Block 6

The Beginner's Quilt along is already on block number six.  It was posted today and I actually got it made the same day.  Yaay me!
Here is my block (it is more square than it looks in the picture. )

I fussy cut the hibiscus print for the center of the block. Since none of the fabrics in the fat quarters I chose for this quilt along had a print that made a great fussy cut, I added a little of this I had in yardage.  I can fussy cut a few more pieces from it I think.  If not, there is the rest of the yard.  Ha ha.  Plus I need three more with embroidery or applique on them.  This quilt along is going so fast that I am thinking I may need to make a second version of every block and make a second sampler quilt.  I am really loving the blocks in this quilt along.
There is a nice button/link to the quilt along on my left sidebar - jut in case you are tempted!

I won two ways

First of all, I won a Sullivans Cutting Edge ruler from Pat Sloan. This was part of a blog hop. The nice thing (besides winning) is that I got to choose the ruler I wanted. Thanks to Pat Sloan AND to Victoria at BumbleBeans blog where I happened to win.


The second way I "won" was that I had a winning idea.  I was waking up from a nice nap when I had this idea.  What if I took a simple quilt block/pattern and made a minor change.  First I did it by drawing and coloring on paper. It looked good.  So I grabbed some fabric and some 5" squares to do with it and started.  This is four blocks joined together.  It measures approximately 26" square and was pretty easy.  What do you think?

Would you like to know how to make this yourself? If I get enough comments on this post, I will do a quick quilty tutorial on making this block.  It is really easy.  My change made it faster to piece and there are LESS points to be matched up - that is always a plus in my book!

Men Quilt Too!

This post is especially for the "Men Quilt Too!" Quilt show. There is also a link to the show in my sidebar. 


I grew up thinking of quilting as "something my grandmothers did." But then a co-worker gently coerced me into taking a piecing class.  I got hooked hard and fast. 
I started the quilting journey in March of 2008.  The class was on foundation paper piecing.  When I went to the class, I didn't have a clue.  She told me that I would need an acrylic ruler with a quarter inch mark.   So I took a clear school ruler that -yep sure enough had a quarter inch mark on it. Ha ha. Fortunately she loaned me a ruler for the class. We made one simple block in that class- a square in a square. 

In the next class we made a table runner. I knew that in May my niece would be graduating and going off to college.  So, she needed a quilt.  I made her a quilt, but was unable to actually quilt it - it was too large to drag through my tiny sewing machine,  So I tied it. 
Here is a picture of my first finished quilt.

Since then I have made many quilts.  

I have also made purses, more table runners, pillowcases, eyeglass holders and even a cover/pouch for my Kindle. 

One of my paintings with the pillowcases I made to "go with" it. 

Kindle pouch

Table runner

Purse - check out that free motion quilting!

Purse with fabric birds

Table Runner

Purse and eyeglass holders.

Other quilty/sewing endeavors include designing quilts, designing fabric and I have even written one quilt pattern. 


Of course,  as you may have guessed from the blog title, I am from Alabama and still live in my home state.  I have gone to college in Ohio. I have traveled as a repertory actor and actually got paid to be on stage.  Interestingly, I have worked many jobs from cook to janitor to asssembly to acting to secretary, but I have never waited tables.  (What an actor who doesn't wait tables? ha ha - yes true!) 


I have visited England and Mexico.  I like a lot of diversity in my life.  I love music. I enjoy singing in a choir and I play penny whistle, piano and guitar (with varying levels of success.) 


I also love comments and new followers. So if you are visiting from Pigtales and Quilts, or if you just wandered in, I hope you have enjoyed the visit and will follow me. 

Just a little sewing play time

Since I finished the commission quilt (and sent it on its way) I have not started any new projects.  Life has been busy.  But I have had a couple of times to play with the sewing machines.   


I told you that my friend. Sherry. sent me a new die.  So I took some fabric and cut pieces to play with. I also added some triangles to finish the block. I made this block:

I didn't get all the points in the center exactly perfect, hmmm could have been that I was watching a movie and didn't get up to iron at every step along the way. 


I also did this cute embroidery applique on a burp cloth for my great niece. 

Isn't that little duck just adorable?  I can see doing a baby quilt with this set of "baby animals" that I got from emblibrary.com (that link will take you to the baby animals.)

Don't forget about the Quilting Stimulus where you can register for half price quilting. I meant to mention that I had a quilt quilted by Joanne and she did a lovely job.  Remember if you go, tell her I sent you!