still April, barely and wise Pooh words

This year is a quarter over already!!!
Time is still flying by - imagine that. :)

Somewhere along the line,
I decided that I could do this,
add that,
and do more of something else...
Why did I think I'd have the time to add even more?

Is this a personal flaw or does everyone do the same?

I'm talking about the adding of another project

into the fullness of life... 

another block of the month,

another quilt project,

adding a baby shower gift,

etc., etc., etc., to the

already overflowing list of "THINGS to DO".

 

I don't think I'm alone here.

If anyone has an answer to this dilemma,

please let me know!

(: but, I won't give up all sleep :)

 

Anyway, since it IS still April,

so just under the wire,

here's my 'half-pint'*

April 'Sparkling Stars' row for 

Quilt Doodle Doodles

Block of the Month:

*I'm doing these blocks at half the size as the pattern,

so instead of using two and a half inch strips/squares,

I'm cutting at one and a quarter inches.

 

Thanks, Cindy, for another cute pattern this month!!

And in just a few days, there will be the May block -

I know...more time!

 

And in the words of the wise Pooh bear:

 

“The main problem with this great obsession

for saving time is very simple: you can't save time.

You can only spend it.

But you can spend it wisely or foolishly.”  

the bazillion pieces

A finished quilt top!
It's not even pressed yet - I was so excited to show it all put together!
I fell in love with this quilt as soon as I saw it's cover girl picture.
But, I didn't realize how small the quilt would finish -

at  just under 36 inches square!!

Let me introduce to you 

Civil Unrest:

by Mary Etherington & Connie Tesene*

of Country Threads fame;

from this book by Patchwork Place:

See? Cover girl!

I love the scrappiness - so many great colors.
I love the flying geese -
all those sharp, little points
and the movement they create when lined up in orderly rows.
Did I mention that there are

216 flying geese?!

 

Yes, 216 little geese blocks -

with each goose unit

finishing at

1 by 2 inches!!

and each little nine-patch measures 3 x 3 inches.

(I put a penny in the center of the blue block to show the scale.)

I've been working on this quilt-y project for quite a while.
Talk about unrest. :)
Many, many, tiny pieces -
         over 1,100  a BAzillion, I'm telling you.

But totally worth it. :)

Happy Stitching Thursday!

*I am in no way affiliated with nor did I receive compensation
from the publisher or authors of this book.  I just love the finish and had to share!

doll quilt swap!

When I saw Lori's idea (Humble Quilts) for a doll quilt swap
about a month ago, I was in!!

Because I don't already have enough going on, you know?

Ha!

Really, with enough going on for two people,
I still thought it was a great idea for me to join in...
I could use up some scrap fabric, and
it was a small, under 24" project
so that made it attainable in my eyes.
Also, the little quilt was to be mailed before Easter,
so there was a month to get it done.

I mailed my finished little doll quilt
the Thursday before Easter,
so I made the deadline.  Yay.
But it will take 7-10 business days to get there,
as it has to take an airplane ride!
(I'll share a picture when I know my swap partner has received it.)

So, guess what came to my mailbox today??
A squishy envelope... from Texas!!
It was my swap quilt!!!!
Can you tell I was just a little excited?

I couldn't wait to tear into it!
Check out the contents...
a beautiful little doll quilt!:

Indigos and shirtings!!!

And the gorgeous toile back!:

The most adorable little quilt is from Ruth!!
Ruth of Country Log Cabin blog!!
Isn't it just the sweetest?
And in the colors that I love!
Thank you so much, Ruth from Texas!
I'm going to add this beauty to my wall of small quilts!

Ruth also added a little purse-sized tissue-pack cover:

It's already in my purse!

Thanks again Ruth. 
I really do love, love, love both the quilt and the tissue pack!

Also, many thanks to Lori for all the planning and organization!
Can't wait to see the linky party of all the swap doll quilts
that Lori is going to have in early May.

Happy Stitching!!

Easter Greetings

May you have a blessed Easter.

One that is filled with an abundance

of love and happiness

and all the joys of Spring.

quilts to share #4 Dear Jane: April 2014

Part four of Dear Jane retreat,
Shipshewana, Indiana,
April 2014:

More beautiful quilts!
A wonderful Take Two in browns and neutrals:

 And the same gal finished her Dear Jane and got her Goddess Crown!:

This is an Amish oldie from the 30's,
brought in by Rebecca Harrer (Rebecca Harrer Antiques):

 And this Yo-Yo antique quilt was purchased at the auction held in town:

On the way to a quilt shop a short drive away, there was a Mickey-D's with a drive-thru
and I caught this picture that made me smile:

Finally, here is a pic of our local celebrities -
Gay Bommers (left) of Sentimental Stitches and
Brenda Papadakis (right) of Jane Stickle/Dear Jane fame. 

They are standing in front of the Takes Two quilt from the Sew Along last year.
So much fun, laughter, and inspiration.
Don't want time to fly by, but I'm sure looking forward to the Autumn gathering
and seeing all of my D.J. friends again.

I think that this is finally the last of the pictures from this Spring Dear Jane retreat.
Hope you enjoyed them all as much as I did.

Happy Stitching!

quilts to share #3 Dear Jane: April 2014

Part three of Dear Jane retreat,
Shipshewana, Indiana,
April 2014:

This first beauty was king-sized huge:

 A magnificent applique that was beautifully machine quilted:

 And a close-up that shows some of the quilting:

 Trees:

 Cute little sheep:

 Blocks and chains:

 This was a great wall hanging, wool on cotton:

 Another great quilt with pieced and appliqued blocks:

 A close-up of the quilt above, this showing the colors better:

A Take Two in reds that was great:

Another great bunch of quilts, weren't they?
All of them so wonderful and inspiring.
Makes me want to add more and more to my make-it-someday list!

One more day of pics to share.
See you again tomorrow.
Happy Stitching!

quilts to share #2 Dear Jane: April 2014

Part two of Dear Jane retreat,
Shipshewana, Indiana,
April 2014:

So many more beautiful finishes!

This gal said she had six Christmas quilt gifts ready,
and shared these two:

A really cute table quilt:

More spring-y looking quilts:

Great sampler:

Minis with mini blocks:

These four quilts were started by four gals at the last Autumn retreat
and finished to bring back this Spring:

I called them the 'Overachievers' :) but I was just jealous.  They used paper-piecing to do the log cabin blocks - they were all perfect!

So much talent in the room!
More tomorrow -
Happy Stitching!

quilts to share #1 Dear Jane: April 2014

I was able to attend another Dear Jane retreat recently.
The retreat is held in the village of Shipshewana, Indiana 
which is a very nice Amish area.
This is the first time I've gone in the Spring
and it was so nice.
It was a wonderful few days -
stitching, laughing and visiting with friends I usually only get to see once a year.
(There were some gals not able to attend  & I sure missed them being there- hopefully we'll get to meet up again in the Autumn.)

On Friday night there is always show and tell
(which I totally forgot about when I was packing)
and there were so many beautiful quilts!
I know my pictures aren't from the best vantage point,
but with 88 girls there, I was happy to get the shots that I did.
Anyway, hope you enjoy the show:

A bright and beautiful quilt:

 Loved the colors of this one:

This was a rescued quilt that she's going to re-quilt:

as are these cute little baby quilts with hand-embroidery:

Another beauty:

and the fun back of the above quilt:

 Lots of little nine-patches made into nine-patches:

 And a flower garden:

Judy's mini doll quilt ready for a swap:

 And some rescued blocks that she reset:

Judy's simplified Celtic Solstice:

and the quilting shown from the back:

Next is Celtic Solstice that Tracy made - It's the same pattern as Judy's, above,
but Tracy made it half-sized and is in the process of hand-quilting:

This was a beauty also:

Isn't that a whole lot of inspiration?
More quilt pictures tomorrow!

April 15th: time for some Spring decor

April 15th...time to pay taxes and do a little decorating today.

I changed out the table-topper quilts,

and added a few tulips and some bunnies:

One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn't belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?

(Joe Raposo, Sesame Street)

Did you notice the outdoor background?

Here's a shot without the Spring flowers and bunnies:

A day ago it was almost 80 degrees and sunny!
Went to bed last night and it was freezing rain -
making a coating of ice on all the trees
and the finally blooming daffodils.
This morn, there was this!! 
And the weatherman said that the ground was too warm for accumulation...

Yes, if you look carefully you'll see that those are the finally blooming daffodils hidden under the snow.

FYI: I Do Not consider snow part of the Spring décor!!

So,
I put on a big pot of stew
and I'm going back the studio and work
on my Lori Holt Doll Quilt Swap!
I still have some quilting to do on it before it gets mailed.

Happy Stitching on this snowy Spring tax day!