Chris' Pineapple Blossom

This quilt was inspired by Chris Mueller, #18 Milwaukee Admirals and #53 Nashville Predators. Chris is one of those players that moves freely between the AHL and NHL as needed and he wears a different number depending on which team he is playing with at the time.

Chris is a graduate of Michigan State University whose school colors are green and white. I pieced this back in October 2010. I was debating if I should make more blocks or perhaps add a border to increase the size but at 48 x 60, it passes muster at the minimum (45 x 60) for most donation quilts. I decided to quilt it up, bind and be done with this UFO. (and y'all thought I didn't have UFO's~I just don't blog about them! :) )

pattern source: Bonnie Hunter Pineapple Blossom (like I had to tell y'all!) but I did use 2.5 inch green strips so the block finishes at 12 inches.

quilting source: Trailing Vine from Willow Leaf Studio. I love quilting this panto on any green quilt. :)

bias binding tip: Buzzville.com (here) I simply did the math for length needed then cut and sewed the rectangle as directed. I deviated from the instructions a little bit as I am not a fan of the tube method for bias binding. I cut my strips on the diagonal at 2.25 inches and joined together to get the needed length.

I really like the look of diagonal striped binding. :)

Believe it or not~all from the stash!

Week #9 Stash Report

A little late but better late than never, right?!

Fabric added this week: +5 yards
Fabric added this year: +47 yards

Fabric used this week: -16 yards
Fabric used this year: -50 yards

Net fabric for the year: -3 yards (used)

What I accomplished this week:

• quilt and bound Dots and Dashes
• quilt and bound Jeff's Fish
• quilted a UFO (but not blogged!)
• fused and rough cut t*shirts

Goals for next week:

• continue work on t*shirt quilt
• bind UFO (but not blogged!)

I've Been Misbehaving...

...not only did I buy the fusible, look what else followed me home.

+5 yards. Future QOV supplies, right?!

A Finish and A Beginning

I finished the binding on the blue/orange Fish quilt. The blocks are my version of Chaos Crumb blocks, one tutorial found here. I strip piece my smaller blocks and trim to 6.5 inches. I then join 4 ~ 6.5 inch blocks together to make 12.5 inch blocks unfinished. My sashing and cornerstones are 2.5 inch cut. The fish outer border was found in the stash and was all I had left. Usually, I simply measure the length and divide by the number of strips I need to determine the width (when the print is non-directional). The fish took a little more thought and planning in order to get *everyone* swimming the right way!


The bubbles on the back. Ebb and Flow panto by Willow Leaf Studio.


The beginning of a t*shirt quilt for my niece...the one I have been putting off. I rough cut a few of the t*shirts and applied the Pellon 911 Lightweight fusible but I ran out of fusible. A trip to JAF for more fusible is in order this morning.

Let's hope I come away with just the fusible and maybe, just a little bit of fabric. lol.

WIP Wednesday

I finished the binding on Dots and Dashes today.

The pattern inspiration is here.

Quilted with Angel Wings from Willow Leaf Studio. I backed it with butterflies from the sale rack. How awesome is that?! I just love butterflies!

Week #8 Stash Report

No finishes this week and I did shop for fabric.

Fabric added this week: +11 yards
Fabric added this year: +42 yards

Fabric used this week: 0 yards
Fabric used this year: -34 yards

Net fabric for the year: + 8 yards

What I accomplished this week:

• pieced Dots and Dashes to a flimsy
• pieced FAB Birthday Gift~sorry no pictures until the Birthday FAB receives it!

Goals for next week:

• begin piecing t*shirt quilt
• quilt a quilt

My batting arrived~so I am good to go a'quilting. :)

Adding to the Stash...

...again. +11 yards.

With no batting I seem to be shopping more and piecing flimsies! I now have three of my own quilts to quilt and two from friends. The butterflies are the backing for Dots and Dashes. The other fabrics are for totally new projects.

Today, I need to finish up a FAB Birthday Gift for mailing early next week. :)

WIP Wednesday

I finished my Dots and Dash quilt top to a flimsy today.

Quilt pattern inspiration found here.

Thanks to LindaJ for naming this quilt in her comment on the previous post!

Here is a wild print I found in the cupboard~I only had 29 inches left so iiwii. I sincerely hope that my tastes in fabric have improved over the years! One purple I used has been in my stash almost 10 years~as long as I have been quilting because I recognized it from like the 4th or 5th quilt I made. LOL Time to get it out and use it up! Unfortunately, the backing is not quite enough for this top so I'm thinking I will be making a trip to the store for some backing. maybe. I'll think on it a spell. :)

A Quilty Gift

Greenmare had a give away on her blog a few days back. She then blogged that she was giving all who commented on her post a Mug Rug! How cool is that!

I thought, 'Gee, wished I would have commented' . Guess I did cuz look what cutie came in the mail from Greenmare herself! Thanks Mare, It's Awesome and So Are You!

For the mildly interested, the fabric additions from last week. Blue and green bubbles are backing for the Fishy quilt~scroll down a bit to see it. Waiting on that arrival of batting to quilt it. Pink and purple for the next quilt. Green and purple for a little pick me up. :)

Design Wall Monday

I started a new purple and pink quilt inspired by a joking Mark Santorelli. Can purple really be a guy's favorite color, I wonder?

The pattern is inspired by a quilt found here. So far, I'm not loving it. I am down to the dregs in purple (and pinks, too) but I brought more pink (and purple for sashing) last week to give the top a more cohesive look. I think with the scrappy purple blocks...scrappy pink included into the mix would have been sensory overload! Maybe I'll be liking it more once I get more blocks made and the new purple sashing sewn together.

Find more design wall inspiration at JudyL's Patchwork Times.


Well, I ought to work on *something * that is due. I made the hanging sleeve and label/pouch for the my Beanie Baby Challenge. I will sew the label/pouch and since the quilt will only hang for a short while before it is donated~safety pins to attach the hanging sleeve. The Beanie Baby Challenge quilts from the Oconomowoc Quilt Guild will hang at the Ben Franklin for the month of March 2011, I think.

Week #7 Stash Report

Almost a wash this week! I had one finish and I brought more fabric. Fabric is in the wash~will post a picture if you are mildly interested. :)

Fabric added this week: +9 yards
Fabric added this year: +31 yards

Fabric used this week: -8.5 yards
Fabric used this year: -34 yards

Net fabric for the year: -3 yards

What I accomplished this week:

• pieced, quilted and bound green/blue Bento Box
• pieced blue/orange Fishy to a flimsy

Goals for next week:

• piece and sew label/hanging sleeve onto Beanie Baby challenge
• fix photo album cover
• work on FAB birthday gift~super secret
• begin piecing next project~whatever it may be!

This next week will be a *clean up* week for me to do a few things int he sewing room that I usually put off until the last minute! ie: hanging sleeves, labels and ripping~lol. I'm out of batting so I am waiting for delivery.

Catch Up Friday

Although I haven't been posting, I have been working in the sewing room.

I finished my blue/green Bento Box. 

I wanted to have it finished for Show and Tell at guild on Thursday morning. Sound familiar?! lol

I quilted it with Ebb and Flow from Willow Leaf Studio. Fast and easy on the thread. I also thought it suited the greens and blues~kinda like water moving.








Here is what has kept me so busy! I decided to make a few chaos crumb blocks (one tutorial here) to show one possibility for the leftovers from the Bento Box above.

Well~my few blue blocks morphed into 12-12.5 inch blocks which lead me to the closet looking for orange as sashing. One male friend from the concourse at the Bradley Center (home of the Milwaukee Admirals) answered 'blue and orange' as his favorite color combination. yea. orange? go figure. In any event, I am trying to quilt outside my comfort box and use unusual~to me~color combinations. This picture is not the best but it gives you the overall idea. :)


I wasn't sure exactly *what* to use as a border so I searched 'blue and orange' on http://www.quiltshops.com/ and saw clown fish~like Finding Nemo. Hummm...I have clown fish in the closet but when I looked~no clown fish, but I did find this rather large fish print with orange fish (score!) on a dark blue background. There are also lighter blue fish to tie it all together.

Happy to report that all the fabrics for this flimsy are from the stash and in a color combination I never would have put together if it wasn't for Jeff. So Mr. Jeff~thanks for the inspiration!

Now I'm off to the store to search for a backing for my *fishy* flimsy!

Design Wall Monday

Only four blocks left to make on the next project, a blue and green Bento Box (otherwise known as a Half Log Cabin).

Week #6 Stash Report

okay...got 'things' rolling this past week with two finishes.

Fabric added this week: 0 yards
Fabric added this year: +22 yards

Fabric used this week: -14 yards
Fabric used this year: -25.5 yards

Net fabric for the year: -3.5 yards (used)

What I accomplished this week:

• bound Green Bay Packer
• pieced, quilted and bound Mock Trip Around the World

Goals for next week:

• continue work on blue/green quilt

I also need to do some more preparation work for Andreas's scrapbook. The scrap booking prep work always seems to take longer than the actual creation of the pages~go figure! oh yea~I almost forgot...I need to fix that photo album cover, which will require some ripping.

Mock Trip Around the World...

...is finished! I decided to leave it as is~with no borders. It measures about 54 x 72. A good size for cuddling underneath, for those that are less than 6 feet tall!

pattern: Mock Trip Around the World by Quilting Assistant


quilting: Happy Times by Willow Leaf Studio


Hockey fabric on the back as this color scheme of black, blue and white is inspired by members of the Milwaukee Admirals~both the front office and players.







Thank you Ads for answering my question, 'What are your favorite two colors?'

Watch for more quilts inspired by the Ads as I take 'A Color Journey with the Milwaukee Admirals'. :)

WIP Wednesday

Thanks for all the loving on the Mock Trip Around the World layout! I appreciate all the input even if I wasn't able to email you back. :)

I went with the more dramatic black center but I just may need to make another with a blue center, lol :)

Mock Trip Around the World pattern found here.

Our Snowstorm and a Finish

We have a lull in the snowstorm. About 6 inches from last night and today, later tonight another snow storm is heading Bell Creek's way. This second storm has the potential of up to 24 inches here, depending on the track. wowza!

Out the kitchen slider door. When I took this pix, the snow started blowing into the house. wowza!


My finish is the Green Bay packer quilt, well~it still needs a label. lol

The Packer backing, along with a few leftover blocks to make the backing bigger. :)

pattern source: Lyn Brown California Roll!