Blogger's Quilt Festival (NE Oregon)

I am entering Cuddly Critters into the Baby Quilt category in the Blogger's Quilt Festival held and hosted by Amy's Creative Side.  Thank you Amy for hosting this festival.

My husband and I retired in 2009, sold our house, and have been traveling in our motorhome with four cats.  I still manage to get in some quilting time.

Thanks to the internet and emails, I am able to keep up with all my friends and co-workers.  This includes my one and only student intern.  Recently, she sent me the good news that she and her husband were expecting their first child.  I knew the exact quilt I wanted to make for their little one. 

42x42 inches

This pattern is a perfect cuddly quilt for her baby with four little critters hugging stars. Actually, the name in the magazine is "Starbear Friends", but I like Cuddly Critters better.

All the embroidery and appliqué is done by hand.

close-up of kitty's eye

Ready for the quilt. 

It is a challenge to live and travel full-time in our motorhome.  Space is limited, so the quilt moved around the motorhome as it progressed.  From the dining room table...

The Hugs Squad shift change

....to outside...especially when there is a lovely view on a gorgeous day.

...to our front window on a folding table....Nothing gets between me and my quilting!

   

Here are some close-ups of all four Cuddly Critters.....

bear

dog

raccoon

cat

and one of the waiting couple!  Such a sweet family photo!  Thanks you two ~ for letting me post your picture.  I cannot wait to see photos of  the little one.  hint! hint!

Baby due mid-May....about now

Want to see some more beautiful quilts?  Please click on the link below.  Thanks for stopping by!  If you leave a comment, I will be happy to return the favor.

Blogger's Quilt Festival

So, if you will excuse me, I am off to do some blog hopping!
Happy Quilting!

Babies, Bears, And So Much More (Benson, AZ)

Travel Day!  We are on our way to the Phoenix/Mesa area.  It will be a new area for us to explore.  Maybe, I'll have some nice photos for my next post.  In the meantime, I posted some photos of my recent quilts.

On The Cutting Board

Cuddly Critters is done!  I'm so happy with the way this one came out.  Such a cute pattern.  I might have to make another one....someday.  This quilt is going to a very special friend.  She and I worked together for many years.  I miss our talks and how the two of us could brainstorm to get projects done.  She and her DH are expecting their first  baby.  I'm so excited for them and I wish them all the best!

Cuddly Critters

Kitty

Puppy

Raccoon

and Bear

I appliqued these Sunbonnet Babies a long time ago.  It is time to get this one done.  I don't know why I decided to do the blocks on-point since I'm not very good with this layout, so I kept putting them away.  On-point quilts have always been a challenge for me.  I don't know why, but the other day I suddenly decided that I could do this.  I pulled out a special ruler just for on-point blocks and read the instructions.  

 Surprised that it sounded easier than I had previously thought - I decided to give this ruler a try.  I'm happy with the results, but I need to dig through my stash to add a border.  The quilt is only 35 inches wide.  I like to make all my donated quilts at least 40 inches wide.  More to cuddle, right?

Happy Quilting!

White Dove of the Desert (Benson, AZ)

We spent one fine day driving south of Tucson on Hwy. 19.

I have been wanting to see the "White Dove of the Desert" - the Mission San Xavier del Bac.

A National Historic Landmark founded in 1692 by Father Eusebio Kino.  The Catholic church we visit today was finished in 1797.  I can see this place has been lovingly maintained.

I found this door handle on the outside was made into a snake very interesting.  The handle inside this door was even more interesting with a snake and a mouse.  I tried to get a photo, but it was too dark.

The church still holds mass and ministers to the local parishioners.  I love the scalloped backings on the pews/benches.  They show wear from years of people's hands sliding across them.

I love the shape and murals of this ceiling.

The building is the oldest intact European structure in Arizona.

Inside we can view the original statuary and mural paintings.  Absolutely gorgeous work  There's so much detail it would take me several days just to view all the artwork.

Outside the church, there were a few vendors selling food.  It has been a long time since we have had a good Indian Taco.

This is just as good as it looks with fresh veggies, green chili and beans....yum!  The bread was crispy but not filled with oil.

There were several friendly dogs wandering around the area.  This one was taking a moment to rest before he started begging again.

 

Dan had quite a few friends while eating his taco.  You should have seen the birds that were lined up on the seat near him.  "Come on, Mister!  Throw us some bread!"

We also had several of these little gopher? ground dog? watching us.  This one stood in the same spot the whole time we were eating.  I don't think he was begging....just keeping his eye on us.

On The Cutting Board

With more bad weather, I got started on three quilt bindings.  Oh, the bottom purple one is for my granddaughter's quilt!  I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  I have one and a half borders left to quilt.  Doing freestyle design - should I put a flower here or a leaf? - has been a lot more fun that the straight line quilting.

I also quilted the two small quilts on my machine.  I just need to add the binding and they will be done! 

Well, I hear the projects calling my name.....

Happy Quilting!

A Half-Stitched Post (Patagonia, AZ)

We are down to our last two weeks here.  As usual, time just flies by.  Four months gone...gosh, where does it go?  I started doing some spring cleaning for our upcoming travels.  Today, I tackled the windows on the outside.  I plan to wait to do the insides after we move to Benson, AZ.  That way I can clean out all the Mesquite leaves and twigs from the window's rims for good.

During one of our walks, I stopped to wait for Dan to change out the wildlife camera.  While standing on Railroad trail, I noticed strange bumps on the bottom side of a limb.  I got closer to see the bumps were shells of bugs.  I thought it was pretty interesting the way they were lined up on the bottom side with none scattered along the top.

Mr. Screech Owl has been spending more time outside enjoying the sunshine when it is available.  Not too many photos of wildlife today.  I have been spending more time around the motorhome and office. 

The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club by Wanda E Brunstetter

This was a quick and easy read...well, except for the times I could not see because I needed tissues and none were available in the office.  I sure hope the visitors thought I had allergies, so keep a box of tissues handy towards the end of the story.  I'm not going to say much because I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I can say I enjoyed reading this book.

What's more scarier than offering a beginner's quilting class and having no one show up?  Having the most mismatched group of people sign up for your class!  That's what Amish widow Emma Yoder faces on her first day teaching a quilting class in her home.  Walking into her sewing room, she is greeted by a troubled young woman dressed all in black, a marriage-in-trouble couple, a young widowed father with his nine month old baby girl, a tattooed on-probation biker and a preacher's troubled wife.  So begins a very interesting human story with hopes that friendship and quilting will bind together this diverse group of people with a lot of Bible quotes and discussions of/about God.  Not as much quilting as I had hoped for, but it was a good read.  No sex or swearing.

On The Cutting Board

The raccoon and kitty's faces are done.  The bear is almost done and that will leave the dog.  I'm trying a different way to applique the faces to the quilt.  I usually applique the pieces to the top so the picture comes together on the quilt.

This time, I appliqued as much of the critter's face before I add them to the quilt top.  I haven't decided if one technique is easier than the other.

I finally blew the dust off of two pre-cut fabric packs.  I had cut them up last summer for Project Linus quilts.  One top done and one to goooooo.

Happy Quilting!

In Pecking Order (Patagonia, AZ)

The Ladder-backed Woodpecker keeps its distance from me most of the times.  At least far enough away that I cannot get a good photo of one.  I usually see or hear them in the higher branches.  Some have even dropped bark on my head...I think they laugh at me afterwards.

Ladder-backed Woodpecker - female

This female surprised me by landing in a branch hanging over the trail and a big plus - in the sun.  Yea!  I finally got a few good shots of her while she looked for food.

......and I stayed out of range of the flying bark too.

I like watching the different woodpeckers, but there are times when they can be very annoying especially the Gila Woodpecker.  Recently, I had to replace my hummingbird feeder because a Gila decided the plastic flowers were in his way, soooo he pecked them off which lead to drowning several honey bees as they climbed inside to get more sugar water.  I was an unhappy camper about the drown bees, so I found a metal feeder.  NOW, the Gila can peck all he wants!  That flower is not coming off.

same photo from last post - Gila Woodpecker

What got me started on the woodpeckers?  Well, yesterday our gate sensor that announces the arrival of visitors started going crazy.  ding-dong! ding-dong!  We looked out - no car...no person....hmmm......Dan walked out to the gate to see if there were birds or an animal hanging around the sensor.  Yep, you guessed it.  The Gila was pecking away at the lens of the sensor and poked a couple of holes into it!  Goodness, Mother Nature can be a challenge and entertaining at times!  LOL!

On The Cutting Board
When I'm not chasing woodpeckers through the woods, I am busy getting some needlework done on the Cuddly Critters quilt.

The paws and ears are ready to applique, but I need to applique the raccoon's mask and add three muzzles to faces before I add them to the quilt top.

Embroidering the eyes was quite a job!  I should have ignored the instructions and appliqued the eyes.  Oh well, they are all done now.

When I need a break from the applique, I have been getting quite a bit done on the embroidery squares.  The designs are very tiny.  If I decide to make another set, I am going to enlarge them!

I have eight blocks done....

....and...okay, I don't think I'll count the ones I have left to do.  There seems to be quite a few left, but I don't mind.  It is a nice change of pace to sit and embroider these cuties.

Happy Quilting!