Flimsies, Fluffies & Show and Tell!

I had hoped that there would be some antique stops on my way up to Ohio to share with you, but as it was a long Sunday drive – all the little towns along my route didn’t have anything open.

And that’s okay because everyone needs a day off to be with family, and sometimes --- you just gotta drive straight through or that 9 hour drive could turn into 13 or 14 easily!

So instead ---I figure it’s about time I share with you some of the show and tell that finds its way into my inbox ---the quilts are wonderful, inspiring, and I love the stories that come with them.

It always touches me when someone likes their quilt enough to want to share it with me --- I wish I could show each and every one of them, but then this blog would be nothing but show and tell each and every day. So I kind of like to space these out a bit.

Another thing that slows me down is the sheer size of some of the photos --- things need to be easy to load onto the blog, so a HUGE formatted photo might look great as it comes off the camera, but if the pixels are too many, or the size is too huge, or the resolution is too high – it can really lock up some people’s systems ((Yes there are loads still on dial up or other slow connections)) and I have to take time to edit everything down.

If you are sending me photos and you want them on the blog, IF YOU CAN ((I understand that not everyone knows how, and this should in no way stop you from sending photos! Send them as you are able!)) please crop, edit and save your photos, trying to have them no larger than 250mg each – with the largest side of the photo measuring preferably no longer than 11” and set your resolution on the photo to 72dpi. It really helps. I usually save my photos on a "medium" setting instead of hi-res. That helps too.

With that said --- let the sharing and showing begin!

Jean sent a photo of her gorgeous Orca Bay variatioin:

She writes:

Bonnie -

I have been a fan for a long time and enjoye reading your blog so much. Thank you for sharing your time and talent so freely! I have finally finished the top of my Orca Bay, which I call Fall Fantastique.

I was so pleased with it, that I wanted to share it with you! I am attaching a picture. This is the first mystery that I have been brave enough to do and I am so glad that I persevered through those moments of self doubt about color selection.

I wanted to do your mystery, but also wanted to be different, so I selected a color scheme based upon the floral fabric that is now part of the border. There were so many 'oh, what have I done moments', but it turned out beautifully. Now it is percolating while I try to figure out how to quilt it. Thanks again for such a wonderful and challenging mystery!!

Look at those colors and how they all stem from her border print….SO PRETTY!!

Orca Bay is now featured in my new book release String Fling which should be out in July. Click here to view the other quilts in the book!

Beth Ann sent in a picture of her “Florabunda” aka Jacob’s Ladder done in just TWO fabrics --- look how different this looks! I love how you can change a pattern around so much and make it look completely different just by fabric/value choices:

She writes:

HI Bonnie

This is my version of "Florabunda". I call it Paws Abound. We had just adopted a deaf/sight impaired great dane. I had purchased the fabric with the little paw prints on it with the thought of making a quilt to celebrate "Hennessy" coming into our lives.

I was pondering the pattern when you posted Florabunda and I knew it was just what I was looking for.

Thank you for your great patterns and all that you share. I look forward to your blog posts every day.

A deaf AND sight impared GREAT DANE?! Holy moly! That big puppy is going to get so much love, and you will get so much in return. Kudos to you for taking this special animal into your home and your heart.

And of course, the quilt is so great and graphic too --- love it!

Laura is next up with her Star Struck Quilt:

Hi Bonnie,

I really enjoyed meeting you and the class. I finished my Star Struck quilt and have another in the works as my scraps accumulate, but here is my finished quilt:

I used a new to me batting and I was very pleased with it—Quilter’s Green batting by Quilter’s Dream Batting. This quilt prevented 24 – 2 liter soda bottles from getting to a land fill. It feels, weighs and drapes like 100% cotton. Since this was a scrap quilt, why not use a batting made from recycled material? I was wary of it, but I am totally impressed by this. It’s a huge decision to take one of your quilts that you have worked so hard at and try something you are not sure of, but they did a fab job at developing this batting. I will use it again.

I just have the label to go on and it isn’t one due to a quirk of my printer—Had it all ready to print, did a quick print to make sure my printer fabric was loaded correctly and it just decided to turn the two labels 90° when I clicked to print the final version. So, it printed only half of the label (I used a 5 ½ x 8 ½ piece of printer fabric). Makes me want to chuck the printer when you consider how expensive that fabric is! I’ll get that reprinted and sewn on soon.

Either way, it’s an awesome pattern and the result is so striking if you are a scrappy quilt lover (and I am!). I just wish I was able to get more finished every year. {{sigh}} Thank you again for a great class and a wonderful day.

Fondly, Laura

Has anyone else tried the green recycled batting? I’m thinking it would be great for run around drag around quilts, but there is always that “overhanging” reminder about “not to be used for children’s sleepwear, or that poly battings melt and burn to skin, where cotton just turns to ash --- I don’t want to start a whole flame thing – I am just curious as to some nicely stated opinions and observations. Laura, your quilt is lovely!

Next up is Iris’s Cathedral Star! Irish was in one of the classes I taught in Germany last year –such a sweet lady!

I love the aquas and the blues & yellows together!

She writes:

Dear Bonnie,
these are pictures from the quilt, which you teach us last year in Schönaich.
I learnt a lot of you.
Thanks for all and
many Grüßle, Iris Summer, Böblingen

Thanks for sharing your photo, Iris!

Next up from Annie M --- just in time for Fourth of July!

Oh, I love this! This is Scrappy Mountain Majesties in a barn raising layout! I’ve got one of these underway with smaller blocks and recycled plaids and stripes ---this makes me want to get it back out and start working on it again!

Annie writes:

Dear Bonnie,

Here’s the sample I made from your Scrappy Mountain Majesties instructions on your website. This will go to American Hero Quilts, for one of our wounded veterans. Thanks to your kind permission, I’ll use it as a backdrop to present your pattern to my quilt group making charity quilts.

Annie M, Vashon Island, WA

Judith F has been busy building her mountains into lanterns. Look!

She writes:

Just want to thank you so much for providing your method to make this version of the Scrappy Mountain Block.

Judith

Don’t you love these colors? What a great way to purpose a pile of 8.5” squares! and I Love the lavender/periwinkle border framing it all….NICE JOB!!

Bonnie R has been busy “Playing With Jacks!”

She writes:

My granddaughter had made a quilt and gave me a couple of baggies with leftover 2.5" & 3" blocks in them. I looked through your site and found this pattern. It worked perfectly.

My younger brother, age 68, has been diagnosed with lung cancer (never smoked, drank, always exercised, ate healthy). He has a 10-15% chance of being alive in 5 years. He is trying to be one of the few that beat it so is having chemo now. This quilt will be for him to snuggle under during chemo.

Thank you for posting this pattern. I have put it to good use.

Bonnie R in sunny, warm Loreto Mexico leaving for the USA on Monday.

I love her addition of sashings, and how the center chain squares of each block change block to block…like a trapped rainbow! Great job! My heartfelt wishes for your brother and your family ----I’m sure he is loving his quilt!

Karen F sent along pics of her Pineapple Blossom!

Don’t you love what she did with the border? What a great quilt – and I really like quilts that don’t have to end symmetrically. I like the motion that it gives!

She writes:

HI Bonnie,

Just finished my version of your Pineapple Blossom quilt that's posted on your web site. Want to thank you for all of the wonderful patterns and for teaching me how to manage my stash into useable chaos ;o). I love your website and actually have it as my home page so as not to miss out on any new postings!

The pineapple blossom in the photos is a wedding gift for my niece and her fiancé, to be married next Saturday, May 12 - finished just in time! I set it 7 blocks x 8 blocks and then added the borders and it ended up larger than I bargained for - 90" x 100". But I am very pleased with the results and really wish I didn't have to give it away! Oh well, on to my next project..........Four Patch and Furrows from my leaders and enders!

Close up of quilting

Thanks again for your wonderful ideas - I have learned so much from your site!

Karen – thanks for sharing! 90 X 100 uses a LOT of scraps! I tend to usually shoot for between full/queen on most of my quilts just because that is what the design wants to call for, and if I have the fabric to do the job, GO FOR IT!

And because it’s time for me to get myself in gear and get over to where my workshop is this morning --- let’s do a big finale with Salli’s Ocean Waves! Look at this, you guys!!

Sally writes:

Bonnie, You are right, this Ocean Waves pattern is not for the faint of heart. I started on Jan. 1,2012, worked about 9 hours a day, 7 days a week. Finished the top on March 31, 2012. for a charitable auction on April 21,2012. I used the 1.5" half square triangles on a roll (I had a couple rolls on hand), Kona Snow for the background, and 210 different prints from my 1930's stash. It is a fun quilt to make, I had to make sure my seams were consistently 1/4" and the same print weren't next to each other.

I had it quilted with an all-over feather pattern and used Warm and White batting.

I have been donating a quilt to this charity for 18 years now. This one brought in $3.000.00!

Thank you for your great pattern,

Salli L.

PS I am starting a foundation-pieced 6" pineapple block (208 blocks) for Christmas

I don’t know about you --- but I am excited and inspired and raring to sew after seeing these gorgeous quilts!

I wish you all a great Monday – it looks a bit rainy out there this morning here in Fairborn, OH --- but it’s a perfect day to be in quilting our brains out!