calling to me, and just get 'er done!





With that in mind, my March goal for Lovely Year of Finishes will be to get this lovely Christmas quilt quilted and bound. This way, I can take it out in December and have a special surprise!  I'm actually excited to get 'er done!


And best of all, I'll be quilting with a smile :)

Barb
Linking up over at Linky Tuesday, Sew Cute Tuesday, WIP Wednesday, and Show and Tell Tuesday.

Remembering All The Little Things

I have let my blog side away in lieu of posting photos and updates over on Instagram. For me, it takes less time, and is a faster way to doc...