Ssshhhh .....

Here is just a peek of the block that was made for the first round of the Round Robin that I am participating in.

We can’t reveal the whole block as it must remain a secret until the very end.

This is definitely a mystery for me:

a) I don’t know who is sending me the next round and

b) When I do my part, I don’t have the whole vision of what the final quilt will look like.

This is something that I am not accustomed to and it is definitely a challenge to do my bit. Seeing all the quilts will be exciting when they are all revealed.

Have a great day!

Sun baked

What a wonderful surprise to receive my 4SQS on Wednesday from Serena in Australia. Just in time for my out-of-town company to see.

Serena explained that to her, summer in Australia is a hot baking sun and the beautiful sunsets and sunrises. I had requested yellow and blue for my quilt and those colours just fit in perfectly for her idea for my quilt.

I have her quilt hanging in our guest room and how perfectly it fits in with this log cabin quilt! When my niece saw the hanging, she said that the star fabric in the hanging picks up the star material in my quilt. I hadn’t noticed the similarity until she pointed it out. There is another quilt top that it will go with as well; but since the top is just a top, this works for me.

Originally, I had intended to have all my swap quilts hanging together all the time. I have now decided to hang them seasonally along with my bed quilts. This way, I will be thrilled, once again, each time they are brought out.

Along with my quilt, Serena sent me some fat quarters. Thank you Serena ….. I have been thoroughly spoiled and I adore my latest addition.

Being part of exchanges is very rewarding. How else could one have wall quilts from all over the world hanging up in their homes? We are the lucky ones! :o) Thank you, Margaret for arranging this year long exchange.

Have a great day!

Helpers Approve

Are my Helpers happy with the final layout? Ashes is so happy that she was just a blur giving me her ‘paw up’ approval
Hank is my resident critic. Here she is checking my corners to make sure they matched up. Jeesh, but she is a tough one to please!

Thank you all so much for your lovely comments. There were a few comments that need a bit of explanation.

My corners ….. I had to bevel the corners like that …. it wasn’t in my original plan. The quilt is so large that the corners were dragging onto the carpet. I have done rounded corners before. This is the first time for beveled corners and I love the look of them.

Where do I baste my quilts? On the floor. I have tried doing basting on a table; but wasn’t happy with the result. I really need to re-consider this method as my body just ached after the quilt was all basted.

Those open white spaces and border? I have plans for those areas.

Have a great day!

Plates, anyone?

My Dresden Plates top is done and my quilt is sandwiched. Yippee!

This is my biggest quilt that I’ve made so far: 102-1/2” x 102-3/4” and is quite cumbersome to handle.

So, the next step will be somewhat time-consuming. There will be some machine quilting as well as hand quilting. It will be a while before you see this quilt again.

Next post will be a sneak peek of my round robin project.

Have a great day!

Quilting Friends

These 2 quilts were made by my quilting friend, Paula (no blog).

A number of years ago, Paula wanted to learn how to quilt. In the beginning, I was her coach and then after she took a couple of classes at a local quilting store, she became my coach. I love it how we all learn from each other.

These are just a few of her quilts that I have to show you. More to come! :o)

Have a great day!

Back of Plates

Here is a back view of my plates. Danetta wanted to see how they should look like.

Normally, I do not cut away the fabric behind my appliqué. This time is the exception.

The seams are pressed open and they will be easier to hand quilt.

Please visit my friend’s blog to see what she has been doing. Debra does such

lovely applique work and One Block Wonder quilts.

Have a great day!

Feline Shuffle

I’ve been busy working on my Dresden Plates and ……… I have lots of help …. whether it is needed or not. :o) We have all been having fun playing with blocks. Ashes even thought that she didn’t like some of my appliqué and tried to claw a couple of the plates off of the background fabric.  In the end, this is my layout.  

Oh, oh ….. NOT so fast ….. the kitties decided that they have to have a paw or two or more on the final layout.

When I’m not in my studio, the blocks are not touched at all. As soon as I walk into my studio, those blocks are fair game. 

Have a great weekend!