A Wonky Block in the Mix...

Throw it all in is my motto for making this Wonky Log Cabin block as part of the Craftsy block-of-the-month project. The two blocks for May are both non-traditional Log Cabin designs, and this one uses odds and ends of strips from earlier blocks. I've misplaced or lost my camera, so had to use the smart phone to shoot one of the blocks for this post. I hesitate to buy a new one because that will be the very moment my camera shows up. So I'll give it another day or so and see if I stumble across it. Otherwise... the Cool Pix will be replaced. Do you have a favorite camera you'd recommend, just in case?

This Wonky Log Cabin will blend with the previous BOM's like both of the string-pieced ones show below. I'm starting to think that this quilt might be difficult to fall asleep under.. it's pretty bright. So setting the blocks together will become an interesting endeavor. It's been a fun project so far, and I enjoy the videos on the Craftsy site with instructor Amy Gibson.

A Visit to Pixie Hollow...

My daughter Joanna and I visited the Flower Festival at Epcot last week. Have you visited there during this annual event? The displays are so beautifully done. This was my favorite of the lovely garden sculptures. There were several similar pieces, all created from natural plant materials, along a path through Pixie Hollow. Each Pixie was color coordinated with the flowers that surrounded it. Is Pixie Hollow where Tinkerbell came from? I'm guessing maybe it is. So I haven't been doing much sewing of late, but did enjoy Joanna's visit and our trip to Epcot in Orlando.

Quilters Can be Such Characters!

Rainbow the Clown was on hand to greet quilt show visitors at a recent show put on by the Belleview Busy Bee Quilters in Florida. Their show was appropriately titled "A Rainbow of Quilts". Her blue hair blended perfectly with Mary Ralph's stunning large pieced Cosmos.

Guild member Liz donned her "busy bee" outfit, complete with "deely bobbers" on her head, to work the show. In the photo you can also get a glimpse of the beautiful opportunity quilt made by guild members.

This scrappy and colorful quilt made in the Flat Iron design was one of the entries. And the Tea Leaf quilt below is beautifully hand quilted by Sue Woody Zoeffel. The tiny, regular stitches look lovely against the white background fabric. There's always a lot to see and enjoy at a quilt show! So inspiring, I always feel as if I need to head right home and get sewing.

More Cats, More Quilts...

If one cat quilt is fun, why not double the fun and make another? After finishing the wallhanging shown in the previous post, I needed to make yet another cat quilt. That's because my original intent for "Live, Love, Laugh... and Feed the Cat" was using it as a donation for the silent auction. We're having one as part of the Country Road Quilters' upcoming show this fall. But I got to liking the quilt so much, I couldn't part with it! So while thumbing through a quilt magazine on a recent bus trip, I spotted the pattern for this quilt... "This Flower is for You!"... and decided it was perfect for the silent auction. 



The pattern is from Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting magazine, the Jan/Feb 2003 issue. It's a nice size (about 19" x 23"), and makes use of fusible applique. The pieces are buttonhole stitched to secure them, and the project is machine quilted. By me. I find I'm improving in this department, and small projects like this one boost my confidence in free-motion quilting.

Isn't this just typical cat behavior though? And I love the expression on kitty's face! This time was the first that I got a very slight build-up of adhesive on the machine needle while completing the buttonhole stitch on the pieces. I used Wonder Under, and have not had this happen in the past. It didn't cause a problem, and I changed the needle to machine quilt. But I did notice. I'm wondering if the iron temperature while fusing might have made a difference. Have you experienced this? Wonder Under is still my fusible of choice for fabric projects though. I find it to be light-weight, easy to use, and it produces flexible pieces so there's no "boardy" feel to the quilt. 

Live, Laugh, Love and Feed the Cat...

Many quilters love both cats and quilts, and I'm no exception. So when I saw this "Feed the Cat" pattern in my local quilt shop, I just had to make one! Kitty is machine appliqued using fusible web and a buttonhole stitch along the edges. The pattern is from Cheryl Gunn, Waltzing with the Bears. I used some squares from a Moda charm pack for the border pieces, and for the spots on the cat.

The big photo is a bit dark, so you can't see the magenta spots very well. This detail photo shows them better, and you can see Kitty's expression, too. I began the quilt as a donation for our guild's silent auction. However, I got liking it too much, so it's going to hang in my home. I've started another cat quilt for the auction.... that one will be coming here soon!