FMQ this Weekend

You may remember I did a major shift in my sewing room to make room for a new machine. Well, I was successful and now trying to reduce all the stuff in there.  Yesterday, I spent an entire day sorting through one box!  And I still have 16 more to go!  One day at a time, one day at a time.  Sigh.  In going through the box I found a quilt top I had made maybe 10-12 years ago that actually was partially sandwiched - had the batting.  It's just a mini - 22" square - and was the first mystery quilt I made as a blogger.  I belonged to The Quilting Post at the time - a great group - and they held this challenge.  I seem to remember it may have been for New Year's Day - or Super Bowl Sunday - not sure. Anyway, I didn't have a big stash then, and I was determined to make the quilt. So I chose to make a miniature that would fit the amount of fabric I had. Here it is:

 The dark fabric is really chocolate brown, not black.  I was going to stitch every seam, but in doing just the stars and the brown diamond shaped units - it was pretty much quilted. I did loops in the outer border.

However I outsmarted myself. I picked a thread that so matched the front and back that you can hardly see that it's quilted.  Choosing thread is the hardest part right now for me.  And it's just not only quilted in squares - LOL.

I'm linking to Richard's Link a Finish Friday and Sarah's Can I get a  Whoop, Whoop? as I finished my first Christmas gift and a UFO at that! Do go to both - they have giveaways.  Sarah's is  giving away quilts!

Hexie Weekend Sort Of

Like applique, I've been far too busy with life to do any hexagons, but am always thinking of them as you saw in my previous post.  Tuesday I was finally able to get to Barnes & Noble and pick up the latest copy of

 This is my favorite magazine right now.  It costs a whopping $13.99 US, but it's a bargain, really.  In issue 100 I found four quilts I would love to make.  At $15 - $25 a pattern, you can see why I think it's a bargain.

In issue 101 (which is the one above), I know I want to make the cover quilt and the Hexie one above.  It makes a fabulous tablecloth or lap quilt.  All templates are included.  The magazine is hard to find.  I just stumbled across it at Barnes and Noble when I went to buy a present for a baby shower (I'd only seen it online before this). I was astonished and delighted to find it!  Because it comes from Europe, I've gottten the issues at the end of the time they are released for - ie the May - June copy didn't arrive until the second week of July.  So I probably won't see the next one til September.  Is there a B&N near you?  Check them out - they might have it.  Oh, one more thing - Di Ford is doing a mystery quilt starting with Issue 99.  It's a gorgeous quilt!

What are you up to?  I plan to try and make a flower in the next three days. Would love to see your eye candy, hexie or otherwise.  Linky below:

An InLinkz Link-up

Ideas for Applique Tuesday

Things are slowly getting back to normal, but not normal enough that I've had time for applique.  I feel bad about that.  But last Thursday I was thinking about it as I took my cousins to visit the Huntington Library and Gardens in San Marino.  I found a lot of quilting and applique ideas there.

First was the mansion which is now an internationally known art museum.  Two of the most famous paintings there are of Pinkie and Blue Boy - and yes they are the originals.  Many fabulous paintings there. Here's another one:

Look at these designs I found!  What a fabulous EPP this would make.

How's this for a border? Part of a mantel for a huge fireplace.

Loved this altar piece in the chapel - so art deco.

 Love this William Morris framed fabric.  I can see making this as an applique piece.

Then on to the Chinese Garden:

 There were wonderful motifs everywhere like this hexagon pattern in a walkway.

Here's a window that would make a great pattern for a silhouette quilt.

 Another pattern in a couryard.

 Here's the five of us resting at the end of the day in one of the mansion's beautiful gardens.  I'm on the right. We were exhausted by 4PM - arrived at 10:30.  But our guardian angel (a tram driver who was assisting some of the guests) met us at the exit and drove us to our cars. What was special was the trams weren't even suppose to run that day because it was the free day of the month. Thank you, Lord, for sending Gabriel!

And here is my niece, Erica who was taking the photo above.

She loved the staircase in the art gallery.

I'm setting a goal to have some applique progress next Tuesday!  Did you get some done?  Leave me a comment and I'll come visit.  Blessings!