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Saturday, March 30, 2019

A Crabapple kind of Scrappy Day!


It’s the season for Spring Blossoms!

And oh, are we ever ready!

The weather has been lovely in Louisiana.  Even the wind is blowing a bit warmer.  You can feel a difference in the movement of the air around you.

March is on its way out – April is just a few days away.

Can you feel it? It’s coming in like a lamb as March blows out like a Lion.


Don’t they all look studious?  LOL!

My least favorite table set up really – it makes it extremely difficult to get around and through and help folks at the far end of any row because you have to go all the way around.  But this is the way it worked best with the electrical, and I get it!  It takes some pretty funky table arranging to get the power distributed evenly.  We can handle ANYTHING.

I much prefer tables back to back, with people on each side in “quads” or “pods” so that folks are not staring at the back of anyone’s head – I’ve also had tables in a horse shoe kind of arrangement where I am the “teacher in the middle” but can reach anyone at any time because I can get to them.

Whatever the arrangement – we were hear to work on a project that hasn’t seen the light of day in a while, and with spring in the air, these delightfully colorful trees made me smile.  I remember how much I love making them!  Maybe a fresh, springy more contemporary version is on my horizon?  You’ll find the pattern for Crabapples in my book Adventures with Leaders & Enders.  It’s in the Quiltville Store at the low, low price of $19.99.  Do you have a copy tucked back on a shelf somewhere? It’s been in print for 10 years now!


Pressing out the strip sets and sub-cutting!


Oh Sew Many Strip Sets!

The tree bases are paper pieced – simple with only 3 seams, but the checkerboard tops take a lot of variety and some time to make.  It was a tree tops in the morning, bottoms in the afternoon kind of day -

Short strip sets are key when it comes to getting enough different things going on.  And it is really fun to swap half-strip-sets with neighbors to build even MORE scrappy going on.


Looking good here!!


Way to spin those seams, girlfriend!


Checking trunk placement!


Oh yes, these make me happy!

Trees with LEAFY tree tops!  SPRING!


Pooling everyone’s blocks for a sample layout!

Click to Play:


I really DO love these trees! No triangles at all - and paper piecing that base is SO simple with great results!


Grabbing a bite with teaching peeps!

We had a couple of hours before we had to return to the Harbor Center for the evening activities with the Gulf States Quilting Association, so we headed over to The Blind Tiger for some yummy eats on the outdoor patio. 

Right now I’m laughing because I never saw the guy in the background standing on the deck photobombing us.  LOL!  I’m sure he though we were a bit nuts.  But these gals are really fun and I’ve had a great time being able to connect with other instructors over the past couple of venues.  Nancy Mahoney, trying to be seen over the top of my head in the back was also with me in Pigeon Forge last week.  I’ve really enjoyed getting extended Nancy time! I have always admired her – we do love so many of the same things when it comes to scrappy quilts!

Speaking of photo bomb – check THIS ONE OUT!


Oh, DEER!!

From @lydiaquilts - Yesterday as I was cruising Central Texas for the @bluebonnet_shop_hop I stopped to take a picture of my On Ringo Lake quilt top and this deer startled and delighted my daughter and I as she photo bombed our shot.

Isn’t that just amazing!  It was the first thing I saw this morning in my feed, and it is starting my day off with a huge smile and a sense of delighted wonder as I head off to ONE MORE WORKSHOP here in Louisiana – it’s  Box Kite Day from the Addicted to Scraps book!

We are getting closer to the tie when I will draw the two winners for this month’s Quilty Box gift-away.  Hurry up and get your entry in!  Did you see it?  Enter to win ON THAT POST.



Quiltville Quote of the Day.

Vintage grandmother's flower garden quilt shared during yesterday's workshop.

Sometimes we need to guard our conversations.

Are we talking about our problems more than we are our blessings?

Turn it around, the blessings are everywhere!

Have a wonderful Saturday, friends!


8 comments:

  1. I'd never heard of Marie Kondo until your blog. Then I read her book. Now I have to apologize to my sewing room every morning and my socks still aren't speaking to me!!! Hope that made you laugh. Enjoy your blog very much. Marilyn Marks

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  2. I can't believe Leaders and Enders is 10 years old! It changed the way I sew everything!
    Love the deer photo bomb!

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  3. Love the quote! And the picture of the deer photobombing makes me even more excited for our trip next week to the Texas Hill Country - wildflower season here I come! And a mini shop hop of my own to two of my favorite quilt shops.

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  4. it was that very quilt done by a friend from Leaders & Enders that introduced you and your methods to me... about maybe nine years ago... I've been hopelessly engaged with your methods and all your books ever since... Thanks for letting us know it makes a difference if we purchase from you. Cats in Carlsbad CA

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  5. This pattern is fantastic for using scraps. Love it. I need to get busy. :)

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  6. I saw that picture on Alicia's blog and just loved it! I'm glad she got it to you. Truly amazing to have your quilt photo shoot photo-bombed by a deer! I must say, her photo-bomber is much more eye-catching than yours!!!

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  7. I have to buy this book, I've been collecting scraps for a while as I thought they would make great charity quilts. I have seen so many quilts that I want to make!

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  8. Beautiful Quote of the day, Bonnie!

    Enjoy your down/off time!

    Donna
    Kasilof, AK

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