Gratitude #63

Welcome to another post of appreciation for the little things in life, that become maybe not so little because they lift up my spirits. I must admit said spirits have had a lot of in the dumps time these past few months. These posts are so good for my mental health, and I've heard from many of you how much you enjoy them, so that makes me glad, and thank you for telling me. The lifting up just amplifies doesn't it? If you'd like to read some more of these gentle, grateful posts, please be sure to head to LeeAnna's blog, our wonderful host, at Not Afraid of Color, where you can find her post and links to those of us who post weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, like me. I take photos, make notes all month long. Gratitude really becomes a habit.

My first love is my beautiful magnolia tree, bought in the spring of 2017 shortly after we'd moved here.

It's not a quilt in a tree; it's a bag in a tree with Quilt in a Day founder, Eleanor Burns' new fabric line.

This month is a day late because my Thursday post, Judy's Bloom Project Hop for Benartex (where there is a giveaway!), was scheduled for Thursday, so I opted to have this post publish on Friday. For those of you regular readers, watch for the DrEAMi (Drop Everything And Make it!) post and linkup on Sunday, since Saturday is another installment of Pop Star sewing instructions. I haven't done four posts in four days in quite some time!

Judy's Bloom Project Hop for Benartex Designer Fabrics

Welcome to my stop on this week's fun little jaunt around QBL (Quilt Blog Land) showing off a beautiful new line, 'Judy's Bloom' by Eleanor Burns for Benartex Designer Fabrics. I sure got some spring in my step when Stephanie asked if I'd like to be a part of this Fabric Feature. The fabrics are just lovely! I chose to make myself a new spring tote bag.

After all a girl can never have too many bags, right?

If this is your first visit here, welcome! I hope you'll poke around a bit, and see what I get up to in my patch of the world. If you decide to follow me, see my sidebar to get my posts in your email inbox. I am also on Instagram, @mmmquilts. If you are a long-time reader, the welcome is just as warm because I appreciate you for returning again and again! There is a giveaway at the end of my post, so be sure to check it out.

Pop Star Step 1 Sewing

Welcome back! And a Happy St. George's Day to all of you. He is the George who slew the dragon, and is the patron saint of England, as St. Patrick is the saint for Ireland. It was always very important to my mum to remember and to celebrate, by wearing red and wishing her kids and grandkids a happy St. George's Day. 

This week we are finally starting to sew! Be sure to read all the way to the end of the post, where you will find a linkup for linking up your fabric pull, or your pieces all cut and stacked all pretty, or perhaps this first step complete! I'll leave it open until mid-week. There may just be a wee prize of some Baby Pop Star fabric sent to one lucky linker-upper.😙

Personally, I can't wait to see the fabrics start coming together; they're so pretty on the graphic, and even more beautiful in person.

English Garden Hands2Help Quilt

This is one of those quilts that say, 'meh' with the flimsy, and then say, 'Yay!' with the quilting. And yes, all it is is a simple jigsaw-style meander, but wow, it just melds all the floral prints together, and it's like looking at a veritable riot of an English Garden.

Early morning as this was, or darling evening are perfect times for quilt photos

I just know my mum would love this one. Speaking of early morning, have you ever truly contemplated how marvellous dew is? It's really quite the miracle, that every morning plants get a sip of pure water to start their day. This morning it was like a film of little beads of glass coating the grass. Sparkling and fresh. Hopeful. I needed that.

Pop Star Cutting Directions

Today we are cutting up our fabrics, and wow, have I seen some beautiful combinations! Remember to tag me on Instagram @mmmquilts and use the hashtag #popstarquiltalong and #popstarquilt The #popstarquilt hashtag has several different Pop Star quilts within it, quite the surprise when I went on it. I decided not to rename mine since it was always Pop Star (actually Popstar), from when I first designed it four years ago.

I must say I am thrilled with how much people like my design. When I first made the quilt, back in May 2018, several people asked if there would be a pattern, and I thought, really? Other people would like to make this? That in itself was a thrill. Well, here we are four years later, and it has come to life, so to speak, and people like it! So thank you. Here is the link to purchase the pattern, though you do not need it if you are participating as the instructions will be posted weekly right here.

English Garden and Whirling Petals for Hands2Help

When it comes to making comfort quilts, for me they are often Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilts that I make all year according to the colour of the month as set by Angela at soscrappy. Sometimes it's a DrEAMi (Drop Everything And Make it!) moment where I've seen a fun fast pattern that I just HAVE to make, and make now. So, fast and fun are often a key for comfort quilts, along with using scraps. When Mari of The Academic Quilter, who is hosting H2H this year for Sarah, asked if I would write up a tutorial for her this year I said no problem! With fast, fun, and scraps in mind, here is the first of two comfort quilts for you today.

This first one is English Garden, and it is, as my mum's garden was, rather a riot of floral crazy. It was born of a need to use up (haha) allll my floral scraps and pieces from when I was into colour wash quilting. I don't know about you, but I have an embarrassment of floral fabrics. Often these are the trimmed off strips from quilt backings, a ton are .25 and .3 metre cuts for colour wash quilts, some were scraps from a feature fabric around which I built a quilt, still others are leftovers from making bags or even (head hanging in shame) scraps from clothes I made my girls and myself, even scraps from balloon shades I made for our bedroom in the 90s (the mostly white one with scattered blue and pink flowers on it)!

Pop Star QAL Fabric Requirements and Pattern Release!

Welcome! I have been hearing from several about their fabric pulls, and/or potential pulls, and half of the fabrics pulled but in rethinking mode now... It's so exciting! I absolutely love seeing the same pattern in different fabrics, different colours, different values. It just fascinates me, always has.

There are two sizes to this quilt, baby, which finishes 40.5" square and throw, which finishes 60.5" square. You can probably make the baby from stash, and if you're like me, you can probably make the throw from stash too! But hey, it's always good to 'just check out' what the LQS has got in right now, right? Or maybe use that Christmas gc you got?