ALYoF February Finish Party...

...so happy to have another UFO finished.  

There is a quilt show at the museum in Belleville Michigan,

for the month of March.

Broken Star designed by Edyta Sitar 

is my February finish for ALYoF and is on display at the quilt show... 

...now I'm itching to sew another log cabin quilt.

I have some UFO logs that are cut at 1-1/2" wide...and 8 different lengths.

I cut them about 9 years ago...

do you think it's time to make them into a quilt???

Happy Paws is also hanging in the museum.

It was entered in the 

Embroidery Challenge at the Road to California Quilt Show.

This was the second year Robin Kingsley, Bird Brain Designs

organized the challenge.

In 2014 it was all Red Work...

in 2015 we could use any color floss or perle cotton 

to design a quilt using BBD patterns.

We could enlarge, reduce, and combine patterns.

I used 3 different patterns to design Happy Paws.

The visitors to the show picked their favorites and voted.

I was thrilled to have Happy Paws chosen as one of the top 3 quilts.

This is what Robin wrote on her Facebook page...

Pauline Francis created a Winner for the Embroidery Challenge at Road to California Quilt Show. She combined 3 BBD Kitty patterns to create a cuddly quilt honoring cats....critters loved at my house. Voters liked her fine embroidery, the yummy warm brown tones plus the pop of color in the top long block. See what you might like to "invent" for next year's Challenge! 

I am linking up to February finish party 
with Melissa and Shanna #113

Happy Stitching

February goal is set for ALYoF

My February goal is a UFO that I started in June 2012

in a class I took by the talented Edyta Sitar.

The pattern is Broken Star by Laundry Basket Quilts.

I finished the flimsy in less than a week but it still is not quilted.

The logs in the quilt were cut 1-1/2 inches...finishing at 1 inch.

The finished quilt will measure 40" x 40".

I haven't picked my backing, that is the next step...

so I can have it quilt and bound by the end of February.

I'm linking up to the February goal setting linky party
with Shanna and Melissa.

Happy Stitching

Day 4 of dare to DRESDEN...my day

Welcome to day 4 of the Dare to Dresden blog hop. A big thank you to Christine at Quilt Monster in My Closet and to Mdm Samm at Sew We Quilt...for all their time, hard work and planning to make the blog hops sEw much fun.  

For my first project I used  Edyta Sitar's Dresden Star pattern

I  took an awesome quilting class with Edyta last year, I finished one Dresden Star block in the class.  It's not perfect.  It didn't lay flat when I sewed the blades together.  I found out that 1/4" seam allowances are important to have your plate lay flat...Edyta worked her magic and it did lay flat before I left her class.  It could have turned out to be an orphan block but I decided to use my 'not sEw perfect block' to make a bag to carry my pizza box back and forth to guild meetings...pizza boxes are perfect for storing and transporting quilting projects.  The Dresden star block is 12.5" unfinished.  I am now working on a Dresden Star quilt.  

I added small blades and buttons to the sides of the bag and I top stitched with a heavy quilting stitch.  I luv the little details I added to the project bag and my pizza box fits perfectly.  

 

My second Dare to Dresden project is from a free quilt-a-long called Scrappy Plates hosted by Anne Sutton from Bunny Hill Designs.  I had never made a Dresden before but had always wanted to try one.  This is my first Dresden plate.    I used Kimono silk thread to stitch the plate to the background fabric....it is wonderful to work with.  

I fell behind in the quilt-a-long but did finish the top in June...it wasn't until the Dare to Dresden blog hop was announced....that I knew I would finish this quilt and it would not end up as a UFO....it's now quilted...by me, it's bound and I luv it...thanks Anne for the quilt-a-long. You can find Anne's great instructions to make your own Scrappy Plate quilt under 'free patterns'  and there is lots of other 'eye candy' you don't want to miss on her website and her blog.  My quilt measures 62" x 78".  

I used Denyse Schmidt fabrics for the Dresdens and the corner stones, kona white for the background and some lime fabric from my stash for the sashing.  The front is a traditional Dresden and the back has a modern look with a 12" wide strip of rectangles from the fabrics I used to make the blades.   

I did not make the scalloped border...maybe on my next Dresden quilt...yes the Dresdens are addictive.  I bound my quilt with 1 fabric matching the front of the quilt....the same fabric I used for the outer border. The binding on the back of the quilt is scrappy...luv it.  A modern look on the back and a traditional look on the front.

I hope you enjoyed your visit...
now...be prepared to be inspired as you visit all the

other talented quilters posting today!!

January 29^th, 2013

A Peach in Stitches

Nancy W @ “that Other Blog”

L3 Designs

Bungalow Bay Quilts

Quilted Delights

Quilt Crossing

Lixie Makes it

A Quilting Sheep

Charlotte's Creations

Quilt-n-Queen....thanks for stopping by for a visit

Domesticity and Other Ponderous Things

Sew Much 2 Luv

A Quilt and a Prayer

Amanda Murphy Design

Little Mushroom Cap

Kathy's Quilts

Sandra Kaye Design

Visit Mdm Samm at SEW WE QUILT and 

see the top 3 for the day

and be sure to visit her Pinterest board for 'Dare to Dresden'.

There is a different board for each of the blog hops.

Thanks again to Mdm Samm and Christine for all their hard work,

and to Windham fabrics for sponsoring this blog hop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...and now for a giveaway...
one lucky winner will receive

Edyta Sitar's Daily Journal for 2013

and a spool of Kimono silk thread

A few simple rules to follow...

- leave me a short sweet comment

- follow my blog

- make sure I have your email to contact you

I will draw the winner sometime on February 3 

GIVE AWAY CLOSED

hugs and happy stitching

I enjoyed 2 classes with Edyta Sitar a week ago....

What a wonderful quilting weekend it was!!

I took 2 classes.... Friday's class was the Broken Star Log Cabin class.

The log cabin blocks finish at 4.5" x 4.5"and are cut from 1" strips.

Edyta said you can make this quilt in 4 days....and after learning her time saving techniques...yes you can.

I finished 16 blocks on Friday.

On Saturday morning Edyta had a lecture called....'Reasons for Quilts'.

Not only is Edyta a talented quilter, fabric designer for Moda, pattern designer,

terrific mother, wife and friend...

she is also a wonderful speaker...funny and entertaining...even brought tears to my eyes.

I was front row, she brought 80 quilts....all were absolutely amazing quilts!!

If you every have the opportunity to take one of her workshops or attend one of her lectures, please take the time to learn from one of the 'best'.

Just have to add the borders on my Broken Star Log Cabin...
I've pulled  the border fabric from my stash.

here it is on the line...and tonight I will add the borders.

After I got home from the lecture last Saturday

I bound my purple log cabin quilt. 

It is hanging at the GAAQG Quilt show in Ann Arbor Michigan this weekend. 

(sorry no picture)...maybe later today. 

I finished another 16 of the Broken Star Log Cabin blocks.

and started the 16 light log cabin blocks.

On Sunday I took Edyta's Stars in Quilts class.

It features 15 different star patterns and is a guild favorite.

  If you get a chance to take it...do, it is an awesome class!!

We worked on the Dresden Star block....and it is super cool to make!

...and here is my block, yep only one so far and I still have the applique to do. 

This is not paper pieced...definitely an awesome block!!

I must say....I had a very busy week sewing..stressful but gratifying.
I burned a lot of midnight oil trying to
 finish quilts,
stitch bindings,
add hanging sleeves and labels
 on 6 different quilts.
My friend Christa and I worked together and by Thursday evening
we had all our quilts ready for the quilt show.
Great teamwork.....thanks for making my labels Christa!!

Now go and get inspired by visiting Edyta at

 Laundry Basket Quilts...she has patterns, books, fabrics...lots of goodies. 

There is lots of info on her website.

hugs and happy stitching

Pauline