FINAL LEAVES FOR SWAP

Finally finished! My last sets for the swap are on the top and right. The left leaf is a loner, I'm keeping. Fortunately they don't have far to travel, because I barely made the deadline! But since I'm the hostess they've arrived here in the nick of time, LOL! No mailing needed.

MORE LEAVES FALLING

And another 4 sets. 2 more sets are all cut and waiting to go.

FLORIBUNDA

The One Piece at a Time blog is offering free applique lessons, with great photos, as well as a free BOM, Floribunda, using the techniques. This is the first block. The generosity and talent of quilters never ceases to amaze me. There will be 12 blocks in all, and Erin has also designed a center medallion. I've added this to blogs I'm following and also a link on my sidebar.

AUTUMN LEAVES

Today I'm working on 6" autumn leaf blocks for a swap. We are making sets of 5. So far I have 5 sets done, 4 shown here. We're using batiks in autumn colors for the leaves and batik off-white/cream/etc. for the background. I already have a quilt picked out to make from the leaves, so I hope to get 10 sets done soonest, before the deadline. That would give me 50 different leaves to work with in the quilt.

WHAT IS LOVE? stitchery

Designer, Val Laird, has been publishing a free BOM timed to end Feb. 13. I just found it today, but all the patterns are still up until 2/13/10. It is so sweet, and I think it would make a super wedding or anniversary gift. The stitcheries are very small and there's only eight of them. Val used them as a table runner, and gives directions for that too.

You can link from here and I'll place a link on my side bar too.

St. Patrick's Swap Arrives

I had literally just finished packing up my candle mat to put in the mail for the St. Patrick's Day Candle Mat Swap on The Quilted Table group, when I went to the mailbox to retrieve today's mail. Hmmm............a box from Barbara B. .............hmmm...............do I know her?................what is this..........

Upon opening the box, I realized that it is my St. Patrick's Day candle mat swap! Then, WOW, knocking off my socks (which I didn't have on with my flip flops here in FL), it is amazing...............it is gorgeous...............it is beautiful Celtic knot applique! Something I would love to learn to do! Oh my! I LOVE IT!!! It wraps in/under/around/through all in perfect curves! Thanks so much Barbara! You sure made my day/month/etc.! She even included a St. Pat's FQ and Favorite Findings. Doing the Happy Dance here, and feeling very Irish!

DEAR JANE HOLIDAY SWAP BLOCKS ARRIVE

Look what arrived in the mail today! These tiny 4.5" Dear Jane blocks are from the holiday swap and have come from as far as Belgium and Norway. Some need a trim (many of us make the outside edges larger and then the receiver trims), and then I'll get proper pictures posted, but I just couldn't wait for that. Ooh, what wonderful ideas are dancing in my head for these 25, plus the 5 of my own that I kept. Ooo, La, La!

SYLVIA'S BRIDAL SAMPLER PROGRESS

SBS block of the week is up and running after taking a break for the holidays. This is the current BOW, C-5, Lady of the Lake. These are 6" blocks and the quarter is for perspective as to how tiny those triangles really are. There are 34 pieces in this one. Blocks like this are why I love paper piecing.

IRISH PLAID

This afternoon I tried out this Irish Plaid block. It's paper pieced. I'm not sure if I have the patience to make an entire quilt of this block, but it would be stunning the way the plaid weaves together in a single block, let alone when you put blocks together. It's a free pattern on Quilter's Cache.

I've always been fascinated by all things Irish. After all, my name is Patricia, and I do have a smidgen of Irish in my heritage.

FROZEN FLORIDA

If you are freezing up north and are thinking a trip to Florida might be just the thing, think again! My husband and I took these pictures of an orchard just north of Disney World this afternoon.



The farmers keep the irrigation spray going to try to insulate the fruit. Mother Nature takes over and presents this amazingly beautiful, albeit absurd, landscape.

VALENTINE CANDLE MAT

This past weekend I finished this candle mat challenge for The Quilted Table group. It's a free pattern located here. But I switched it up and used the same fabric for all 4 backgrounds and added sashing. It's fun to take a pattern and make it your own.

ANOTHER NEW FREE BOM QUILT

Sindy, over at Fat Cat patterns is offering this wonderful row by row quilt pattern this year. Isn't it wonderful? I love 'cute', I love applique, oh dear, so many quilts, so little time.

QUILT BARNS

The 2010 BOM from The Golden Thimble is a quilt featuring barns with quilts on them. I love to see those barns when I'm driving in the country 'up north'. The barn remains the same each month (with different fabrics, but the same block), but the quilt on the barn will be different. Can't wait to see these tiny quilts on the barns! I'm not sure I have time to start anything new just now, but we'll see. I will definitely save the patterns and have added a link on my side bar.

FALL FANCY, STEP 1

I finished Step 1 of Fall Fancy BOM this morning. I'm giving myself a little pat on the back here, as I was afraid with the holidays and guests, I wouldn't finish before the next step is posted. So far, so good. I posted my fabrics, which are all from stash, a few posts back.

This is a free BOM on the Burning the Midnight Oil yahoo group, which can be found here. The pattern is by Heather Finnell. The directions are probably the clearest, easiest to follow, that I've ever seen.

SNOWBOUND

Bunny Hill is starting a new BOM for 2010, called Snowbound. This is just how I like my snow -- in fabric only, LOL! Here's a link to it. There will be a new block on the 5th of the month all year. I added a link on my side bar.

LAST PROJECTS OF 2009

My last project completed in 2009 was making chenille potholders. I've had the chenille cutter forever but never got around to trying it out. The tops are above and the backsides below. I love how the plaid of the homespun barely shows on the chenille. These were very quick and easy to make, and I can see using them as small gifts for folks. Everyone uses potholders.