May the 4th be with you

Even Darth Vader has to eat breakfast!  This is what my daughter found at her breakfast table today...Caleb is 7.  Just had to share with you since it is the 4th!

May the 4th be with you!

Small quilt finished!

Since the beginning of the Small Quilt of the Month Challenge, I have wanted to join in.  Well it is all ready a third of the way done, and here is my little quilt for April.   Kathleen Tracy at A Sentimental Quilter is sponsoring this challenge for 2012, and you can get the pattern for this little quilt on her blog.  For May, she will be using one of the quilts from my favorite book, The Civil War Sewing Circle.

Last Saturday, I joined a wonderful QOV Quilting Bee.  We had a great day sewing on quilts.  This wonderful group of ladies have made so many quilts, and recently awarded quilts to returning soldiers at Fort Riley in Kansas.  Here are pictures of a few of the inspiring quilts that are being made.

QOV presentation at Fort Riley Kansas

Fabulous, aren't they? 

Where has April gone?

Oh my....where is this month going to?  Not much sewing getting done around here!  When the sun is shining and the weather is so nice, I find it hard to sit and stitch in my sewing room.  I have been spending a lot of time digging in the dirt.  This morning, I drug out a top that has been lanquishing in the pile of "to be quilted"....it is pressed and the layers are ready to pin.  You may recognize it as the "Prairie Vine" quilt from Quilt Sampler Fall/Winter 2007.  I changed the applique border to one that was on one of Kim Diehl's quilts, I just could not think about appliquing all those leaves.  

The only thing I have actually finished is a cute little pincushion.  Mary at Quilt Hollow inspired me with her adorable pincushions.  The pattern is here .  So very simple to make with scraps! 

This morning, the cabinet makers came and put my new countertops in the kitchen...they look awesome!  Now I will spend the afternoon putting the drawers and cabinets back together.  It's one of those things that forces me to clean out the drawers...notice I used the word "forces".....

Hope you are having a beautiful spring day!

Blessings Baskets Finish

Temecula Quilt Company provided this wonderful sew along the past few weeks.  Every Thursday, a new little basket pattern was posted...this is my version of Blessing Baskets.  After seeing so many beautiful read and white quilts in blogland, I wanted to make one for myself.  This little quilt seemed to lend itself to the reds and whites that I have been collecting.  Thanks to Temecula Quilts for the inspiration and patterns!

Hope everyone is enjoying the early and gorgeous spring! 

Happy Easter!

Quilt Retreat

Row by Row

It is quilted and bound...yeah!  I really like this little quilt, lots of fun to make.

Last weekend, I went to the Liberty Quilt retreat at the Lied Lodge in Nebraska City, Nebraska.  It was a wonderful, relaxing time...visiting, sewing, shopping, walking through the woods, wine tastings at 5 p.m. and it was over all too soon!  We got silly on St Patrick's day with our green wigs....put smiles on the other guests at the lodge.  There was a wedding party there on Saturday, and one of the little girls had a mishap with her dress.  Her dad brought her into our sewing room, asked if anyone had a needle and thread....thirty voices piped up...I do!  Many other guests wandered through to see what we were up to, and to admire the quilts.  My camera refused to cooperate, so I have no pictures to share, so sorry!  What did I work on?  Will show it later on, another scrappy quilt of course! 

 

Sharon and Judy...Leprechaun quilters

Star Gathering

A few years ago, I pieced these wonderful little baskets, then somehow they wound up in a box and were promptly forgotten.  Linda Brannock has always been one of my favorite primitive designers...this cute little block is from her 1995 pattern, Star Gathering.  I changed the border by adding the applique star vine and using 2 different plaids.  It is also set together a bit differently, hers is a 5X8 setting, mine a 6X7.  Question for you ladies...I think I am done with the applique and ready to quilt.....do you think it needs some berries?  I plan to leave it asymmetrical...I tend to like borders like that, but wondering if it needs anything else???

The past two weeks, I have been counting the days until Quilt Retreat....Thursday, I leave for Nebraska City, Nebraska for some wonderful girl time with fellow quilters.  And the good news is that I will have my show and tell done...All in a Row is quilted, and I am tacking down the binding! 

We are having some incredible weather here in Missouri....82 degrees today...is it March or May????  Won't complain a bit!  Love seeing the trees in bloom, and the flowers coming up. 

If I don't forget to pack my camera, I hope to have some pictures from retreat to show you next time!

All in a Row

It's on the table....waiting to be pinned and quilted.  Just wish I had the energy!