Baskets full of flowers

In March I posted my "basket challenge" from the AuSable Quilt Guild Idea Jar.  As I stated in that posting I made a couple blocks and decided to make a table topper instead of the quilt from the American Patchwork & Quilting magazine dated April 2010.  This pattern was in with my stash fabric with basket printed cotton fabric since 2010 waiting for me to tackle it.  The "basket challenge" put this quilt to the top of my to do list.  

The basket table topper was displayed on my dining table for at least six weeks.  I absolutely love it.  Still having plenty of that basket printed cotton left, I decided I needed to make that basket quilt like I originally intended.  

Well... it's done and will be displayed on my front porch next spring.  To fit on my porch I made it 70" by 70".  I especially love the colorful flying geese border.

I couldn't resist taking this photo in one of my gardens.  Look at these blooming flowers - poppies, irises, allium, bleeding hearts and more.  I love summer.   It's supposed to be cloudy and rainy for the next couple days.  My gardens are singing in the rain, but I'll take advantage of this rainy weather by spending time in my studio working on another AuSable Quilt Guild Challenge.  

Sending warm gifts

My friends seem to always choose the scrappy log cabin quilt as their favorite quilt, so I have been making them as gifts. Recently I have had requests for two quilts.  

One quilt is for a young man who is always asking me for advise on purchasing quilts.  I always ask him why he likes a certain quilt and I give him some history on the blocks/quilt to help him decide why he wants it.  He has a birthday coming up in July and I will surprise him with a scrappy log cabin quilt.  I made him a queen-size quilt, 80 1/2" by 100 1/2", and the blocks are arranged in the diamond pattern.    It is boxed and ready to mail to him in San Francisco.  Happy Birthday Robert.

The second scrappy log cabin is for a friend battling cancer.  My husband asked me if I would make him a quilt.  Every time he goes to visit him he is wearing his coat inside his house trying to stay warm.  Cancer sucks - and I wish him the best.  My husband will deliver this quilt to him.  This quilt is a lap quilt measuring 60 1/2" by 70 1/2 ".

Below are both quilts which look pretty much the same except for their sizes.

In a post from last year regarding the scrappy log cabin quilt the quilt guild I belong to had a challenge using fabric from their trash to treasure tote.  The fabric was cut into 1 1/2" strips to make a scrappy log cabin quilt.  There have been many beautiful completed log cabin quilts from guild members.  This challenge seemed to be a hit.   I am proud of all these talented ladies.  But there is still bag full of 1 1/2" fabric strips left.  The top two quilts were made from some of these leftover strips.  I did use red for the center square which represents the hearth of the home in a log cabin.  To me this represents the love and warmth I'm sending with these quilts.

Moving along, I have another quilt loaded on my long-arm frame ready to hit the finish line.  See you soon!

Oh Baby - Baby!

 Baby, baby - oh yes.  I have two baby gifts ready to give.

My youngest son's two great friends have had baby boys making it time to make some baby quilts.

Both baby quilts were made completely from my stash fabrics (no new fabric purchased).   

First using fabric from Michael Miller fabrics called "Zoology" with a zoo animal print  inspired this brightly colored quilt.   Since in my stash I had different widths of fabrics I decided to do my variation on the Twister pattern that I have used previously for other quilts.  The finished size is 38" by 52".

And the perfect way to give this gift - a cloth toy box, pattern from AGF.

The second boy quilt gift is from a panel called "Thicket" by Gingiber.  I've used this design a few times - it's one of my favorites.

The matching fabric Toy Box is made from scraps from the quilts.

Both gifts have a book, a stuffed animal and I made a couple drool bandana bibs.  I'll let my son decide which friends gets which gift.  We should be seeing both of his friends in the next couple weeks.  

Baby quilts are fun, quick and have more meaning than a store bought gift.  Here's hoping that both quilts will be used and dragged around by their little owners.

I still have fabrics leftover from both of these baby quilts which will be used for future projects - possibly more baby quilts.  I'm seriously busting through my stash fabrics, but it still doesn't seem to make too much of a dent.  

I'm finishing up on gifts for other friends.  Not babies, but grown ups.  I'll be ready to share in a couple of days.