Some cook, I sew and write: creativity brings joy

Have you ever reached that point that you realized that you were working like crazy and getting behinder by the minute?  Have you reached that point of having four or five quilt tops that are ready to be sandwiched and quilted but no funds to pay someone else to quilt them?  Or realized that you don't have anyone that really needs them? Or have you heard the word MINIMALIST so many times that it's starting to wear on you about how much you AREN'T living that reality? Or maybe TAX time slaps you in the face and you realize that later is now? That happened here. So my frenzied reaction to having a federal tax bill is this: And you are saying, "HUH?" But some of you may recognize this as a small, comfort sized quilt.  This one is actually going to somebody my friend knows, but I have a duplicate headed to the Ronald McDonald House.   How is that going to help? Simple.  It's a tax write off using fabric I already own, already bought....

Even though I haven't been showing any sewing, I have been productively engaged in quilt making. Some time ago, I began piecing quilt blocks from the Craftsy 2012 Block of the Month.  It's a free course taught by Amy Gibson of Stitchery, Dickery, Dock , and I learned a number of new-to-me techniques.  I have decided I much prefer watching videos showing how to construct something and then referring to directions for specifics.  I guess that means I'm primarily a visual learner.  Anyone else like me out there? My daughter held up the quilt top but my phone was slow to take the pictures.  After several tries, I actually got one of the whole quilt held up straight, but I much preferred this one. Missouri Star Quilt Company had directions for an inside out block and I had the plastic template so I tried this too.  It isn't quilted yet but I found the dark purple outside fabric at JoAnn Fabrics so that will be the back and binding.  Orig...

Time flies! I have been getting prepared to teach the young women at my church some basics about quilting.  I'm borrowing the idea from Missouri Star Quilt Company for their Super Easy Hourglass Quilt.  Their tutorial is here . Last week, I cut 5" squares from about 6 different fabrics from my stash, hoping they work together well in this quilt. Since then, I've cut 2 other fabric pieces so the girls will have 8 prints to choose for their blocks. I also made one 4-patch block.  Here it is with some of the cut fabric squares. I made a second 4-patch to sew 1/4" around the outside to the first one.  Then I cut diagonally from corner to corner to make 4 half-square triangle blocks.  I've laid the half-square blocks out as if I was going to sew them together.  Of course I'll wait for the blocks the girls will make so they are all mixed together and totally scrappy. After the quilt is done, I'll take it to the Ronald McDonald House....

Last spring I began a Comfort Quilt for the Ronald McDonald House.  The top has been sandwiched with the batting and backing for awhile and I finally started machine quilting it after I came home from vacation.  I really like it! This quilt top is made of 6" flannel squares and ultimately was 39 inches square.  I already had the flannel stars for the quilt back and also had batting.  I learned from others to use flannel for the batting inside though.  It was on sale that day so I bought 5 yards of white to have on hand.  I bought the fat quarters for the squares at JoAnn Fabrics for less than $8 so this was fairly low cost.  I did have to cut some blocks from some flannel I already had though.  It needed six fat quarters instead of five!