The Endless Summer Quilt Made During an Endless Rain!

I'm finished! Good thing too, because it's March 31! The LePetite project for March was Endless Summer designed by Pam Buda from Heartspun Quilts. I really enjoyed making this pattern with Sunkissed fabric by Sweetwater.  Usually I like to mix fabric lines, but this one really pulled me in and I just couldn't mix it with anything!  I was looking for a nice fresh Spring-Summer quilt and this fabric line fit right in.  How could I not make a pattern called Endless Summer with a fabric line called Sunkissed?  No, I really didn't choose it because of the name, but it works doesn't it?  I missed the Quilt Along that Quilt Dad did earlier in the year with the Sunkissed line, and I just loved those blocks! When this LePetite project came along, I ended up ordering Sunkissed, even though I had some other wonderful charm packs just waiting for the right projects. Be sure to visit Sherri and Sinta in the next few days to see the whole LePetite Parade!  Thanks so much ladies, for taking the time to put the Parade together!

Endless Summer made with Sunkissed fabric.

LePetite for March
The lighting isn't the greatest on this one. It's rainy today, not a good day for pictures......but maybe that goes with the Sweetwater fabric! Sorry! I could't resist that one!

Having fun quilting the Easter quilts!

Almost done with this one!

I'm quilting again! One of my goals that I posted for March and April with Charming Girls Club was to start quilting some of my quilts again. Quilt tops are starting to take over my house and I'd better get quilting so I have some excuses reasons to make some more!   I haven't actually quilted any of my quilts yet, but I got started by working on some charity quilts that my friend Mary Pat made.  She does the the piecing, then I do the quilting. More on that project in another post!
  

Virtual Red and White Quilt Show

Hello everyone! I wanted to share this red and white quilt that I am entering in a virtual quilt show through Taryn's blog, Reproduction and Antique Quilt Lover. I ran across her blog and thought it was a wonderful idea to have a virtual red and white quilt show at the same time the American Folk Art Museum's exhibit, "Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts" is going on.

My Red and White Virtual Quilt Show submission.

My red and white quilt was made from Blocks of the Month that my LQS was doing in 2001. The different blocks were a challenge for me, as I was a new quilter at the time.  These blocks sat sadly unused until 2005. At that time, I put them together in a diagonal setting and added a new block, so this type of setting would work.  Only having 12 months in a year kind of limits the setting options in those BOMS! This is the first quilt that I had ever worked out the setting, including the math for those setting triangles, on my own!  The border was also a challenge for me at the time, because I mitered the corners to accommodate the stripes and also tried to match the stripes in the process. I quilted it myself on my DSM.  It represents lots of quilting firsts for me and it's one of my favorites! Thanks for letting me share it with you!

Head on over to Taryn's blog and celebrate quilting by enjoying the beautiful quilts in the online Red and White Quilt Show! 

Wordless Wednesday

March Madness

Those boys will pinch me if I'm not wearing green!

Even Copper wore green on St. Patrick's Day! I hope everyone had a fun time yesterday.   The Joyful Quilter helped me out of a "pinch" last week by suggesting that I bring green Rice Krispy Treats to the dinner at my LQS.  They were a hit!  What a great suggestion!  Later in the week I used that suggestion again when my son had to bring in a treat for Precalculus class on pi day. Get it, 3-14?  Math humor!  He had to bring in a food that related to the pi symbol.  A pie would have been the obvious choice, but he didn't want to go that route, so he made a giant rice Krispy Treat shaped like the pi symbol.  Did I take a picture of it?  No, for some reason I didn't.  That was the last sticky treat he will have for a while, because he had his wisdom teeth taken out yesterday. The poor guy feels miserable, but overall he is doing fine.

Shamrock Rice Krispy Treats

On the quilting front, I sent in my Just One Star block this week!  I hope everyone is participating in this wonderful cause to provide quilts to service members and veterans.  You can read all about it here.  All you have to do is make one star to help! I'd love to  know if you are participating!

Just One Star- Have you made yours yet?

It has been "madness" around here and the time got away from me.  I thought I had just done a post a few days ago, but suddenly its been a week, so I thought I'd do a quick post to say "Hello!" I have more projects to share so I'll be back soon!  Happy Friday!  Go Tarheels!
  

Please Help Me Out of A "Pinch"!

Thanks so much for all of the wonderful birthday wishes! I had an amazing day!  My friend Robin really surprised me by decorating my house with balloons, silver stars, and a banner. She even brought over a cake too!  Thanks so much Robin!  We went out to eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant with Robin and her family that evening to wrap up a fun birthday.  What an awesome day!

On the quilting scene, I've made some progress with my goals already.  I've found that making a list for the Charming Girls Club has really kept me focused. I completed two Layer Cake blocks and put on the border -finally!- for my State Fair Schnibble.

The State Fair borders are on- Finally!
This quilt is not as wonky as it seems to looks in this picture. I promise!

For the layout of the U Pick Layer Cake block, I ended up going with an entirely different layout than the ones Jovita suggested. I was trying out different options and my son suggested turning the flying geese sideways.  It gave the block a totally different look, so I went with it.  Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes can make all of the difference!

U Pick is the name of this block by Jovita's Patchwork. 

 My son and I chose a different layout.

This and That Block Designed by Mary Anne Ciccotelli.
  You can find her at www.NYQuilter.com

Tonight I'm doing some cutting so I have a project or two to take to the dinner at my LQS tomorrow night.  The dish we bring is supposed to be green to celebrate St. Patricks Day. Do you have any great green recipe ideas for me? I'd appreciate any suggestions. I'm running out of time!

A Big Birthday Post

To Me!

Today is a fun day for me.....it's my birthday!  Wondering how old I am?  Well, you could count the roses my DH gave me this morning, but luckily some of them are in the back so you can't see them all!  Good thing for me, because its a big one!  Not so big, but the biggest one I've had so far!  LOL!!

One rose for each year...too many for one vase!  Beautiful roses!!  Thank you!!

A bike was my gift this year from my wonderful family.  Its been years since I was on a bike on a regular basis, so this will be interesting, especially for the neighbors!  We have been on some cruises where we rode bikes around the island and that was really enjoyable.  And lately my younger son has shown an interest in running, but he is not really old enough to run very far on his own, so riding a bike with him was a great solution.  Let's just hope I don't go careening off into the bushes!  LOL!!  He'd have to pull me out!

A new bike...Look out!!

I'll be back soon to post pictures of the progress I've already made on my Charming Girls Goals.   Making a list seems to have helped.  A few things are already done.  Progress was also made in soccer goals last weekend.  Two!!   My son told me I needed to mention soccer goals in each post so he would make more goals again.  This isn't a soccer blog, but I'll keep you updated!      

Starting March With Quilting Goals and Soccer Goals

I'm now a member of the Charming Girls Quilt Club! Thanks so much for having me, Kelly!  I'm so excited! (start the Pointer Sisters music)

I guess I need to make some goals for the months of March and April and try to stick to them. I'm making the quilting goals this weekend, while my son is making the soccer goals!  March and April will be busy, with my older son getting his wisdom teeth out, my DH and I planning on doing lots of painting inside the house, my younger son's soccer season starting again, and a few family birthdays, so reaching my quilting goals will depend a lot on how all of these things go! I have been assured by Kelly that the Quilt Police will not come after me if this list isn't completed, so I'm ready to give it a try.

March and April Quilting Goals - in no particular order

1. Start and finish the Endless Summer quilt and also the April LePetite Project.
2. Put borders on abandoned State Fair Schnibble. Is it a UFO or a WIP if you never put it away, but haven't worked on it in a while?
3. Participate in the Just One Star project that Sherri posted about yesterday. 
4. Make an Easter tablerunner with fabrics that my quilting friend Kim gave me long ago (not too long ago!).
5. Quilt a few charity quilts that I'm doing with my friend Mary Pat - I'll let you know more about that later.
6. Keep up with the Layer Cake Quilt Along blocks.
7. Start quilting my quilts again!  I've been piecing lots, but always finding a reason to put off the quilting, so I don't have any real finishes lately.  

Let's quilt!

State Fair- needs ironing and borders

Charity quilts, pieced by Mary Pat and ready to be quilted by me.

 The Easter fabrics from Kim.

I've got to get going!  Lots to do!