#BFTPqal Week 2

Welcome to week 2 of The Blocks From the Past Quilt Along!

(If you would like to post this button to your blog, feel free to use this graphic and here is the link address to use with it- http://myquiltdiet.blogspot.com/2015/01/blocks-from-past-qal.html)

Did you get your book yet?  I am loving mine :)

This weeks official post is over at Natalie's blog  natalie-ever-after.blogspot.com. (more HERE)

She will be sharing hints and tips about fabric selection and the yardage requirements.

I have decided to use all of my colorful solid scraps for this project. They are all of the colors from the rainbow. I have also decided to use various shades of grey for the background. (I AM SUPER EXCITED)

My official blog posts come later, but each Monday, I will share my progress :)

I have decided on my layout.  I am going to do things a little differently than the book suggest.  I am going to enlarge 3 of the applique blocks to 18" and 7 more the of applique blocks to 12".  The rest of the blocks will remain 6".  I do have to add 3 more 6" blocks, which I am excited about :)

Barbie, over at thequiltingmill.blogspot.com also has different plans for her layout. She is making hers into a medallion. It is going to be AMAZING!!!

Here are the blocks that I have completed this week.

 Carrie Nation

Duck and Ducklings

Eagle

Happy Quilting!!!

Click HERE to go back to the Schedule Post. Be sure to tag your progress on Instagram with #BFTPqal.  You can also join our Flickr group HERE.

And for extra fun, be sure to link up :)

An InLinkz Link-up

The EPIC Cradles

Because my husband is as crazy as I am, he had to make his new grand babies cradles!

Bennett's mommy requested a more traditional style cradle fashioned after a cradle that she saw at a  colonial fair.

For baby Olivia, my husband decided to surprise her parents with an amazing Super Mario Brothers style cradle.

He and painted the whole thing and really hit the nail on the head.

The babies (and parents) love their special presents from grandpa!

PS- BE SURE TO STOP BY AND CHECK OUT MY #BFTPqal!  SUPER FUN!!!  CLICK HERE!

Christmas Notebooks

For a quick gift for Christmas, a covered notebook is perfect!

This one was for our modern guilds Christmas swap!

These two were for my boys teachers :)

I sure hope they all liked them!  I sure love mine!

(yes! Someday, I will do a tutorial for you! ;))

***CLICK FOR THE TUTORIAL HERE!!!***

PS- BE SURE TO STOP BY AND CHECK OUT MY #BFTPqal!  SUPER FUN!!!  CLICK HERE!

Karen's Quilts for Christmas

(I got a new laptop for Christmas so I can finally blog again :))

Just before Christmas, I received a special custom quilt order from a dear friend whose mother (Karen) passed away a few years ago.  I have made two other quilts for this special family.

(You can read about the other quilts I have made for Karen's husband and son HERE & HERE)

This time the quilts were to be made for Karen's three daughters.

I finished them back in December.

This beauty was made for Chrisann, my dear friend.

It, like all of the rest, are made from Karen's clothes.

Each quilt has a special label for each daughter.

This quilt is my favorite and is for Heidi.

The red and white are so perfect together.

All of the quilting was done by the AMAZING Stacy Simmons.

This cheerful quilt is for Jenn.

Many of these clothes were worn in Karen's last few weeks of life.

It is always such a special privileged to make a quilt for someone out of their loved ones clothes. 

 I really cherish the opportunity!

PS- BE SURE TO STOP BY AND CHECK OUT MY #BFTPqal!  SUPER FUN!!!  CLICK HERE!

Blocks from the Past QAL

Guess what???  We are going to do a QAL to start the new year off right ;)

(If you would like to post this button to your blog, feel free to use this graphic and here is the link address to use with it- http://myquiltdiet.blogspot.com/2015/01/blocks-from-past-qal.html)

Natalie, over at natalie-ever-after.blogspot.com and I are going to be hosting a sampler QAL over the next six months with several of our AMAZING quilting friends!

A while back, our friend April found this old quilting book at a yard sale.  She thought it would make a fun project to update into more modern fabrics and colors.  We TOTALLY agree!

So, you may be asking yourself, how can you join us in all of this 2015 Sampler fun???  Well, here is how!

First off, get a copy of the book, Teach Yourself Blocks from the Past by Marie Henry.  It is available from many online stores.  The publisher is working on getting a PDF version of this book available soon.  We will post the link as soon as it is ready :)

Next, you just need to follow the schedule below!  These amazing quilters will share their secrets and tips for putting these blocks together in their favorite way.

Each week there will be one applique block and two pieced blocks.  You will see in the schedule, the date, page number of the three blocks for the week and the name of the quilter and her blog address/link.

Week 1 Jan 5 Intro to QAL and Schedule (Marion) myquiltdiet.blogspot.com

Week 2 Jan 12 Fabric requirements (Natalie) natalie-ever-after.blogspot.com

Week 3 January 19 p, 8,9,60 (Natalie) natalie-ever-after.blogspot.com

Week 4 January 26 p.10, 11, 61 (Konda) moosequilts.com/blog

Week 5 February 2 p. 13,14,62 (Marion) myquiltdiet.blogspot.com

Week 6 Feb 9 p. 15,16,63 (Machelle) myquiltdiet.blogspot.com

Week 7 February 16 p. 17,18,65 (April) april-makingendsmeet.blogspot.com

Week 8 February 23 p. 19,20,66 (Terry) natalie-ever-after.blogspot.com

Week 9 March 2 p. 21,22,67 (Ginny) myquiltdiet.blogspot.com

Week 10 March 9 p. 23,24,68 (Maggie) shortcookie.blogspot.com

Week 11 March 16 p. 25,26,69 (Natalie) Natalie-ever-after.blogspot.com

Week 12 March 23 p. 27,28,70 (Barbie) thequiltingmill.blogspot.com

Week 13 March 30 p. 29,30,72 (Tiffany) Sewinsomethin.blogspot.com

Week 14 April 6 p. 33,34,74 (Maggie) shortcookie.blogspot.com

Week 15 April 13 p. 35,36,75 (Natalie) natalie-ever-after.blogspot.com

Week 16 April 20 p. 37,39,76 (Katie) ocouss.blogspot.com

Week 17 April 27 p. 40,41,77 (Marion) myquiltdiet.blogspot.com

Week 18 May 4 p. 42,43,78 (Barbie) thequiltingmill.blogspot.com

Week 19 May 11 p. 44,45,79 (Konda) moosequilts.com/blog

Week 20 May 18 p. 46,47,80 (Machelle)  cherrytreecottagequilts.blogspot.com

Week 21 May 25 p. 48,49,81 (Stacy) Sewnicetocreate.blogspot.com

Week 22 June 1 p. 50,51,82 (Barbie) thequiltingmill.blogspot.com

Week 23 June 8 p. 53, 83, 91(Natalie) natalie-ever-after.blogspot.com

Week 24 June 15 p. 55,84,92  (Tiffany) Sewinsomethin.blogspot.com

Week 25 June 22 p. 56, 86, 93 (Marion) myquiltdiet.blogspot.com

Week 26 June 29 p. 87,88,94 (Katie) ocouss.blogspot.com

Week 27 July 6 Sashing and setting (Natalie) natalie-ever-after.blogspot.com

Week 28 July 13  Wrap up (Marion) myquiltdiet.blogspot.com

We can't wait to see your progress.  Be sure to tag your progress on Instagram with #BFTPqal.  You can also join our Flickr group HERE.

Christmas Stockings for the Grandbabies

When we first were married, I crocheted stockings for our little family.  It soon became a tradition in my family that when ever one of my siblings got married, I made stockings for their families too. 

 Now that my children are having children, it appears that I will be making stockings

 for a long long time ;)

This purple and white one is for our sweet baby Olivia.

Baby Bennett's is just like his dads, only a little smaller  :)

No matter how hard I try, the stockings are never the same size ;)

These two are pretty close to the same size ;)  Yee Haw!

PS- BE SURE TO STOP BY AND CHECK OUT MY #BFTPqal!  SUPER FUN!!!  CLICK HERE!

Santa Babies

(For those of you new to my blog, my two oldest daughters had babies the week before Thanksgiving.  One girl, Olivia and one boy, Bennett.)

Of course!  They had to have pictures taken in Santa suits!

Olivia is not really feeling it!

It's getting a little worse.

....and a little worse!

She has had it!

Bennett, on the other hand, could care less ;)

 

  Snoozing under the tree.

(we love his mustache binky)

 

Photo Shoot Sequence

Aunt Katie to the rescue!

"Ah!  Finally that silly outfit is off so I can take a nap!"

A binky and some friends from my uncle Mac.

Out cold!

Gingerbread "House" Traditions

Every year we make gingerbread houses with the cousins!

My boys are very creative and usually make some other cool thing.

This is a helicopter, candy style.

My eleven year old made a tank with cinnamon bears holding candy cane rifles.

My 13 year old made a rickety haunted house with candy strings all over it. 

(the candy thread is really hard to see)

We love this tradition :)