Blogger's Quilt Festival: Spring 2013!

Blogger's Quilt Festival: Spring 2013 at Amy's Creative Side!

  It is here again!  This is the first time, on this blog, that I have participated in this amazing event!  I LOVE all the beautiful quilts displayed, and the excuse to explore the blogs of fun, sweet quilters! Don't we all?!!!

So here is my entry in the Baby Quilt category.  I chose this category simply because of the size of this quilt...I didn't have a baby in mind when I made it!

I call it by it's fabric name: "It's A Hoot".  And it fits perfectly!  I bought the single charm pack on a whim (!!). All I knew was that I wanted triangles and lots of them.  And light blue. 

This JoAnn's polka dot daisy came to me all the way from Florida, and my Aunt Marge!

I originally wanted light blue and green on the back, but, hey, It's a Hoot, make do with what ya got! 

I was sewing along with Jeni Baker's HST Block of the Month while laying this out, and came up with the border pattern because of her June block.  It allowed me to enlarge the quilt, but still keep the feel of lots of triangles.  I like the way it all turned out.

  

behaving, indoors

The finished quilt is 42" x 42"

Fabric: It's A Hoot, by Momo, for Moda, binding is from 2wenty-Thr3e

Quilting: machine quilted by me

Category: Baby Quilt

Started in Summer 2012, finished Spring 2013

Thanks for stopping by!  Enjoy the rest of the Festival!  

Spring 2013 Blogger's Quilt Festival at Amy's Creative Side

Persistence Pays Off

The last day of Spring turkey season the boys were joined by a good friend, and turkey whisperer, to finally make it happen.  Almost doubled up on the birds, but one is better than none!  A great morning, after the crazy weather we've had the last couple of weeks.

in the blind, quality time with a good friend

putting it all together

packing home the prize of a good morning's hunt

Congratulations Nash!

Table Runner 2wenty-Thr3e

I took advantage of a wet, cold Saturday to put together a simple little table runner with a charm pack of  2wenty-Thr3ee, from Moda.

assembling the back

it's just not quite right without a few HSTs

My original plan had included a few scattered HSTs...should have stuck with that.

the back turned out fun

Lesson learned?  Do not assume the quilting will go well if you sew up the edges first.  I turned this inside out, like my coasters, to finish the edge, instead of using a binding.  Mistake.  What was intended to simplify, actually complicated what should have been a pretty straight forward quilting task.

So I am thinking of HSTs and osnaburg binding for the remaining charms....?

A Walk In The Woods...

young Nash, the mushroom hunter!

such a sweet song he shared!

It finally feels like Spring!

Saturday Something

"But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil."

Proverbs 1:33

more. coasters...

I think I should be whispering. 

 Exactly how many coasters can one reasonably make?  

Yesterday, I was simply brilliant! 

  

look how neat the stitching...

 I cut out two sets at the same time! 

and how square! i think i see improvment :)

I know, right? :)

redundancy spoken here...these are made, once again, from Jeni's tutorial at In Color Order :)

Some days are brighter than others...

here we are...

"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face:  now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."  

1 Corinthians 13:12

this is a great hope and comfort to me

Saturday Something...

"Be ye not afraid, only believe."  Mark 5:36

A Blue Ribbon Day!

While thousands of people were swarming the International Quilt Festival, an hour away in Cincinnati, I was meandering through our local, 18th Annual Bits and Pieces Quilt show, sponsored by the Jefferson County Extension Homemakers. A sunny, blusterous day, I went with my mother and father in law, and was joined there by my mother!

my mother-in-law should be in this picture too, instead of taking it...

I have enjoyed many of these small shows over the years, perused the wares of the local vendors, admired the talents of so many women of  this rural, Ohio River community.  This year at the urging of my wonderfully supportive in laws, I actually entered my "Anniversary Quilt".   This is not a juried show, so it was just in the spirit of participation that I entered it for display.  It really was fun to see it hanging among the variety of other quilts, and to hear some of the nice compliments it received.

Viewers Choice Winner!  Yippee!

After sharing a yummy cappacino and the best biscotti ever (thank you Rebecca!!!) with my mother on her sunporch, she and I headed downtown to The Little Golden Fox, in downtown Madison.

a wee sample of  goodness at The Little Golden Fox!  

It is funny to think how I have been drawn into this wonderful online world of fabrics and the creativity they inspire for a couple of years now, and yet today, in Cara's lovely shop,  I was able to see some of them in person, on the bolt for the first time!   (I think I may have found the backing for my Block of the Month quilt!!!! see it there, on the bottom shelf? with the red flowers? hint: PB&J!!! :) )

My mother and I finished up our afternoon with a walk around the block, popping in to the Art on Main Gallery, and polished it off with a visit to a regular favorite, All Good Things Soaps and Such.

obviously not a big spender, but mm-mmm what dividends I've received from this bundle of goodies!

I think I may have experienced a bit of sensory overload!!!

Bound!

a sunny Sunday afternoon stitching...

love!

After a morning spent at a local quilt show (more on that here!), my mother and I made our way to a local, Madison, IN gift and local craft shop, The Little Golden Fox.  The proprietress, Cara Fox, is adding yardage and some pre-cuts to her retail inventory (sooo excited!), and looky what I found!
2wenty-Thr3e, Eric and Julie Comstock, for Moda!  

Perrrrfect!

Is it okay to link with Finish It Up Fridays if I finished this on Sunday???
(It still surprises me a little when I have a finish to share)

OMGosh....

Seriously?  I feel like a silly goose.  A silly infatuated giggly goose!  I am simply so excited to have this in my hand!  At last!  If I could squeeze Kate in person, I seriously would!  

Alas, no binding...

...for It's A Hoot.  I was thinking the green or yellow dot, but when I asked my hubby, his hands down favorite for binding, was the pink-on-pink polka dot!  Not to be found anywhere in my  extensive online search, nor anything even vaguely usable in my not-so-extensive "stash"...

....the search continues :)

But a very enjoyable week of quilting!

linking up with Freshly Pieced!

So far, So good!

Since it is the end of "the first quarter", I thought I would see how I was progressing, in regards to my "reminders" for the year....

1. Grocery bags: check

2.  Flagged Quilt?  Wedding Quilt for the Sweethearts? check, and check.

3. Coasters? of course!

Sherbet!

Sandhill Plums!

Awesome!

4. Barn Quilts?  One down, one to go...

Carla's Missouri Star :)

5. On other projects:

 I have made some progress on my Great Grandmother's quilts..have purchased backing fabric and will tackle them next, now that the wedding is accomplished:)

 I have also pieced a back and gotten the batting for the "It's a Hoot" top.

 I also spent some time cutting strips from my "old" fabrics in preparation for my "Jewel Box" top.

Aaand, I made a "mat" and a "bag", to boot !

Not too bad a showing, for me :)   

Finished Flagged Quilt!

with a light green fleece backing...no batting

big zigzag quilting

Thank you Jeni for teaching me the value of trimming...quilting this was a breeze.  No lumps or bumps or "gathers".  And thank you also for another great quilt tutorial, Flagged.  

I really, really want to make this with Jeni's "Color Me Retro"...but first things first :)

This really is an incredible accomplishment for me!  I basically began putting this together March 13th and finished it by the 25th!  Too late to take to the wedding with me, but my goodness, I will be sending it off to Paul and Sarah in the same month as their wedding!  I credit this timely finish to all the wonderful quilty, bloggy friends out there who constantly inspire me and who have taught me so much about this wonderful world of quilting and the possibilities, and who have motivated me to make more quilts!

linking up with Finish It Up Friday