Wonderful Wednesday!

I found a little bit of time to play with my new toy.

The AccuQuilt Go was much easier to use than I thought....and I haven't even watched the DVD yet ;-)

In under ten minutes, a charm pack was transformed into 86 triangles!  Brilliant!!!

I can't wait to play with my other dies...

...but for now I'm off to have coffee and lunch with friends I haven't seen since last year ;-)

 Have an amazing day!!!

More Made by Others

Shortly before school started, I took a quick trip to visit my sister.  The plan was deliver a sewing machine, give a brief quilting lesson and enjoy a mini sew day together.  Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans....{the adventure is described on the Just for Michelle post}.

Obviously, my sister didn't need my help in learning to quilt!  I'd like to share with you the four {count them...four} quilts she made for Christmas gifts.  Oh...and did I mention....she quilted them herself!

Fruitcake Quilt

I was not with her as she presented her gifts on Christmas.  

My husband, kids and I disappear to Montana for the holidays, and our families refuse to visit us there in the winter.   (I'm from a family of GRITS {girls raised in the south}, and we don't do snow!)  

However, the recipients were kind enough to share their photos.

Whimsy Quilt

My sister and I have always talked (a lot) on the phone.  I don't know what we talked about before, because now we just talk quilting!  It sure is fantastic to share our passion for quiltmaking.  It didn't take her long before she was using the terms jelly rolls and bali pops with ease and learning the difference between a charm pack and a layer cake.

Colors of Nature

Here's my sister with my mom and the lovely batik quilt she made for her.  It's gorgeous!  I think the pattern is called Strip Search.  I know my mom treasures her quilt.  My mom is happy too, because now she has two daughters to make her quilts ;-)

This fabulous quilt was made just for me!!!!  I was blown away to receive this shortly after I returned home.  With all the phone calls back and forth discussing the ins and outs of quilt making, I never guessed one of those quilts would be mine!

Exchange of Flowers quilt

I am so impressed with Michelle's craftmanship!  This quilt is just wonderful!!  Can you believe, this is the first quilt she ever pieced, first one she quilted and first time hand sewing the binding?! No way!

I still can't believe how straight her quilting lines are...no fair!
This quilt is super soft too.  It has already passed my high standards for nap taking;-)

We are not even two weeks into 2011, and my sister is almost finished with this quilt top for her son.  Now, that's a compliment when your boys ask for their own quilt!

Creating for a Cure

PLEASE NOTE:  THIS POST HAS BEEN EDITED FROM ITS ORIGINAL

Don't you just love the feeling you get with the promise of a new year....new goals....new challenges...new possibilities...especially when you're off to a great start in reaching those goals? 

AAQI #6342 Color Play

A major goal I set for myself this year was recommitting to the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative by making Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts, and I am psyched to tell you that I completed two this weekend!

If you are not familiar with the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative, go right now to their page to learn how this amazing organization "raises awareness and funds research through art." Just make sure you come back because I have more to say on the subject ;-)

Go ahead....I'll wait.......

Color Play is going in the mail today!

....pretty amazing organization, am I right?!  

Did you bid or buy any quilts while you were there?  {grins}

I recently purchased this quilt made by my good buddy Michele, and I have my eye on this one and this one made by fellow members of the Liberated Quilters Blog!!!

AAQI #6343 The Blues

I love making these quilts because it gives me an opportunity to try new techniques, practice my FMQ, and use my scraps, all while helping a worthy cause!  They are super quick as well, because the maximum size is 9 by 12 inches.

Would you like to make a Priority: Alzheimer's Quilt?  Anyone and everyone is welcome and encouraged to make one.  You don't have to be part of a guild or the liberated quilter's group.  Just go to the Make a Priority: Alzheimer's quilt donation page to find out how.

I noticed that other bloggers had set a goal to make Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts too, so I thought it would be fun to challenge and motivate one another to keep that resolution.  

The Blues is also being mailed out today.

Thank you Michele and Susan for brainstorming with me!  Here's the scoop: 

1) Make a Priority: Alzheimer's Quilt 

2) Register your quilt with the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative 

3) Repeat #1 and #2 as many times as you'd like ;-)

4) Tell all your artsy quilty friends to do the same

5) Consider adding your blog post to the AAQI Update blog

Edited to add:
The Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative has come up with a way for us all to encourage our readers. Find out how by visiting the AAQI Update blog. [link to http://aaqiupdate.wordpress.com/get-ideas/] The AAQI will also be creating a button for our blogs soon.

On the last day of each month, come back and share the registration number(s) of the quilt(s) you made.  From those, we will have drawings for fun giveaways.  Maybe, we'll even have a Show and Tell so others will be inspired to make, bid and/or buy!

Sound like fun? {Please say yes!} 

If you are interested in playing, leave me a comment so I know I'm not doing this alone ;-)  Don't forget to tell all your bloggy friends.  Check back soon for further details.

I hope you are as excited as I am about this challenge!!!!!

Sew & Tell Friday #44

Welcome back to another Sew and Tell Friday post!!!  Feels good to be blogging about finishes, even if they were done a week or so ago;-)

If you are a regular follower of my blog, you saw these quilts on Monday (but scroll down and you'll see a new one), so I'm just going to do a quick recap.  

Artist Palette was made for my oldest son.  I designed this quilt using seventy different solid fabrics sashed in Kona White.  

The LOVE quilt was made for my oldest son's girlfriend.

My mom took a picture of the table runner I made for her.  I love the way it looks on her buffet.  Notice the cute Ho Ho Ho platter with reindeer made with the grandchildren's thumbprints.

I took a closeup picture of the quilting before I shipped it off.  I'm not sure if you can tell, but I FMQed greetings (peace on earth...goodwill toward men...joy to the world) in the open spaces.

I was a slacker this Christmas when it came to home made gifts.  I'm going to head over to Amy's to see what the over achievers made ;-)

Have an amazing weekend!

Fabulous Group

The first Wednesday of each month is one of my favorite days.

Sample OMQG t-shirt ordered by Michele

 Why, you ask...because it's meeting day for the Orlando Modern Quilt Guild!!!

Everyone is excited about our solids challenge with fabric donated by Robert Kaufman.

Alejandrina's gorgeous hand pieced quilt top.

We had double show and tell this month....quilt gifts received over the holidays AND quilt projects!

Look What I Got

I must have been a good girl last year

because there were all kinds of goodies waiting for me when I got home from my trip!!!

Look what Santa (aka Mom) brought me.....

 I now have my very own Accu Quilt Go!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The UPS man also brought me these dies to go with my Accu Quilt....

these are from my husband....he just doesn't know it yet ;-)

Great quilting books from Amazon for inspiration.

I won this great solid charm pack from the Portland Modern Quilt Guild, and

the nice folks at Robert Kaufman sent a box of solid charm packs for the Orlando Modern Quilt Guild.

I see even more solid quilts in my future!

What quilting gifts did you receive over the holidays?

Now, if only Santa's elves can help me unpack suitcases, take down the Christmas decorations, do the laundry and grocery shopping, I could play with my new toys!!!!

Goodbyes

Yesterday I had to say several goodbyes...

to snowy Montana, to two completed quilts, and to my oldest and his girlfriend.

 I worked on this LOVE quilt forever it seems.  The quilting was done in a grid fashion which, I keep forgetting, is not as easy as it appears...at least not to me.  I can't tell you how many breaks I took from quilting this sucker...however, it is finally finished!!!!!  I brought it all quilted to Montana and finished up the binding and the label right before Christmas.

To recap, the pattern is from Kaffe's Quilts in the Sun book.  I used all Amy Butler LOVE fabrics for the centers and various solids around.  The backing is Chocolate Lollipop and the binding is Amy Butler aqua dots.  

I think she likes it ... I am hoping the LOVE quilt will be well loved ;-)

Solid Quilt #1 has been retitled Artist Palette and is now complete.  I have to tell you, I had a hard time parting with this one.  I designed it myself using seventy different solid blocks sashed in Kona White.

The backing is two different Kona grays, and I went with a teal binding.  

I'm telling you, hand stitching binding by the fire is the bomb!  I'm going to have to coordinate finishing all my quilts this way now ;-)

I am soooo glad I did not try and quilt this myself.  I sent it off to Eagle Mountain Quilting the day before I left for Montana.  Wendy finished it in a jiff and had it back to me in Montana the day before Christmas!  She did a fabulous job on the spirals I requested!

It was just tooooo cold to take pictures outside...even wrapped in quilts.  However, my son did model his quilt for me inside...

...being silly and reminding me of the little boy he'll always be to me ;-)

He wasn't the only one enjoying his quilt..

Yes....it was hard to say goodbye....