Hugs and Kisses Blog Hop

   So glad you stopped by for the Hugs and Kisses Blog Hop. 

 Thanks to Madame Samm and Jane for bringing it all together.

I've been waiting to share a couple of  treats....inspired by candy!
The  question is .... Where do those candy hearts come from?   Made in a factory, or from some place more wonderful and magical?  I like to think they grow in Candyland!   

  I remember playing the game Candyland  when I was young---a long time ago---and with my daughter.  I  drew my inspiration for this mini table topper from the sweet treats with all the cute sayings on them..  Imagine a whole field of  candy hearts ----in just the right fabrics, of course---- just waiting to be picked and labeled for your sweetie.   Appliqued hearts, decorative stitching, a little curved piecing, and add your own secret messages along the border  for  the candies.  Want some more candy inspiration?

     This is Red Hots!    Those tiny cinnamon heart candies are just the thing to inspire me here.  On the first Valentine's Day that I shared with my husband, I gave him a small box of  red hots!   Of course, a few kisses were thrown in too ....but those red hots were memorable.    So when I saw this pattern, it seemed a perfectly sweet thing to make to recall that memory.   

   If you follow me at all, you are aware of my fondness for swirls.  So this pattern just jumped  up and called to me.   Swirls inside the hearts,  and swirls  accenting the hearts.....I had to make this one.

     Layers of different red fabrics create hearts and swirls that spill over the background,  which was perfect to try a few  quilted feathers on.

    The pattern is by  Jane Spolar and is found on the Janome website.    So my special treat for you is the link for the pattern.   

 And I can't forget the label.  I found a red swirl graphic that was just perfect.











   And finally, a fused heart mosaic from last year.
This was a quick  art project based on the tutorial by  Terri Stegmiller.      A great way to use up left over bits and pieces  and then quilt it all down with lots of thread.  I did a simple edging treatment with lace rather than binding on this one.

   Thanks for stopping by and visiting.  Enjoy the rest of the blog hop links below.    Happy stitching.

Friday February 15th

Why Knot Kwilt

NitaDances

Sew Darn Quilt

Quilt-N-Queen

Fiddlesticks and Humility

Moose Stash Quilting

Gypsy Dreamer Quilts

Color My World

Sew We Quilt 

Visiting Day

  Welcome to the new visitors from the Let's go Visiting tour hosted by Stitchin by the Lake   Glad to have you visit my home / blog / humble abode here.
   For a quick intro....I've been quilting off and on for about 30 years....yikes!  Let's just say long enough to have figured out what I like to do and what is not my favorite thing to do.   I began as a very traditional quilter, and experimented with crazy quilting until my fingers stiffened up.  Then I found watercolor quilting, my ultimate love in quilting.  Today, I dabble in a lot of things, especially playing with design and color.

   On my design wall right now is a guild challenge quilt.  We were given an "ugly" fabric and challenged to turn the lemon into lemonade.  Luckily mine was not too bad, merely dated....like in 1980 calico.   I have the 9 patch blocks  completed and have begun adding the vines and  stems.  My design concept is to hide the ugly among a lot of other fabrics.  And then to add enough quilting to blend it all together.

 And speaking of quilting......  I just began my NewFO for February. It's a travel duffle bag and right now I am quilting the base fabric.  The pattern is available at StudioCherie on Etsy.  Because I chose to use a very dark fabric, I quickly realized I could not see what I was doing.  But the lining is muslin.....so I flipped it over and I am quilting from the back!  
   I realize the stitching will not show very much, but this was too good of an opportunity to practice those endless feathers I discovered.  So good practice and no one can see all my mistakes!

    Going on right now......Voting for favorites for Project Quilting at Persimon Dreams.   Please click over and view this week's entries.  Select up to three of your favorites and vote...please.  Kim has put a lot of work into this and would like some extra imput.   And there are some really good design inspirations this week.
    The Hugs and Kisses blog hop----my day is on Friday the 15th, so please come back---is going on this week.  Our hosting cheerleader is Jane's Fabrics.   You might was to check out the cute projects being shown.  She has the full day and week schedule posted.  
  The Golden Quilter Awards are up and voting is going on at SewCalGal's blog.     You can enter for prizes when you vote.
   Lots to do and quilting to finish.....thanks for the visit.  Happy stitching.

January round up

January finishes 

   I'm off to a good start for the year.  That's why I did not take on a big list for the month....I wanted to make sure I could meet my goal.    The table runner is finished and bound, and the Easy Street mystery is a top and ready for the borders.
   And 2 small projects for Project Quilting designed, and finished!
  This wasn't in my original project list, but I am enjoying the challenge and the quick process of designing around a theme....at least so far.  I am counting these as starts and finishes!  I did use scraps and strings, so maybe I can make a dent in using the scrap pile  up this year.





   And a new start for the month....my NewFO is the "ugly" challenge for guild.  I haven't gotten too far along yet.....just some of the nine patch blocks and the backgrounds for the applique.  I do have a small box of applique pieces cut out.  Since I am winging it on this design nothing is fused  in place.   So this has taken over the design wall and will begin to move up the priority list as  it is bigger than I originally planned!

   The Hugs and Kisses Blog Hop is approaching  so right now that is what I have been working on.  I can't show much but here is a peek at one of them.   I am finally at the quilting stage,  so I am sure I can get it finished over the weekend.    And yes, those are small, quite small for me,  feathers.
   Which is great, as we will be in and out of town for the next couple of weeks.......DD and SIL will be finally getting their house packed up and moved.  Sir Old Man has a few small projects to tackle for them before they leave.  I think I am expected to direct and supervise ----read that as, observe and don't step into any holes!  Maybe I will be allowed to paint a little.

 February plans:   I am putting them down and hoping for the best again!

•  Borders onto the easy street top and get to quilting it.
•  Continue with the "ugly" challenge.
•  Project Quilting----that will be 2 small projects.
•  NewFO----I am thinking it will be the Travel duffle  bag, first because Nicki expressed interest in it, and second because I see a need for it.  I need to shop the stash and see what I can find in there.  

Linking to NewFO at Cat Patches.
Linking to Show and Tell at Pat Sloan's blog.
Happy stitching.   

Still cutting.....

    

     Click over to Show and tell at the Quilting Gallery .  The theme is challenge quilts.   I am sharing  this one called Turning 60 from a few years ago.   Oops, I just hinted at my age...oh, well.  It's a favorite of mine and overloaded with words of affirmation and memories written along the vines and leaves.  

  And on  the sewing front.....

 I'm cutting, and cutting, and cutting.  Sir Old Man finally took pity on me late this afternoon  and rigged up a support in the sewing table hole.  It  will allow me to use the mechanical machine in the sewing room until the 6600 comes home.    There's isn't too much he can't do once he puts his mind to it!  

   What I have ready to sew:

  1.  The borders for the Easy Street mystery quilt.  This thing needs a name.

  2.  Strips for 9 patch units for my guild challenge.

  3.  Panels for applique for the guild challenge.....and a small  shoe box of applique pieces for the panels.    (Boy, is this one going to take a while to applique, but it should be fun because it is whimsical.)

  4.  Background pieces, border pieces,  and appliques for a mini.....for the Hugs & Kisses blog hop in Feb......check out the button on the sidebar.   Yep, I caved again, and took the leap and entered into this one.   It's just a mini, and I can do it in a couple of afternoons, so I'm not breaking my word / rule!  

  5.  And one backing  for top in waiting.  Just 2 large pieces to join, and it is ready to pin for quilting.  

Tomorrow I'm making lasagna.  I usually do a couple of large pans and freeze in dinner size portions once it is done.  That way I can count on an easy meal when I have been on a sewing binge and I'm too tired to cook.  Have a great weekend....happy stitching.