Scrappy 4-patches

 For those of you who don't know, I have this love affair with scrappy quilts and the more I make, the more I love them. It doesn't matter to me if they are darks, brights, muted, or even monochromatic in color, seems they are always my favorites. There's really not much thinking involved in choosing the fabrics, just pick the ones that make you feel good. I probably have more ugly fabrics in my stash then most people, not because they are my favorite but because I got them at a great price, more then likely, but they work. If they are really really ugly I just use smaller pieces and the ugly goes away. I have always had a hard time paying full price for fabric. Especially now that the price has risen so much. I mean 11-15$ a yrd. are you kidding me, and you though gas was high. Not saying I never have paid full price but it's rare, real rare. I have to really really love it.  Like when I fell in love with Tula Pinks Flutterby, yes I paid full price and bought the whole bundle, but I found it hard to even cut up. I do most of my fabric shopping online. I buy good quality quilting fabric, but I almost always shop the sale section. I have also bought a few of the flat fold bundles mainly because they are great stash builders at a good price but also I like the surprise of seeing what I'll get and many times I have received fabrics I would not have picked by looking at them on a computer screen but turned out to be my favorites and then there's the ones that make you say "what ever will I do with this! So far it's not only working for me, it also challenges me. Which isn't a bad thing. I think it is helping me get better at putting different fabrics together, while keeping my obsession of making quilt more affordable. Here's what I'm currently working on, between quilting other tops and binding the one I just finished. It's gonna be a simple 4 patch but simple is just as pretty too.

Quilted bags

A few small quilted Christmas gifts!

Past projects

 Oh my it has been nearly 2 years since I posted on my blog. I have to say it's been a great 2 years and lots of life changes. I moved back to my hometown of Madisonville Ky. I also married my childhood sweetheart. I'm happier then I've ever been. But I really don't want to talk about me. I had much rather talk quilting and sewing. So I think it would be much easier for me if I just share pics of some of the thing I managed to get done here and there along the way. Some are good, some are bad and some I love.

This is a quilt I was commissioned to do. It is 125"x110" Sew big I couldn't get it all in the pic without having to move furniture. So I opted to just fold it in half and get a pic. but that was fine since the other half looks the same as this half.

 

 Folded and ready to ship. She loves it by the way and I have to say I love it too. I'm thinking of making me one.

Place mats and baskets for my sister. 

 mini for my other sister.           

 Bear quilt for grandson John.

 Quilt for my daughter. This one obviously needed more quilting on it. I think I can still manage that although it is already bound.

 The back.

 

 Made 2 of these boyish quilts both were donated. One to a burn unit in Texas and another to a shelter for children. I've been meaning to see (since I've moved back to my hometown) if they have any organizations here in our area that I could help out by donation.

 7 stocking, 6 made of the kids and grandmothers clothing fabric. The other one was for the dog.

 Mini for a swap.

 Bandana dress made for Scout.

 Placemats I made for us. Oh that big pile of baby clothes is for another project I was working on in the next pic. She wanted a quilt made of her daughters baby clothes and I was working on making the dots out of them.

 The dots out of baby clothes.

 Postcards made for a friend.

 Well, no sewing here but I did use some homespun in this wreath I made out of an old horn I picked up at a yard sale. I knew when I seen it I wanted to add some greenery, berries and a plaid bow. Was so simple but I love it.

Coasters I seen on Pinterest and liked so much I made us some. 
I do have some more things to share. I'll have to drag the laptop out for those pics. I also have another finished quilt and 2 tops finished up to share but I'll have to get pics of those before they head out to their new homes. I have already started the next 4 or 5 quilts in my head and even have fabrics picked out for them. I almost forgot I have made many bags/ pouches to share as well. I'll have to break out my camera tomorrow. I wish I was a better picture taker. Seems all my pics are either blurry or the color is off. I'm not sure how to set the thing and have probably done something to the settings because I can remember at one time it took pretty good pics. Someone suggested I clean the lens, so I'll be sure to do that first too.
I have missed blogging, I sure have tons to catch up on my love to read list of blogs. I hope I find time to sew in between I know how I lose total track of time once I get started looking at all the pretties everyone is making. 
I also want to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas and The happiest New Year!

4 quilts for 4 special little girls

Got a few things finished

This is a little miniature scarecrow I made for a swap and then decided it just wasn't something I thought my partner might like. He's about 14" tall.

So, I made this for her and it felt more like what I thought she was hoping for. It's the size of a piece of printer paper.

And then I finally finished this queen size top that I had made about a year and a half ago. I lost this top more then once during my moves and just about everything that could possibly delay it being finished happened but in the end, we were all happy with how it turned out. The piecing and top itself turned out great but my quilting on this was not some of my best work. It was easy to for me to see I hadn't quilted in awhile but no one else seem to see what I seen. That's the wonderful part about making quilts for others they love them no matter what and never pick every little stitch apart like I do on my own work. But I've always felt done is better then perfect, so I'm very happy with how it turned out.