A Gifted Quilt....

I don't usually (never) receive a quilt as a gift.  Bill's cousin came to visit for 4 days, she also came to quilt some of her tops. I think she brought 12 of them with her. I have to admit that I was pretty proud of her that she stuck to it and got them all quilted while she was here. All except one. The one she gave to me. She also gave me the backing for it.

The quilt was an odd size so I took some of it apart and sewed it into the size I like for our bed - 100 inches square.

I had 6 pinwheel blocks left over. I have always wanted a black and white quilt - now I have one!

(I am so pleased with my new quilt rod holder, makes taking pictures so easy. The rings have small clamps. I plan on putting up a design wall behind the quilt.)

The backing she provided is absolutely adorable.

The little red birds on the backing cried out for a red binding.... 3/4 of a yard....some of the blacks on the front contain red.

Love it!  I quilted it using freehand swirls in various sizes.

It is such a fun, happy quilt, so glad it lives at our house.

Didn't know which category it fit in, so I am not going to count it.

Fabric usage  2015 ~

fabric in ~ 0

fabric out ~ .75

used YTD ~ 109.55

Quilts Finished ~ 8 ~ each quilt will only be counted in one category

QOV ~ 3

RMH ~ 4

UFO ~

New ~ 1

Christmas Tulips / QOV #3

After seeing Thelma's beautiful quilt I just knew I had to make one. I even copied the same color scheme she used. 

You can find the pattern here... it is called Vintage Tulips. I had seen the pattern before but the quilt on the pattern cover just didn't appeal to me.

This quilt is a Christmas gift for a friend who is a florist. The quilt is 100 inches square. I love the colors, very springish. I used a different green for each of the stems/leaves. Love the scrappiness of it all.

For my QOV #3 I used Mollie's instructions for a Carpenter's Star.  My blocks are 8.5 inches unfinished and I made a simpler border. 

And the presentation case...

One of the reasons I joined two quilt guilds was to, hopefully, once again find my love of quilting. It was lost for about 7 months. I literally had to force myself to sew/quilt a little here and there. So glad it isn't lost any more! 

Another reason to join the guilds was to meet quilters in our new area. That part is proving to be more difficult for me. I am hoping in time that a few of us will click and new friendships will blossom.

Fabric usage  2015 ~

fabric in ~ 0

fabric out ~ 32.22

used YTD ~ 108.80

Quilts Finished ~ 8 ~ each quilt will only be counted in one category

QOV ~ 3

RMH ~ 4

UFO ~

New ~ 1

Quilt of Valor #2

I used the "Sparkle" pattern from Piece N Quilt to make my 2nd QOV for the year. Natalia's pattern is super easy and makes a great quilt. The pattern was designed for a Christmas quilt. I traded the green for a blue and used a fun patriotic fabric for the background.
The blocks are almost 25 inches square. The quilt goes together pretty quickly.

Ruby is now 1 year old and very obedient. She loves her big red dog. She has never torn the stuffing out of any of her babies.

Here is the presentation case... it is folded in  quarters.....

 I am 6 quilts behind for my goal of QOVs. Not sure I will be able to catch up. 5 of us in my not-so-fun quilt guild are going to begin meeting once a month for a sew day. This month we are going to make a large Carpenter Star quilt.  I will be making my in blues and reds for another QOV. 

The next set of blocks to leave are these 55 flower blocks...

I think they look odd without stems. These have also been sitting around for too many years to count. These will be donated to the not-so-fun guild. There is a member who takes old blocks and makes donation quilts.  One less bin in my cupboard!  I think I have 6 empty bins so far, feels good to have the extra empty space. 

I am counting the blocks I am giving away as fabric out. It feels really good to see my "fabric out" numbers growing

Fabric usage  2015 ~

fabric in ~ 0

fabric out ~ 15.90

used YTD ~ 76.58

Quilts Finished ~ 6 ~ each quilt will only be counted in one category

QOV ~ 2

RMH ~ 4

UFO ~

New ~