A quilty hug...

Quilts are just the best gift.  They give as much enjoyment to the giver as they do the recipient.  I think all quilters would agree, yes?  Because so much joy was felt during the making, some of that joy is bound to be be felt by the recipient.  At least that is my hope.  

My Hands2Help quilt will be sent off this week to Emily for Quilty Hugs for Happy Chemo.

This lovely pattern is from Diane D. Knott's newest book.....Thank-you Diane for your wonderful scrappy quilts.  They truly are fabulous!  Now to decide which one to make next.  Hmmmm.....  

We finally had some fleeting sunshine so I could photograph outside.  I especially love making a scrap quilt for someone going through a difficult time (like chemotherapy).  Perhaps, they will be distracted from their illness and fears for a little while at least as they "discover" the "hidden pictures" sewn into their quilt.  What better way than this to use up those beloved novelty prints.  It warms my heart to think I may be able to brighten someone's day.  Even if it is for a fleeting moment....

And as everyone knows, a quilt is not complete without a label.  I also thought I would try to show off my new go to machine quilting design, too.  My photography skills are not the best, so hopefully it can be seen in the picture below.  Just in case you have to use your imagination to see it.....This one is a boxy meander.  I'm a novice machine quilter, so I'm trying to slowly build a repertoire of quilting designs.  

After I chose my backing fabric, I realized that if the recipient is "too young", they might not even know what those "funny looking things" on the fabric are?  My how times have changed (giggle).  I probably should have looked for one with cellphones rather than rotary phones.  But....they could be a conversation starter (giggle).  So maybe my selection is okay after all.   

I hope my quilt brings enjoyment and warmth to whomever's lap it lands on.....

Thank-you Sarah for the countless hours you spend (and have spent) on organizing H2H.  The guest blog posts were wonderful!  I enjoyed them so much.  And I loved the opportunity to try out a new pattern, use up some of my beloved scraps and practice my machine quilting. 

I'm looking forward to next year's challenge 💙💚💛💜!

H2H 2019

Time flies.....It is so hard to believe that we are so close to the end of another H2H season.  My favorite time of year.

I’m very fond of String pieced Quilts.  Making string blocks is like a trip down memory lane.  Each time I dip into my big tub of “strings” and gather a bunch to complete a block, I am reminded of the original quilt from which they came and the wonderful occasion that quilt was made for.  It is amazing how these little bits of scraps can still bring such joy.

I chose a string quilt from Diane D. Knott’s new book.  It’s a spectacular book for scrap quilt enthusiasts.  And I highly recommend it.

I just finished quilting my labor of love which I recently loaded on my quilting frame.

I’m working on getting the hang of my Q’nique.  It is a wonderful little machine from Grace Company.  Perfect for someone like me who really wanted a longarm but wanted a machine that was simple to operate and has just enough bells and whistles.  I’m still just a beginner with this new member of my sewing machine fleet, but am becoming more confident with FMQ on it.

Now on to one of my favorite things....the binding.  It really is one of my favorite things to do.  I know I am probably in the minority here, but I really do enjoy binding a quilt.  It might just be because it means the quilt is finally done 🤣😂 .