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Saturday, March 16, 2024

Villa Rosa Blog Hop - My Day

Welcome to my day for the Villa Rosa Blog Hop - Fast and More Fun! If you have missed any of the posts, you can check below, where I have a clickable list of all participants. A big pat on the back to our hostess, Tricia at Villa Rosa Designs! I am so appreciative of her putting together this blog hop with such amazing prizes and a list of 28 participants! Thank you Tricia! And thank you Jeanna and Wendy for the reminder that today is National (aka Worldwide or International) Quilting Day!

NOTE: If you were unable to find the post for CT Publishing yesterday, they were experiencing technical difficulties with their Comment section. I have added their link to today's list. Be sure to note the link in their post to enter their giveaway!

You can win prizes!
OK first let's talk about prizes! Each participating blogger gets to select a total of 7 winners, including three Individual Prize winners, one winner for a set of the Blog Hop patterns, and three names for entries into the Grand Prize drawings!! That means that seven of you who comment on my blog will have a chance to be entered into the giveaways! I will do a random drawing at the end of the blog hop and send a list to Tricia. If you win, you will be notified by email. Please note that if your comment posts as "Anonymous", please put your name and email address in your comment so you can be contacted! You may find a list of sponsors toward the end of this post.

This is a quilt I made in 2017 with Tricia's Akito pattern. You may read the details in this post.


Tricia's patterns are on pretty cards or you can purchase the digital editionFor this blog hop, Tricia generously offered us these five Villa Rosa patterns from which to choose for our creations, or we could make all of them. I had trouble making up my mind, but ultimately I chose Twinkle (on the right), with Gypsy running a close second. The set of five patterns is only $8.95, and you may purchase the set right here, or you can find information on the individual patterns below:
For this pattern I chose fabrics from a kit I bought in 2014 - Elementary by Basic Grey - and for the sashing a I used a fabric I purchased from That's So Janice on Etsy - a floral from 2013, "Serenity" from Riley Blake Designs.

My favorite quilt holder skillfully tamed the quilt in the breeze
The kit I bought contained a layer cake and a jelly roll, along with yardage. I used the yardage for part of the pieced backing and jelly roll pieces for the scrappy binding.

Pieced backing (Same favorite quilt holder, different shoes)

Quilting was with a free panto from Urban Elementz - Lisa's Raindrops. I absolutely love how it turned out.

Backing

Toby had to step in for quality control before I sewed on the binding

Jack likes the colors with his ginger handsomeness

Gypsy
This flimsy was made using Gypsy - I love the name and the pattern! This one may end up larger with borders like Cheree's version, and I have started a second one with colors inspired by Kathleen's beautiful version! It is an easy pattern to put together, and I really enjoyed choosing a variety of fabrics, and I see more of these in the future.

PRIZE INFO:
  • There will be prizes from sponsors: Hoffman, Moda, Timeless Treasures, Jaftex, Electric Quilt, Banyan Batiks/Northcott, Benartex, Hancock’s of Paducah, Fox Chapel/Landauer, and C&T Publishing.
  • Plus a complete set of the patterns used in this blog hop from Villa Rosa Designs.
  • And the grand prizes: Kaffe Fassett Precuts Collection, $100 digital gift certificate for Hancock’s of Paducah, A Big Mystery Box of Quilting Goodies, and Download of Electric Quilt 8
Prize registration closes Sunday, March 23 2024

Here is a list of participating blogs (with clickable links) for the week and today's links in BOLD:
Thursday, March 14:

Friday, March 15

Saturday March 16
Valerie at https://www.ctpub.com/blog/ (The link to enter their giveaway i
Linda at https://www.texasquiltgal.com/ (YOU ARE HERE)

Sunday, March 17

Monday, March 18

Tuesday, March 19

Wednesday, March 20

Be sure to leave a comment if you'd like a chance to win a prize!
Friday, March 15, 2024

Villa Rosa Blog Hop - Fast and More Fun!- Day 2

This is day 2 of the Villa Rosa Blog Hop - Fast and More Fun! This fun hop is hosted by Tricia at Villa Rosa Designs. Head over to the blogs participating today, listed below in BOLD, and enter drawings for chances to win some really great prizes. Be sure to come back here on Saturday, March 16, for my day!
Thursday, March 14

Friday, March 15 - today!

Saturday March 16
Linda at https://www.texasquiltgal.com/ (YOU ARE HERE)

Sunday, March 17

Monday, March 18

Tuesday, March 19

Wednesday, March 20
Thursday, March 14, 2024

Villa Rosa Blog Hop - Fast and More Fun!- Day 1

Welcome to Day 1 of the Villa Rosa Blog Hop - Fast and More Fun! You will find the first post at the blog of our wonderful host, Tricia of Villa Rosa Designs. Be sure to follow each day for chances to win prizes, and come back here on Saturday, March 16, for my day! Tricia kick-started the hop this morning with a post detailing sponsors and prizes - be sure to head over to her blog and register for prizes!

Below is the list of participating blogs, in BOLD for today, with clickable links:
Thursday, March 14
Tricia at https://villarosaquilts.com/ - head over and register for prizes!

Friday, March 15

Saturday March 16
Linda at https://www.texasquiltgal.com/ (YOU ARE HERE)

Sunday, March 17

Monday, March 18

Tuesday, March 19

Wednesday, March 20
Saturday, March 9, 2024

Pieces Of My Life SAL

Melva at Melva Loves Scraps has the most purposeful sew-alongs - Pieces From the Past, Pieces of the Santa Fe Trail and Pieces in the Garden - and her new one is no exception. Pieces of My Life is centered around stories and memories of our families, where we are from, our parents' stories, meaningful events, etc. Along with a pattern, Melva provides a guide for documenting details of our lives into a memory book that can accompany the quilt. Melva titled the Block #1 pattern simply "The Bow" and has a lovely story to go with it on her blog right here, where you can also find details of the sew-along. 

Block #1 The Bow made with HSTs

My Mom in her yellow dress about 1933
My first block represents a special yellow dress. The story behind this block actually begins with the story of my parents' courtship, and you may find details of that sweet story in this blog post I made in 2021. One of the details of their first meeting was that Daddy said Mom was wearing a yellow dress. And the black and white photo above is one that she mailed to Daddy after they started dating, and she told me that her dress was yellow (and that she had made it), so it must have been the same one.

Many months after Mom died, I had a dream about her. She was sitting on some kind of almost throne-like chair, and she was wearing a yellow dress. , but not passionately happy like she used to, if that makes sense. I got the sense that although she seemed happy to see me, she was so joyful and content that she had no desire to be anywhere else. That dream was very comforting in my grief.

I am excited about this SAL. It is comforting to remember these stories and challenging in a fun way to translate that story into a block. I am linking with Melva's Pieces of My Life linkup right here.
Sunday, March 3, 2024

Villa Rosa Blog Hop Starts March 14!

Mark your calendars for the Villa Rosa Designs Fast & More Fun Blog Hop March 14-21. There will be lots of quilty prizes from generous sponsors for giveaways, and each blog will have a drawing, plus another chance for Grand Prize drawings! Tricia at Villa Rosa Quilts kicks off the week-long party on Thursday, March 14, and the fun continues with several bloggers each day, ending with Tricia on Thursday, March 21. My day is Saturday, March 16. Be sure to check back on Thursday, March 14 for a complete schedule!
Sunday, February 4, 2024

Squirrel-Spired Scrappy RSC Blocks

January RSC blocks
Happy February! After a break from the RSC (Rainbow Scrap Challenge) I've been feeling the tug to jump in again. The time must be right, because with just a few encouraging words from Diann and Judy, I was lured back in. So thank you ladies!

Kaleidoscope, RSC quilt made in 2021
I have RSC blocks from previous years in my closet waiting to be used, but I did use several in Kaleidoscope, a donation quilt, in 2021 (pictured above, with post details right here). RSC is hosted by Angela at So Scrappy, who has linkups to share progress during the month. Although I won't join the linkups, I will informally follow along with her monthly color picks. The color for January was green, so I raided the scrap bins to make a few blocks. 

Shimmer Star scrappy version
I like the pattern for this block from Moda Block Heads 5. It is in Group 2, called Shimmer Star by April Rosenthal. The scrappy version is not as alluring to me as the more uniform ones I see on Facebook and Instagram, but I still like it.

Double Irish Chains
I was squirrel-spired by Diann's chains and found an Irish chain I wanted to try. 

Antique Tiles
I found another squirrel-spiration on Libby's blog - the Antique Tile block. Libby's blocks are so pretty I just had to try a couple.

Then I saw that Michele had posted a link to a different way to make Antique Tiles. I am hooked on these easy blocks and have made several of them. They are a "disappearing 9-patch" version, always an interesting process in my book. For these blocks I am primarily using yardage I won in a giveaway by Alycia at Quilty Girl! I hope to have a post up soon about these fun blocks.

Strings
While I was at it, I reorganized the green scrap bin and found some green strips that were too small to use for blocks, so those went into a string block!

Before and After
Let me tell you, I was heartily sick of green when I got done. My greens are just not that pretty. Many of them were in the "what were you thinking" category. But at least a few of them got used, and now my green bin looks a little neater.

Red is the color for February, so today I will see what inspiration I find in my red/pink bin!
Sunday, December 31, 2023

My 2023 New Year's Eve Party!

Let's party!
Join me in my celebration of 2023 finished projects and my gratitude for the friendships I've made through your blogs! I'll start with a couple of finishes I failed to post. First is a chair re-cover. I was reminded of it when I read Wendy's post and spotted a familiar "cat" fabric in her Japanese rice bag. The second is a scarf I posted on Instagram. Read on for more details!

Craft chair - before
When my husband cleaned out his shed, he pulled out a bar stool that I used in a previous sewing room in another house. Katy the cat had imparted claw holes to the dark brown faux leather top, so I had a vintage doll quilt on top to hide the holes. When we moved, I no longer wanted the stool, so it went to live in the garage and finally ended up in the shed. I had forgotten all about it and was delighted to reclaim it for my "new" sewing space.

Craft chair - after. Rosie's tail is included for your viewing pleasure.
I removed the seat and covered it with a couple layers batting and cat fabric, then folded and tucked it somewhat like wrapping a gift. I secured it with staples, and screwed it back into place. It is handy and comfy when I am doing craft work at my cutting table and feel the need to sit.

This light linen is one I had long loved and hoarded,
from the Andover Maker Maker collection 

The scarf was crocheted with a moss stitch using 2 skeins of I Love This Yarn in Painted Canyon, purchased back in 2016! It is soft and cozy.

For a review of all my finishes for 2023, feel free to click "2023" at the top of my blog.

It has been one year since I stopped hosting To Do Tuesday, my resignation made possible by Carol of Quilt Schmilt graciously volunteering to assume that weekly commitment. Since then I have not posted in the weekly linkup, preferring instead "To Do Whatever", and I have to say I am enjoying just posting occasionally rather than on a schedule. Also I have eased up on joining any quilt-along or stitch-along, although I'm not shutting the door on any of them.

In spite of my footloose state of mind, I still enjoy reading your blogs, and I cherish your inspiration, friendship, and kindness. You have no idea how your words and photos lift my spirits and light a fire under me, so thank you!

My wish is that your 2024 is filled with joy, peace, and good health!
Friday, December 22, 2023

Christmas Threads

Sunrise with Christmas lights twinkling in the distance
This has been the fastest holiday season ever! After everyone was here for Thanksgiving (it was a blur), my mood was "I have plenty of time before Christmas", but life intervened, as always.



I did get a little holiday decorating done. Even without a tree, I am happy with our lights and favorite decorations. Above are some daytime vs evening scenes from our living room.

And our view from the sofa every night

I made cookies from Granny Mitchell's recipe yesterday and have more dough in the freezer. This is her treasured recipe, written in her hand and signed Elzadia Mitchell. You can see from the photo that it was a much used recipe before we decided to laminate it years ago! Mom told me Granny had made this recipe since the 1880s, when she was a young girl. When Mom pressed her for the recipe, this was her best guess! Here is a post about the recipe.

I put aside my fall quilt for a little while, but I will get back to it

I've been playing with the 16 across blocks!

Last week I decided to make a small quilt for The Littles. When I moved my sewing space, I found some handmade flannel Christmas napkins I had purchased but never used, and after cutting off the hemmed edges I had 12 square-ish pieces. I placed them in a simple 3 x 4 design but got in a hurry and forgot to square up the blocks before I sewed them together!


I added a flannel border and a panel and more flannel on the back. It made a smallish, non-uniform quilt, but it is a play quilt for The Littles, and they don't care if it is square!

I also made three more rag-edged Christmas stockings for my daughter, like these I made last Christmas. Since she got married in March, she needed one for John, her husband, and for the youngest two of his four children.

My sweet daughter-in-law Susan sent me this adorable Grandma sweatshirt! You can see how long it is - perfect for my leggings.

We made two 100 mile round trips to our daughter's house in the last week and will go again on Christmas morning for brunch and to watch Everett and Delaney open gifts. Yesterday we made another 100 mile round trip to meet our grandson to give him gifts to take home to our son and family in south Texas. That is a LOT of driving for us old folks!

Wishing all of you a very happy holiday season!