Another Lyra Quilt Top

I worked hard to include this third version of Lyra in my newest pattern, and then I had a DrEAMi—Drop Everything And Make It—moment and pulled fabrics and looked at the logo colours and adjusted and cut and sewed…

The result!

It’s one of those “eee!” feelings to see it come to life.

Lilac Love Pattern Release Roundup

I have two more quilts to show you today! I asked two friends if they were up for making a version of one of the quilts in the new pattern, Lilac Love, which was about to be released.

They both said absolutely, yes please. I am so appreciative that they said yes to a DrEAMi: Drop Everything and Make it! (referring to a link party I used to host celebrating those squirrels we are compelled to chase).

Broken Heart Syndrome and Grace

I do love this pattern of mine, first one that I got professionally tech-edited (thank you Yvonne) back in 2019 around this time of year. I do not love the reasons for the three times I've had to make it. This time is another tragedy, so I'm advising you of a trigger-warning in the content (death and loss) in this post.

One day and one year ago my nephew, Andrew, passed away at the all-too-young age of 32. His mom, Pat, is MacGyver's sister; she was one of our bridesmaids along with my two sisters. Andrew had a bad cold last November, but when Pat visited him to check up on him, he was having trouble breathing, and she knew something was very wrong. She called an ambulance despite his protests.

TGIFF! Be a Unicorn FYOP and Pattern Release

Today I am happy to present my third version of my Follow Your Own Path quilt design that was originally featured (on the cover!) of Benartex's ezine Modern by the Yard issue #15. This was also the quilt for this year's annual quilt along that I host each year. This year was the fifth QAL! It always begins on my birthday, April 3, and ends on June 15, the birthday of a 'famous Canadian', my dad, who would drive my mum crazy by writing 'birthday of a famous Canadian' on his date on each year's calendar. We kids loved it. 

I am also pleased to host TGIFF here on the blog today where we link up our finished quilts!And, I am very pleased to release the pattern today which has directions for both the baby and throw sizes!

Wonky and Whimsical

The top for the December challenge is complete! I will have to wait to quilt it until next week, however, as I am not at home until after Christmas.

I knew I wanted to do something Christmassy for the challenge, but there weren't any Christmas-themed batiks in Box 2. I let my thoughts of wonky trees percolate.... As has been the case all this wonderful year of being an Island Batik ambassador, percolating on the back burner of my brain has never let me down.

Throwback Thursday #11 Falling Leaves

Welcome to the eleventh edition of TBT here at mmm! quilts, where we document and talk about our pre-blogging days quilty makes. A big thank you to Andrée of Quilting & Learning - What a Combo, who hosted October's linky and who will also host December's, giving me a break from all the celebrating going on at the end of this month when Dayna gets married, eeek!!
Remember to hashtag on Instagram #throwbackthursdayquilts

This month's quilt is one I named Falling Leaves. Very original. LOL However the design is original.

It actually began my fascination with layers, or superimposed images, in quilting. I made it 15 years ago for a challenge with the guild I was in at the time. Spoiler: I didn't win.

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!

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