Contest and a new pattern for BEGINNERS!

I've been working on a project for the last couple of days... a pattern for brand new quilters. While working at the quilt shop, I've had a few ladies come in looking for a VERY easy quilt pattern... something to make for a baby that would be quick, easy and perfect for a beginner. Since we didn't really have one, I explained how I made my first quilt. After showing a few people how to do it, it hit me... just write it all down in a pattern. So here it is:

It's SUPER simple and very reasonable to make. The pattern uses 5" precuts (one pack or two), a little extra yardage if using one precut pack, some batting and backing. The sample is made using a Moda charm pack, "Sunkissed". Hearts to Holly has the charm packs and this pretty backing. They also carry the batting, which I tried for the first time. It's a very soft and fluffy, poly. It'll hold up well for lots of washing and feels SOOOO good! The sample will be hangin in the quilt shop if anyone is out that way and wants to feel it. There's no quilting or binding for this quilt, just turn and tack. It could be tied (like we did in the old days) but I found tacking quick and easy. You can get the pattern at Hearts to Holly or email me at northerndeb@ymail.com.

Wouldn't this be a cute quilt for a new puppy or kitten? I think I might just have to make one in a doggie print.... ohhhh... and FLANNEL?! Nice :)

Just a note: The rocker in the photo? It's a child's rocker... was my mom's when she was young. It's been up in the barn for a while and I decided it needed to be in my daughters old room now that there's extra space. Someday, I'll have some grandchildren that will use it .... I HOPE!

SO,the CONTEST?!!

Just become one of my followers and leave a comment for a chance to win this (or one of my others, your choice) pattern plus a FQ of SUNKISSED. Leave a way for me to contact you... your blog address or email.

I'll draw a name in two weeks... June 15th... GOOD LUCK :)

Ahhh... SPRING!

Spring has come to the north, FINALLY! All of our flowering trees are beautiful. The apple trees, cherry trees, bradford pears and crabapples are full of white and pink blossoms... boy do we have the bees :)... sure hope they're doing they're a good job of pollinating.


This week we celebrated Jon's birthday.. he's a great guy (and maybe will be my son-in-law some day). Jenn and Jon, Al and I, all met up at Pearls on Wednesday. It was the crawfish festival there and Jon dove right into a 1 pound plate of those goodies (I'm saying that sarcastically, since they look like overgrown bugs to me..uck). BUT according to him, they taste somewhat like lobster...hmmm, might have to give them a try some time...NOT!
That's Al and I in the above pic and Jenn, Jon and me in the bottom picture.


Okay... that's it for now. I'm working on a little quilt (to put away for grandchildren) using the corn and beans block. It's a fun little scrappy. I'll post pictures of it as soon as I'm done quilting it. It has a wool batting which is a first for me. It's kind of fluffy so I split it in half... and I'm glad I did. It's still nice and soft and puffy. Perfect for a little boy (HINT, HINT... yeah I mean you two... get married already and give me some grandbabies!!). In the meantime, this quilt will be my entry for the Hearts to Holly Challenge.

Mom's Day

I had a wonderful Mother Day, yesterday. Jenn bought me some underthings (Boy, I needed these!) After breakfast Jenn and I spent some time working in her boyfriends backyard, doing landscaping. I love gardening, it's so nice to work outside playing in the dirt (even if it's backbreaking sometimes).

We stopped by a shop to pick up some flowers (for her) and veggies (for my garden) plus dirt, compost, chips... all the regular stuff. She bought me lunch and then we headed back to town.

Al dug out an apple tree from our back. He ran out of room in the orchard so this one was waiting in my garden, waiting for us to find it a spot. Jenn decided to give it a home. The tree is planted and so are some daffodils from our backyard, a clump of irises, a foxglove she bought and a few other extas. I should have taken a before and after picture... it's looking really nice.

And what did I get from Lisa? Well, her gift came in the mail today. She bought me a turntable cutting board (Olfa), a hexagon template (one of the only templates I don't have) and some fabrics. What a nice pile of goodies!

Thanks Jenn and Lisa!! You both always find the perfect gifts. I had a great Mother's Day! :)

Where does the time go?!

Wow... where does the time go?


Easter was wonderful... Al, Jenn and I went down to Mom's for a wonderful dinner with the family. Mom made ham, potato salad, RIBS plus LOADS more. Then she made about 8 desserts (there were 9 of us)... so we went home stuffed. It was a fast trip.... We drove down Saturday, came back Sunday. Quick but fun.


My sister stitched me a few goodies. She's a beginning quilter and learning fast. She made me this cute Dr. Suess pillow for my sewing room:

Don't you love it? It's perfect with all my stuffed animals and children's books. And then she made me this cute Easter mug rug:
I have it on my coffee table for now. Looks pretty with all the Easter eggs out. Guess I'll have to put all of that stuff away soon.....

So since I've been back home, I started working on one of my UFOs that has been in a box for... hmmm... years? The block is called "Corn and Beans". The quilt is going to be a lap size. I'm running out of the background color so when I finish up this last row, I'll start on a border or two.. and then bind it up. We're having a fabric challenge at the lqs and I put all five fabrics in this quilt so that I could "kill two birds with one stone"... get a challenge done.. get a ufo done. :)

And here's another item checked off my to-do list. We have the block frenzy going on at Hearts to Holly. The fabric to use in our blocks was chosen by the last winner ... it's Moda's Faith Collection (collection for a cause). OH, I hope I win this time. Your name goes into the draw once for every block you make. Make one, goes in once, make 5... goes in 5 times. I probably should make a few more blocks... So yesterday, I went out to the mailbox and found a wonderful squishy goodie! My good friend, Jenell, sent me some Aussie fabrics. We've been talking about ordering these for quite a while but I just haven't gotten around to it. Jenell, THANK YOU. I'm going to fussy cut one a "happy" man and tuck him into my black and white quilt. The quilt top is already done but I think some unsewing is needed. This will make quite a conversation piece, don't you think?