Sunny, Happy Skies! A Quilt for a Baby

I recently made this quilt as a gift for a soon-to-be-born baby girl. Her grandparents have been my next-door neighbors since 1993, but I have known them even longer. The baby's father is the same age as my daughter. Such an exciting time for a special family. I am so happy for them.

For this project, I chose a Rolie Polie, which are precut strips, of Riley Blake's "Sunny Happy Skies," designed by Bella Blvd's Stephanie Hunt. After I unrolled the 2.5-inch strips, I played with arrangement until I settled on grouping like colors together. I think it yielded a pleasing effect. The backing is SKU C2733, called Sunny Lace, in pink. I embroidered the baby's first and middle names on the back. To quilt it, I simply stitched in the ditch.

Like the fabric collection's name suggests, this fun quilt indeed reflects a day of sunny, happy skies. The charming prints and bright colors are sure to please. I hope baby Abigail will enjoy her quilt. I can't wait to meet her.

"Charm Flag" Wall Hanging

Pattern designer Carol Bader's "Charm Flag" wall hanging project was published in the May/June 2011 issue of McCall's Quilting (Vol.18, No.3).

I combined white with red and blue "star" fabrics to make my folksy version of the wall hanging. Our air conditioning was out for four days last week, so I pieced the curvy blocks together on my Featherweight in our motorhome, where there was plenty of cool air. Working on the project provided a pleasant diversion leading up to Independence Day.

A template is included in the magazine for cutting the curved blocks, which Bader instructs to piece by hand, but I wasn't patient enough to do that. I did quilt my wall hanging by hand, though. Edges were finished with a knife-edge hem, also stitched by hand.

On the back of the wall hanging, I attached little pockets that hold strong magnets, so I could display my expression of prideful patriotism on the front door of my home.

Fashionetta Quilt is Finished!

Work began on this quilt in the summer of 2010. I put it aside to work on other projects more times than I can count. I am happy to report that it is done. It is a gift for my daughter. I was flattered when she said she intended to have it placed in a shadow box to protect it. I hope this little quilt gives my girl many years of enjoyment. Previous posts show some of the individual blocks.

This quilt and the embroidery designs were created by Evy Hawkins of A Bit of Stitch.

Western-themed Baby Quilt

I finished this project Friday evening and gave it as a gift to a special mom-to-be at her shower on Saturday, March 24. The family enjoys rodeos, and the baby's father participates in roping competitions. The baby's name, Granger, appears in the center of the quilt.

I happened upon the fabric printed with various colors of cowboy hats, and it became the starting point for this project. The dotted fabric is from Anne Sutton's line. The pieced blocks are fabrics from Connecting Threads. Most of the embroidery motifs are from Anita Goodesign. I downloaded the "I wanna be a cowboy" for free from Embroidables.

The back of the quilt is brushed flannel. I sewed the quilt top to the flannel backing, right sides together. After I turned it right-side-out, I top-stitched along the edges. It is not quilted. The mother-to-be was pleased with the gift. I hope Granger will like it, too. I can't wait to meet him. He should arrive in mid May.

Blog Hop Party Winner!

The number chosen:

The 38th person to comment was Michele Hester, who said, "Thank you for joining in the blog hop party - this is fun!" Congratulations, Michele! I sent Michele an email. If I don't hear from her within the next 48 hours, I will choose another winner.

I appreciate every wonderful quilter who stopped by. I hope everyone enjoyed the Blog Hop Party! I know I did.

Blog Hop Party with a Giveaway!

Hi! Welcome to one stop on the Blog Hop Party! Blog Hops are always fun. My prize is an on-demand-printed copy of Kathleen Tracy's book "American Doll Quilts," a charm pack of Kansas Troubles Quilters "Warm Memories," and 1/2 yard of brick-toned fabric. If you so desire, the charm pack and the yardage (backing and binding) could be used to complete one of Kathleen's charming doll quilts. Kathleen's "American Doll Quilts," her first book, is out of print. I think the delicate prints in Kansas Troubles Quilters "Warm Memories" collection would make a lovely little quilt. So fun!

Just leave any comment, and you'll be entered to win. My giveaway is open to everyone!

Giveaway will end on December 17, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. CST. I will email the winner.

Have fun blog hopping!

Quilt Lover's Heart

For quite a while, I've been meaning to feature a post about the beautiful quilt lover's heart necklace I was so fortunate to win. Some months ago, I promised the talented silversmith, David McNutt, of The Lover's Heart Collection, that I would. I certainly didn't intend for so much time to pass before doing so. Had I felt better, I would have kept my promise.

I wear my beautiful necklace nearly every day. I have received numerous compliments from people who have admired the necklace.

I snapped this photo of my necklace against a quilt my neighbor's late mother made many years ago.

The quilt lover's heart is only one example of David's jewelry designs. He also creates custom designs. The jewelry arrives in a beautiful, flocked presentation box. Great to give as gifts.

Please visit David's web site and view his lovely designs. The craftsmanship on these amazing pieces is superb. You won't be disappointed!

Don't forget to visit my blog Saturday, December 10, 2011. I am participating in the Blog Hop Party (see the link on my sidebar). My giveaway features a wonderful book with patterns for doll quilts. Fabric will be included! Everyone is welcome to comment because I will ship the prize anywhere in the world.