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.

HOW DO YOU JOIN BLOCK LOTTO?

Several have left this question on my blog, but with "no-reply" email. I'd love to email you the answer, but I can't, due to a setting you have selected to not leave your email addy with your comment. Frustrating!

But, I don't want you to miss the joy of the Block Lotto Blog, so go to my previous post, click on the title, or the different colored words in my post, and it will take you to the blog. Anyone can join. Just make some blocks!

Hugs to all my readers,
Pat from FL and MI

BLOCK LOTTO FOR JANUARY

The Block Lotto group is planning to offer "Liberated" blocks for 2010. I took a class with Gwen Marsten on Liberated Stars, and it is really fun to not worry about everything being just 'so'. In fact with liberated blocks, the idea is to be wonky in the block construction, varying how each block looks, but you need the blocks to end up the correct size.

The January block is Tick-Tac-Toe. Picture x's and o's in the quilting. I think it would make a wonderful child's quilt. The blocks go together very quickly, and I made my nine completely from stash.

FOUR MORE POLKA DOTS

Today I finished stitching down four more polka dot blocks. Actually I did five, but one was an exact opposite of one of the ones I made the other day, and you can only use a fabric combination once. So I will enter 8 blocks in the lotto this month.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, DEAR FRIENDS!

On Christmas Day, at half-past three, brew yourself a cup of tea.
I'll think of you, and you'll think of me, while sitting around the Christmas tree.

Merry Christmas to all my quilting friends all around the world!

My dear friend, Carol, and I often say this little saying to each other -- leaving out the Christmas bit. I'll email her, "Hey Carol, it's half-past three. I'm thinking of you. Are you thinking of me?" and vice-versa. It's nice to see this sweet poem surface on the SBS list this year, coming from Connie.

Oh, and proper tea drinkers, I know that cup is turned wrong, but I wanted you to be able to see the "Family and Friends". The other side says, 'The stories never end." It's perfect to use for half-past three tea during the Christmas season.

BLOCK LOTTO

While blog hopping, I noticed a link to Block Lotto Blog. What fun! I always enjoy joining in-person block lottos. But I didn't realize there was an on-line group doing it.

In 2009 they have been using traditional blocks. I have never seen the block before. It was first published in 1958 in a pamphlet called Easy Quilts by Aunt Martha Studios. I can't imagine getting perfect circles was easy with cardboard templates in 1958, but it is easy with KK Buckley Perfect Circles! And all done by hand -- love it!

These are my first 4 blocks. They are 6" finished size with 4" circles. You can make up to nine blocks this month, so I may do five more. It's very quick.

3 CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS COMPLETE

This year I made a Christmas stocking for youngest DGS, Charlie. Then I decided to make them for his parents too. Charlie's older brother Brendan already has his.

This is the same Vogue pattern, from the 1970's, that I used to make my kid's stockings, which still hang at my house every year, but only the bachelor is here Christmas morning, generally. Their original ones are in red gingham, red and white stripe, etc., as Christmas prints hadn't come out yet. Dark ages! They're a couple feet long, so it's easy for Santa to find gifts that will fit. The names are hand-embroidered in chain stitch. But back then I had to iron-on the assembled letters (those blue transfers that you iron a pattern to fabric with). Now, of course, you just find a font you like on the computer, write the word, print it off, and trace. Times change!

DEAR JANE SECRET SISTER GIFT 2

Another DJSS gift arrived yesterday! Now that was a true surprise! In checking, I have learned that this one is from my real Dear Jane Secret Sister 2009, Robin. Included are two ornaments, lotion, Fray check, a journal, fudgie bears, and a beautiful Christmas card.

I know Robin has had a tough year, and I often went without gifts. So maybe Cindy T., who sent me the prior gift, was being a quilt angel?

In any event, aren't quilters just the best? What a group of gals with big hearts!

SECRET SISTER DEC. GIFT

My last gift of the year has arrived. The bag is a die-cut 'spongy' material, which will be great to use for many years. It says Wishes, but I don't think you can read it in the photo. In the bag were two beautiful Christmas FQs, a little pad of paper in a cute container, perfect for carrying in my purse, and a beautiful Thimbleberries note card, which revealed that Cindy has been my pal this year.

It has been fun, and I'll play the 'game' next year too, sending and receiving from new secret sisters.

FALL FANCY FABRICS

Yesterday I pulled fabrics for the Fall Fancy Quilt, on the Burning the Midnight Oil site. This is a BOM where you can see the whole finished quilt, but the directions come out in stages. I'm using all stash for this quilt. Some of my fabrics are civil war, some tonals, one Jinny Byer, and even a batik. It's quite the variety, but I think they are all playing nicely together.

These directions are so nice and clear, even has little boxes to check of as you progress. Step one is up now, but I won't have time to work on it yet.

There is a link to this quilt on my side bar.

A QUILTER'S HOLIDAY

Yesterday I received this lovely thank you card and pin from Jennifer Chiaverini. The pin is the same design as A Quilter's Holiday book cover. I tried to get a close up of the pin to share with you, but the photo came out as a big glow with no detail.

That's a lot of thanks for making one 12" block for her charity quilts. But that is just like her!

You can scroll back a few posts, to see my "Rock-a-Bye Baby" quilt block which I made. You had to choose a block pattern that represented something you are thankful for, and this year I'm especially thankful for my 6 grandchildren. I love how Jennifer really gets into the names of the traditional quilt blocks and their meanings/origins.

ANGEL COSTUMES

These are the delightful angel costumes I've been working on. The angels are in my DGS's preschool. Below is the entire cast. My DGS is the drummer boy in long tan pants. I think the sheep and cow may be my favorites! They were all just wonderful, of course!

My sewing machine is very happy to not be stitching through sheet fabric anymore, and also to have the Dual Duty thread gone!!! She's more of an Aurifil gal.

FALL FANCY

Burning the Midnight Oil is offering a new free BOM, Fall Fancy. It's a really nice pattern and is free as long as you remember to download or print the pattern each month.

I love traditional quilts and will be adding a link to this quilt on my side bar.

DEAR JANE HOLIDAY BLOCKS

Here are my final two blocks for the swap. The quarter on H-10, Ben's Bowtie, is to give perspective as to how small the tiny 4.5" blocks are. The red is G-2, Mohawk Trail.

I made 5 sets of 5 blocks each. All five sets will be in the mail today. Can't wait to see what 25 blocks I get back.

FINAL 10 BLUE/BROWNS

Here's my last 10 blocks from the swap -- 50 in all, plus I also made one for myself of all the sets I sent.

Current thinking is to use these in a quilt with the pink/browns, but that will be after the holidays, for sure!

MORE BLUE AND BROWNS

Here are 20 more of the blocks I received in the SBS Blue/Brown swap. The work is wonderful, especially considering these are small, 6", blocks!

BLUE & BROWN SWAP BLOCKS ARRIVE

This past week my beautiful blue/browns arrived. This is a swap of Sylvia's Bridal Sampler blocks, done in only blue and brown. I made 10 sets of 5, so I have 50 blocks back. Pictures are the first 20 that I've taken pictures of.

Keep in mind these are only 6.5" blocks. There's some mighty tiny pieces in these blocks, and some wonderful patchwork.

I'm so grateful to everyone who participated, especially those I received blocks from, and especially to Joanie S. for hostessing this swap -- a monumental task, well done!

A QUILTER'S HOLIDAY

In Jennifer Chiaverini's newest book, A Quilter's Holiday, the characters get together to quilt the day after Thanksgiving. That's what I did too this year. It was much better than fighting the crowds at the shops!

Jennifer recently asked her fans to create a quilt block representing what they are thankful for this year, and just like in her new book, she will be gathering the blocks to make quilts for charity. The only requirement for these 12" blocks was that it represent what you are thankful for this year, as well as be in autumn colors.

The block pattern I chose is called, "Rock-a-Bye-Baby." It represents my thankfulness for my six grandchildren, ages 18 months thru ten years old. Each and every child on earth is such a glorious gift from God.

Click here if you are interested in joining this project.

SCRAPPY HAPPY HOUSES

My Happy Scrappy Houses, quilt is featured on the Stashbusters Yahoo group site. It's still a flimsy, but quilting will come. If you have lots of scraps, it's a great way to use them up. The pattern is from Bonnie Hunter, and is free here. Scroll down, on the right.

If you are like me, and tend to start more than you finish, Stashbusters can help you get it under control.