Wool penny wall hanging

Back in April/25, I came across this inspiration on Pinterest.  I can't remember exactly, but I believe this person was making a rug.  The beige is burlap and the circles are in wool.  They are all attached using a blanket stitch around each individual circle.

I thought this was a great idea for using up all the smaller pieces of wool that I have from various wool projects that I've done over the years.  There was no wool purchased specifically for this wall hanging.  I started my version May 1/2025.  I am going to use a black cotton backing/background.  This is only part of the design.  After I complete all of these circles, I'm going to also add tabs all the way around the piece with a penny circle at the end of each tab.

Because of the leftover wool that I had, my version is going to be brighter than the inspiration piece.  Above is the overall effect with the black background.  I removed the black fabric and put the circles directly on the design wall, as seen below.  

The missing spots are the few circles that I've completed.  The one above is the centre of the piece and I've already attached that one to the black fabric.  Basically I've drawn a grid on the black fabric and where the grids horizontally and vertically meet is where I will place a circle.  This way the lines of the grid will all disappear behind the circles.

I've taken pictures of each quarter of the wall hanging, so I know where each of the circles go when I've completed them.  I've since taken all of these off the design wall and put them in four baggies to keep them safe and contained.

These are a great take along handwork project, and I've taking them with me this weekend, as we travel 2 1/2 hours both ways to our family reunion.  Hoping to make a dent in them.

Take care everyone.  Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving with family and friends!! 

A fruit panel

It all started with this fruit panel.  While in the process of cleaning out drawers and containers, I came across this panel.  All the small sections are of fruit.  I don't know about you, but I just can't see using fruits in a quilt.  Placemats maybe or a table topper for a kitchen, but not a quilt.

Between everything else I've been working on, I was also working on these potholders.  That's what I decided to do with the fruits.  Aside of the mixed fruit blocks, all the other fruits have a matching pair.  So I decided to make potholders as gifts.  

I went to the store to get the special batting with foil between the layers for heat resistance and an extra layer of 100% cotton batting for extra protection.  While there, I also found this green fabric I used for the borders, to make the potholders larger.

Then I found this second fabric that I used for the backing and binding.  This fabric is a bit darker to help with making food stains less noticeable.  These are not intended for show pieces, there are basic utilitarian, practical potholders. 

All quilted up and bound!!  One completed and 13 more to go.....lol.....  They are all quilted.  I just have to attach the binding to them all.  That takes me a bit of time and it's not my most favorite thing to do...

Good thing there is no deadline on these.  I'll just continue to work on them between other things.

Take care everyone.  If you are in Canada, have yourself a great Thanksgiving celebration!!

Mom's Muskoka wall hanging, cottage theme

My mom and I get together every Friday at her place and have dinner together.  While I was off work, I would often go earlier and we would do stuff.  Sometimes cooking or canning, and other times quilt making.  Several years back, at a guild meeting, we had a speaker who did faux stained glass pictures using fabric.  My mom and I each bought our own pattern to make.  We started back in Sept/2024, though we only worked on these from time to time and my mom finished hers just recently in Aug/2025.

This is my mom's completed wall hanging.  Her pattern had several pictures that made up the whole design with some confetti looking colourful pieces to frame the designs.  Her pattern is called Postcards From Muskoka (pattern details in the last picture below).

I asked my mom what her favourite pictures were and she chose these two.  This first one is iconic of a cottage scene.  The two Muskoka chairs out on a deck overlooking the water and in this picture catching the sun set.  This is synonym for relaxing cottage life.  It's no coincidence that I am posting this post in advance for today.  If you are reading this the day I posted it, then you are reading it while we are all at my sister-in-law's cottage for a family reunion.  How fitting is that...lol. 

This second choice is another event that evokes the feel of cottage life.  Sitting by the fire at the end of a day with family and friends all gathered around, catching up on life events and enjoying each other's company.  My mom and I would occasionally have a fire at her place on a Friday, to unwind.  I can see why this pictures is a favourite for her.  It's one of mine too.

Here is all the required details in the picture below, if you would like to make your own.

Have a great day everyone.  Take care and don't forget to take some time for yourself.

Working on odds and ends

Yesturday was all about working on odds and ends.  After work, I started to work on the samples, for photos, for the guild workshop.  Making pieces in different stages and taking the pictures to go into a handout.  That's all done.  Now another executive member is taking the pictures and adding them to a booklet with all the instructions that we worked on together the day before.  There were just a hand full of remaining pictures to take.

Then I had to go shopping for groceries, as I am in charge of the Thanksgiving weekend Sunday bunch.  I'm going to be making a couple of sweet potato, brussels sprout, sausage and bacon quiches, with breakfast sausages on the side, various cold cuts and cheeses for the buns, Caesar salad, veggie tray and fruit tray.  We usually have around 18 of us there, give or take.  I am looking forward to it!!!

After I got everything that I needed to get done and organized, it was time to work on my Smith Mountain Morning quilt.  I am still very behind, compared to a couple of the ladies.  So I sat at my machine and worked on these points that go in the border.  The other half of the points are blue and they were not cut yet.

Once all the brown pieces were sewn, I moved on to cutting the blues.  This is a slow and tedious task.  I have to pay attention to the direction of the points.  The ruler cuts the righthand side, then you have to either turn the ruler upside down, or flip the fabric upside down, in order to get a left hand point.  The pieces on the right of the picture below shows you what I mean about left and right points.

On the left hand side of the picture are the half square triangles (HST), that I am also cutting from the same strips.  Doing them both at the same time, so as to not handle the fabrics more than once.  Whatever is left of the strip after cutting these pieces, gets trimmed down and cut into logs for the courthouse step variation.

I still have a lot of cutting to do.  Even after I finish with the blue, I have to go back to the brown to do those logs too.  I guess if I had to choose one of my least favourite tasks, when it comes to quilting, well the first would definitely be the binding and then 2nd runner up would be cutting.  But it has to be done!!!  I'll have to take care of it after I get back from the weekend reunion.

Take care everyone.  Happy Friday of a long weekend if you're in Canada!!  And Happy Thanksgiving!

Finished the 2nd houses quilt

Back in September I finished this quilt and just needed to quilt it and add the binding.  I did it not long after that, but kept forgetting to get pictures to post about it.  This is the 2nd houses quilt.  The first houses quilt was done back in March/2023 and the post is called, A scrappy houses quilt, if you're interested in reading about it.  This one is even cuter!!  

I love the borders on this quilt.  It was a piece of yardage that had several rows of houses with the houses sitting in a row across the width of fabric.  So, needless to say, I have more rows, just slightly shorter with more houses.  These rows contained mostly the retail/commercial side of things and the slightly shorter rows are primarily the residential side of things.  You'll likely see them in the next/3rd houses quilt.....lol.....as there are a lot more than I thought already cut out and ready to make.....lol.  Even the green border has huts all jumbled together across the with of fabric, though this green was part of another fabric line.  Do you see them?

The backing fabric for this quilt was also part of this neighbourhood fabric line, as well as the stripped binding.  This line of fabric came out during a summer quilting shop hop a few years back, at least.  It was the theme at the time.  The backing is also cute.  The scene is of the roads that would have been travelled during the shop hop and the buildings are all quilt related with a play on quilting words.

Here is a close up of the backing.  Can you see the top blue spot is called Binding Cove, and the bottom one is Lake Rotary....lol.  Then you have Sew Timeless Bend, Featherweight Freeway and Twisted Thread Turnpike for the roads.  You have signs that read Quilt With Me, Sew Busy and Holy Scrap!  Plus there are a lot of sewing accessories and little critters too, and much more!!

I think that even though this quilt is being donated to Project Linus, the adults of the children will equally have fun playing "I Spy" with the border fabric and the backing fabric.  I spot a possum on the grass by the "Holy Scraps!" sigh.....do you see it?   Fun, fun, fun!!!

Take care everyone.

Miniature granny squares quilt

Here is another finish that I'd like to share were you.  This one has been done since June/25 and was going to go into the Acton Fall Fair, however I missed the deadline for that, so maybe next year....  This is a mini quilt.  All of those squares measure only 1/2".  The sashing and first border are also only 1/2".

I really enjoyed making this quilt.  The fabric selection was time consuming, as I wanted there to be pattern on the fabric, so the pattern needed to be smallish, but still have variety and not read as a solid.  The design of this quilt is a traditional pattern.  The blocks are called Grandmother's square or Granny square (two rings of coloured squares around the centre block).

Here is a close up of a square including sashing.  I'll just say that I have never, machine quilted a quilt, to this intensely on such a small scale!!!  But that was fun too!!

I did, in the past, do a Great Granny Square block quilt (three rings of coloured squares around the centre block).  This one below was NICU size.  The quilt measured 25" square.  There is just something about this block that I am drawn to.  I quilted this one on my domestic machine in a crosshatch pattern. The below quilt was donated to Project Linus back in May/2020.

Maybe eventually I'll make this in a regular quilt size.  I do enjoy making them!

Take care everyone.

Stacking bricks quilt complete

Yesturday, I did finish up the pinwheel blocks for my Smith Mountain Morning quilt.  Didn't take a picture, as there's nothing new and interesting there.  I also finished up the table topper that I was working on, for an up coming workshop, for the guild.  I did take pictures, but I can't share those pictures with you yet.

So, instead I'll show you this quilt that I finished back in Sept/25.  If you'll recall, I started this one and posted about it on Aug 15th and then again Sept 21st.  I finally got the border on, made a pieced backing for it and quilted it.  

I think it didn't turn out too bad, especially for something that all came from my scraps and the border from my hard to use up yardage.  This piece of yardage is now completely finished and out of my stash.  The background batik fabric was curtesy of a friend who was cleaning out some of her smaller pieces of fabric.  There's none of this background fabric left either.  Couldn't have planned it any better.  It was meant to be!!

If I make this one again, and there is a chance of it, I think I'll make it in just fall colours for an autumn quilt.  I have lots of those colours to use up.  We'll see.....I still have to work on my works in progress list, in hopes of bringing it down to a reasonable number.....it's not reasonable at the moment.....

Take care everyone. 

Trying to catch up to the others...

Well.....I'm not caught up yet, but I made some real progress yesturday.  I cut into the 3 1/2" strips and worked on the browns.  I got all the brown points cut out for the stars and the one half of the border points (the other half are blue).  I also got the brown HSTs cut for the corner units on the star blocks.  So, I am getting there...

I had to give my hand a rest from cutting, so I moved on to sewing.  Managed to finish all the brown HSTs.  They're all pressed and ready to sew into the blue star blocks.  If you remember from a previous post, I also have all the centre pinwheels done for the blue star blocks as well.  No blue points though...

Once these were done, I then moved on to working on the remaining pinwheels.  These pinwheels will be for the brown star blocks.  As you can see in the picture below, I have them all sewn into pairs and those pairs are attached, web style to their mates.  So all I have to do to finish these, is to sew the one horizontal seam between all 25 sets.  I AM getting there...

What I didn't get a chance to sew yesturday, was the brown points seen in the first picture on the bottom left hand side, which are for the brown stars, and the brown points on the border units.  I'm ok with that.  All in all it was a very good and productive day yesturday, with my Smith Mountain Morning quilt.  Even with the few distractions I had throughout the day.

Today after work, I have groceries and an executive meeting in the evening.  I'm not likely to get a chance to do much quilting wise, but just maybe, I'll have a chance to at least finish these pinwheels.  Wish me luck!!

Take care everyone.

The courthouse step block variation

While I was at my sister's place yesturday doing renos, some of the ladies from our sewing group still got together to sew.  Many of us are making the Smith Mountain Morning.  A pattern from Bonnie Hunter.  All the details were given in a previous post.

Here are some pictures of the progress that has been made since the last time I posted about these quilts.  This first one has these two blocks done, plus a bunch of other companion blocks that she intends to use in lieu of all the stars.  I'll have to get some pictures of them, at another time.  This person, in my opinion is the furthest along in making this quilt.

Then we have this eager beaver, busy at work.  She made these four blocks yesturday and has many other parts done too.  I think she is the next in line for the most completed.

Along with the above pictures, these two ladies have a lot of their other units cut and made, ready to be assembled into blocks.

And as for me......I still only have the one courthouse step variation block done.....lol.  I did this block back in Sept/25.  I'm still working on my pinwheels and will need to cut some fabric in order to move forward with any of the above blocks.  I don't have any of the star points cut or any of the logs for the courthouse steps.  I best get a move on it!!!  

In comparison to the other two colour combinations above, mine looks kind of dull.  My quilt is being gifted to a male (who will remain nameless for now, just in case he reads this post).  So, I can't use pretty pinks and purples.  I really do like their colour choices though!!!

Let's see what I can get done today, before I have to step out and help my sister at my mom's place, later in the afternoon.

Take care everyone.

Simple pattern that can be used with a panel or large print design

I didn't get to do much yesturday, as I was away for most of the day helping my sister with some renos at her place.  By the time I got home it was past tea time and almost time to start making dinner.

I did give myself a rest from the crazy blocks mentioned in yesturday's post.  Instead, I quilting the three quilts for my mom.  The three quilt I quilted for her, are for Project Linus, so she needed them quickly to bind them, before our pick up date of Oct 19th.  Nothing like cutting it to the last minute....

I guess there is always tomorrow for straightening up around here and cutting parts for the Smith Mountain Morning quilt, though I now have a deadline for a table topper.  I designed a simple table topper to be taught at a Guild workshop coming on Oct 25th, for beginners.  I am making it to test out the sizes, technique, and for instructions on how to make it.  It's turning out pretty good.  I'm enjoying making it.

I'm going to be keeping the pictures for this one under wraps, until we do the workshop.  So instead I will share with you a quilt that I made back in Aug/2025.  This was a piece of yardage that someone gave me of cranes.  I decided to use the yardage as a panel, so that I wouldn't have to cut it up into small pieces.  I wanted the whole scene to be visible.

I adding in some borders, in coordinating colours, to enlarge the quilt.  I believe the quilt measured approx. 60" x 75", give or take.  This quilt was given to the HHQG for them to donate where they see fit.  The panel has an oriental feel to it with some gold highlights and the first border, the cream, also has highlights of gold swirls running through it.  Come to think of it, the green corner blocks and the small dark burgundy strips also have specks of gold.

I'll apologize for the quality of the photo.  It was a last minute snap shot, as I forgot to take a picture of it while I had it.  This was taken at night, while we were at an executive meeting, so not much time to set up the shot.  

Take care everyone.

More colour crazy blocks

Well, I had more purple solid colours than I initially thought I had.....lol.  On Wednesday, after work, I ironed all the purple scraps, cut out all the solids and started sorting into shades.  It was going so well that I even had a chance to sew, and got a few more blocks done.  Here are a couple of the purple blocks.  The rest are in the basket with the blues ready to be sewn....later.

I cleared off my design board in the back and started laying out the completed blocks.  This is not the order/layout, just putting them up to keep them safe and out of the way.  It's getting pretty messy around here, which is usually the case when being creative and working with scraps.

I think I am going to give these a rest for a couple of days, as I want to straighten up around here and get cutting parts for the Smith Mountain Morning quilt, as well as the borders for the floating hearts quilt and various other miscellaneous things to finish up quilts and get them off my list.  

The pick up dates for Project Linus in October are approaching and I need to get what I can done before then.  I also have more quilting to do for my mom and myself.  That may happen tomorrow or Sunday.  

Enjoy your weekend everyone.  Don't forget to take some time for yourself.

An extra rhododendron block

This orphan rhododendron block was part of the blocks that were added to my list of Works in Progress.  This is an extra block that I had from making Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt called Rhododendron Trail.  I thought I would use this 10 1/2" square as the starting point for making another NICU quilt.  That means I have to add much more to all four sides, in order to make it at least 24" square.  I did a post called Work in progress update - Rhododendron Trail quilt on Aug 28/25, where I show what the full quilt looks like, if you want a reference point.

In the original mystery quilt, the above block is the primary block and the flying geese in the picture below are part of the borders.  I am still cleaning out stuff around here, and came across the container that I am storing all the fabrics for my rhododendron trail quilt.  In this container is also all the flying geese for the borders.  I know I don't have enough made, as I changed my mind and decided to do a king size quilt instead.  So, I've decided to pull out some of the geese and see if I can use them to expand on the block to make it bigger.  

There is yellow on one side and neutral on the other side.  I am going to have to alter four blocks that make up the corners.  On the last flying geese on each border, I will need to remove the neutral "wing" and swap it out for another yellow, to keep the outer edges all yellow. 

Once I had these geese laid out, I decided I was going to try and put the block on a diagonal and add in some fabric for the corners to make a bigger block.  In the original quilt, Bonnie also uses a turquoise fabric for a skinny sashing.  I think I want to do the same for this little NICU quilt....  I just don't know yet whether I want to put it around the small middle block, or around the final large block, before adding the flying geese borders...  Maybe I can add the turquoise on both sides of the flying geese, so that the quilt will measure 26" square....  Not sure....  I'll have to think about it....

Before anyone says anything, I did notice that the top right hand corner, last two geese, are facing the wrong way.  I'll fix it when I sew them all together.

If you have any suggestions, leave them in the comment section below.  In the meantime, I think this one will be left on the design floor and let to stew in my head some more, until something speaks to me.

Take care everyone.

Colour Crazy blocks

A couple of days ago, I wrote a post called Colour families and using up my solids.  I've been working on the colour blue ever since.  I can't believe just how many shades of blue solid fabrics I have.  You can check out the other post for further details.  

Yesturday, I finally finished going through all of my blue scraps, trying to find enough shades of blue to match all the strips I have.  Some have plenty and others, not so much!  May have to go through my string drawer, fat quarters or even my yardage if I have to.  Everything has been picked up and put in this container, ready for me to sew the blocks.

I had to quilt a quilt yesturday, so I had to clean up all the scraps from off the longarm, but I was making so much progress on them, that I didn't want to put them away...lol...I am really enjoying fondling the scraps...lol.  I just love colour.  To further add to the chaos around here, I decided to revamp my scrap storage, so I have stuff everywhere!!  The floor is very convenient, but not very wise with a rambunctious dog around.....lol. 

I also cut up some more solid strips and worked on the turquoise to teals.  This is turning out to be a long term project, as it entails my ironing all the tiny scraps, matching them up, and then going through my folders of chunks and my drawers of small pieces....for each colour family....yikes!!  

During this whole process of pulling out all the scraps, I came across another started project.  This was an experiment to see if I wanted to make a zig zag quilt.  So.......guess what......yes, you guessed it.  Another quilt added to my list....lol.  I have to use up these scraps!!  I'm calling this quilt Zig Zag Crazy.

Now that this quilt is out in the open, I may work on it at the same time as I'm working on the Colour Crazy quilt blocks, as I'll already have the container of scraps out.  I'll work on these as long as I can stand it in one go, then move on to something a little less intense.

Today, after work, I think I will work on an easier colour, like maybe purple.  I don't have too many of those.  Maybe I can get them all done by the end of the day.  Wish me luck!!

Take care everyone.

My Guild challenge block

I just realized that I didn't share with you the brown bag Guild challenge block that was made for me.  I wrote about it in a previous post, but in short, we did a brown bag challenge where you put fabric in a bag and someone else will design/make a block with your fabric and present it to you in September.  

The person that got my bag knows I like scrappy and so decided to do these bear paw blocks from an online source allpeoplequilt.com.  She even gave me the print out of the instructions, in case I want to do more and make something larger.  I like the bear paw block!  I even made a string version for myself several years ago.  I love that quilt! 

I think I will make more blocks, as I love the colours and background fabrics.  They have a bit of an autumn feel.  My other quilt is for my king size bed, so maybe I'll make a lap size for this one and keep it in the den.  The colours look so cozy.

Take care everyone.

Colour families and using up my solids

I posted about starting this quilt yesturday.  I am really happy that I have finally gotten around to sorting out all of my scraps into colour families.  My strings and tiny pieces have been sorted for a long time now, so I'm not sure why it took me so long to get to these scraps, but they're done now too.   

It took me a while to finish ironing the last batch of scraps, the blue ones at least, as they were mainly strings and smaller pieces, with just a few chunks.  I did have enough time though to play a bit with the colour blue.  There are a lot of different shades of blue!  The solid blue pieces are all cut to size.  These are all the different shades of blue solids I have.

Here we have some blocks completed.  This is a 4 1/2" crazy square (finished size 4"), surrounded by the matching solid blue border.  Do you like them?

I am doing this type of block for each and every solid colour fabric I have.....  That will take me a while, but these crazy scrap blocks are so fun to make!  I still have to confirm how many blocks I will actually need for this quilt.  I may decide to keep the greys and low volume beiges aside to make a neutral quilt....we'll see.

This is a simple block and one that I have wanted to do for a long time.  I decided, while I was sorting out my chunks of fabrics, to just jump right in and do them.  If you want to do one too, here are the measurements that I am using to make these blocks.  Each block will measure 8 1/2" square and finish at 8" square.  

You don't have to do a crazy block in the centre for your version.  You could decide to do one piece of fabric and maybe even fussy cut stuff to make it a sort of I spy quilt.  Do as you wish and enjoy!!

Take care everyone.

A continuation of yesturday

Yesturday, I did go back downstairs and finish ironing all the solids and recently purchased yardage.  The solids are for a quilt that I will be making, with all of my coloured scraps.  When I was done with my solids, I stacked them all up and put them on the edge of my sewing table to work on today.  I want to cut 2 1/2" strips from all of them to be used as borders.

While I was standing there admiring the rainbow stack of solids, my eye caught on to something, that got me questioning what I was seeing.  It took a few seconds to register that I was looking at a container with more scraps......oh boy!  Another thing to sort, but at least these ones are already ironed and sorted into similar sized scraps.  For my next project, that I plan to start today, I need all the fabrics sorted into their different colour families.  This shouldn't take too long....

I even got to that bag I was talking about with all the strings.  I sorted them into colour families, to make it easier to iron and work with, one colour at a time.  I didn't realize that the bag had more than just strings.  It had some chunks in it too.  Today I plan on tackling both the container above and the stacks in the picture below.  It will be slow, but one colour at a time and it will get done.

My blue stack is on the ironing board all ready, so I'll start there.  If I don't have enough of the particular colours I need, then I'll dig out the small tiny pieces in my drawers.  I'm really hoping to make a dent in my scraps with this quilt.  I know for sure the solids will be coming down.  Some of those pieces were only half of a fat quarter.

Oh, what fun I am going to have today!!!  I'm going to be making some crazy scrap blocks.  I can't wait!

Take care everyone.  I'll share some finished block photos later.

What's happening here?

Today, I am spending a relaxing, but productive time in my quilting studio.  I am finally getting around to sorting out all the bits and pieces that have accumulated over time, while making other quilts.  I have a basket that I keep close to my cutting station and when I trim stuff, if it is bigger then a "scrap", I consider it a chunk and will put it in the basket, to get sorted into colour families at some future date.  That day is today.

Some of these piles were started a while ago, when I was washing up fabrics that had been given to me.  I always sort by colour.  For me, it seems to work better and it gets used up faster too.  I still have a bag of strings to iron and add to these piles, but that may not get done today.  I have been periodically taking the bag of strings to my mom's place and ironing them there, as she does some sewing and stuff.  So it is dwindling down, but I just added a bunch more strings to it.....lol.  Never ending task, it seems!  I'm not complaining about it, just commenting on it.  I do love my scraps!!

While I was going through that basket I mentioned, I came across this chunk of fabric.  So cute!  There is a fair amount of it, that I decided to pull it out and add it to my list of To Do..... One more project won't hurt....lol.  I made a quilt with this stuff already, so now to figure out what else I can make.

I'm currently, just now sitting here having my cup of tea, while I write this post.  I just finished washing and ironing all the fat quarters that I purchased yesturday on our Shop Hop in the Kawartha Lake area.  When I go on shop hops, I go with a theme or a plan, to narrow down what I will get at each store.  Yesturday was Christmas!!  LOL!  Every store I visited, I selected fat quarters and sometimes yardage of red, green and white fabrics.  I have a plan!  More on that in another post.

All of the fabric is washed and I only need to iron the yardage now, which I'll tackle once I am done posting.  I am just taking it easy today, and doing whatever I feel like doing, as I finish the different tasks.  As I am sorting and ironing, I have three quilts on my mind and I'm keeping an eye out for suitable fabrics for each.  Again, I have plans!!  LOL

Take care everyone.  Hope you're all having a great day!!  Don't forget to take time for yourself.

Guild block challenge

The HHQG (Halton Hills Quilters' Guild) brown bag block challenge started June/2025 at our AGM.  All the participants were to bring a non-descript brown back with some of your favorite fabrics in it.  By the end of the evening, every participant left with someone else's brown bag.  The challenge is that you open the bag, see the fabric, and you have to make an 18 1/2" block.  That is it!  There were not many rules given, other than to make a block and not finish it into anything.

I already had a block in mind for this challenge, and I was hoping there would be suitable fabric to make it.  I saw this quilt block on Fat Quarter Shop YouTube channel.  The pattern required seven different fabrics.  I received a small fat quarter bundle that contained five.  Hhmmmm....

I have to say, that this fabric was a challenge for me.  There was a focus fabric, the green with mushrooms and bugs on it, the peach with small white flowers,  a multi coloured plaid that is in the centre of the block, the large peach plaid and the very loud and bossy background fabric.

Firstly, you have to remember that this is someone's favourite fabric, so they expect it to be used.  My challenge was that I didn't have a simple background fabric.  So, I went outside of my comfort zone and used the loud and bossy fabric, as I couldn't use any of the plaid in it's place, due to all the angles and the peach and green were needed as highlight "star" colours.  In the end, to pull it all together, I added the chartreuse colour for the centre start and the white with green loop design for the corners inside the star.

I hope the recipient likes it.... I am not used to busy backgrounds, but I had to use what I got.  Though there was one thing that really bothered me and I had to do something about it.  Even though the background is loud, I still fell it needs to recede and let the focus fabric stand out.  The problem or should I say my problem, was the outer star was lost, specifically at the bottom.  There was too much dark green blobs of colour up against the green point.

I lived with it for about a month, when I decided I had to change it.  Luckily there was still some of the background fabric left.  So I unsewed the two corners and replaced them with a lighter section of the background fabric.  Now I think it looks much better!!  

Can you tell how much of a difference it makes?  I think this is primarily why we usually go with low volume fabrics for the background, or at least something with less pattern/design.  The block is all pressed and ready to be presented, to the recipient, at the September's back in person meeting.  Now that the block has been presented to the recipient, on Monday, I can now post about it.

Take care everyone.

Pieced hearts quilt top complete

On Sunday, I had a bit of time on my hands and decided to clean up some stuff.  I started with my sewing space.  I gathered up some of my quilts to bring to the Guild meeting on Monday for show and share.  Put labels on the donation quilts for Project Linus.  Cleared off my cutting table and generally tried to straighten up around here.

With all that done'ish...lol...as much as I felt like doing,  I sat down with a cup of tea and examined my list of UFOs.  I have quite a bit on the list now since the recent clean out, but I also have quite a bit of those already done too.  That makes me feel good.

As I sat there, I also looked around, noting a partially started quilt on the floor (the sock monkey quilt) and the various other quilts on my design board.  In the end, I settled for this quilt.  The floating pink hearts on a green background.  I had three blocks done already, which was nice.  So, I set myself up to complete the rest of the blocks.

As you can see the top is now done......wait.....do you know what.....I don't think it's done anymore!  I am looking at this picture and realize that if I want to use a scrappy pink as my binding, I'm going to need to add a small green background fabric border to separate the binding from the hearts.  

Oh well!  I guess I have to pull this top out of the "to be quilting" pile and work on it some more.  Good thing I still have some of this green fabric.  I think I also have just the right backing for it.  More work to be done on this one.  Will share a picture with you when it has the border, is quilted and binding is attached.

An update on the Smith Mountain Morning quilt that our group is making.  Yesturday after work, I made half of the HSTs for the star blocks and assembled them into pinwheels.  I have enough blue cut out to make the other half, however didn't cut enough of the brown.  I'll take care of that today.

Take care everyone.