Snowflakes I Don't Mind

Do you see the selvage?  How cute are those bunnies!

Sew cute that I left it in there for my "hexie snowflake" block.

I'm having so much fun making them that I now have

six of them!

Inspired by Jennifer at Knotted Thread's

gorgeous "hexie snowflakes".

Wanna get your eye candy fix?

Follow the links:

Quilt Story

i have to say

Freshly Pieced

Crazy Mom Quilts

Grab you beverage of choice, some chocolate and warm socks (for those of us still in freezing temps...flip flops for those blessed enough not to be!).  You're in for a treat!

Winner!

I am technologically challenged and couldn't figure out how to capture an image of the Random Generator, but the winning entry is:

#27

Domestic Moose

who said:

What a great runner. It always amazes me how old projects that we've given up on can have new life later on with a second look. Nice job.

I've contacted you by email and can't wait to hear from you!

Thanks everyone for entering and making blogging so much fun!  You have so many inspirational and amazing things on your blogs...thank you for sharing them with us!

WIP, Finishes and a Give Away!

We're on the back side of February.  Can you believe it!

Spring is getting closer every day!

To celebrate, I'm having a give away.

First though, I'd like to share a WIP that's been hanging around my house for a very long time.

Before I began this blog, I started an EPP (English Paper Piecing) project with hexagons.

Let me just say, I love the look of EPP, but my hands sure don't like the way they feel after hand piecing!

I had a fairly decent, circular chunk of these 2" sweeties sewn together but didn't want to continue hand piecing since I've learned to machine piece hexagons.  I came across them last week while cleaning my sewing storage space in the sunroom.

I wish I had taken pictures, but when inspiration strikes, sometimes you just have to go with it!

I took my rotary cutter and ruler and chopped a semi-circular shape into 7" wide strips of the hexies.  Then sewed these strips into a 42" long strip, sashing with a 2 1/4" neutral fabric.

I started quilting it on Tuesday and finished it up on Wednesday.  Just a close meandering stitch all over.
I love the watercolor wash feel and look of it all!

Here's a sneak peek pre-binding.  

A bonus is that while in the sunroom cleaning, I found some orphan blocks pre-blog as well.  Soft, romantic fabrics and colors.  I sewed these together to make a straight diagonal line for the backing.

Here's a better shot of the back.

Some shots taken at homeschool co-op where the lighting is so much better than at home.

And here it is in its new home!

Okay, now for the give away!

Amy at Nana Company has an awesome tutorial on her blog.

How sweet is this!

Using her directions, I've made a Spring Needlebook to share with one of you.

I picked out happy springey colors for my version and added a mini pincushion!

Here's a "page" from the inside.  I've included some sewing things for you as well.

A few years ago, Rene' sent along the Blessings ribbon wrapped around some fabric I won.  I've kept it ever since to repurpose for something very special.  Blessings are what I'm hoping come to each one of us as we go about our lives.  We share a bond of love of sewing and quilting.  A bond that is expressed everywhere on blogland in the giving, friendships and blessings I see every day.

There are three chances to win per person.
Leave a comment here for a chance (please leave me a way to contact you), become a follower (and let me know or tell me you already are), and another one for blogging about the give-away and let me know so I can come visit your blog too!  I will announce the winner on Monday the 25th.

Don't forget to attend these virtual quilt shows this week for encouragement and inspiration!
Tuesdays-Quilt Story and I have to say
Wednesdays-Freshly Pieced
Fridays-Crazy Mom Quilts

Who's Minding the Binding?

Gizmo, of course!

My late night sewing companion extraordinaire!
You can't see it, but she's "nesting" over the binding for this week's project.

Several years ago, my mom gifted me with this beautiful quilt.  It's a hand-pieced, hand-quilted Postage Stamp quilt made by my great-great-grandmother.  I've had it in storage, but thought Life is short and I want it out where I can see and enjoy it.  It's hanging in our dining room and I see it about a hundred times a day.   I love thinking of family and this always makes me smile!

The individual squares measure out at 1".  Such tiny pieces!  The quilt has such a soft, neutral tone in places and it calms me to look at it.  Sort of centers my thoughts and helps me have perspective on life, time, family. I wanted to do something similar, and I am working on my Scrappy Trip quilt, but was looking for something a little different...and Valentine's Day was coming up is this week.

Pinterest

This really caught my eye.

Pinterest

And this!

But what really got the brain going was this:

Pinterest

Just loved it!  And, bonus! There's a handy picture breaking down how it can be made here:

Pinterest

I was set!

Out came all my 2" sq pink, red and neutral-ish scraps.  It was a little tedious (why, do I do that to myself?  LOL) to piece them all one by one (because I enjoy the punishment?  LOL), but I really liked what I had going by this stage of the process.

Soft.  Subtle.  Sweet.  

I found a vintage sheet to use for the back and drew hearts all over the quilt sandwich and went to work quilting.  Once I had FMQ'd the hearts...looping them to each other, I went back and added half circles so the hearts look like doilies.  The heart itself just has a meandering stitch through it.

 The most beautiful blue sky was over our house for me to take pictures of the finished mini-quilt.  The binding is an apple red, polka dot.  Really makes the center pop!  I took embroidery floss and quilted large stitches all around the pink. 

So very pleased with how this turned out, and just in time for Valentine's Day!

Attending FOUR different virtual quilt shows this week:  Quilt story,

Freshly Pieced, Crazy Mom Quilts and introducing her first weekly linky party (Tuesdays) Randi at i have to say.  I hope you can find some quiet time (or even time without the quiet!) to join us and let us see what you've been up to!

Thanks for sharing my adventures and mishaps with me!  Encouraging and inspiring comments are sweet drops of sunshine in my day!  Thanks for sharing what you're doing in the quilting world and sharing your family and friends with me.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hearts to You

Tomorrow marks a momentous day in my life.

My oldest will turn 21!

Oh, that was a great feeling.  Bringing him home from the hospital.  

So proud of the young man he is.

Happy birthday Jon!

This week I worked on my Scrappy Trip quilt some more.

There are nine completed blocks here and another one on the sewing table.  The tutorial calls for the blocks to be made from strips sewn together in a loop (see the tute, it will make sense!) and then stitches snipped to make the diagonal rows.  Well, never one to make things easy or follow a well trod path...I'm piecing 2 x 2"sq scraps, placing them individually on my cutting mat and then sewing them together...one...by one...by one.

I have so many scraps I can't justify cutting larger pieces of fabric to make the strips needed for following the tute.  It is slow.  It is tedious.  But I'm using up my scraps, satisfying the tactile part of me at the same time and still being able to get up and walk away from it to be a SAHM who also homeschools two very active boys.

Quilt Story, Freshly Pieced and Crazy Mom Quilts host linky parties each week.

Quilters from all over the world link up for a gigantic show and tell!

Have you been working on a project?  Finished one?  Then you need to come join the fun!