This one is for my granddaughter, Livia. She has always loved to dance, sometimes like a ballerina or silly and funny like the Grinch.  Watching her get lost in the moves, graceful or silly, warms this gramma's heart.

 

Here is the Link to the Be A Ballerina pattern from Be Sew Inspired. 

 I  did change it up and left out the side curtains.  The full width was too much for the 60 inch wide minky backing.

 I  had the pink fabric, but Livia picked out the blue,  purple  and multicolored fabric.

I also replaced the flowers with my granddaughter's name.

Machine quilted, free motion....a bit of a challenge since I  usually do big stitch hand quilting and was very out of practice. 

Our silly girl;

 Linking up with CAN I GET A WHOOP WHOOP and Free Motion Mavericks

Hudson's Birthday Pillow

 

A personalized little birthday present to go with the  Dinosaur quilt given for Christmas.

I used Lori Holt's 6 " letter patterns and a 24" pillow form.

A repurposed flannel sheet for the back.

It warms a grandma's heart when they love these handmade, little gifts.

Maybe next time I'll be brave and attempt a zipper on the back...maybe. lol.  It's been decades, maybe highschool home-ec class!!

Linking up with: OH SCRAP

Scrappy Charity Quilt

 

 A low volume little quilt from the book Sisterhood of Scraps.  I love most of the scrappy quilts in this one and couldn't resist.

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I did make it smaller than the pattern. I've been keeping my donation quilts to 40 inches wide so I  don't have to piece the backings 

I did use all scraps and stash, I was tempted to shop for some low volume fabric , and the final quilt would have been prettier if I had.

All in all, its a very sweet and cozy quilt. 

Hand quilted in a simple grid.

42" x 54" 

Linking up with: OH SCRAP

Itty Bitty Houses Donation Quilt

 The first of the Itty Bitty House Quilts, I have many more 3" houses ready but here I've picked the less girly ones in hopes of it being donated to  a child not into pinks and flowers.

The house pattern is one of many free 3" blocks available for free: Bitty Blocks

Hand quilted. 

Stitch in the ditch around the house blocks.

Crosshatch in the inner border, using perle cotton.

Straight lines in the outer border.

A bit of a different backing, but it reminded me of the tree colour on the front so I went for it.

40" x 50"

Now to come up with a totally different layout for a girlier version!

Linking up with: OH SCRAP

RAINBOW STARS

A little finish, but a cutie.  This one turned out with a cuddly, light feel to it.

I started out with a plan to make a quilt full of these stars and matching rainbow diamonds.  Of course, I had no patience for that many half square triangles, especially such small ones.  I must have started with that plan at least 5 years ago.  Since then I've learned a few things about  my quilting stamina .... the bigger the pieces, the  more likely I am to keep at it

My stash was a bit short on low volume fabric, so I admit to using the back side of several pieces of too bright fabric.   A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do :)

Big stitch hand quilting, Baptist Fan design. It's of my favourites along with the Clamshell motif.

Our grass is getting crunchy and very thirsty,  excuse the brown grass 😞

 

No recipient in mind for this one, it'll probably go with  my donations to Project Linus.

My new bike, new to me. lol. 

 I'm hoping it will help me adjust better to this semi-retired life.

Now when I need a sewing break I can just hop on my bike for some exercise and fresh air, not to mention Vitamin D as well!
 

My next handquilting project, still in the pinning process.

Linking up with Cynthia at OH SCRAP.  Go stop by and check out all the scrappy fun!

 

 For my granddaughter Ivy.  

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She insisted it must have a dinosaur on it....and it does, in a  trailer behind Grampa's truck with Ivy driving,  lol.

 

All the blocks are from Lori Holt's books, except for the dinosaur which is a Lisa Hartman pattern.   I recently finished a dinosaur quilt, which was adorable. However, I'm happy only one dino was required here. 😉

Big stitch quilted with vertical lines, 1.5 inches apart.....except for the hexie flowers in the center which I quilted around the outsides and centres.

Backed with yellow minky, because I know it won't get much use if it's not cozy. 

Big sister, Livia, was happy to help pose in the pictures.  The  next project will be a ballerina quilt for Livia. 

Linking up with Cynthia at OH SCRAP.  Click on the link to see what everyone is up to, it's always a great place for inspiration.

Christmas in July

 Getting a jumpstart on Christmas 

.... actually catching up from last Christmas.

I had a few blocks made from a July 2019 Shop Hop 

with no plans for them, till now.

I've made a few before, and  this was the easiest method.

Sorry Elori that you didn't get to use this for your first Christmas, but it's ready for the next one and many more .

ANTHOLOGIE

 Anthologie was a quilt along from Bari J several years ago, I think I started about 4 years ago in 2018. 
I had a coveted FREE SPIRIT fat quarter bundle that was   my starting point.

Dresden Plates were fairly new to me, I had only done one before.
The centre circle is not too centred, oh well it's for only me and I don't mind.

Applique is not my strength, but I love the look, so I keep trying.

I used both regular quilting thread and perle cotton for the big stitch hand quilting.
It was fun to incorporate some embroidery around the Dresden centres and for the leafy stem.

A bit of  embroidery in the corners here too, I just love the way this block turned out.

 

Broderie Perse was called for in the bottom section, but I chickened out and did some hexie flowers, huts and butterflies with English Paper piecing instead.

My granddaughter jumping on all her favourite parts.  
I'll always have memories of this sweetheart on my lap helping me stitch ANTHOLOGIE.

Linking up with Cynthia at OH SCRAP