Bliss Quilt

 How can it already be the last day

of February?

It feels like the last two months

just sped by!

Winter here in Arizona is so beautiful, 

that I wish I could stretch out

March and April to last year round :)

**

I have a few more 

Show and Tell quilts

 to share from our

Mesa group.

 Karen was binding her

wonderful quilt 

made with 

Bliss fabric.

(designed by Connie and Camille

for Moda Fabric)

This was such a popular fabric line!

I have a quilt made with Bliss, 

and saved every little bit of left over pieces

to use in my scrappy quilts.

 Karen's quilter did such a nice job.

 And I love, love, love the scalloped border.

 Jamie finished her

black, white and red quilt.

 As a pianist, the musical notes fits

Jamie's talented personality.

Pattern: 

Charming Log Cabin

by Threaded Pear

Kissy Fish Quilt

 Today I met with our

little Mesa Quilt Group.

Such a nice gathering of ladies!

We convened at our church, spent a few hours sewing

and enjoyed the most wonderful lunch.

 Vickie was working on binding the cutest quilt for 

a new grandson.

Kissy Fish

 is

made with soft Minkee

on both sides.

As you can see, it's very easy baby quilt to construct. 

One of the most fun parts about this quilt

(along with the cute fabric)

is that the

Quilting does the talking :)

 Kissy kissy fish swim across the quilt,

 with lips puckered,

surrounded by bubbles of air.

 Random waves float across the fabric,

giving movement to the quilt.

 You can appreciate the quilting even 

more by viewing the back of the quilt.

 Can you see the 

Kissy Fish in the border?

Vickie said she comes from a family that loves to fish,

so this quilt will be a nice introduction to the sport

for her grandson.

Lucky little boy :)

Free Modern Quilt Patterns

 McCalls has published a 

FREE

Modern Quilt Patterns

e-book

with 

3 Quick Quilts.

Yes, you read that right!

This e-book is free

and can be downloaded 

HERE

I like Editor-In-Chief Beth Hayes

description of Modern Quilts:

"Notable for minimalist aesthetic, 

use of bright bold colors,

and large doses of white and other neutral colors,

asymmetrical designs, and 

free form piecing."

The 3 patterns from the book are

quick to make

and on a beginner to

confident beginner level.

 Pattern #1

Baubles and Beads

 Pattern #2

Rainbow Rhythm

Pattern #3

Lemon Squeezy

Gems of the Desert Quilt Show

 Before moving to Arizona,

I lived in the beautiful red rock country

of St. George, Utah

Every other year the 

Dixie Quilt Guild 

hosts

the most wonderful show!

 If you are in the area

or even passing through,

make sure to stop and see

Gems of the Desert

Quilt Show

March 29-30th

 This is a very well run show.

The guild has over 200 quilters,

with several National Award Winning participants.

 St. George is located 120 miles North of Las Vegas,

and a

45 minute drive from

Zion National Park

The headquarters of 

Superior Threads

is close to the convention center

(yes, you can shop there!)

and there are 6 quilt shops in the area.

A great place to visit!

Easy Easter Table Decorations

 Last night I helped teach a class at my church on

Easy Easter Table Decorations

and wanted to share a few of our

ideas with you.

Many times we are looking for fun ways 

to spruce up our tables

that don't take a lot of time or money.

 My part of the program was

to teach

a Proper Way to Set a Table &

Bunny Napkin Fold

 These easy napkin folds only take a minute to make

and add a bright spot to the table.

I followed the instructions from this

You Tube Video

by Better Homes and Gardens

 Dorothy taught us how to make

Baa Baa Black and White Sheep

using cookies and marshmallows.

 One lady liked her sheep so much she named 

one "Marsha" and the other one "Mallow".

(tee hee)

This would be a great project for 

the kids and grand kids to help with.

 Tutorial offered by Tip Junkie

HERE

 And Corrie had the supplies ready for us to create

Easter Egg Carton Chicks

Another easy project perfect

for the kids to make.

Tutorial offered

HERE

 by 

Jeromina Juan of

Paper Plate and Plane

Blogger's Block of the Month Finish

I finally have a

FINISH

(yay!)

on my 

Blogger's Block of the Month

quilt.

 Jackie of Canton Village Works

ran this BOM from

 September 2011- September 2012

 She asked twelve well known quilters

like Sherri McConnell, Pat Sloan, John Adams,

Allison Harris (Cluck Cluck Sew) and 

Sarah Fielke (The Last Piece)

to name a few,

if they would each take a month

and design a block, 

complete with tutorial.

 The original setting had 12 blocks,

but I got a little carried away

wanting my quilt to be a little bigger,

 and made 

2 blocks most months.

 I pulled from my

Kaffe fabric stash for each block.

Love those Kaffes!

 I even used Kaffe's  

solid Shot Cottons 

for the sashings.

 It was really fun to see what these designers would come up with 

each month.  Some of the blocks were simple

and some were a little more complex.

I liked it because it was a 

skill builder.

(and a good way to use up scraps!)

 I'm all about using what I have right now,

and so the outer sashings were even scrappy.

A mix of three colors of Shot Cottons for the edgings.

Thank you Jackie for inviting us along on such a fun

Block of The Month!

More Quilter's Eye Candy

 Show and Tell

this month

from the 

Nimble Thimbles Guild

is like

Eye Candy for Quilters

So many beautiful quilts!

 Lee Anna and her sister Melanie
do amazing volunteer work
 in training of service dogs
for people with disabilities.

They made this quilt as a gift to the new owner

of one of their dogs who was

recently placed.

What a beautiful gift!

Zander, their most recent Golden Retriever in training,

usually accompanies Melanie to our meetings.

It's fun to see him hanging out

like one of the guild members.

Another quilt by Lee Anna and Melanie that will be given as a gift

through Power Paws.

A bright and happy purple quilt.

Embroidered blocks for a grand daughter.

The back of this quilt is as nice as the front.

Indian design made by Berta

Some of the Show and Tell quilts were quite large.

Joanne designed this as a gift for her daughter 

who lives in Japan.

The lower blocks represent

sliding Shoji doors.

Thank you Nimble Thimble ladies

for sharing the gift

of Quilt Inspiration

and Eye Candy!