A LePetite Finish

My LePetite Project is finished!  Lots and lots of triangles, but I love the results! The outer border was left off because I like Mary's version and I don't know what color to use in the border anyway.  Any ideas?  Check out all of the other Mon Ami projects by visiting Sherri and Sinta in the next few days to see the parade.

Mon Ami Schnibbles designed by Carrie Nelson

Some Sunday Sewing

Last week was a busy week and it included a new craft for me, candle-making!  As a volunteer at my son's elementary school I helped with Colonial Days on Friday.  There were booths set up outside where the students learned how things were done in Colonial Days.  I was lucky enough to be the parent volunteer at the candle-making booth, where students dipped string into melted Gulf Wax mixed with melted crayon.  After dipping the string in the warm wax multiple times, a candle would form.  Lots of fun and lots of messiness!  These candles were not for burning though, and I do not suggest you try this messy project at home! The students had a blast wearing traditional Colonial clothing for the day, trying Colonial food, and playing games Colonial children enjoyed ( What, no video games!?!)  

This weekend I have been working on blocks for my LePetite project, Mon Ami, designed by Carrie Nelson.  Here is some of what I have so far, in no particular order.  Central Park and Fandango, both by Kate Spain, are the fabric lines I'm using.  This is my first try making a project with fabrics that have a more modern, fresh look to them.  What do you think?   Even though some of the prints were bigger, I felt like as long as I picked fabrics with enough contrast to them, I'd be okay.

Hoping to finish on time to be included in the LePetite parade.....Will I make it? 

But I have to ask, am I the only one who feels like they have to cut off some of the pinked edges from charm squares?  Do you square up your squares? I just feel like I should do that for some, okay almost all, of my projects using precuts. This one in particular.  I like having my seams match and my triangles pointed.  Getting rid of some of the pinked edges seems to help me with that.  There are lots and lots of little bits of fabric floating around my house at this moment, as a result of cutting off those edges!!  There are even some stuck on the dog!

I've noticed that I've gotten some new followers in the past few weeks and I want to thank you so much for following my blog!  Being pretty new to the blogging community, I appreciate the warm welcome.  I love, love, love to read your comments! Knowing that you read and enjoy my blog makes my day!

Quilting Bliss

At my house, last week was time to clean up and clear out.  Some people do lots of spring cleaning, but we end up doing most of our cleaning out and giving away in January, to make room for all of those new Christmas gifts! It feels good to have things straightened up and organized.  I just don't know how long it will stay that way!

Look at the amazing fabric that I picked up at my LQS on Friday night!  As you know, trying to use some more modern fabrics, is my quilting resolution this year and these fabrics will be a part of it....Soul Blossoms by Amy Butler.  I don't know what I'm going to do with them yet. Maybe something with bigger squares to highlight the larger prints. I'll need a solid fabric too.  I've never used any grey solids in a quilt, in fact I can only think of one quilt where I've used any solids at all!  Any ideas?

Soul Blossoms by Amy Butler

One Friday a month, I usually go to a potluck dinner at my LQS.  We have a theme for the meal, bring a dish to share and everyone brings a project to work on. It's a great time to enjoy food, fun and friends! I finished the Basket Block designed by Sarah Vanderburgh for the Layer Cake Quilt Along last Friday during the January potluck. The fabrics on the sides of the basket handles are actually in the wrong places.  The main fabric should have been on the top and the accent fabric should have been on the bottom.  Somehow, I sewed them on the wrong way, but you probably wouldn't have known if I hadn't mentioned it.  I didn't change it because it really didn't matter, but don't think I didn't consider it!

Basket Block for the Layer Cake Quilt Along

Has anyone else tried these delicious Hershey's Bliss chocolate candies?  They are just amazing....way too good and somehow I have eaten way too many. Maybe sneak them in as an early treat for yourself before Valentine's Day or enjoy them while you are working on your next quilt!

 Yum!

Catching Up!

I'm excited about showing you the latest block in the Layer Cake Quilt Along!  It is rainy today so the lighting for the picture wasn't the greatest, but I wanted to share it anyway. When I saw the directions from CaraQuiltsDesigns, I really couldn't picture how my fabrics would look in the block, but I'm so pleased with the result! I guess that's why we do projects like this, to step out of our quilting comfort zone and try some new things! In the next few days I'm going to finish the two other Layer Cake Quilt Along blocks that I haven't done yet, due to a busy holiday season and a family trip to North Carolina.  If you haven't seen our fun video yet, take a look at my last post.  It will make you laugh, even on Monday!

Rainbow Boxes Quilt Block from the Layer Cake Quilt Along

Congratulations are in order for two of my blogging friends!  Kim from Magnolia Bay Quilts has a new book coming out tomorrow, January 11!  "Scrap Basket Sensations" has instructions for making 18 amazing quilts with 2 1/2 inch strips. I'm sure you remember her last book, "Scrap Basket Surprises".  It is one of my favorites. I can't wait to see "Scrap Basket Sensations"!  Mary from Quilt Hollow, another blogging friend, did some beautiful quilting on two of the quilts in Kim's book!  Mary is an amazing quilter.  Way to go Kim and Mary!  
   

I can't wait to get this book!

This weekend my family and I tried a few new recipes.  On Friday, I made Beer-Braised Chicken Verde Tacos, easier to make than it is to type, from the Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publication called "Mexican" that I found in the grocery store.  My family loves Mexican food so I can't wait to try some more tasty dishes!  On Saturday, my DH made an amazing Chicago Style pizza in a new pan that he got for Christmas from my MIL.  It was delicious!!  Tonight, I'm trying Mac and Cheese Soup from Food Network Magazine.   Have you tried any fun, new recipies lately? What are you having for dinner tonight?  I'd love to know!

Band-Aid Patchwork

Here is a little family video of some fun we had on a trip to North Carolina after Christmas. My boys didn't remember seeing snow before and had never been sledding, so this was all new to them.  Although I didn't have time to do any quilting on the trip, I was involved in another kind of "patchwork" when the sledding was done.  You'll see what I mean when you watch the video.

Disclaimer-- No children were hurt during the making of this video, at least nothing a Band-Aid couldn't fix!