Christmas Quilts Revealed

Toria's Double Slice Layer Cake, Pink Dazzle Quilt

What a pleasure to see the big smile on my granddaughter Toria's face when she received her Christmas quilt.  Her exact words were "This is just what I wanted"!  My daughter says that she cuddles up under it every night.  ♥

When I started making this Double Slice Layer Cake Quilt with the Pink Dazzle fabric, I thought "Whoa, this is wild,"  (Click Here for Link to former post) But now that it is all together and quilted, I see that it fits a pre-teen perfectly.  Miss Carol from Sweet Peas and Possum did a great job machine quilting an over all swirly pattern that goes so well with the modern style of this quilt.

Jane's Magnolia Quilt

My other mystery Christmas quilt was a Magnolia Flower Quilt for my younger sister Jane. (She insists I say "younger" ☺)  She was so surprised and her exact words were, "I never thought you would make me a quilt."  Oh, you of little faith, dear sister.  We grew up on Magnolia Street in Bedford, Ohio, so the name of the flower has some significance.  Those big flying geese were the same ones that gave me so much trouble at the Rural Thimble Amish Retreat (Click Here for that Post).

My Christmas wish for you Jane is that the quilt brings you joy.  ♥

Miss Carol from Sweet Peas and Possum quilted this too.  Lovely!

Leafy Batik Backing

Easy Street Clue 5

Christmas is over and I'm back to work on Easy Street - the quilt Easy Street from Quiltville that is.  Clue 5 is not giving me too much trouble, but is still a work in progress.  Don't ask about clue 4, because I have not even started that one yet.

Looking at the photo I took, I realize that the jungle block is reading more like a green than an aqua; probably because of the yellow (and green).  I hope that will not be a problem later.  hmmmm.
It is all still a mystery, so I am not going to worry about it.  I'm having fun with this quilt.

Tomorrow, Clue six and Bonnie is not telling us how many we have yet.  She said on quilt cam, "It will be as many clues as it takes."  So we will see. ☺

First Swim, Then Party!

Two to three evenings a week, I do swim aerobics at a local gym.  I have done this exercise for four years; not because I am so committed to exercise, but because of the wonderful group of ladies with whom I swim.

I arrive at the gym tired from the day, wrap myself in a floatation device and plunge into the cool water.  Under water up to our necks, we do jogging, cross-country skiing, jumping jacks, frogging, etc.  Along with that we share stories, laughter, books, recipes and our lives.  I arrive tired and stressed and leave ready to face life again thanks to this wonderful group of ladies who inspire and encourage me each week.  I'm very fortunate to have them in my life.

Amy is a baker and brought her famous cup cakes.  Merry Christmas to us!!  

My Swim-Bees

After Christmas, I will have to swim many miles to get rid of the extra cookie tire.  So glad to have these "Swim-Bee friends" to keep me going.

Free Log Cabin Ebook from Fons and Porter

I am passing along this information that Wanda Hanson shared on her blog Exuberant Color.  If you like the log cabin pattern, this is an excellent resource and best of all it's free!

http://www.fonsandporter.com/landing/free-log-cabin-quilt-patterns

It looks like we are going to end up with a white Christmas in Ohio after all.  Snow is on the way. 

Remembering the victims of Sandy Hook

I have no words of my own to express my sorrow for the families.  Longfellow says it well . . .

And in despair I bowed my head
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.

Words written by Henry W. Longfellow 1864

Watch Casting Crowns sing "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" on You Tube. 

Easy Street Clues 3 (and 2)

What fun following along with Bonnie Hunter on her Easy Street Mystery Quilt.  I'd like to tell you that I am all up to speed with my clues, but I'd be telling a lie.  However, my first clue is all done and I learned how to "spin" the middle seam.  Woo Hoo!  That was a new quilting term for me.

 Here is step one all done with, dare I say, a "spun" seam? 

Clue 2

This unit was a challenge.  I thought I could sew a nice 1/4" seam, but I still had difficulty with the flying geese.  Even with Bonnie's excellent directions on using the rulers, I still messed them up.  Finally, I drew the 1/4 inch with a pencil and sewed it ever so carefully using a scant 1/4 inch, but not too scant.  Wallah!  My geese straightened up and started to fly right.  Did I get them all done?  Nope.  But I will.

Clue 3 

This is a fun unit, but I have only made one so far.  No apologies - Christmas is coming and I have to get ready for the holidays.  I will catch up on the mystery quilt over Christmas break. 

Doing a mystery quilt with Bonnie Hunter is second best to taking a class with her.  I'm learning so much.  One new thing she has taught me is not to over press the material and just press the seam so I don't stretch the unit out of shape.  It works!  Thank you, Bonnie. ☺

Jack of Hearts Mystery Quilt Update

I want to thank Heather Spence of Heather Spence Designs Website for hosting this mystery quilt to raise money for cancer patients.  It was my "first" mystery quilt online and I did enjoy the fun of waiting to see what the quilt would turn out to be.  I was pleased with the modern look of this quilt and had fun making it.

To learn more about Heather's goal, check out the facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MysteryQuilt

Jack of Hearts Mystery Quilt -Lots of squares - the light color is a nice green that washed out in the photo.

The mystery quilt is not quite done - nothing new there.  But one of my QBees, Barbie QBee, wanted to see how it came out, so I promised her a photo.  Here you go, Barbie: