Last week, I began what I had planned on being a little something to make and take to give to Brooklyn, however,  the little project began transforming into a big something....Here, let me show you....

It started here...

Pattern for paper piecing letters can be found at Kristy of Quiet Play's Craftsy store. 

I added some orphan blocks...

Added  few more orphan blocks and then a row of Dolly Dresses by Lakehouse...

Now we are here...

Her mom was so excited to see what I was making that she asked if I could make it large enough to go on Brooklyn's full size bed. Of course I said yes. =) 

The plan is to give it nice drape over the sides of the bed. I am going to use borders to do that and keep the fun designs for the top of the bed. 

Right now it measures 65" wide and a bit less than that long. I am shooting for 85" wide and 95" long (including the borders.)

The cupcake pattern was almost a bust, but I found a way to salvage it. As you can see, it started out as a paper piecing pattern. The icing part of the pattern gave me trouble when it came to putting the puzzle pieces of the pattern together. The seams were too thick and I was struggling, so I altered it and added my icing using appliqué. 

Just to be clear, the pattern was not the problem. I was. =) Here is the free paper piecing pattern for Yummy Cupcake. 

That's what I have been up to lately. =) I think it's going to be fun when it's finished. =) 

Last week, I began what I had planned on being a little something to make and take to give to Brooklyn, however,  the little project began transforming into a big something....Here, let me show you....

It started here...

Pattern for paper piecing letters can be found at Kristy of Quiet Play's Craftsy store. 

I added some orphan blocks...

Added  few more orphan blocks and then a row of Dolly Dresses by Lakehouse...

Now we are here...

Her mom was so excited to see what I was making that she asked if I could make it large enough to go on Brooklyn's full size bed. Of course I said yes. =) 

The plan is to give it nice drape over the sides of the bed. I am going to use borders to do that and keep the fun designs for the top of the bed. 

Right now it measures 65" wide and a bit less than that long. I am shooting for 85" wide and 95" long (including the borders.)

The cupcake pattern was almost a bust, but I found a way to salvage it. As you can see, it started out as a paper piecing pattern. The icing part of the pattern gave me trouble when it came to putting the puzzle pieces of the pattern together. The seams were too thick and I was struggling, so I altered it and added my icing using appliqué. 

Just to be clear, the pattern was not the problem. I was. =) Here is the free paper piecing pattern for Yummy Cupcake. 

That's what I have been up to lately. =) I think it's going to be fun when it's finished. =) 

to granddaughter's house we go... =) 

Russ and I left our home a day early in order to miss the snow storm that was heading our way. We didn't want to take a chance on not being able to hang out with our favorite girl for the weekend....

For those that don't know...Brooklyn is my son's daughter. He and his girlfriend (at the time) wisely chose to place Brooklyn up for adoption. We are so richly blessed to be able to still be grandparents to this little darling and her parents are raising her to love the Lord. Makes me so happy....

Of course, we made a stop at my very favorite quilt store, Crafty Corner Quilt and Sewing Shoppe. They seriously know how to treat their customers very well and that is an understatement. Brooklyn was very helpful to help me load up the counter with pretty fabrics to come home with me. Some of them will end up in the quilt I am making for her bed.  

Enjoy the eye candy....

Have a happy week!!

to granddaughter's house we go... =) 

Russ and I left our home a day early in order to miss the snow storm that was heading our way. We didn't want to take a chance on not being able to hang out with our favorite girl for the weekend....

For those that don't know...Brooklyn is my son's daughter. He and his girlfriend (at the time) wisely chose to place Brooklyn up for adoption. We are so richly blessed to be able to still be grandparents to this little darling and her parents are raising her to love the Lord. Makes me so happy....

Of course, we made a stop at my very favorite quilt store, Crafty Corner Quilt and Sewing Shoppe. They seriously know how to treat their customers very well and that is an understatement. Brooklyn was very helpful to help me load up the counter with pretty fabrics to come home with me. Some of them will end up in the quilt I am making for her bed.  

Enjoy the eye candy....

Have a happy week!!

This darling quilt pattern is designed by my friend Donna @ Donna's Lavender Nest. I've had her pattern for a while, but I kept on putting off making the quilt because I was intimidated by the appliqué. 

However, nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? What I did do was to simplify the appliqué blocks into something I felt I could manage and chose to do raw edge appliqué using the zig-zag stitch. It was much easier than I thought it would be and I think it looks nice enough. =) I am far less intimidated by appliqué now. =) 

The flowers are an example of how I simplified things. Notice how they match the fabric I chose? =) I am clever like that. ;-) I do need to redo the stitching around the flowers with a zig-zag stitch like I did on the hearts. 

After it was put together, I decided the blue print was way too bold...

The red print was still more bold than I liked, although, after I added the pink outside border, it calmed the red fabric down some. 

I like the touch of ric rac that Donna added to the blocks. 

When I am done quilting it, I think I will hang it up in my sewing room to admire for a while before it finds a new home. =) 

I consider this a pattern for all skill levels. What I really like about this pattern is how easy it is to change a few things here and there to make each subsequent quilt made from it different. Because of that reason, I would make it again. It's also a great use of scraps, which is what I did with this one. 

You can purchase your own PDF copy of Donna's pattern at her Etsy shop. She also has some cute fabric in her shop as well. I am so tempted to go shopping!! 

This darling quilt pattern is designed by my friend Donna @ Donna's Lavender Nest. I've had her pattern for a while, but I kept on putting off making the quilt because I was intimidated by the appliqué. 

However, nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? What I did do was to simplify the appliqué blocks into something I felt I could manage and chose to do raw edge appliqué using the zig-zag stitch. It was much easier than I thought it would be and I think it looks nice enough. =) I am far less intimidated by appliqué now. =) 

The flowers are an example of how I simplified things. Notice how they match the fabric I chose? =) I am clever like that. ;-) I do need to redo the stitching around the flowers with a zig-zag stitch like I did on the hearts. 

After it was put together, I decided the blue print was way too bold...

The red print was still more bold than I liked, although, after I added the pink outside border, it calmed the red fabric down some. 

I like the touch of ric rac that Donna added to the blocks. 

When I am done quilting it, I think I will hang it up in my sewing room to admire for a while before it finds a new home. =) 

I consider this a pattern for all skill levels. What I really like about this pattern is how easy it is to change a few things here and there to make each subsequent quilt made from it different. Because of that reason, I would make it again. It's also a great use of scraps, which is what I did with this one. 

You can purchase your own PDF copy of Donna's pattern at her Etsy shop. She also has some cute fabric in her shop as well. I am so tempted to go shopping!! 

For those who know me well, know I can go quiet from time to time. Sometimes because I am busy, other times due to depression. This time was the latter. Winter is hard. I remind myself that like the winter season, depression will not last forever. I make myself do the basics. Get up, get dressed and eat.  In time it passes. And it is passing. 

Another way to help depression pass is to be with friends. I spent a long over due day out with my Laurie yesterday. It felt so good to laugh and it felt good to connect at a deep level with someone who knows me better than anyone else on this planet. We picked up and put down many things at The Pink Begonia. I bought a few things, but the tiny pink Shiny-BRITE balls were a huge hit with me!

Laurie is a new quilter and is in the process of setting up her sewing space in her home. I am so excited!  One of these days I am heading over with my craft table and machine and we are going to have a sew in. Did I mention I was excited? 

I have been doing a little sewing, but not a whole lot. Depression leaves me uninspired. =(  But it's better now! =D I'll share my latest fun project in a sec, but first I want to share my rainbow quilt. I finished it a while ago and never got around to sharing it. Even though I am not much of a purple girl, the purple block is my favorite. The orange a close second. 

Okay, my fun project...Not too long ago, Kristy @ Quiet Play, created a paper piecing pattern of typewriter font letters. The testers did their thing and they went on sale in her Craftsy store on Thursday. I bought them on the spot and got to work....

Here is where I am at this time:

The small dresdens, the bird blocks and the prairie points were all orphans. The plan was to make a little something to take to Brooklyn when we go visit next weekend, but now I think I am going to keep going and make a row quilt for her, along the lines of what Lori @ Bee In My Bonnet is doing. I can give it to her another time. I have to make it wider, so I have some thinking to do to figure it all out. 

Seriously, aren't the letters fun? I will be using them a lot!

One more thing and then I will be quiet. Monday is going to be a special day in our family, but you will have to wait until then to find out what it is. =) 

Have a great weekend, everyone!!

For those who know me well, know I can go quiet from time to time. Sometimes because I am busy, other times due to depression. This time was the latter. Winter is hard. I remind myself that like the winter season, depression will not last forever. I make myself do the basics. Get up, get dressed and eat.  In time it passes. And it is passing. 

Another way to help depression pass is to be with friends. I spent a long over due day out with my Laurie yesterday. It felt so good to laugh and it felt good to connect at a deep level with someone who knows me better than anyone else on this planet. We picked up and put down many things at The Pink Begonia. I bought a few things, but the tiny pink Shiny-BRITE balls were a huge hit with me!

Laurie is a new quilter and is in the process of setting up her sewing space in her home. I am so excited!  One of these days I am heading over with my craft table and machine and we are going to have a sew in. Did I mention I was excited? 

I have been doing a little sewing, but not a whole lot. Depression leaves me uninspired. =(  But it's better now! =D I'll share my latest fun project in a sec, but first I want to share my rainbow quilt. I finished it a while ago and never got around to sharing it. Even though I am not much of a purple girl, the purple block is my favorite. The orange a close second. 

Okay, my fun project...Not too long ago, Kristy @ Quiet Play, created a paper piecing pattern of typewriter font letters. The testers did their thing and they went on sale in her Craftsy store on Thursday. I bought them on the spot and got to work....

Here is where I am at this time:

The small dresdens, the bird blocks and the prairie points were all orphans. The plan was to make a little something to take to Brooklyn when we go visit next weekend, but now I think I am going to keep going and make a row quilt for her, along the lines of what Lori @ Bee In My Bonnet is doing. I can give it to her another time. I have to make it wider, so I have some thinking to do to figure it all out. 

Seriously, aren't the letters fun? I will be using them a lot!

One more thing and then I will be quiet. Monday is going to be a special day in our family, but you will have to wait until then to find out what it is. =) 

Have a great weekend, everyone!!

A couple of years ago, I bought the book Material Obsession because of the quilt on the cover. 

As one of my goals for this year, I wanted to make my own. 

Fresh out of the dryer, here is my version of that quilt. 

The one thing I chose to do was to make a large whole cloth background. Cutting the back ground fabric into individual squares for each dresden plate and then resewing them back together would mess up the polka dots. I took two yardages of the fabric, carefully lining up the dots and sewed them together. I then laid it out on the floor and pinned each dresden where I wanted it. After the placement was decided, I glued them in place. It was a bit harder to work with it that way, but the end result made it worth it. 

I did a lot of echo quilting...Twisting and turning over and over again. 

I am so pleased with how it turned out...

Final measurement: 78" x 78".

Do you have a "must make" quilt on your list for this year? 

A couple of years ago, I bought the book Material Obsession because of the quilt on the cover. 

As one of my goals for this year, I wanted to make my own. 

Fresh out of the dryer, here is my version of that quilt. 

The one thing I chose to do was to make a large whole cloth background. Cutting the back ground fabric into individual squares for each dresden plate and then resewing them back together would mess up the polka dots. I took two yardages of the fabric, carefully lining up the dots and sewed them together. I then laid it out on the floor and pinned each dresden where I wanted it. After the placement was decided, I glued them in place. It was a bit harder to work with it that way, but the end result made it worth it. 

I did a lot of echo quilting...Twisting and turning over and over again. 

I am so pleased with how it turned out...

Final measurement: 78" x 78".

Do you have a "must make" quilt on your list for this year? 

Thank you all for playing along with my giveaway! 

Have a happy, and warm, weekend!

Thank you all for playing along with my giveaway! 

Have a happy, and warm, weekend!