Postcard from Sweden is a Finish!

And I couldn't be happier that it is finally done and I am sleeping under it tonight! (well last night when you read this lol).

When I thought about all the places around me for a photo shoot, I just knew Lakeside Park would be a great place, this bridge, the 'magic' bridge, in particular. You've seen a few quilts photographed here over the years!

on Lake Erie's shore

Because of the storms and winds of last weekend and beginning of the week, the lake is looking pretty stirred up muddy! This quilt is sure a pop of jewels in the bright sunshine today!

I'm so very happy that Helen of Midget Gems Quilts (she's made two!) nudged me to get this quilt off my 'wanna make' list and onto my bed, my love seat, into my life! I'll be taking it as my sit-upon quilt when I teach yoga on Friday.😎

Before you read any further, be sure to link up your finished quilt or finished flimsy, both are acceptable! on my previous post. The deadline is Saturday midnight EST, so Sunday for those in England, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia...(not sure there were any quilting along over there, but I know I have likely missed seeing everyone's long the way, and so I sure want to on the linkup! I've been visiting a bunch of you who have already linked up!

I had to put it 'in' one of 'my' massive cottonwood trees. I used to walk through this park on a daily basis when we lived on this side of town, and I miss it so much. The Kingsville Horticultural Society has done wonders to improve all the flower gardens and it is a riot of colour throughout the seasons, though not this April with all the cold weather we, like most of the continent, have been having.

You saw the front of the quilt on the bridge looking toward the lake; here is the back, on the other side of the bridge looking toward Mill Creek and the park:

Love the tree shadows

This backing is a piece of wide backing I bought from Lester's mum a few weeks ago when she was destashing. It's my friend Judy's favourite backing, and I can see why. I was contemplating what to use as the back and had pulled one or two pieces from my stash when I spied this on the pile that hasn't been sorted through yet, and I just knew.

My mmm! quilts label. I'm getting pretty good at remembering to stitch them in before I put on the binding ha! You can see the turquoise Isacord I used to top-stitch the binding down here.

Perfection.

The cloth label:

These are from Moda, really interesting and unique labels. I did the 'from' on an angle on purpose as I knew the title wouldn't fit there and there isn't a title spot, hmmm. 

The binding, the colour idea I got from Heidi of @sewnheidi, (who also used a label on hers from that very set!) is stitched to the front by machine and then turned to the back and topstitched down. I keep playing around with machine-binding techniques to improve. I'm not so in love with this one. Although it gives a really nice finish on the back, it leaves a line of stitching not in the ditch on the front, so it's visible. See below along the edge.

Oh! How happy I am with that Aquarius binding, a Paintbrush Studio solid that is incredibly soft.

I did use a medium grey in the bobbin with the turquoise Isacord polyester in the top thread so it blended in, and it's not a visible here I guess as it was with my nose against the quilt. I had a couple of greys and a few rainbow-stripe/motif-themed fabrics as binding choices, but when I saw Heidi's post on IG, I fell in love. See how we inspire each other? (...and I always give credit where credit is due😊)

This photo is here as well to show you two things:
1.  the oranges variegated Aurifil thread popped a little more than anticipated, but I hoped it would sink in (and you'll see it did) after washing. I was amazed that this thread blended better than the rainbow variegated one!
2.  the imperfections that are loud and clear, as I was quilting on Avril. They aren't really apparent in the spiral design at the bottom, as that design is forgiving. All of these are Christina Cameli's btw out of her book, Step by Step Free-Motion Quilting. Look at the swoop 'C' design and you can see immediately where I a) didn't quite hit the arced edge of the wave, and b) where my backtracking wasn't exactly lined up over the first pass, and c) where some of those wobbles are fairly bad is due to a couple of blips along Avril's track that need adjusting (again, sigh, which drive me, along with MacGyver, who gets out his micrometers, bonkers). I was a bit upset at quilting that particular design, which I super-similar to one of Angela Walter's that I've used a few times on quilts, but I've only done it on my Bernina, not on Avril. Meh, I'm not a computer, and this isn't for sale, I kept telling myself.

There it is again, stitched in the rainbow variegated thread, a little closer together arcs than the first photo which was the third time I stitched it across the quilt, the above photo being the first. I worried about them not being even, but as Judy and I have discussed a few times, (and I have to ask Tish about this) your quilting changes from one day to the next, or from one part of a larger quilt to the next. Incidentally, did you notice my new button on the sidebar, for which you can grab the code and put it on your own blog if you're joining in? Thank you Tish, for coding it; Photobucket won't do it for me anymore. The button will take you to the Plus Playtime main page.

Now... take a look below....

Laundered quilt

Find that same design. It's about dead centre. The thread has sunk in beautifully and the imperfections with it. It looks pretty damn fabulous if I do say so myself, and therein lies the lesson that I still haven't totally learned: when you're quilting with your nose inches away from the quilt you see every. single. mistake. And if you're like me, a perfectionist, you beat yourself up about it. Let it go. Know that washing and drying, and a normal distance smooths it all away. And besides, if you want a perfectly quilted quilt, then get someone to do it who owns a computerized longarm. I do not.

The other thing apparent in that photo is that the line of stitching that shows just inside the binding isn't as bothersome either.

The five designs I did are visible in that photo and the one below.

They are, from top to bottom, Wisp, Vapor, Gossamer, Impulsive and Vestal. Such cool names she gives them. Wisp is the e's inside a fish body shape, (that's how I think of it, a kind of pointed oval). Vapor is large pebbles inside the same shape, Gossamer is the 'c' arcs inside the curving lines. Impulsive is the eee's design and Vestal is the spirals inside the curving lines. I knew I would do wavy organic lines, but when I saw how Anne-Marie of Stories from the Sewing Room quilted hers, with the Angela Walters trademark motif, I thought, ooh, that looks so good... So I knew I was going to vary a little from the wavy lines plan.

I always quilt in my name or initials if it's for someone else, and usually their name too. This baby's all mine, so it got my name and my initials in another spot. I am so amused that I thought to quilt in Sandra in the Wisp motif! The difference between pre-laundering and post-laundering is really amazing in the photos, isn't it?

Here are the threads, and no the photo isn't sideways, just looking down from above.


The next two I took this morning, as I didn't get the post finished last night, (and have had umpteen interruptions this morning), and I also wanted to get a full-on straight shot of the quilt in the early morning light.

The sun is coming from the side here. I need to block this!

Laid down on the grass, 30 seconds later, and such a difference in tone right?

The more I photograph my quilts, the more intrigued I am by the sun's influence. The previous texture shots were on my bed in the setting sun last night.

One final shot on the bench in Lakeside Park, Kingsville, Ontario. 😄 I do believe I may be making another in the not-too-distant future and selling it...

Isn't it just glorious! I could gaze at it (and have been doing) for hours. Thank you Kelly SO much for this beautiful quilt you designed, and continue to offer for free on Craftsy. (Affiliate link - check out my sidebar for the current special, a pretty sweet deal I'd say, on both, the 60% off kits and supplies, and the 2 weeks unlimited for $1. There I guess I told you, lol.) I should mention that the batting I used, Hobbs Tuscany 100% polyester, which I was told, and witnessed, at Alma Sue's Quilts in Sarasota, the Amish ladies LOVE for hand-quilting, and I am LOVING for machine quilting, is on for a terrific price at Craftsy this weekend, $20CA for 120X120"!

Thanks to all of you who quilted along 😍😘😘!!  Puh-LEEZE link up your tops or finished quilts by tomorrow Saturday, midnight, HERE, to be eligible for the prizes, which are amazing. Tagging me on Instagram is not an entry, so please tell your friends. I've been trying to catch those who tag me, but there are a LOT of us quilting along, so I don't want anyone to miss out on the chance to win.

Quilt Stats:
Pattern: Postcard from Sweden by Kelly of Jeli Quilts
Size: 48X60": after laundering, 46 1/2 X 57 3/8"
Fabric: top: Kona cotton by Robert Kaufman; backing: Prism by Studio e Fabrics; binding Painter's Palette Aquarius by Paintbrush Studio
Batting: Hobbs Tuscany 100% polyester
Backing: Prism by Studio e wide backing
Quilted: on Avril, free-motion designs by Christina Cameli from Step by Step Free-Motion Quilting 
Threads:  pieced with Gütermann cotton mostly on my Bernina, but some on Tillie, my Featherweight; quilted with Aurifil 100% cotton
Stitch Count: 97 323 stitches

Thanks to Yvonne's comment pinging in my email, my brain went ping! and my mouth said drat! and my fingers are now flying to enter the other photo I took of the other quilt I washed at the same time as PfS:

Just look at the wonderful texture this now-crinkled up lovely Wayward Transparency, which I named Flow is! Quilt porn or what, eh?!

Any guesses what it's lying on finishing drying? Splash of Colour, Float! How I love my new quilts I've made for me, ha! Lots of colour indeed.

Linking up:
Crazy Mom Quilts
Confessions of a Fabric Addict
TGIFF at Dizzy Quilts
Busy Hands Quilts
Tish N Wonderland because this is a UFO OFF the list!
Dizzy Quilts for the Q2FAL when it opens

Postcard From Sweden Parade of Quilts Link Up

It is HERE and it is as good as Christmas IMHO! Oh the eye candy on Instagram! The teaser posts, the artful shots, the sheer joyous colour out there! Much needed on these recent grey, gloomy, rainy, and in a lot of cases, snowy, days. We even had snow flurries from time to time here this morning and about 1/4" (yep, I know that measurement well) on the patio table and deck rails, like what??

The linkup is below, but first let's visit my most generous sponsors. (note that I am not affiliated with any of the sponsors, but I am an affiliate of Craftsy).  Sponsors! I never dreamed when Helen and I started talking about making this quilt together, and I said,
me: Maybe we could put it out there if any others want to join us?
Helen: Oh, that's a good idea!
me: We could host a QAL!
Helen: You're a good organizer; you can put out the word...

...so I did, much like when Tish and I decided to make the Swoon mini together. However. This one kind of 'went viral'. I owe much of that to Tanya of Tanya Quilts in Colorado. She bought a kit from

Stitch Stash Diva, and she wrote on her blog that she was going to join Helen and me (that's correct English, don't worry. Here's a wee English lesson: 'she's going to join... me or I?  me!  So use me, but always put yourself second. It's polite, right?)

Where was I?! Tanya. She said she was going to join Helen and me in this PfS QAL. Her readers went, wait, what? My followers on IG and my blog went, wow, yeah! and then I suddenly had an email from Tayva, lovely owner of Stitch Stash Diva wanting to sponsor my QAL because kits had been flying out of her shop....

Helen suddenly got an email from the over-the-top lovely and talented Kelly of Jeli Quilts,

saying she'd like to offer a prize, as she'd seen the excitement and participation building up on IG. (sidenote: I see Kelly has just released a new fabulous rainbow pattern...you'll find it through that link to her shop, which is an affiliate link, but I don't get anything if you buy patterns from Kelly; however, if you buy supplies to make one of her patterns, then I'd get a small commission, and thank you, so much!)

And then! I got another email from

Mad About Patchwork, asking if they could sponsor my QAL because one of the ladies who works there follows my blog (who knew?😄) and they'd noticed a spike in kit sales...

So I knew that there were several planning to quilt along with us who lived, as Helen does, in the UK, and I saw a post on Instagram where Kelly said kits were available through...

The Tartan Reel, so I asked Janey if she would like to offer kits and a prize for those participating, and got a resounding yes!

Boom! Four sponsors just like that!

What are they offering as prizes once again? The original list and details about each of their shops can be found here, but in a nutshell,

Jeli Quilts: $30 worth of patterns

Stitch Stash Diva: Winner's choice of either a quilt backing and binding set OR a $75 gift card; includes free shipping

Mad About Patchwork: a $50 gift certificate, shipping not included

The Tartan Reel: one Elizabeth Hartman pattern, a Kona bundle and a Kona colour chart

Super-exciting prizes, right? Now, if you missed it a few posts back, on April 24 I'm starting my actual second annual QAL--this Postcard from Sweden was just totally unforeseen, but what a fun ride it's been! My annual QAL is for Plus Playtime, my quilt that was featured in Benartex's ezine, Modern by the Yard. It's a free pattern still, available for download by clicking on the ezine cover on the sidebar of their blog. You can check out more photos and info about it here. It's going to be a fairly quick make, but I've spread it out a bit so you can 'suh---lide' it on in with your regularly scheduled projects. 😎  I'm doing the one for the hop in a more adult modern vibe.

Yup, there are going to be lots of prizes...and, breaking news! Tayva of Stitch Stash Diva is going to make up kits available for purchase! Pinch me! More details next week.

Grab a java, a tea, a glass of vino or du vin, and visit these wonderful, colourful pieces of our quilty rainbow-loving hearts, thanks to Kelly's ingenuity in creating and offering for free a lovely pattern.
One more thing! Did anyone see the crocheted (check it out Judy!) version of Postcard from Sweden created by Alice @thebuttonship and offered for free on Ravelry? Kelly posted it on Instagram today. Wow!

An InLinkz Link-up

30 Quilt Designs Challenge on Instagram

For the second year, I ran #30quiltdesignschallenge on Instagram and this year we doubled the number of participants! Wow, were there ever a lot of gorgeous and ingenious quilt designs! There are three drawings, just like last year, with the first two, gift certificates to Melody's quilt shop, already drawn, and happily enjoyed.

So first of all, I'd like to offer my sincerest thanks to my two sponsors for this event.
1. Melody at The Red Hen Shop,

The Red Hen Shop

2. Darla at Clinton Modern Creative.

Clinton Modern Creative

Melody offered three prizes: two $15 gift certificates, for the 1/3 and 2/3 marks of the challenge, which was 70 days in length, and a final grand prize for $50. Darla is offering a second final prize for $25.

3. I hinted that I'd also offer a third grand prize. It will be a copy of my pattern Blue Skies & Sunny Days, and a charm pack of Dutch Garden by Boundless Fabrics. I used these to make my aunt's quilt, Sunshine on My Shoulders. I will ship it anywhere.

We had 15 designers complete 20 of 30 designs, back on March 22. We currently have ?? (I will have to check on Instagram, and verify this with linkups below!) update: there were 9 completed all 30! It works out to about three designs per week to keep on track. Several finished quite a bit ahead of the deadline.

Here's how to enter the draw. Simply link up a blog post or an IG post of your last few designs, so #28-30 or #25-30, whatever you like!
Note! Do not link three designs up separately; use the 'Multiple Image' icon at the lower right of the photo screen to put them together in one post. That's it! I'll use a random number generator to pick the winner on Thursday morning, and announce it on IG on Thursday, and here on the blog on my post on Friday.

Here is a little collage of the last five designs of mine, since I won't be entering the draw. The first two make my design #30, and use the same block in two different layouts, both traditional settings. I could play for hours in EQ! I need to, truthfully, to learn more aspects of it; it's like an onion and I feel I've only peeled the first crackly layer off.

Please let me know down the road, by tagging me @mmmquilts when you decide to make one of your designs, or when one gets published, either in a magazine or in a pattern release! I know of lots of this sort of thing happening already; it's SO exciting!

And thank you from the bottom of my heart for participating. I've met lots of new quilters, got to know several better, discovered more Canadian as well as United Kingdom quilters/designers, and I know we all have been enriched by the experience. So here is a big 'MWAH' from me to each one of you. I reserve those for peeps who I really really like, just so y'know.😘

An InLinkz Link-up

Week 1 New Quilt Bloggers Hop & Giveaway

When we first started talking about and planning for this hop back in January of this year, April seemed pretty far away. And now it's here!

It is my pleasure to welcome you to week one of the hop where we introduce quilt bloggers who are new to Quilting BlogLand. My hive named themselves In Stitches.

Carrie of Carrie Bee Creates made our button. That's one of her own quilts!

This week I hope you will visit Gail @ Quilting Gail and Rachel @ Rachel Rossi Design and show them some comment love!

I hope you will also have time to hop over to my co-hosts' blogs, Beth @ Cooking Up Quilts, Tish @ Tish 'N Wonderland, and Jen @ Dizzy Quilter where you will find links to the bloggers in their hives who are also posting today.

All you need to do for all eight new bloggers posting today is leave a comment and come back to enter the giveaway for some truly wonderful prizes.

On the co-hosts' blogs, you will also find the Rafflecopter Giveaway for lots of wonderful prizes! We are so very grateful to our 18 very generous sponsors for this year's hop:

Benartex                                         Canuck Quilter Designs                Christina Cameli

Clinton Modern Creative                Cooking Up Quilts                        Devoted Quilter

Island Batik                                    Make Modern                                Meadow Mist Designs

Needle & Foot Fine Fabrics            Northcott                                      Phat Quarters

Quilting Jetgirl                               Sew Fresh Quilts                          Sew Sisters Quilt Shop

The Quilter’s Planner                   The Red Hen Shop                        Victoria Findlay Wolfe

The giveaway is the same on all four of the co-hosts' blogs, so you only need to enter once. The giveaway will run from April 16 12:00 am to 21 at 12:00 am EST. Winners will be announced on Sunday, April 22.

Have fun!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Almost Off Course Already

I posted my Q2FAL list in my last post, and two days later, I'm admitting I've already had a DrEAMi!

It's a necessary DrEAMi! (the next linkup is May 3) and here's why:

I quite literally dropped everything that was in the queue and made six of these fast and easy blocks for the Humboldt Broncos hockey team. I'll be sending them off to Saskatchewan tomorrow where they will be made into quilts for the many many people affected directly by this horrific tragedy. I'm so glad people now think of first responders when they think of how they can help and who needs it. Our good friend John, Brandy the pibble's dad, is a volunteer firefighter and he says some of the accidents he has had to go to have left him sleepless for many a night. You can see it in his face when he talks (rarely, like twice) about it.

I put the first four blocks on Instagram Friday night, and added two more this afternoon. All six have a Benartex 'Wheat' fabric I've had for some time, supposed to go into a deep teal and golds quilt. When they said gold as one of the colours, and I started going through my yellows/golds, I spied this, and knew in my heart it was perfect. Saskatchewan, for those who may not know, is one of the three prairie provinces of Canada, with Alberta (my home province where I used to live) and Manitoba, the other two. Alberta and Saskatchewan's vast flat southern parts, as well as more than half way across Manitoba's southern lands, is perfect for growing wheat. I tried for a more masculine flavour to the fabrics as well.

When I came across this gold in amongst my plastic baggie of small yellow and gold scraps, another poignant, but oh-so-perfect moment happened: I'd include this piece of Laurel Burch's Mythical Horses fabric line with its selvage attached.

No explanation necessary as to why that's significant

This weekend was slated to catch up on some serious stitching, but taking an hour or so out to do these, is fine by me. If you want to help, you can go to the Saskatoon Modern Quilt Guild, who is helping the Humboldt Quilters organize this on social media. There is also a GoFundMe campaign which, at the time of writing this Sunday evening, is closing on $12 million. Takes my breath away.

I did work more in my yellow/gold scraps for my RSC2018 blocks, and I'm happy to keep keeping up with this project this year. Bright yellows and rich golds are this month's colours.

And yes, there is a scrap of wheat in my blocks now. A reminder of what was happening around me when I made these blocks. I love my yellow taxi scraps that worked into these two blocks, mementos from my 2007 trip to NYC.

LOOK what happened with the making of these two blocks!

I used every last 2.5" square in my 2.5" squares tray! I was as surprised as anyone; I thought they multiplied at night because I have not emptied any of the colours yet.

Don't worry; I have a Rubbermaid plastic container of smallish (under a fat quarter size) white/off-white etc scraps from which I was able to cut more, as well as several 3" squares to make the HSTs. (Gotta point out that arrow😁 I made that on my iPhone in Markup. Cool!)

The other serious stitching that happened resulted in a FFF!--not the FFFtt! that a cat hisses, but a finally finished flimsy!

Sorry for an inside shot, but it is pouring down and blowing, well blowing a bit less than the past 48 hours, but the rain hasn't lessened one bit, and we are under all kinds of flood warnings...but OH! how I love this top! Oh, how glad am I that I have finally made the first-ever-I-downloaded pattern from Craftsy, before these Postcard from Sweden QALs were a thing. Now to quilt this puppy and get it done for the linky that happens on April 18 right here on the blog. I'm thinking wavy organic lines, but I may veer off the perceived plan of action a wee bit, you know me... Pressure is good though to make me follow the KISS rule.

I ended up with several extra HSTs, which is to be expected when you cut squares and then cut them in half and you use an odd number. However, I do have four triangles left from Lake...as well as some other colours whose names escape me. A cushion cover or pillow shams might be in order methinks. I made the smaller size, by accident, menopausal brain short-circuiting again on anything math or numbers-related. I hate that! nvm I will take it to yoga as well for my students to ogle...bringing quilts to sit upon has brought out the several quilters in our yogi midst! I've told them more than once, I'm going to make quilters out of 'em all eventually...ha!

When I pulled out my Bright Pink to cut another square, that I believe was my own fault... that, or the wee ghosties that muck around in my sewing loft have hidden it because the right number are cut from the 1/2 yard I had... Anyhow, this happened:

Kona cat!

She has to perch on any and all fabric piles. Put her stamp of approval on, so to speak!

Hope you will check back in tomorrow, Monday, for the start of the New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop! Eight new bloggers will be introducing themselves and their blogs to you, and I hope you'll pay them a visit. There are lots of great prizes to be won each week of the hop as well. Say a prayer to the Rafflecopter gods that I've set it up right...

My hive made some really fabulous buttons! It was a hard decision which one to pick, but they voted, and here it is:

All four of us co-hosts have made landing pages (here is mine) for the hop which will be updated throughout the hop as posts go live. See you tomorrow!

Linking up
with Angela at soscrappy

Q2 FAL My List

When someone said somewhere on social media that 2018 was one quarter done, my eyeballs popped open and my heart rate sped up! What? Wait! oh...yikes.

How did I do on Q1's List? I completed 5 of the 7 on the list, so I am pretty happy with that. The two incomplete will move onto this quarter's list, and I've moved them #2 and #11 on this list.

Here is the list of what I would like to have finished by the beginning of July!

1.  Postcard from Sweden

The deadline is April 18! It's further along than this photo, but not quite a flimsy yet.

2. One H2H quilt, to be made using some or all of the Canada fabrics on the left:

3. And I hope to use up the last bits of the Dot Crazy fabric, which is on the right in that photo, for a second H2H quilt. I used this fabric for the Plus Playtime quilt for the ezine Modern by the Yard, which also is the one we will be making in my second annual QAL! Head over to either of those links to download your free copy of the ezine which contains not only my pattern, but a few others, all free! For the first post and to see what fabric I'm using, click here. Next week is the main introductory post.


4. The IB challenge for April is a vintage design made with a modern flair. I plan to use these fabrics, and I'm super-excited to make what's been floating around in my head for the past week or two.

5. Here are the fabrics for the new Plus Playtime quilt I will be making, with an adult vibe, for my QAL.

6. I need to make two cat mats using these fabulous cat fabrics I used in Cat-Eye-doscope and I also want to make two cat mats for either the Windsor Humane Society, or the cat rescue I've heard about in Leamington. The second two might be out of these fabrics, maybe out of others.

7. I'd really like to finish my knitted selvedges rug, but that is dependent on how many selvedges I generate over the next three months!

8.  A cushion using some of these Island Batik beauties. I am not sure which ones yet, so this and #9 fabrics will possibly change a little, partly because I can't show you just yet some of the one set of fabrics we received.😉 I'll update this post once we're allowed to!

9. A crib size quilt also using some of these Island Batik beauties!

10. I need to finish the quilt for my niece, Fawn. I just have two more family quilts to make: hers and her brother's, and then all the nieces and nephews will have an Auntie Sandra quilt; well, Fawn and Dray will actually have two, as they each got crib quilts when they were babes.

11. Poor beloved beautiful migrating geese! This is one of my three RSC 2017 projects and I'd love to get it done this quarter since it got neglected last quarter, although I did get the backing assembled.

This should keep me more than busy I suspect!

Linking up
Busy Hands Quilts (certainly these are "Finished or Not!")
Confessions of a Fabric Addict (because I'm whooping about a new list and possibilities!)
Dizzy Quilter (for the FAL)
Tish 'n Wonderland (because #2, 10 and 11, well and now, ha, #1 are UFOs)

Adult Plus Playtime QAL

How's THAT for a catchy title? Betcha all kinds of thoughts went through your head right?! I just learned about Bake Alongs, I knew about Quilt Alongs, Sew Alongs, Knit Alongs...Love the #wtf (what the fade) knit along that was on IG not long ago...

Any-who.

First of all, if you've come here to link up your Postcard from Sweden finished quilt, you may have missed the announcement here on the blog and on my IG feed, that the finish parade has been extended one week, and will occur next Wednesday, April 18.

One QAL finishing, and another is beginning! I am pleased as punch to promote--well, announce, but I liked the alliteration--my second annual (well, it seems to be a thing; may as well put a name to it) Quilt Along! Secondly, it also seems to be a thing that I'm becoming, or have become, a Shadow Woman (thanks to Kathleen for the nomenclature). Thirdly, it also seems to be a thing that my annual QAL is going to be another shadow quilt!! I've hinted that we are going to do another, and I've hinted at what quilt we are going to do...

January edition of Modern by the Yard

I used Benartex's Dot Crazy by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr, which you can find in quilt shops now. It has a definite fun, kid-oriented feel to it, hence, the name Plus Playtime. It's so interesting to see interpretations of my designs; when I first designed this, in the #30quiltdesignschallenge2017 I co-hosted last year on Instagram, I had all the good works of the Red Cross in mind, and so my cross or plus was red, the background white, and a rainbow of pluses twirling across to symbolize that the Red Cross organization is worldwide and they help without discrimination. Lisa, the editor of the ezine, wanted me to use Dot Crazy, and it took on a different feel.

Now for the QAL, I'm doing the new quilt with an adult vibe, using another Benartex line I had the privilege to work with in the Wonderlust Blog Hop,  Paula Nadelstern's Wonderlust.

Aren't those fabrics so rich that you just have to touch or pet them?! My large plus will be the Electric Slide kaleidoscope fabric and the background will be the black marbella. These fabrics are in quilt shops now too!

AND... one of the prizes will be a bundle of several of these beauties. 😁

Here are two shots of the entire quilt:

You can still download the ezine at Benartex's blog, Sew in Love With Fabric, (look on their sidebar at the top) where you will find the instructions (and if you don't QAL very well, but you're an eager beaver, no names mentioned, but a certain Caribbean-area quilter knows who I mean ha), then you can dive (pun intended, Louise) right in!

The ezine is free, and not only contains my Plus Playtime quilt, but also patterns for a few others, and some interesting worthy-of-reading articles. If you haven't downloaded it, hop on over there and get your free copy right now. I bet you might find another project or two you just have to make!

I hope you'll consider joining in; the pace will be slow as it was last year, but this quilt is much easier to construct. All you have to do for now, is download the ezine, and come back on April 24 for the introductory post. Just to give you an idea of the time frame, the final parade of finished quilts will be July 17, with a 5-week gap between finished top which will be June12, the week of my dad's birthday, as a nod to him and to my first QAL which finished ON his birthday.

That's it! See you April 18, next Wednesday, for Postcard from Sweden parade of finished quilts, and then Tuesday April 24 for the first installment of the Plus Playtime QAL!

Wait. I promised you a photo of the sweet pibble fostered by my friend with whom I met up on a recent not-quite-planned extra trip south, the oh-so-sweet-I-can-hardly-stand-it, Lester.

Those eyes!!  Patient and calm, while we talked and went through fabric. Friendly without being boisterous. A little old man, in that he had a soft comfy bed made up for him to ride shotgun in style and safety. Altogether a sweet sweet boy who is living with her temporarily while she tries to find him a forever home. Believe me, it was so so hard not to take him with or instead of some fabric!

Linking up
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