So far behind!!!

I am so sorry to be so far behind with my blocks!  I promise to get caught up next week!  It is so hot and dry here in Missouri that sitting at the sewing machine in my cool sewing room sounds like a good plan for next week!

This week, I taught at Art Camp all week…lots of fun…lots of cute kids and projects!

And I am caught up on pattern writing for now and on my Island Batik challenges are well underway….

I want to invite all of you to my Quilt Along which will begin on July 25.  Here is the post with all of the information….hope you will want to sew along with easy classic blocks.

grace and peace….Sharon

Quatrefoil Block

Happy New Year to everyone!  Can you believe it is time to start up again????

This block and the scrappy quilt that results has caught my eye for a while, so this is it for 2018.  I tried out this pattern and it is super easy!  Here is where you can get your copy of the PDF.  PDF pattern

For the background please use white, or a white on white, or a tiny print that is predominantly white background.  Fabric D.

For the rest, use from your stash of  pinks, turquoise, blue, green, yellow, coral.   No batiks please.  If this will help, here is a picture of  a great combo.  This will be used for a Project Linus Quilt, so think babies and children for your color choices.

And please do not mail to me until I post my Texas address, we are headed south again and I don’t know my mailbox number yet.  I will post on FB next week with an address.

I do have my quilt from last year set together and ready to quilt.  It is so cute!  I know some child is going to love it.  I plan to give it to Project Linus.  So thank you to all of you for contributing.  Emily, I will post once it is quilted.

January 4, 2017….we are in Texas! So here is my mailing address for you:

1710 North Vermillion   G6     Brownsville, TX  78521

And I’m loving the blocks I am seeing! 

 

Home again!

In February, Sue had asked that we write a bit about where we live and I just did not get around to it while in Texas.  So here I am back in Missouri and I am glad to be home.  Don’t get me wrong, being a Winter Texan is great!

Sue’s block was a joy to make, and I think I may have to use that in the next bee I am in.  This could get addictive!  As you can tell, Bella loved the block too!

 

 

 

We were able to spend time on Padre Island enjoying the ocean breezes and the sunshine.  I was surprised at how much I hated leaving all my new friends at the Breezy Lake RV Park….it was like leaving my family!  Every Tuesday and Thursday morning we got together for Crafting…we worked on quilting, beading, crochet and knitting.  And of course lots of visiting!  On Wednesday afternoon, we met for quilting.  And of course there were dinners, card games, music and dancing….never boring!  Just like much of the nation, the temperatures were much warmer than normal.  It got up to 105 in the Rio Grande Valley…not normal!

When we are home, we live in Lees Summit, Missouri.  I am fortunate to be surrounded by awesome quilt shops…Missouri Star in Hamilton is about 45 minutes away.  Also, Quilters Station is here in Lees Summit…a fabulous treat!

I am most fortunate to live in the same neighborhood as my grandsons, Jack and Caleb.  It is so nice to have them ride their bikes over to hang out with me in my art room/sewing room.  They enjoy creating too!  Every year, on Memorial day weekend, we have a fishing derby for the kids in our subdivision.  Lots of fun for all of us!

My flower beds are a great source of joy and work…actually therapy, not work.  I have to stop myself from putting in more beds as I need time to tend to them!

 

Lees Summit is just south of Kansas City, Mo.  We are home to the Royals and the Chiefs.  Kansas City is also known as the City of Fountains.  I love living in this area of the country…I don’t feel like I live in a big city.  We have access to so many things and the Lake of the Ozarks is only 2 1/2 hours away.  The RV has made many trips to the lake!

Hope you enjoyed this little bit of the area I live in!  And if you ever come to the Kansas City area, I hope you will enjoy it and maybe stop by for a visit!

January Block

Here it is!  Really easy…paper pieced 12″ block.

 

Go to 627 Handworks for the pattern and a great tutorial.  When you print out the  templates, it will give you a variety of block sizes.  Since I want a 12 inch block, use the 6″ template.

Fabrics: the colored fabrics…anything goes!  I love color, so just use what you like. (well, maybe not any black) I like Tula Pink, I like the colors that Dear Stella uses, Corey Yoder of Moda is another, Me & My Sister, and Bonnie and Camille.  Bright and happy colors!  If you have any question, feel free to ask.

Background fabric:  variety of off white, or cream prints that read like a solid.  The picture above is a good guide to what fabrics to use.

I hope you enjoy making this quilt block!  I look forward to seeing what you do!

Oh, and please don’t mail to me until I give you my address in Texas.  I will post it when I get there around January 10.

Have fun!

Sharon

 

 

Decisions Decisions!

Just when I think I have narrowed down a block…I see something else!  But I promise that I will have a post with the block and desired colors right after Christmas!

Right now, I am furiously trying to finish quilting a Pokemon quilt for my 8 year old grandson.  And the end is in sight!  Binding is next…I like that, I can relax in front of the television and watch a movie!

Ok, just a little bit about me…wife, mother, gramma, and maker, mainly a quiltmaker, but I do love to create art journals!  This past year has been amazing and has kept me hopping! But it has been lots of fun!  I am really excited about joining the Bee Inspired Stash Bee, this is something I have never participated in.  It really sounds like loads of fun! And I love meeting new friends from all over the world. It’s rather like the pen pals I had as a kid.  I have done traveling art journals that have traveled to many countries, so I know this is going to be great fun!

I love cats…no, I am not a crazy cat lady!  I only have one, our sweet Bella.  She was a sweet little rescue kitten we adopted 3 years ago.  The poor thing was very sick and had been shaved, had to wear a sweater to keep her warm!  Now she is a big fat cat…about 20 pounds and oh so furry!  We think she might be a Siberian or a Maine Coon, and being a ginger and female is rare.  Only 80% ginger cats are female.  So, that is where the title of my blog came from…my best helper!

We are getting ready to go on a bit of an adventure in January and February….heading to the Rio Grande Valley in Texas to stay for a couple of months.  We have a small RV, and this will be a new experience!  I keep telling myself…tiny house…you can do it!  As long as I can cart my machine around, I am fine.

OK…a few more things….

• Favorite foods:  Mexicanfood, pizza and chocolate
• Favorite television:  Project Runway
• Favorite book this year:  All the Light We Cannot See
• I do like to cook and bake, read, draw, and garden

Here are some of the blocks I am loving right now!

Mineral block

Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas!  I look forward to getting to know all of you!

grace and peace…Sharon