Nesting Time on Lilac Hill...

Warning...long post with many photos!!!

Be sure to click on the photos...
you should be able to see more detail on some of them.

 I'll admit it right away...
just so you all know this
was not an original idea of mine.

I read about Nicole's idea
on Sister's Choice Quilts

back in November, 2010.
It totally captured my imagination.

Course, as time went by,
I had other things to think about
and I forgot about it.

Until the 'Snow Days' quilt

adventure with Sharon began.

Then, as I was browsing through

Crabapple Hill Studio's patterns,

I spied the 'Nesting Time' embroidery.

I fell in love with it.

And, remembered that I had seen it before.

I even remembered where! 

I wanted to make

something very special for my sister, Joyce.
A combined birthday and Christmas gift.

I thought this would be perfect...and
I knew (hoped) she would absolutely love this!

I worked on the embroidery in August,

which was the month

that Sharon and I designated
to work on Christmas gifts.

And, remember, I had pneumonia.

So, I started the embroidery...

and finished it 10 days later.
The design area of this pattern
is 15 x 21 inches.

And, then it sat.

No reason to have it ready
too far before it was needed!

In the meantime, I received 

several Lilac Hill fat quarters from

my doll quilt swap partner (click here). 

How fortuitous, hey?

See how these things work out?

Here are photos of 
Nesting Time in progress.

 

 

 

Now it's time to add on some fabric...

 

 

I got this far and thought...

'how on earth am I going to quilt it?'

I looked online at many, many

quilts that had embroidering or 

that had an embroidered center.

Nothing stood out as 'the way' 

to quilt something like this.

So, I went with my gut.

I did free-motion quilting...

pebbles in the crock, 

small stippling on the background,

and straight-line quilting on the border.

This is how I wanted it to look.

Imagine how amazed I was when

it turned out just as I had pictured it?

Hallelujah!

The backing is a piece of yardage

from the Lilac Hill collection. 

This measures about 28 x 34 inches.

Perfect for a wallhanging.

Joyce received it today.

(yes, a little late, after all.  Had to redo the binding,

which involved waiting for more fabric to arrive...{sigh})

She was very surprised.
And, she is very happy.

So am I.

(Thank you to Nicole.)

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

DQS11 Received...

WOW.

I mean, really.

WOW!

I mean, really?

I received my dqs11

(doll quilt swap eleven)

quilt in the mail today.

Along with a few goodies.

Ky in Texas (no blog)

was my swap partner.

To send to me.

She stalked me good, that's for sure!

Here's what she sent...

this is the back of the envelope...

LOVED seeing this!

Just in case I wasn't sure.

Or, that I didn't want to get

all excited over nothing.

 

I received this wonderful 

gray/taupe embroidered quiltie

AND

a bundle of 9 fat quarters of Lilac Hill

(she used from the bundle to

make borders and backing)

AND

a notepad

AND 

a wonderful letter explaining

why she made for me what she did.

Here's a closer look.
The back...

The front...

please do not be distracted

by the holder of the quiltie...

more on her tomorrow.

 

This quilt measures 12 inches square.

Take a good look at this embroidery...

Isn't it AWESOME!?!

I love this little quiltie.

Ky did an awesome job and I am ecstatic!

Thank you so very much!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

Aqua & Red...

So.

I joined a bee.  

Why?  Cuz they're fun.  

And, because I have nothing else to do.

It's called the 'Aqua and Red Block Bee'.

(See the button on my sidebar.)

I love the aqua/red color combination

and have yet to make anything with those colors.

When Erin, of Why Not Sew? started up this bee,

I quickly joined.

(You may remember Erin from the "we double rock swap"

she & I did 2 years ago...click here & here).

I have no red and aqua fabrics in my stash.
Really.
Well, perhaps a few pieces.
But nowhere near what I'll need.
I have plenty of time to pick some up here and there.

I stopped at my LQS today to
drop off my 'Just One Star' blocks (2!).
My LQS gathered a total of 44 star blocks
from its customers...woohoo!!!

While there,
I looked around to see what they had
for aqua and red fabrics.

I found these...

Yes, I bought them.
Are you surprised?
Don't be.
You know I have no willpower.
(Won't that red stripe make the best binding?)

I think that's a good start, don't you?

I have no idea what type of blocks I'll want...

stars or log cabins or what,

but that part doesn't need to be

decided for a few months, yet.

I also picked up one of these charm packs...

It's scrumptious.

It's for a future project.

That's all I'm going to say about it.

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might. - Ecclesiastes 9:10