Swing your partner...... first look

The digital camera is really good in helping me see what blocks look good in this quilt and which ones....not so much.
I decided to do a 9 patch layout of blocks instead of sixteen......
I can see two blocks that need replacing.....
back to my machine :0)

Peonies at the Morse Estate

On Thursdays I volunteer as a master gardener at the Samuel Morse Estate.
We plant an heirloom vegetable garden every year for demonstration purposes but
also get to eat the harvest. This time of the year we are busy planting like crazy all
these fabulous variety of vegetables, but it is also the time of the year when the peonies bloom....
my favorite flower of them all. Some of these peonies are over a hundred years old.

Swing your partner : 1st block

I'm starting a new scrappy project while I watch the French Open.
I do love tennis and never tire of watching the pros play.....so while I have the
next two weeks in front of the TV.... I'll be making a new quilt :0).
I've picked Swing your Partner from Bonnie K. Hunters book " Scraps & Shirttails"
and I'll even be using some recycled shirts in it.
Pictures to follow.............. Happy Sewing!

These quilts were made as a team effort........Debby has great ideas but I have more time to carry them out. She made the first quilt below and quilted it, I made the label and presentation case......
this has been working really well for us and we hope to have one for each month this year.......so far we are on target. The one with the military fabric was done as a mystery called " Super Snowballs" done by Ann M. Smith at Fabricaholics Anonymous, and the last one was started by Debby with the blue and red and white blocks, then finished being pieced by me.
then she did all the quilting on all the QOV's............we're good friends and a good team :0).
We both have great admiration for our troops.

Quilts of Valor

Thelma and Walter

Today is Memorial day.......I think often of the service people out there protecting our nation and give thanks, but today is a special day just for them. My parents both served in World War II, my mother as an RN for Canada serving in New Foundland, and my father as infantry in Africa for the USA. They are both gone now as are all those we honor today.

I make Quilts of Valor to honor service people coming home wounded from war.
Its a small thing but somehow feels right to me. I also try to thank service people when I see them out in public in their uniforms.

Thank you for keeping us Free.

Quilts of Valor

I made this quilt when I found out I was going to be a grandma.
Instead of making it out bright colors like the pattern calls for I made it out of
batiks with patterns of animals on them. I really like the effect of the floating squares and the terrific quilting done by Debby Brown.
You can find this pattern in Judy Martin's book " SCRAPS".
Lily Kate was born 8-18-08 :0).

Lily's quilt

Baby quilts

Is there anything more exciting than a new baby on the way?
Both of these quilts went to baby boys........the green and yellow was requested to match the nursery and the one with an orange border was done for a nursery with a "Safari" theme.
Both the boys are one year old now and I am told have really enjoyed their quilts.
Both made from Bonnie's free patterns and totally from stash.

Bonnie inspired baby quilts.

So this quilt top is waiting to be quilted . It was done in March after Bonnie posted a "Green in March" challenge, No she was not doing a mystery but you could sew along with others from a free pattern at her web site. So I did :0). I'm very happy with the results so far.
The green and purple plaid shirt under the first block was my inspiration...it is so soft in color and texture and I pulled the rest of the fabrics from my stash to make this quilt. It was very satisfying.

Jared Takes a Wife

Carolina Crossroads

My friend Debby Brown gave me Bonnie's web address........ and as the saying goes....the rest is history.
I had never done a scrap quilt before that and never even heard of a mystery quilt.
Well my quilts have changed forever!
I have a new found freedom combining colors, shapes, and now even cutting up shirts
to include in quilts! I am enjoying quilting more than ever!
I hope you are too!
Happy Sewing,

Carolina Crossroads

Orangeless crush

If I make this quilt again......I will use orange :0)
I love the way the orange looks in Bonnie's quilt and all the
others who used orange. But when I do a mystery I use
only fabric on hand......using the stash is one of the fun
challenges of doing a mystery for me.

This quilt is now on my dear mother-in-laws bed........it looks
terrific there and was a great surprise for her for Christmas.

It was quilted by my friend and talented quilter Debby Brown.

Orangeless crush

Double Delight

Mystery Quilts

I love doing Mystery quilts and I'm longing for another one now :0).
I have done all of the ones so generously offered by Bonnie Hunter.
Have you visited her site to see all her free patterns?
She also has a great chat group at
Quiltvillechat.
Here is one of mysteries that I had quilted by Debby Brown and finished it up in April 2009.

Old Tobacco Road

Following Blogs

I've been following many blogs over this past year.
One of my favorites has been Lazy Gal Quilting, I enjoy
it so much I finally jumped in and participated in making
some blogs for Tonya.
I also send another one that I forgot to photograph before sending
but it was the word baby and you can see it on her blog :0).

Tonya has inspired me to make freestyle letter quilts for children
with their names done in the middle of the quilt surrounded by
crumb blocks I learn from Bonnie Hunter...........another
favorite blog.

Pokeytown Kim

So I've been asking other quilters from chat groups about blogging.......
many think it is a great way to keep a quilting journal, others say they
have enjoyed the friends they have made and other seem to just enjoy
a daily way to record what is happening in their world.
My daughter-in-law started blogging while living in Melbourne, Australia and still enjoys those
friendships years later.
Well this all appeals to me so in I jump :0)!
I hope to show some of my work, tell you about my little world
here in Pokeytown and get to know more of you in the blogging and
quilting world.