Checkerboard

 Thanks to my techy son, I am navigating the new phone. So many different options. It's hard for me to grasp a lot of the new technology.  Including downloading pictures to my computer. But..... here is my progress on the checkerboard quilt.

Sew and Tell 

 Finished or not Friday 

 Brag About Your Beauties   

Scrap Happy

Landscape Quilts

I love landscape quilts. I've only made three, but they entice me to make more.

 Linda's Landscape Quilts are so interesting and helpful.

Enjoy!

Chevron Quilt

 Recently a new phone entered my life, with a new camera. And unfortunately I have not been able to get my pictures transferred to my computer. So I will need to have my computer tech son help me. Until then I thought I would share an oldy but goody. I love my Chevron quilt, and this is a good tutorial on how to make it.

I watched a Youtube on making a Chevron quilt.  The demo was using a Layer Cake, but I thought I would try to make my own with 6" squares.

I picked out an assortment of blue and red fabrics.  Plus white for the background.

Cut 6" strips and then again into 6" squares.

 

Pair up a white square with one of the color fabric squares.  Sew all the way around.

With your trusty rotary, cut the sewn square in an X.

Press your seams to the dark fabric.

 

Line up the Chevrons and start sewing the blocks together.

 

I will work on these blocks and see how large this quilt will turn out.  I cut two yards of white background, and various amounts of the red and blue.  

Happy Quilting!

Sew and Tell 

 Finished or not Friday 

 Brag About Your Beauties   

Scrap Happy

Is it time?

 So it is August. Is it time to start working on our Fall Quilts?

Here are FREE quilt patterns to get you started.  Quilt Inspiration

One more for the 250th

 With the July 4th celebration behind us, I thought I would make a little pin cushion for the 250th!

You can never have enough pincushions, right?

Sew and Tell 

 Finished or not Friday 

 Brag About Your Beauties   

Scrap Happy

Wordless Wednesday

Ahh, yes!

Happy Quilting!

Helpful hint

 Organizing is not an easy topic for me. But I wanted to share something that helped me keep track of my basing pins.

I was looking for something inexpensive and I found this little plastic container at the Dollar Tree.

Not bad for $1.25.

Happy Quilting!

A Little Latitude

 

A Little Latitude by Johnnie Alexander is a sweet mystery, part of The Gift Shop Mystery series.

Port Huron is a small town in Michigan.  When a mysterious package lands on Sarah Morgan's Heavenly Presents shop door, she doesn't know if it is a hoax. What she finds is a treasure map, with an X marking the spot. She along with forest ranger Flint Carroway start to investigate. 

This enjoyable story is split time with entries from 1812. There is a code that needs to be deciphered to find the treasure.  Clean, engaging, interesting characters, nicely paced. I've read several of Johnnie Alexander's books and she is an excellent author. Even though this is part of a series, it is a stand alone story.

 I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

Checkerboard

 I had so much green fabric left after making two quilts that I decided to make a checkerboard quilt.

I have watched Pat Sloan make checkerboard quilts in all colors. And I like using up the fabric creatively. Have you ever made a checkerboard quilt? What colors?

Gifted quilt

 This is it. I finished quilting and it is ready to be gifted.

 This is a Villa Rose pattern.

Sew and Tell 

 Finished or not Friday 

 Brag About Your Beauties   

Scrap Happy

Finally....

 getting some quilting done!

Happy Anniversary

 

Fifty three years ago I said "I do" to this man.

I look back over the years, and see how God has blessed us through thick and thin.  But still, it's hard to comprehend that 53 years, more than half a century, has come and gone. He has been my Anchor man, my best friend. Love isn't always enough, but it certainly helps. Any man who doesn't mind having fabric, thread and machines as a part of his life, is definitely a keeper. It's wonderful to be married to your best friend.

Happy anniversary 

Inspire

 There is only one quilt shop left standing in our area. It's a little bit of a drive for me, but they have a wonderful selection and great samples.

Love the inspiration.

Lil Sparklers

 My grandchildren enjoying the sparklers on the 4th of July.

Grandkids ages 10, 9, 8, 6, 5.

America 250 years

 I mentioned before that I wanted to make a quilt celebrating 250 America. After I found fabric at Michaels and a local quilt shop, this is what I ended up making.

It hasn't been quilted yet. And I may still try to work in the bottom section (I ran out of one of the fabrics). But we proudly displayed it on July 4th.

Sew and Tell 

 Finished or not Friday 

 Brag About Your Beauties   

Scrap Happy

Wishing you a Happy 4th

 

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
The Declaration of Independence July 4, 1776

God Bless America.

Falling Into Us

 

Falling Into Us is a sweet clean romance novel by Denise Hunter.

Gabby's mothers dying wish was for Gabby to deliver a letter to her estranged mother. Gabby had never met her grandmother, Rosemary, and was very resentful of how her mother was treated when she found herself pregnant. 

Widower Mason Morrison is a reporter. And a landlord. Gabby rents his cabin for two days to locate her grandmother in North Carolina. Things don't go exactly as planned. Mason wants to help Gabby find her grandmother. A trail that ends up taking weeks. And in that time, a sweet romance starts to bloom.

This book is a heartfelt and emotional story. The characters felt so real. Gabby's issues with trust. Mason's guilty feelings over the death of his wife. Peyton, Mason's daughter, is such a sweet addition, hungry for a woman's touch. The Morrison family welcomes Gabby into the fold, even though they did not really know her. Grandmother Rosemary's cheerfulness in her surrounding. This is definitely a book you will enjoy.

Family, compassion, forgiveness and a romance round out this clean story. As always Denise Hunter is a master at writing well rounded characters. Her stories never disappoint.

I received a complimentary ebook copy from the publisher, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

Where did the year go?

 

It's in the bag

Do you have some wonderful resources for inspiration?? I have been a long time subscriber of American Patchwork & Quilting "all people quilt". I find they offer lots of free patterns and ideas that go beyond their magazine. There is also a community where you can find other quilters from all over the world. The most recent email has some delightful Patriotic Quilt patterns. You can sign up to receive these updates.

I had this wild fabric that was waiting for a great project, and this tote was perfect. The pattern was so easy, although it took me a couple of days to complete it. Only because I changed my mind on the straps and had to rip out what was sewn and audition other fabrics.

This is a great FREE pattern that works up into a really cute little tote.

 Sew and Tell 

 Finished or not Friday 

 Brag About Your Beauties   

Scrap Happy

Where to find fabric?

 Recently I gave all my patriotic fabric to some gals who make quilts for Quilts of Valor. But then I decided I wanted to make something for the 250th America anniversary. But where to find the fabric?

I actually did very well at Michaels. 

We have three Michaels in my driving area. And I went to all three. Found these beautiful blue and red fabrics at a very reasonable price of $3.99 a yard.

While I was there I also picked up these pretty pieces.

Some were even on clearance. Michaels seems to be getting more fabric in stock. They are really nice quality. Maybe not quilt shop but definitely better than Walmart. Most are $3.99 but there were higher end fabrics as well. Lots of batiks. You just can't beat the price. 

Happy Quilting!