Happy New Year!

I haven't been a very good blogger this year but still want to wish those who may see this a very happy new year full of good health, peace of mind, and plenty of purpose for your lives.  Quilters always seem to find ways to do good things with their time, and I'm sure my readers are no exception.  Keep up the good work!

Here's another doll quilt I made to swap.  The theme this month was Patchwork.  I decided to do a one-patch, "I Spy" type of quilt.  Thank goodness I'm not looking at all these treats on a daily basis!  Kim in West Virginia has to resist those suggestions because I mailed it to her.

My Quilting "Mojo" is Coming Back...

...finally!  I hadn't quilted much at all for about four months.  I did get heavily into knitting and made 8 pairs of socks.  (laughing at myself)  I had started knitting towards the end of the baseball season and knitted while our St. Louis Cardinals played their way into winning the wild card on the last day of the season and continued to win until they had the World Series trophy.  By that time we all had these socks and my hands were very sore.  They still haven't recovered completely, and I have to operate the computer with my left hand some of the time.

Participating in the doll quilt swaps on the Quilting Bee Forum has kept me involved in quilting, and my interest is returning, especially for Project Linus.  I have a stash to use!  These are the last two little quilts I've made for the swaps, and I need to start a new one soon in a patchwork design.

Kittens Doll Quilt

Today Peggy in North Carolina received this doll quilt from me in our swap on The Quilting Bee forum, so I can show it to you.  It's 16 inches square.  The frames around the kittens' faces are done in reverse applique.  It didn't take long to hand quilt around the hearts and on the seam lines, and soon it was ready to mail.  I received a darling quilt from Freida which has foundation-pieced jungle animals.

Some More Doll Quilts

In between all of the Project Linus quilts, I joined some more doll quilt swaps at The Quilting Bee Forum.  (It's on Delphi--see link at the upper right corner of the page.)  Our hostess-with-the-mostest, Debbie, thinks up new themes every month.  Here are my quilts for the patriotic and polka-dot themes.

Of course, I receive darling quilts in these swaps, and DH and I have found a way to display them in my sewing room.  They are pinned to a tack strip that has a cork insert.  I'm really enjoying them in my room. 

I must give credit and thanks for the eagle and purse patterns to Sindy Rodenmayer, a generous and creative woman whose website is Fat Cat Patterns.

Speech is Over and I'm Burned Out!

Well, the long-anticipated (and feared) speaking engagement has come and gone, and the relief is huge!  It actually went pretty well.  I managed to fill 45 minutes and could have talked more, but my quilt holders were moving too quickly.  They had each quilt folded and put away before I could talk as much as I wanted!  Some of the ladies in the audience asked good questions.  In fact, one lady seemed determined to challenge my knowledge of quilting, but I think my credibility survived.

After the speaking engagement I delivered 16 quilts to the pediatrics department at the hospital and began a break from quilting.  I worked so long getting those 16 ready that I am kind of sick of it.

The hands can't stay idle, though.  I'm knitting again!  I have just completed my first sock.  When I got the heel turn to work, I was so thrilled.

More Show and Tell

for my long dreaded--I mean anticipated--talk on charity quilting.  (That's coming up on August 1.)  I've been busy quilting tops that had been hanging in the closet and also trying to make new tops.  Here are the latest:

The ballerina bear was taken from a dress-up bear pattern from Sindy Rodenmayer at www.fatcatpatterns.com

These little monsters were taken from a much more complex pattern by an Australian designer. 

The animals on this quilt were also designed by Sindy Rodenmayer.  They were part of her African quilt pattern.

Every turtle on this quilt has a twin, so it's not just a quilt--it's a game!

I was inspired by quilts made by my friends, Debi and Jan, to make my own version of the Ritzy Crackers quilt.  Rather than using charm squares, I cut the pieces from scraps of animal prints.

And So, You Ask, What Have I Been Doing...

'cause I sure haven't been blogging.  That's so true...but remember I still have that speech to the ladies' group hanging over me, and they moved the date up a month.  Therefore, I stitch away on more Project Linus quilts so I'll have plenty of Show & Tell for my talk on charity quilting.  Readers of this blog will get a preview...enjoy and let me know which ones you like.

Credit for the Cowboy Bear pattern goes to (who else?) Sindy Rodenmayer at www.fatcatpatterns.com

It's included in her Halloween Row by Row quilt pattern.

Colorful Finishes

The pile of quilts is growing as I prepare to give a speech to a local women's group about quilting for charity.  I need lots of show and tell to make the speech more interesting and to make me more comfortable!

This first one is a rarity for me--made on the sewing machine! I got a charm pack and roll of strips from Connecting Threads in their Quilter's Candy prints. I removed a few because I didn't like brown and black with this collection and then made this quilt with the remainders. It took almost every square inch of the fabric.

 

This is one of my favorites of all time!  The fish patterns are from Sindy Rodenmayer at Fat Cat Patterns.  The other animal shapes are taken from the border fabric, which is exceptionally cute and of course, completely unavailable now!

I call this one "Mitten Match".  It has 20 matching pairs.  One pair is actually two left mittens.  I plan to put a label on the back to tell the recipient that it is a matching game.

Bear Family Doll Quilt

Here's the doll quilt I made for this month's swap.  It is now in the home of a quilter in Tennessee.  The cute bear patterns are from Sindy Rodenmayer at www.fatcatpatterns.com  (Her patterns are for 12-inch blocks, but I scaled them down to 6 inches.)  The little family is modeled after my son's family with their two little girls. 

I've really been enjoying these swaps.  This size quilt is just the right size to try out a theme or idea and get it done quickly.  My quilt this month came from Oregon and is so darn cute!  I will have to post a picture soon of all the quilts I've received to date.

This isn't all of the sewing I'm doing.  I'm still making quilts for Project Linus, with a little extra push on getting a bunch done before I have to make a speech to a women's group in September.  I'm a little nervous about the speech, so I want to have lots of show and tell to get me through it!  So far I have 9 quilts made for that day and hope to have 20 by that date.

Another Doll Quilt

I'm having a lot of fun with the Doll Quilt Swap on the Quilting Bee Forum!  Our theme this month, set by capable host Debbie, was applique, so I made a winter mitten quilt with a snowflake background.  It flew to New York, and its recipient seems to like it a lot.  I wonder what Debbie will suggest for next month's theme.

My quilt this month was from host Debbie in Idaho.  She used the darling paper doll prints, including a large doll on the front of the quilt.  I'm afraid to show it to my granddaughters, because they'll want to take it home.

Doll Quilts

As a member of the Quilting Bee Forum on Delphi Forums, I have the opportunity to participate in some really interesting swaps and group projects.  One of our swap hostesses, Debbie, has sponsored five swaps of doll quilts, which range in size from 16 to 20 inches.  I have participated in the last two, and these are my contributions to the wholecloth and winter blues swaps.  They went to quilters in Idaho and New York.  I received darling quilts from North Carolina and California.

We just started the sixth swap, an applique swap.  I have already gotten a good start on my quilt, which will feature bright colors.

Fingers Are Cold but Still Busy

I know many people hate winter, but since I started quilting (26 years ago), I have had a special appreciation for these months.  Being stuck inside provides extra time for quilting.  I particularly love doing my hand applique or hand quilting by the fire in our family room.  That would explain these two quilts that I'll deliver to the children's hospital this week.

The first one is adapted from a pattern in a Debbie Mumm book.  I had everything in my stash except the border print.

This bull frog design is from my favorite designer, Sindy Rodenmayer.  You can click on the cat on the right side of the screen to see her amazing site, Fat Cat Patterns.

Goodbye for now!  My fingers are warmed up, so I think I'll stitch a little more on my newest applique project while I listen to the Chiefs/Ravens game.