a rag throw, and a quilt top

16 half yards, and squares of batting.  SUPER wonky quilting for extra preteen interest, and there ya go!!

The back is great too, even if I DID get 2 fabrics next to each other.   LOL  oops. 

I will have a free tutorial up later this week to show you how I did it.

I also got some mail today!!   A friend got this at an Amish Auction for $17!

Awesome, isn’t it??   It’s not hand pieced, so I feel great putting it on the Long Arm to finish it off.   It has some interesting scraps in it.  Here I see Halloween and July 4th in the same block!

And the baseball is fairly new, but the rose print on the right looks fairly old. 

This is going to be so fun to quilt up.  The client wants purple.   Think I should go with a dark purple and make sure it pops, keeping motifs in their places, or should I do a lighter lavender?   Or even grey?   It will be purple on the back and the binding.  Let me know what you think!

peace and pieces,
amy

Last preview!

This is going to be a week of reveals!!!  First, the Halloween Paper Piece block hosted by Whims and Fancies will come out Wednesday.   Then on Halloween I will have a bonus block done by Stitches and Kisses–a partner job with my sweet gal Dorothy Gauthier!!!!  And somewhere in all of that, I’ll have a baby quilt to show off, AND my Cajun Cathedral Windows!!   All that needs is binding and a bath!!!!!

So keep your eyes peeled!!   I leave you with a back picture of the Windows!

peace and pieces,
amy

Jelly Roll Race

Mrs Pat Sloan today challenged her blog readers to a “Low Impact Jelly Roll Race”.  Sooooo, I did!!  What’s a Jelly Roll Race??  Google it.   There are several sets of instructions.   But they are all basically the same.   Take 40 pieces of fabric-each 2.5″ x Width Of Fabric. 

Sew them together on the short edges.  Some do it straight, others miter them.   Then fold the strip in half and sew one long edge. 1 strip is now 2.  When you get to the end, fold it in half and sew again.  Now you have 4. 

Do this until one long strip becomes 32.  And VOILA!  A quilt!!

I think I’ll put a panto on this, and have it for sale at the craft fair.
November 10th!!   Thanks Mrs Pat! I needed a jump start on the craft fair stuff!

peace and pieces,
amy

 

Starting ANOTHER quilt!!

yes, yes, I know.   I have a MILLION projects going on.   But I’m not really DOING this one!!  I stumbled across a Mystery project.  The FB page is here, but I found them on a blog somehow.  And honestly, I can’t find it again!  ******edit*****  FOUND IT HERE  OOH!   And the original blog is My Sister Made Me Do It.  Thanks for writing about this in the first place!

Anyway, cancer has now touched my life several different times in just the past week, as well as in the past.  AND the girls have been begging for a new project.  So this was just about perfect. There is a $15 entry fee.  $5 stays for administration fees, but the other $10 goes directly to a patient.  In this case, he is a boy names Jack.  Thankfully, the large tumor that was taken from his brain turned out to NOT be cancer, but that wasn’t know at the time the group was set up.  And little Jack is still having many issues from brain surgery, so he is still a worthy recipient.

We dug through the stash for the yardage required–I was nervous about using scraps. 

The first clue came yesterday afternoon.   I cut everything—they just can’t quite handle the Blade Of Doom yet!! Wild Child sewed the first half, and then ironed them.  

Then the Apprentice took her turn.

And here is our stack after Step 1!!  Cant WAIT to see what Step 2 brings!!

I’d also like to link up with from blank pages.  There’s a linky party going on, and it’s all about New Beginnings.  She is also in the Whims and Fancies paper piecing halloween blog hop with me.  AND don’t forget to check out the many designers at The Quilting Gallery!!  There is still time to enter the fabric giveaway here on Butterfly Angels, too!!  HURRY!!

peace and pieces,
amy

Cajun Cathedral-Work In Progress

Just a quick preview.  Making some progress!! 

Strip piecing is FUN when you make bunting out of it!!

peace and pieces,
amy

NEIGHbors

Do you think they approve?

peace and pieces,
amy

Star of the Tiger

My oldest BFF asked for a quilt for her son.   He likes LSU and the Saints, and attends Holy Cross.   HOW do you fit all that into one quilt??  Well, take a Carpenter’s star …..

and add my Fleur de lis….

finish with a blue back….

and there ya go!   Now, look at that above picture a little closer.   Do you see it????

NOW you can see it!  I two toned the back.   I love how you can see the pattern on both sides, using both the quilting pattern, AND the color changes!!

Look really really close, and you can JUST make out the fleur de lis with a “tiger” print.   And don’t forget the butterfly!
Sorry folks—boy or girl–that butterfly is a mandatory requirement.  If you don’t want the butterfly, you don’t want the quilt.  I do a pretty good job of hiding it!!

I sure hope this keeps Joe warm for many years to come.

But even if he hates it, his mom loves it.   So she’ll just steal it back!!  HAHAHA

I made a top today, too.   The crib version of that Irish Sister set.  I had to rebuild the EQ block to make it fit my purposes, which took forever, but I LOVE it!!   The sun kind of washed out the picture, since it’s so BRIGHT.   (please, lets not discuss the humidity that kept fogging up my camera lens) 

The client loves “shabby chic” stuff.   I think this fits the bill!!

Lat order of business, but CERTAINLY not the least important!!  I told you that I’m doing several blocks over the next 2 months.   The first is a bloghop called “Glorious Autumn”   It is sponsored by Miska at Quilting Gallery.   In her words,

“Over 15 weeks, 45 designers will create 12" blocks for the Glorious Autumn Block Party. These blocks will be featured, three per week, on the Quilting Gallery site starting September 4th. In addition to the blocks, there will be Super Deals for Quilters from our favourite online retailers. Also, be sure to check each designer's post, as many will be offering give-aways on their own site that everyone can participate in."

Sounds like fun, right??????   The first 3 blocks are already out!  Click HERE to find the schedule and links.   There is also a linky square to the right.   That will take you to it, too.   MY day is September 27th.  I’m featuring a COMMON sight here in SWLA.  I just finished sewing up the block last night.  I can’t wait to show it off!

I should probably go, before I say too much more!!  LOL

peace and piece,
amy

 

All Paths….

I’ve been working on a pattern.  I think I have it ironed out, but will need to make one more to test it out. It will be a PDF pattern for sale.  If you want to start amassing the supplies, I used 2 charm packs, and two 1 yard cuts to make the center.  The borders were from my stash, so I’ll have to work those out.

Notice the “paths” that lead to the center.  I want to quilt in a cross.  “All Paths, good and bad, lead to the Cross”  With some help from a quilty buddy, she led me to the pattern!  Thanks, Steam!  (Shoot LOTS of buddies helped!  My Partner Dot was in on 90% of the design process, and Manders and Squirrel helped as well.)

Yesterday, during naptime, I drew it out.  I have one other quilt that must be done first, but All Paths is calling me!

This is destined for a friend of mine who is having a rather rough spot right now.  She is an amazing woman, and very strong in her Faith.  She will love this.

peace and pieces,
amy

A Christmas quilt for me??

A group of friends and I did a round robin a LONG time ago. 

Yes, the poor thing is hanging from pins over the rod.  I have GOT to do something with it!   Mom gave me the most gorgeous FQ’s–TWENTY Christmas ones.  I’ve been saving them because I promised I’d use them for ME and not for any client or craft fair things.  I think this is what I’ll do!!!

And I know I’ll have lots of leftovers from the FQ’s, so some scrappy table stuff, or maybe a mantle scarf.

Whatcha think??   Should I start cutting now??  I REALLY have other projects to do!  LOL

peace and pieces,
amy

Wedding ring, English Paper Piecing project

My Bloomerie fat 1/8th bundle came in.  Not quite what I expected, but the colors are great.  I expected more of a weight, a heft, to the fabric.  I sure hope this holds up.  But anyway, I decided on the Wedding ring design that I saw on Connecting Threads.  But I didn’t have the TIME to order their paper templates.  So EQ and I got busy!

I decided on 6 inch blocks, but I’m pretty sure I’ll end up with a LOT more than the blocks shown above.  Each of those templates are TINY!!

Now, do I pin the paper to the fabric, or do I try gluing it together?  And then, can I glue BASTE it, or should I still thread baste before sewing together???  Hmmm—SO many options, huh?  A few more minutes of research should make my mind up for me.  Unless YOU have some ideas??

The purpose of this is that my Hexi project is TOO big for me to take anywhere (also the reason why it’s not DONE yet) and I have an event with The Apprentice this weekend.  There’s a nifty program called PreTeen America.

because no one wants TOO many words in a row!

Yes, I know, it sounds like a beauty pageant.  but I assure you, it’s not.  The first half of the scoring is based on grades, standardized test scores, volunteer work, and other awards.  Once the girls get there, there is a General Knowledge test, interviews, and a very VERY short onstage presentation.

arbitrary pic of Barefoot, airing herself out!

Last year, the Apprentice tied for 3rd place!  She also did a State Costume Contest.  That was fun to make, but I’m really glad she opted out of it this year.  Anyway, we have been working on a nice hairstyle.  I love this little headband nestled in a bunch of curls.

So anyway, that’s where I’ll be this weekend.  With the BOYS!  Akk!  lol  I probably won’t get much of this project done, but when the hubs has to work, I have to do what needs to be done.  It’s OK–I have LOTS of goldfish!

Zucchinni says HI, and is begging for FOOD!  Little piggy!

peace and pieces,
amy