How did I not notice this until now?

I've been visiting Crazy'boutquilt's blog for what seems like forever.... and just recently did I notice her little mini quilt over on her side bar - I think that is a dime on the top row! Eek, it's tiny isn't it!

But what caught my attention is that it looks just like my 18th Christmas Quilt from Momma Newt.

I've never really known the name of the pattern although Momma Newt called it Birds in Flight - click here if you'd like to read about when I blogged about it a couple years ago. Has it been that long ago really??

To me it looks exactly like the "Spool" patterns I've seen only placing the colors in different areas of each block. I've googeled Birds in Flight but never came up with anything that looked like my 18th Christmas Quilt.... so of course this week when I noticed the exact same looking pattern on Crazy's sidebar I contacted her! ;)

Crazy replied back to my email saying that she made her mini several years ago and no longer has it b/c she gifted it - but she has a great memory b/c she knew the book title that she got the pattern from her local library and what was called in that book... and that it finished at only 18" x 11"!!! and can you guess what!!!???

I have the very book that she mentioned!!! The Best of Scrap Quilting Made Easy. My friend Ms. Ruby from church, gifted it to me last December when I pieced the blue & yellow quilt for her to quilt and give to her mother. Ruby said that she had 2 of the same and gave one of them to me!

In this book, it's made a little differently - NO "Y-seams" that must be the "made Easy" part of the book ;) and they call it "Flower Bed" Crazy said that it was simple to make and finished at only 18"x11" Wow! that IS a mini quilt isn't it!!!? The book says it's a weekend project... and only calls for 20 nickels... hummm...

I really love my quilt made by Momma Newt and although it's not quite large enough for this queen sized guest bed - it doesn't look too bad draped over the comforter with the longest side of the quilt going side to side instead of head to toe... not wide enough to put on the bed the other way..

Our email messages back and forth prompted me to get my quilt out of the curio for photo taking and I'm glad I did, as it's fun to look at all the many different fabrics in it. Using a Christmas scrap was always a signature trademark of Momma Newt's quilts even if only one fabric... and I especially love them in this one - since I'll never forget my 18th Christmas when she gave it to me!!!

I only wish I had the photo that was taken of the two of us that day after I opened it up and saw it for the first time. I remember sitting on her lap (she insisted!) and huggin and kissing her... and I can still smell her when I think about it. ;)

Yep, I'm for sure going to make me a mini "Flower Garden" in honor of Momma Newt sometime soon! Should I go total random scrappy with my 20 nickels like Momma Newt did.... or go with floral nickels like the pattern "Flower Bed" calls for... hmmm.

and here's my little man Paul Thomas... who's still feeling yucky :(

but happily hangin out on the stairs with his "little bear" - their favorite spot. ;)

Love from Texas!