Mouse Paint

There is this children's book called Mouse Paint by Ellen Walsh.  It is the story of some mice who accidentally step in paint and then they do color mixing.  This is the inspiration of my this quilt with the idea that I will NOT buy new fabric until I use up a lot of what I have laying around.

I sent the first picture to my niece Caryn because she has a very good eye for color.  She said why not do it in many colors like the quilt I made her daughter!  I did my version of that!  Thanks Caryn for the great idea!

Here's what it looks like so far.  I am keeping the Lemons in no matter what!!!

I'm back!!!

I was encouraged by Sheila from Sew, Cook and Travel to renew my blogging.  It has been a year and a half since I last posted.  Sheila and I are in the same quilt guild and she won 3 ribbons on two of her quilt entries at our Quilt Show this weekend.  Go over and take a look at her beautiful quilts!

I was in Alaska for three months and got back a little over three weeks ago, immediately going to work.  I didn't bring a sewing machine to AK, so I didn't do any quilting.  Of course I visited the local quilt shop many times.  This weekend was the quilt show from my guild and it has inspired me to use up my scraps.  I put this together....

                                                                                            

Then I realized I ran out of blue squares.  I texted my niece in Oklahoma who designed this quilt that I made for her daughter, my great niece who was going into her big girl bed.  I think she is great with color so I asked her what she would do.  Her suggestion is to make one row of each color from my scraps like we did with her daughter's quilt.  Here is what her daughters quilt looks like!

Back to the drawing board!!!  And the scrap basket!

Hexagon Quilt

The Hexagon Quilt got a home.  My friend took my dog for over 3 weeks while I was recuperating from hip replacement  and this is a thank you gift at her home.

I Spy Swap

I am participating in my first online fabric swap.  I am excited!!! I am participating in Polly's I Spy Fabric Swap  and I am really excited!  Thanks Polly for hosting it!

Here are my 4 inch squares for the exchange!

Scrappy Quilt for Donation

I am still on the get rid of scraps kick and so far doing well.  Of course, I have a quilt to quilt and another one to finish but instead I am procrastinating and working on my mission of scraps.  Wilkes County Quilt Guild donates quilts to many different places.  One is the children's home where foster child go when necessary.  The guild gives every child a quilt to have with them for life.  There is a specific pattern for this quilt.  On Friday's I go to Breakfast with the Biddies ( with an older member of the guild and a few other people not guild related).  My favorite biddie suggested that in order to get my scraps used up to make a quilt for the children's home.  This is what I came up with:

It's a bit orange but not finished or near finished.  What amazes me is this is just from fabric that I had in my stash!

Scraps scraps and more scraps

I have been trying to do something with my scraps of fabric for about two years.  I tried sewing them all together, cutting them into squares and making a quilt.  I had gotten it mostly together, let is sit for a few months and then recently took it apart into all those 8 in squares.  And there they now sit.

We had Bonnie Hunter as our guest speaker for our last Quilt Guild meeting and since then I have been ironing, cutting and sewing scraps, scraps and more scraps.  I think I like the monotony of it all right now as I am still recuperating and energizing so I can be back to more normal soon.  (I go back to work in two weeks and I still tire easily)

Here are a few pictures of what my scrap collection was and then became.  Don't get me wrong!  I still have lots and lots and lots of scraps in my sewing room.  But I do feel like I made a dent in them!

Orange Half Square Triangles

Green Half Square Triangles

Scrap pile on the ironing board

Second Scrap pile

More two inch squares

What am I going to do with all this?  I haven't quite decided but I must say I am excited and going to continue to make more and more and more.....then I'll get back to you!

Hearts from Guild

Our Quilt Guild gives out heart blocks for anyone who is under the weather.  While I was in rehab, the guild had sent me the heart squares.  I was under the impression that I would get one square but instead I got 12 squares.  I knew right away that I wasn't going to keep them and one of my guild friends told me every time she gets some, she returns them (so they can give them to someone else).  I decided to make a baby quilt for one of my two donation quilts.  Here is what I came up with so far.
Tell me how you like it and what else I can do with it!