My Day at Dust Off a Quilt Book Blog Hop.

 It's here! The blog hop started Monday, and today is my day for posting the book I chose and the project.  Thank you Bea at BeaQuilter.com .  You'll find all the participants listed there.  This is my second time 

joining this fun hop.  Since I have over 200 books, time to start using them.  This year I picked

This is not an old book. Published in 2006.  I bought this book because of the quilt on the cover. I saw a quilt made and published by Bonnie Hunter in her String Fling book.  Here's the one:

and thought it looked enough like the lily in Bonnie's. So I thought I would make a sample block into a table topper and see if I liked it. 

I've already put it to use in the living room.

Here's the back after I quilted it and before binding. I'm going to bring the back fabric to the front and bind it that way. I usually do all my wall hangings and table toppers that way unless I make them reversible.

This was an interesting project and I learned a lot.  First I got to practice paper piecing - not my favorite piecing technique. I also practiced making bias stems and string blocks. In putting the block units together I figured out a way to keep seams facing the direction they should while sewing. Here's what I mean: 

   There were a lot of seams to keep track of. It would have taken a heck of a lot of pins to keep them correct.

After some thinking, I decided to lay the units right sides together and then pin a piece of paper to the string unit.

Turning it over, I sewed the seam from the flower unit side so I would be sure those seams laid straight.

Then I folder the paper over the seam to crease it and make it easier to remove. 

The block finished at 15" square.  I'm glad I made it because it taught me several things. The main thing is that I don't want to make this quilt any more. Way too much work. But then Bonnie's pattern might be easier to make those lilies. It could be a leader and ender project. Also, this book was a surprise. 

The subtitle is Quilting with Treasured Fabrics. It shows you how to use repurposed fabrics from clothes you own - such as wedding and bridesmaid's dresses, late grandmother's day dresses, old flannel shirts, dress shirts,  and men's ties. There were two quilt examples of each type of recycled garments. I found the uses creative and colorful.  So is there someone out there who'd like to have this book now?  Free to whoever wants it for the $3.50 price of shipping.  If more want it, I'll have a drawing.

Be sure to visit all the other blog hoppers.  Thanks for coming by! Blessings,

This and That - 2/28/21

 The second week of Lent started today.  We continue to reflect and to pray now that this day of the Resurrection is over.

What have I been up to?  Well, I quilted, pieced a back and mailed off a gift for a friend in Australia who is undergoing treatments for breast cancer. She's recovering from a double mastectomy, so I sent her a pillow to hug. It's the one in the forefront. Only the second pillow I've made.

Here's the photo she sent once she got it.

The pattern is by Jenny of Elephantz.  I collected it as part of BOM in 2012.  I only got two blocks done. I'm such a slow embroiderer.  But I knew I would someday have a use for it. My first finished UFO for 2021

I've been quilting two quilts - one a baby quilt for the Color Block QAL - goes all year - and my crab quilt. Here is my January Color Block quilt - my second finish for this year. It's a baby quilt for St. Anne's.  Measures 36" square and quilted in the method Debbie suggested in her video.  I'll be linking to Let's Make Baby Quilts with this one.

On that Stay at Home Round Robin I'm working on the 5th and 6th border which I've decided to combine. Have three more sides to go. Those units you see on top are 3"  squares.

Next is the AHIQ biannual prompt. It is a String Tulip QAL.  Here's how far I've gotten:

Some I know I'll have to change. And I'll have to make more. Have lots of scraps for this. I've been working on an entry to a blog hop that starts tomorrow, Mar 1st.  I'm binding mine.  It's due Mar 3rd.  It's called "Dust Off a Quilt Book" Blog Hop by BeaQuilter.

Okay, that's it for this Sunday report.  See you again on the next Resurrection day (Sunday) during Lent. Blessings,

Lent has begun,

 and I've hung my Lenten quilt, No Greater Love.  This is in the living room. We plan to say a prayer (We adore You, Oh Christ, and we bless You.  Because by the Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.) as we go through the room to another part of the house.

These 40 days I'm going to step back from media among other things. I'll be posting infrequently as I try to observe more prayer and meditative time. I'll probably post on Sundays because Sundays are not a part of Lent since they are days of the Resurrection, not of fasting and penance and therefore days of Joy.  Are you planning something to help you live the season?