I am rummaging around in my English Paper Piecing drawers getting organized for teaching classes in the Spring and Summer. I came across the little blocks I made using the My Little Chickadee fabrics from 2 years ago. I had a blog post, which you may remember: Christmas in July  post from 2016 Chickadees a la Ring You can see my steps for fussy cutting the birdies and adding the green triangles by clicking the links. I decided to make several blocks, fussy cutting those little chickadees: Twisted Hexagon block. Note that the Chickadee is pieced right along the neck! I can tell you don't believe me. But when Benartex sent me the fabrics, the cutter in the warehouse had sliced through several little birdies this way. Take a look at this next pic up close! He is SO happy to have his head back! Head and body put back together Another Chickadee auditioning atop 6 paper pieced patches. I eventually stitched him there. Don't you just love those berries?! I ...

I have a winner. Her name is Rhona L. from New Jersey. I don't know what Michael Miller will send for a prize, but you know it will be lovely fabric. Remember, the Festival of Lights fabric is in quilt shops now. Why not see if you can grab some for celebrating next Chanukah! Festival of Lights This is short and sweet because, as you know, I moved 2 weeks ago and my husband just had knee replacement surgery Monday. Sometimes I get this feeling like I'd like to run away. I'm just saying . . . But my sewing room (small bedroom) is up and running and I did do some sewing today. I hope to have another post or two before Christmas. We'll see! Thanks for stopping by.

This was a post that was featured on the Benartex blog last year featuring Jackie Robinson's collection called   Festive Season . I'm sitting with my morning coffee in my living room, looking at my finished quilt hanging over a very old chest of drawers. We moved into a new house (actually, 40+ years old) last week and I haven't hung any quilts yet. So, I've draped a few and this one "told" me to blog about it today! Here is what I wrote: I received a bundle of many of the prints, and what I was most excited about were the vertical panels of cardinals! I had plans to make a strippy quilt and use these birds. But, even after cutting dozens of half hexagons and piecing several vertical strips, I walked away and started something else! Vertical border print from  Festive Season  These are the half hexagons I cut, but then moved on to another idea! Half hexagons cut from most of the prints  Here are the fabrics that I began with. Fabrics from  F...

My granddaughter Eva attended a Jewish preschool in Federal Hill (Baltimore) last year. Their family is not Jewish, but it was within walking distance of their apartment and Audrey loved the emphasis on education - both religious and secular - and so Eva spent 2 years there. Yes, we're Christians, but we embrace the Jewish observances as reflected in what we call the Old Testament. Those Holy Days have meaning for us, too! (Yes, I know Chanukah is not a "holy" day, but I think you get my drift.) Audrey asked me to make a signature quilt as a thank you. Of course - my kids always think their mom can produce almost any sort of quilt on quick notice, right?! (I've done this more times than I can believe.) First, a little diversion. Here's one of my holiday cards that I made using a pack of window cards I bought at the Dollar Store. Yes, one dollar for a pack of 10! Maybe they were meant for Christmas, but Hanukkah happens in December, so snowflakes are normal. ...

Whoa! Do I have my days mixed up? Or was I just slow about posting? Neither. I am in the process of a local move and I'm up to my eyeballs in boxes and packing and all the stuff you have to do to move in America. And I'm totally exhausted. Scotty - beam me up!! Now, what do I have for you today, Cyber Monday? A few quilts that incorporate black - some with a little and some with a lot. First out of the box is one you've seen here before. But it remains one of my favorite quilts and was the start of my Cookie Cutter Bonanza workshops. Hearts on Fire : 46" x 63" Hearts on Fire  is 46" x 63".  The hearts are raw edge appliqué and I used batiks throughout. The background black sets off each of the half-hearts in the border. The 10" x 11" blocks are created in halves (rectangles) and when you trim away the fabric from behind each heart, you get the bonus half-hearts that I used in the border (both big and little). Pretty clever, huh? Absol...

I'm in the process of a house move. Local, but still stressful! Emptying my linen closet I came upon a set of counted cross stitch pictures that my sister Janet made a few decades ago! The masking tape on the edges (to keep them from unraveling) were so brittle that I could peel it off easily. I want to share the one that is relevant for today! Just in time for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving counted cross stitch picture by my sister Janet I can envision this as the center of a small quilt. Or maybe I'll take ALL of them and incorporate them into a sampler. What do you think? I used to do counted cross stitch and still have several beloved samples. I framed some and made others into pillows. Whatever I have are in some box and I'll see them in another week when I start unpacking. What's for dinner tonight? Probably some sort of leftovers. My husband Phil and I are so exhausted. We are not hosting a dinner nor going to anyones'. We're fine with that. We...

My sister Janet lives in California and has been bitten by the quilting bug. She calls me several times a week (usually FaceTime) with all sorts of questions and conundrums. I convinced her to buy a new Bernina sewing machine so she could get her 1/4" seams right and have the experience of sewing with a decent machine! She loves quilting and spends as much on fabric and patterns monthly as I do in one year! And she loves it. Never seems to get enough. Here is a log cabin quilt center she just finished. The recipient requested a "white" quilt. Using some soft gray makes this very lovely. The blocks are 10". There's a LOT of piecing going on here. She was exhausted after that and is convinced she won't make another log cabin in awhile. Me? I keep making them. Janet's Log Cabin quilt center I found a postcard I made about 10 years ago and decided it was time to send it off. This time to my little grandkids who live in Maryland. This definitely i...

I was invited to participate in a holiday blog hop using Michael Miller fabrics. I could choose the collection I wanted and when I saw the Festival of Lights , I KNEW I had to work with them. Hanukkah fabrics aren't that often printed and I've just about used up my little bits saved from 10 years ago. While I'm not Jewish, I know that most of us have friends and neighbors who celebrate the Jewish holidays and we want to give them something meaningful. I mean, do they really want Santa and the reindeer? Here is a sneak peek at these gorgeous prints. I am so excited to work with them. I even have a project or two in mind. I also received a few of their Fairy Frost blenders and this will give me lots of possibilities. You know how I get my inspiration from the fabrics themselves. They whisper to me . . . Festival of Lights by Michael Miller We launch the first part of December. Then I will reveal what I have planned. I think you will like it and I may even have a free...

Yes, more Log Cabin quilts. Today I'm featuring the Greek Key Spiral Log Cabin blocks. They are really the Courthouse Steps version of Log Cabin with the last log added in a magical position. Very easy and it's a "fool the eye" block that I enjoy making. As you can see, I have two lap sized quilts made from them. These are 8" blocks that were pieced the old fashioned way - using no specialty ruler. Just precise piecing. I call this Red Hot Logs . Red Hot Logs : 42" x 50"  Here is a photo of four of the blocks. Four Greek Key Blocks  And 12 of the 20 blocks: 12 blocks of the 20 total I pulled out my Kaffe Fassett fabrics and proceeded to whip up another version of the Greek Keys . I got in trouble with the center four pink/pink blocks because I wasn't sure how to arrange everything. But it all worked out. This was quilted by Lee Taylor in the Sew Lovelee Quilt Shop in southern Virginia. Rainbow Log Cabins Both versions are ...