I Luuuuv Spikey Spikes!

........and here are the steps to how I got some.

First, you need a 3 yr. old birthday boy who likes dinosaurs.

I found this.  Smaller than a fat quarter.

I had fun pulling some bright crazy fun fabrics that match!

I played with some pieces and parts I had on hand trying to get a feel to which direction I should go.
Oh my, decisions decisions.

Yes. Yes.
Rows and rows of various borders will work.

Next come the SPIKES! And quilting.
LOVE!
I was energized by channeling my inner Gwen Marston.

Ta Da!
Just the right size to be cuddled, loved and to be carried around.

The Back.

Benjamin and his family may need a pair of sunglasses too, this is BRIGHT!

A Recent Finish

I needed this quilt to be finished for a cute little birthday girl.
This quilt top has been languishing in the closet FOR YEARS and now I am glad it has THE PERFECT little person to go to.

This is Bonnie Hunter's Cathedral Stars design.  It's a free pattern located on her blog, just click on the "free patterns" tab up at the top of her page.

Last time I posted about this I was mulling over what to do about the backing.

I played around here with pieces and parts BUT I wanted to use up some of those little 4 patch blocks I had left over from the top AND I thought it would be fun to have her
name somewhere.

Here's what I finally came up with.  I don't like to have a seam down the middle, especially since it was going to be hard to match up those polka dots.

Her name is Bonnie but she is called Bonn or Bon Bon.
I. LIKE.
( she did too)

I machine quilted it from side to side using a wavy stitch.  This stitch gave a good effect on the stars.

She was excited and very happy.  Grinning big she explained "it has my name on it"!

I received a text a few days later showing me how good and matchy matchy it was with all her little friends.
So glad this top was finally finished and was sent off to be loved!

Cute Round Thang

Sometimes a girl just needs to

CUT.

FOLD.

REPEAT.

Finished Corner Block (sorta)

 Friends of Balitmore Quilt by Sue Garman

This corner block on the bottom border is "sorta" finished.  There are extra loose pieces that will need to be added after I've sewn the block to the border going across the bottom and to the other

border running up from this corner block.  Those pieces will overlap across the seams to give 

it a flowing effect.  I can't wait till all this happens.

(thanks for the fabrics Kerry, I liked your vase so much I did mine like yours)

I'm playing and auditioning fabrics for the corner block on the opposite end.

I think I have a plan forming!

I've already traced the design onto the fabric so I'm good to go.

I better 'git' busy 'cause'

here's the pattern for this quilt and I'm not even half way through.

YIKES!

My First Border and Pretty Vase

Hello everyone!  I've been absent, but I promise I've been busy!

I'm still plugging along on my 

Friends of Baltimore quilt  AND A Bountiful Life/Civil War Bride quilt.  

I like working on them simultaneously.  Friends of Baltimore has teeny tiny pieces and more tedious while the Bountiful Life has larger pieces and gives me a break from the tedious so I can still keep busy.

I'm excited to show you my progress on the first border and vase from Friends of Baltimore.  I put off starting a border thinking it would be daunting, I was a scaredy cat…BUT HEY…it wasn't so bad.

I. LIKE.

As you can see, it is quite long.

There will be a vase sewn to each end to make a corner on this bottom border, which makes it even LONGER!  I'm still jurying fabrics for the vase on the other end.  Only 3 more borders to go!

The scary part will be when it comes time to trim this down!!

Must show you more proof I've been busy.

 Remember her?  My bride on the Bountiful Life quilt.

She now has a groom!  Isn't he handsome?

 They also have a hospitality table.  I think it's cute!

I think I had just started on this one in a previous post.

Working on both of these quilts at the same time has yielded me enough blocks for a WHOLE quilt!!
….Sigh...
I just don't think they would mix well together….too bad!

Sorry I've been so long with an update and I want to thank everyone who has inquired about me.  I desperately need a new camera.  The photos I take on my iPhone seem to be lacking in quality (I think it's the operator),  but I promise to blog with more quilty goodness!

Cotton harvest is in full swing here and so sad, for this will be our last crop.

Hubby is retiring.

Merry Christmas Ya'll

Wishing all my blogging buddies a very special and wonderful

Merry Christmas!!

It's a balmy 72 degrees here in Texas, but hey, it

sure makes it easier on the hubster making the rounds and checking

on the cattle.  Yep, farmer/ranchers never get a holiday.

I had planned to serve ham, yams and that whole speeeel, but then the hubby asked could we not

have Mexican stack instead.  Sure I said....(my mind racing...ohhh noooo, nothing but the

hamburger meat in the freezer for ingredients!!)

So....I left the ham in the freezer and drove BACK to the big city for the Mexican stack

stuff and fixins.

I'm all set now!

While I wait for hubby to get back from making the rounds I'm sitting here sewing some

little hexies together.  ( A long ago overdo project )

 Easy mindless sewing for the holidays.

Merry Merry to everyone!!

Yes, I'm Making Some Progress

Making good progress on my current projects during the summer is slow but steady.  Having to do garden kitchen duty can take up a lot of time.  Fresh yummy veggies for supper time is so worth it though.

I did finish the bride block on my Civil War Bride quilt.  I think she turned out pretty good.  I didn't want the quilt to be too bright OR too dull in color.  I'm happy with how it is starting out.

Can you believe this is going to be THE GROOM block!

This is how I usually audition fabrics and such for whatever I'm working on.  I pin and poke, roll and smoosh fat quarters and such to my design wall.  Stand back and stare, make some changes if needed.

Stand back and stare some more.  I do this until "I think" I'm satisfied.  Of course I always reserve the right to make MORE changes in the end.  I think this Groom block is headed in the right direction.

This is another block from the Civil War Bride quilt I started.  I'll work on this one while I still play and audition fabrics for the Groom block.  I really like the blue fabric.  Wish I had bought more of it.

I'm still plugging along on my Friends of Baltimore too.  Starting on a new block with this cute little cornucopia.  Working on more than one project at a time keeps it interesting for me.  I think it's need for long term projects.....at least that's the way I roll anyway.

As for Goober....my little helper

It's just another day at the office for him.

Civil War Bride and Friends of Baltimore

I've been piddling on getting this one started for a while now, thinking this one would give me a little break occasionally from my FRIENDS OF BALTIMORE which has SO MANY tiny pieces.  I decided to start with the bride block first so her fabrics and colors would set the tone for the rest of the

quilt.  I must admit, starting from scratch with choosing your own choice of fabrics and colors doesn't come easy for me.  It takes me forever to get it straight in my head, pulling tons of fabrics out to audition only to make a big mess…….well, if I make her dress pink…..OR, maybe it should be yellow…..should I use just Civil War fabrics……and I don't want to use the same colors as my Friends of Baltimore quilt…and on it goes.  I'm hoping a lot of you out there get the picture and I'm not alone in my struggles.  I'm embarrassed to say how long it has taken me to get this far……BUT……here is a peek into where it is headed.

…….and for those of you who are thinking I should make those green striped buds all go the same direction, well, I probable agree but I'm NOT doing them over.  The stripes are the 3rd fabric I've traded out.  My bride also looks like she's been hit in the forehead with something.  Maybe that's the reason there wasn't a groom in the original quilt….lol.  I've also been blogging for 8 yrs. this week.  How 'bout that!

A recent Friends of Baltimore finished block.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!!

We have a winner for the Build A Barn book drawing!

She was the VERY FIRST COMMENTER!

Annie O said:

Stunning, just stunning! What a lovely tribute to the "barn that was" and your neighbor. Love the windmill and party decor!

Congrats Annie and THANKS to you and all the other entries for your kind

and thoughtful comments about my barn!

This barn really existed.

  

It belonged to Mildred and Marvin.  

We used to sit out on her brick patio and gaze out at her barn 

while listening to the exciting stories she told us

of parties and barn dances she and Marvin used to put on.  

We heard stories of friends, neighbors, politicians, 

and all kinds of important people who attended their events.  

Mildred LOVED this barn and kept it updated, 

including a whole new roof, 

but after she and Marvin died, the land was sold.

  

My husband and I watched 

on the day the new landowners bulldozed 

this fabulous barn down along with Mildred’s house.  

The new owners wanted cleared land they could put a large crop sprinkler system on.

It was especially sad because 

Mildred had been raised in an orphanage 

and hubby and I both knew how very important her homestead had been to her. 

This quilt is my interpretation of Mildred’s big red barn all decked out for the holidays.

These great photos of my barn quilt were taken by Julie Sefton and her hubby.

There's Still Time To Sign Up For The Giveaway

Quick!  Quick!

There's still time to sign up for the Build A Barn book giveaway.  Go to my previous post and leave a comment and you will be entered.  You must at least leave your

email address in the comment to be contacted if you win.

I will draw the winner by 10:00 tonight!

Here is a little session I had playing around with another barn idea.  Kind of a Texas version.

Not sure about this one, I had some fabric with a cowgirl, but I just don't know any

cowgirls.

I guess I could pretend "I'm" that cute skinny little cowgirl…..hhhmmm, now that's

a good thought…..being a skinny cowgirl, with long brown hair that I can

flip back and forth…..ha!

( hopefully it won't get caught up in that rope I'm twirling about )

Build A Barn Book Review Blog Hop

It's my turn to share my barn and involvement with the new book

Build a Barn

by Julie Sefton

her blog

Me an My Quilts-Exploring The Possibilities

W-a-y back in Dec. 2014 ( yes, it takes a while to create a book ) Julie asked about 14 of us to do a test barn using her notes, photos and instructions on how to Build a Barn using

her no pattern construction method.  We became charter members of the Secret Society of Barn Builders.  Emphasis on the "secret" part!

So~~I finally came up with an idea about a barn that used to be down the road from me.

A quick sorta sketch to get the idea going.

If I dig in my stash long enough I can usually come up with the fabric that will work.

I chose a winter party type scene.  LOOK, music fabric, must be a barn dance taking place.

Using Julie's instructions I began, starting with the barn first.  See, it's done in sections.

Sky and background auditions next.

NO! Yuck sky!

NO!  Sky too plain!
Audition~Audition~Audition
See, at the same time I'm also auditioning some other extras to add like maybe a tree.

Since I didn't have any sky type fabric in my stash I had to create sky by mingling in a variety of different fabrics by cutting them into smaller sizes and then sewing them all back together, yep, that's the definition of quilting isn't it.

Oh Yes…my sky is finally coming together!

Backgrounds can include any extra 'cuteness' you want to add.  Trees, windmills, stars in the sky or animals.  I just keep on auditioning different fabrics and ideas during the whole process.  Julie's book will show you how!
I'll be having a drawing June 5th for a free giveaway of Julie's Barn book.  Be sure to leave a comment on this post before then.

And from here, everything just fell into place ( well, not really, there was more agonizing, standing and staring and switching and swapping…ha…you know how the routine goes ).
Ta Da!
This is the final result I submitted to Julie to go on from here to be quilted by her friend Chris.
Finished quilt measures around 30 inches.

Click HERE to read...MY barn has a true/real life heartfelt story.  See it all quilted and gussied up!

Julie's Build A Barn book is so helpful and makes creating your own little barn SOOO
easy!

There is nothing scary about free pieced quilt/block construction.  If fact, it's very freeing!
You can't make any mistakes. Anything goes!

Go HERE and see……read up on everyone's barns.  You don't want to miss out on
some super CUTE fun barns!!