EASY STREET MYSTERY

This will be my third Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt.  This year I was going to pass on it and just collect the clues.  I thought it would be better to do this project in January.  That has all changed.

After the Introduction came out with the fabric requirements, I was still convinced I wasn't going to do it because I did not have enough fabric in the color families and I did not want to start working on substitutions.  I am trying very hard to work out of stash.

I could not get it off my mind, so I started looking for fabric in my stash and found a few pieces.  Looked some more and found some more.

Ultimately I found enough fabric to do the quilt.  So here goes.
This is where I would normally post a picture of the fabrics, but I am, once again, having difficulty with Picasa Albums about posting my pics.  I posted the pics directly to Facebook.  The colors I chose were the same colors that Bonnie used.

Sorry this is all words and no pictures.  Maybe soon I will be back to posting pictures with my words.


                                              -sandi

IS THIS A SERIES?



In general, I do not make the same quilt pattern repeatedly.  However, this is my fourth Friendship Star Quilt.

The only other time that I have made multiple quilts from the same pattern was when I was teaching Beginning Level Quilting Classes. 

The pattern I chose to use was the Log Cabin and I ended up with several of these.  Each time I would teach the class I would think of another set of fabrics that I thought would look wonderful in that pattern.  Of course, the Log Cabin is another example of a value study quilt.  Each block is composed of a light side and a dark side.

The first Friendship Star Quilt I made was for a Value Play Workshop Retreat that I taught a few years ago.

This quilt was scrappy and I added a rather traditional border to it to give it a finished look. 

I loved this pattern and decided I wanted to make another one someday.

Recently my sister asked me to make a quilt for her to use as a gift for her son for Christmas.  This was the perfect opportunity to make a Friendship Star Quilt where I could use lots of scraps.  I wanted it to have a modern look so I omitted the borders. 

I also made another one.  When my daughter saw it she love it.  This one has fabrics in it that she remembers from other projects I have made over the years.  This is what is so special about scrappy quilts.  They often bring back wonderful memories.

Then I wanted to make a quilt as a thank you for a friend of ours who has been so helpful during my husband's hip replacement surgeries.  In this one I chose mostly browns and blues. 

Friendship Star seemed like the obvious pattern. 

Of course, now that I am on number four, it seems like a series.

  I laid out the blocks and carefully labeled them so that they would all go together in the proper arrangement.  Look closely and you will see that I turned one of the blocks the wrong way. 
I could tell you that that is a "design alternative" or that it is a "humility block".  But the truth is I made a mistake and I am not going to re-do this quilt. I did not see this until after the quilt was quilted and bound and posted to Facebook. 

 Oh, well, I know that our friend will enjoy this quilt and it will keep him warm even with one block that is turned wrong.  A life lesson I have learned is that perfection is not my goal.  Enjoying the journey and sharing my passion is.

This quilt made me smile and I think that it will make others happy.
I have made enough quilts using this pattern now.  My next quilts will use some other pattern.  Stop back by to see some of my other ideas.

                                          -sandi

THANKFUL FOR . . .

At this time of year I am so drawn to these beautiful bright colors.  It makes me want to pick up a paint brush and put it on paper or grab fabric and make some kind of collage.  I have never done either one.  This year might be a first.

The reds, oranges, golds and yellows really stand out against the green of the Magnolia and the Ornamental Grasses.

Since November is Gratitude month, I thought I should put some of my thoughts down.

There are so many things that I am grateful for which include my family and friends.

My family loves me unconditionally and accepts my personality quirks and my assets and liabilities and just keep making me feel like the luckiest person in the world.

My beautiful daughter brings so much joy to my life!  She is an awesome mom to my wonderful grandsons while maintaining a full time career.  Her husband was God's gift to me of a man who would love and cherish my daughter in the way I wanted her loved and cared for.  Together they have taught their two sons that family life really means loving and living together in harmony and letting those important people know you love them.

My son-in-law is a man with great depth of understanding and love.  I truly feel like he is my son.  He and I have always had a special relationship that actually started before he married my daughter.  This man is very talented in construction and design.  He builds some beautiful pieces of furniture and designs some very nice landscapes for his customers.  He is generous with his time.  He often coaches the recreational athletics of our grandsons.

Sorry, SIL, I do not have a photo to include here.

My grandsons are such wonderful personalities and so different.  The older one is now sixteen years old and looking toward his future preparing for college and, ultimately, his career choice.  This young man is full of compassion and genuine love and loyalty for his family and friends.  His quiet demeanor is so unassuming for a young man who excels in his academics and his community service and his church activities.  He makes my day when he sends me a text or when we have our occasional "date".  This young man appears to be headed toward a future in a career that involves caring for others -- either people or animals.

Our younger grandson is nine years old and, truly, an old soul in a young body.  He has such a unique way of expressing himself and he opens the window to such a fresh look at life.  It is such a pleasure to have conversations with him.  He can sum up life in a few words --  but they usually make you stop and look at him and ask yourself, "Did he just say that?"  We tease that he will be our representative in public community service.  Going down to have a twenty-minute school lunch with him is a highlight of the month for me.

Many years ago I was a young woman of 34 when I was widowed.  I was as unprepared for this as anyone would be at this age. However, I continued day by day keeping my faith in God and believing that my future was to take care of my daughter and bring her up to be a successful, caring woman.

Then, one day God did something wonderful for me.  He put me in a place to meet a wonderful man who was a recent widower himself.  This man has been my husband for almost thirty years.  How I could be so blessed still amazes me!

This man is generous, kind, and loving.  He makes me feel so special every day.  He loves me ALL the time and tells me that I am so important to him and his happiness. 

I certainly am blessed and ever so grateful for these wonderful people who enrich my life beyond measure.

My pets play a big role in making my life full.  They bring us a kind of joy and pleasure that only comes from a four-footed family member.

This tribute to my family is my way of saying "Thank you, God, for such a rich, rewarding life".

Should I go looking for paint brush, paint and paper?

-sandi