In honor of Lily

I have been talking about this quilt for a few months now.  It is on it's way to a special family, wrapped up, weather protected, insured, sign for delivery. 

Ever have something happen that sends you reeling and makes you re-evaluate everything?  You want to comfort but there are no words? 

I first quilted from the back, around the large dresden plates, this showed up on the front fabulously.  I love the way Kona  krinkles after washing.

My hope is that this family will use this quilt with their two daughters, for snuggling, reading, when they're sick, for a picnic, anytime.  And be reminded of the specialness, the uniqueness of each and every life we are granted to steward.

Our lives are like Quilts, bits and pieces, joy and sorrow, stitched with love.

For Madison - A quilt will warm your body and comfort your soul.

For Alexa - Those who sleep under a quilt sleep under a blanket of love.

Listen for my footfall in your heart, I am not gone, but merely walk within you.

Snawder Sherbet Peeps 2011

The Booty

Sherbet Pips needs a back.  I had declared October quilting month, and here it is the 8th, and I haven't started quilting yet.  To quilt a top, it needs a booty or as more commonly referred - a back.  

I made 3 humongoid dresden plates for the booty.  And, I know, this was a lot of work for a booty.  My goal was to use up as much Sherbet Pips fabric as possible.  I want it all in this quilt.  

After I had the dresden plates attached to large pieces of Kona, I cut up more Sherbet Pips into 4 1/2" squares and made strips to attach to the Kona blocks.  I didn't have a master plan, I seldom do, just a wing it and see what happens idea.

I am so pleased that the lines of squares fit perfectly (almost) with the large Kona blocks.  

This booty is almost EXACTLY the same size as the front, I will have to very carefully pin the sandwich together so the booty does not fall short on any side.  We wouldn't want booty hanging out.  This could be one of those reversible quilts I've heard tell about, just never figured out how to make one.  Still haven't, this was winging it. 

Bee Neglect & WIP Pips

I have been neglectful in my Bees, I am (was) behind on 2, one is the Aqua & Orange Bee.  Katherine of Honey Hill Designs requested 2 blocks with circles, a vespa, and the letter 'K'.  I can only assume that 'K' stands for "mental block trying to put these two blocks together".  The vespa fabric was very cute, I had a hard time picking one vespa to use.  Block 1 I thought of (finally) a hot air balloon running off with the vespa, not quite a circle, but I think fitting.  

Block 1 August for Katherine

Block 2, I added the bottom most orange fabric for the 'circle' part of Katherine's request and I reversed appliqued the letter 'K'.  Yes, I reversed appliqued.  I like the look of the letter in there, I might try this on something else.  To see the rest of the Aqua and Orange photos on flickr click HERE.  And now, I have one more August to complete, and I have 2 September blocks done, so I'm almost not behind.  

Block 2 August for Katherine

Working on the back for the Sherbet Pips back.  I found a tutorial at Lily's Quilts for a large dresden plate, Big Fat Dresden.  I cut out the template for the dresden plate on paper, and I just cut around the template on fabric.  Nothing fancy.  I still didn't use up all the fabrics.  

I am making 3 of these large dresdens for the back.  Each one represents a daughter in the family that will get the quilt. 

Here is how large the dresdens are, 22" to the top.  I am not following the tutorial 100%, I am going to machine applique the dresdens to solids for the back, and I will not add the center or the side insets.

The trick for the center is to pin it everywhere until you have used up all your pins.  Now to chose zig zag or straight stitch.  My dresdens are not laying flat, so I will unsew a seam on each one and make the seam larger than the 1/4" to get a big fat flat dresden.   After these are appliqued down, I'll measure to complete the back.  I like to wing it - not measuring till the end.