A new project is like a new puzzle

This morning the twins had a fun time playing puzzles at the kitchen table. And then after lunch when they went upstairs for nap time, I opened up a "Quilts for Kids" kit that I received about two months ago in the mail and got started on a new puzzle of my own ;)

Do you remember when I posted about Downy's Touch of Comfort a while back? The organizer of Quilts for Kids even commented on my blog that after I posted they got about a dozen requests for kits! ;) And I'm sure since then there have been dozens more b/c I've seen/read all about them on the HGTV boards and also on the Heartstrings yahoo lists. ;)

Here is the whole kit, all pre-cut out and ready to go - they provide backing and even a label! Aren't these little rubber duckies cute?

Getting started was Easy - just match up the strips, pin & sew them together. 3 strips of blue paired up with 3 strips of yellow...

then sub-cut and join back together to make 4 patches that will finish up at 6"

This quilt pattern only calls for 15 of the 4-patches! that's it folks!

Anyone can make 15 of these blocks in NO time at all!

Then it was time to get down on the floor for the layout.

Although if I had cleaned off my dining room table it would have all fit on there probably.

I did do some cleaning up in there yesterday and carried a lot of "stuff" out of there... but just never got around to clearing off the table...

The photo above is where I got to before it was time to wake up Olivia & Paul Thomas and go pick up Nora from school. All blocks sewn together and then into rows except for the last two...

Nora took this one of me holding up the top after she got home from school - Ta-Da! ;)

...and you want to know what is so great about doing these smaller kid sized quilts? they fit on the table when you are ready to pin the borders on! No more bending over the top down on the hard floor on your knees!!!

I love how it's coming right along... and I'm lovin using my adorable little pin cushion from my special friend Kathy aka Shawkl ;)

I think since this quilt is for charity and they ask for heavy quilting, that I'm going to play around with some little gifts I received for Christmas and quilt it using my machine... so stay tuned. ;)

Oh, and before I go - I'm currious... have any of you made one of these kits already? Did you hear about it from my blog post back in October?? I'd love to see what you've created if so - so leave me a comment and feel free to past a link to your blog post about yours ;)

Love from Texas!

the first kiss off

odd title don't ya think? but really it is... Remember how I choose this pattern due to my KISS (Keep It Simple Sister) philosophy? ;) Well today I'm mailing it off to Mrs. Margaret of Mainly Quilts of Love. (Her blog here) and I even added a little something different to the backing but forgot to take a photo of it... so you'll just have to wait until February to see it! ;)

Just doesn't compare to Christmas Lights hanging over the fence does it? I agree. This is a very plain and simple quilt and pretty plain fabrics. I'm anxious to see the quilting bring it to life. After adding the thin brown border and wide green border it finished up to measure 68"x84." Right at the Twin size - perfect for an adult to use to snuggle up on the sofa. ;)

So here's the first kiss as I mail it to Maine to be quilted!

"MMmm-wah! See ya in a few weeks my Keep It Simple Sister Quilt!"

Love from Texas!

RE: Holly Jolly Blog Bingo after Day

So how did you do? I played along in the Holly Jolly Bingo for a few days, and then we were traveling and in KY and honestly I forgot about it after only a few days that we were there. It wasn't until after I got home after the new year did I think to check it again... and it was over - but take a look at my list - I was ACTUALLY CLOSE!

1 Advent 2 Angel 3 Candy cane 4 Charity 5 Christmas 6 Family 7 Glad Tidings 8 Greetings 9 Hope 10 Jingle Bells 11 Joy 12 Little Drummer Boy 13 Love 14 Nativity 15 Oh, Holy Night 16 Ornaments 17 Peace 18 Silent Night 19 Snowflake 20 Sprit 21 St. Nick 22 Star 23 Traditions 24 Tree Skirt 25 Wonder

Only 3 words away from winning! Not bad eah? And several of my HGTV friends were winners fo the dialy giveaways! Congratulations to everyone! and thanks In Stitches for a fun game... even if I forgot to check it every day :P

It's beginning to look like a quilt!

Remember this pattern I bought a couple months back to use for the HGTV Crayola Quilt Challenge?? Well before Christmas I was in a scurry (is that a word?) trying to get things done before leaving on the 18th for KY to be gone 2 weeks... and also gift buying and things at Nora's school - not to mention MAKE a quilt TOP for my friend Ruby to give to her mother for Christmas...

...so as you can imagine getting started on my Crayon Quilt was NOT on the list of things to do... not until after I got back from KY in 2010. Well on the way home, I got to thinking... while "Snowflake Rose" is indeed a striking pattern that I'd love to make... I need to KISS! = Keep It Simple Sister! After all, the deadline for these quilts we are all making is FEBRUARY 1st!!!! Eek!

So that is exactly what I have planned to do - keep it simple as in re-choosing a pattern that is easy and fast to put together - and doesn't require much brain power, figuring out a pattern of how many of what and what size of that...and what direction to turn what...

The aqua & white quilt above is a photo I saved a while back into my "2 color quilts" folder that I keep for inspiration. I'm so glad I saved what information that I did in the save as name... it's from the book, "Time Out Quilts" by Atkinson Designs.

Night before last I started cutting and yesterday I got started making some of the blocks.....

You'll notice that I choose a dark brown to act as the background.. remember when I posted and showed my fabrics a while back? the brown was chosen after I found a beautiful print to use as the backing.

and although my first thought was to make it 7x9 rows... I'm at a point that I've used up all of my 4-patches and HSTs and have decided to jsut stop here and begin adding borders...

and look at Nora sitting at the table... she could not be bothered to give a wave at my camera b/c she's "BUSY" playing her new Leapster2 that Santa brought to her ;)

With the 6x8 rows and adding a 2" brown and then about a 6" sea green, it should finish at about 64" x 80" and that should be big enough.. ;)

.....stay tuned - boarders are next! I just hope I have enough of that KONA sea green left? ... :/

Love from Texas!

Christmas Mini Swap

It looks like I left several posts in my "draft" box on blogger... oops! So I hope you don't mind if I post and try to get caught up. Most are written and just need photos added so I'll work on them in the next few days.


My first mini swap with Crazy'boutquilts was a fall theme and we both had so much fun that we decided to also swap for a Christmas theme! I'm not too sure how much we discussed but I do remember that we both mentioned that we decorate with the traditional red/green colors... so with that in mind - here is what I made for her.

Perhaps it looks familiar b/c you saw it on Day 1 of the Cross Country Christmas Blog Hop. The designer Gudrun, shared a free tutorial for it over on her blog. Here is the link incase you missed it several weeks ago. I put it together really fast... in one day and then spent the next day binding it! ;)

The label however... well that took me about a week working on it here and there in the car... here's one snapshot of it while still in progress... sorry I don't have a photo of it finished... but I'm sure that was a day that I had misplaced my camera or it wasn't working at the time. :/

perhaps Sandie can one day take a photo of it and send to me... hint, hint ;)

Thanks Sandie for emailing me the photo of the back side with the label!!! :)

And guess what my friend, Crazy'boutquilts, who lives in Washington State, that I've never met in real life before but have known for 4 years from my online quilting group, SENT TO ME!!!!

...it was in a baggie with more MBH blocks, and wrapped up so carefully in white tissue paper...

Ta-DA!!! This about blew my socks off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I. can. not. believe. that. she. did. all. this. work. for. me.

WOW!! isn't it beautiful!!!!!!!??!??! A *real* miniature quilt! Those little blocks are little y'awl! Perfect to hang on the wall or even place in the center of a table. Those blocks are super small!!!

I know b/c I measured them! Each star block is only 4.5" big! wow!

I love it Sandie! Thank you so much for creating something so pretty for me! And you know how I feel about that cheddar color that you used.... :) Reminds me of that commercial from years ago when the family wakes up on Christmas morning and says WOW at all that is in the room with the tree... and the little girl says, "I didn't leave him cookies.... I left him CHEEEEESE!" ;)

Love from Texas!