From Fodder To Flimsy

It's a flimsy!

Happy Blocks

42.5 x 42.5

Fodder - n. raw material, as for artistic creation.

This month the theme in my sewing space to move things forward is "strings, crumbs and fodder".

A long time ago someone gave me some frames for 10 Happy Blocks - two 5 inch pieces and two 9 inch pieces of matching fabric.  I've kept the pieces in a baggie and decided I should empty that baggie. I decided I needed 25 blocks in pinks and blues for a small comfort quilt. 

I looked through my 2.5 inch width scraps for frames for 15 more blocks. 

Fodder

Then I looked through my 5 inch squares and 5 inch width strip pieces for center squares. 

Then I made blocks. 

And assembled a top. 

And sew on...

***

If it isn't one thing it's another. 

Our mailbox and the neighbor's mailbox were run over by something big last night. I picked the mailboxes up out of the ditch and left the neighbor's box near the posts. I put their very wet mail that was also in the ditch back in their mailbox and went into town very early this morning (6 am) to get a new mailbox and post. 

Happy Flowers

Happy Blocks

Aka Framed Squares

with flowers

8.5 inch finished

I now have reached my goal of 63 blocks. I have been making blocks off and on for over a year with floral scraps.

I emptied out the big shoe box with block centers and floral scrap chunks for the frames. The complete block set will now go into my SAR (Some Assembly Required) bin. 

And sew on...

Finished OR NOT Finished Friday at Alicia Quilts

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Once again I had to replace my husband's G-tube. Thank goodness it was not as traumatic an event for me as the first time! I am really not nurse material! 

***

We are still having beautiful weather. I dug more potatoes and carrots and stopped to smell the roses. 

Another Finish

 

It's a finish!

Happy Blocks or Framed Squares

42 x 54

This is what I call a "Pieces and Parts" quilt. In 2024 I received a baggie with 22 blocks and pieces cut for a few more. I found some scraps to use to make more blocks and in Dec. 2024 I completed the block set and put the set away in my SAR (Some Assembly Required) bin. 

In March of this year I assembled the top.

I quilted it on my sewing machine with horizontal and vertical lines. 

The quilts I have been finishing this month will go to Wrap-A-Smile 

and Quilts Beyond Borders. 

I pieced the backing.

And sew on...

***

Oh joy!

The weather has been beautiful the last couple of days. I have been quilting for a bit in the early morning hours then head out to work in and enjoy the gardens the rest of the day. It has even been cool enough for me to resume big stitch hand quilting on my Soul Searching in the Rose Garden quilt for a few minutes in the evening after dinner and before bed. I usually wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep so end up reading for awhile but the last two nights I have slept through the night. 

Four Finishes

Four Finishes

I think that now I am at the end of my April quilting marathon. 

Katie's Crumbs II

44 x 59.5

This is the second quilt I made from 9.5 inch finished crumb blocks I received last year from Katie. 

Someone else had sent me a box with cuts of 2.5 inch strips of different striped fabrics. I picked the black multicolor stripes for the sashing for this quilt. 

I quilted it on my sewing machine with swirls.

I found enough pieces of different tan fabrics in the leftover binding box for a scrappy binding. 

The backing is a mottled blue. I bought a bolt of it on clearance from Marshall Dry Goods so I could use it as backing for many of the kid's quilts I want to get finished and donated.  I prefer busier fabrics so my quilting wobbles blend in but so it goes...

Orphan Vernon

44 x 60

Vernon is an orphan block quilt.  For this one I used 8 inch finished blocks and I think all of them were given to me.  I put this set of busy blocks in the center and surrounded it with a border of black so the blocks would stand out and you could see that together they formed some secondary patterns.

I finished the top in December 2024.

I also quilted this one on my sewing machine with swirls.

The scrappy black binding came from the leftover binding box. 

And again I used the mottled blue on the back.

Happy Rainbows

42.5 x 51

Someone sent me some sets of 2.5 inch strips that were perfect for Happy Blocks with 5 inch centers. 

I used tone on tone scraps in all colors of the rainbow for the 5 inch centers. When I ran out of strip sets that were sent to me I used some rainbow fabrics I had on hand for the rest. 

I quilted it on my sewing machine with horizontal and vertical lines. 

I had a piece of multicolor batik just the right length for the back. I used a blue scrap chunk for the binding. 

Orphan Archibald

40 x 60

I used green 12 inch finished orphan blocks I received from others for this quilt. 

I mentioned previously that a box with some different  2.5 inch striped strips was sent to me so I pulled out some green/white striped ones to use as the sashing for this one.  This quilt was also quilted with swirls. 

It has a mottled green back and a leafy green binding. 

Now it is ready for donation to Wrap-A-Smile.  There has recently been an urgent call for quilts because there are more upcoming Rotaplast missions than prevously anticipated. That's a good thing.

"Rotaplast International, Inc. is committed to helping children and families worldwide by eliminating the burden of cleft lip and/or palate, burn scarring, and other deformities. Working with local professionals, Rotarians, and other organizations, Rotaplast sends multidisciplinary medical teams to provide free reconstructive surgery, ancillary treatment, and training for the comprehensive care of these children." Wrap-A-Smile provides each child undergoing surgery with a quilt. 

I have donated quilts to Wrap-A-Smile since 2013 (I think) and every once in awhile it is fun to spot a quilt I made with a child. I just added a page at the top of my blog with pics of kids around the world with a quilt I've made. 

If you are interested in donating quilts to Wrap-A-Smile (WAS) please read the WAS Guidelines and WAS Shipping Info.  Or you can email me and I'll be happy to answer your questions. 

Just an FYI - I ship through Pirate Ship for significant cost savings. 

The latest Rotaplast mission is taking place in Luxor, Egypt. You can see an explanation of the mission and patients with a few quilts in the April 14 Rotaplast blog post - The Patient's Journey. 

And sew on...

Finished Or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

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REMEMBER, TREASURE, GROW, READ (my words of the year)

I love this time of year when something new seems to pop up every day in one of my gardens. 

Tulips 

Bleeding Heart

It is just so amazing that a flower could be shaped like a heart.

I have different kinds of Daffodils here, there and everywhere. I like them because they don't seem to be bothered by any of the critters that run wild around here. 

I have 5 different types of miniature Daffodils planted in this area along with some other bulbs. I've been working on naturalizing this area along the pathway  down to the woods. 

A close up of one of those varieties.

This is another area with white miniature Daffodils. On the far left is the peach tree that has been slowly dying. On the ground is an old piece of mulberry that fell along time ago into this garden area marked out with now overgrown stone paths. It used to be a sunny area but now it is shaded by some wild mulberry trees that have grown up along the fence line to the right.  When that mulberry limb fell quite a long time ago hubby was too sick to help me get it out of there so I removed what I could and then decided what ws left might make a nice place to sit for a bit. So I made a cushion I can bring with me if I feel like siting there because the first time I sat on that log I got ants in my pants.   So, anyway, this area is now a shade garden Over the years I've moved what needed full sun and have been slowly adding shade loving plants ever since. 

Here's a close up of a bunch of mini daffs and fritilarria. 

I think it is amazing that a flower can have a checkered pattern. 

Virginia Bluebells are now in bloom.

Species or Wild Tulips in bloom in the fairy garden.

These are also Fritillaria except they are a white variety.

Violets grow wild everywhere around here. Usually they are all purple but this llittle patch has some purple and white ones.  

This Fritillaria could not decide if it wanted to be white or checkered.