Pink or Green? Winner is...

The green border won, and by a huge margin, I might add.  I voted for the pink. Then, when so many 'green people' pled the case for green I gave in, and am glad I did.  The basis of the exercise in the first place was the exploration of my green stash, and using a stripe for the alternate square.  I love it. It is sweet.  Will be a nice addition to the table for Spring.  I'm not a pastel person, so this is just Springy enough.

As a side note, I machine quilted in 'pedal to the metal' fashion.  No time spent in thought of  'how to quilt', just a simple grid, edge to edge. The diagonal lines followed the diagonal of the HSTs.  Easy!  When I finished it looked like popped corn in the center of each broken dish block!  Why? Obviously I went too fast. I didn't pin as closely as I should have done.  Getting it done fast was the intent.
Now, as you see it, it is as flat as can be.  The very simple solution....spritz both sides with water and press and steam with the iron.  All the 'poof' disappeared.  If you should experience this 'poofing', please give this simple trick a try.

I have an issue with batting for the small quilts.  Recently I split a section of Hobb's Heirloom batting and while it took a while to split, I liked the thin result.  Hint to the batting companies, our little quilts need to drape just like a lap or bed size quilt.  I use a variety of batts, Mountain Mist Blue Ribbon, Legacy and Quilter's Dream Cotton-Request, Hobbs wool and silk too, whatever is handy and the right size.  This little quilt has Hobb's Heirloom  and is just fine for machine quilting, It drapes fairly well, but a thinner batt would be better, just my opinion.

~My best, Betsy

Note to self

Note to self: need more red quilts. 

I'm thinking today, the day before Valentine's Day how I wish I had more red quilts, of any size.  They would be good for Christmas, 4th of July and of course Valentines. The Red and White exhibit has lots of us thinking.  And wishing.  I'm also wishing I had taken a picture of my mom's vintage valentines sent to her mother in the early 1900's.  A bad cold has kept me away from her, and her collection.

I have lots of pink and brown. I need more red.

Winston asked for equal photo time.

Winston finished quilting.

I made this for my son, his baby quilt 25 years ago.  One of those quilts he was never allowed to use, thankfully.  What was I thinking, a white hand quilted quilt for a boy???  Regardless, he new it was his when he was little, and now that I rotate quilts on the cupboard door, he asks me where I put 'his' quilt when he notices its absence.I wanted tradition, even if it wasn't practical. In those days, machine quilting never occurred to me. I wanted to make something for him to have for his children, you know a valentine of sorts from his mom.

Funny thing, My daughter, is the one who loves red.  Her baby quilts were blue.

Have a Happy Valentine's Day

~Betsy~

Until next time....

Hello February

After a very unintentional blog break, I'm back and happy to say goodbye to January.  Not that February has begun any better, but I'm confident this moth will prove to be better than than the last one!  Let's just say husbands make horrible patients, especially when they have never been truly ill.  Two hospital stays  in January have more than tested his patience, and MINE.  My health glitche in the first week of Februrary put me even farther behind.  Who ever has time to be sick????

Consider February....what speaks to you this month...red...pink...chocolates?  Romance?  We'll do a little exploring and a combination that may or may not surprise you.

Back in December, I prepared an excercise for the club I lead, involving a striped fabric.  Then I selected the colors to complement the stripe.  Simple blocks followed. Here is one of the 3 quilt tops I have made, originally planned for the Christmas season, but now will be a February and into Spring quilt.




Here is the stripe in the background. I originally had out 5 stripes but this stripe had the best options for additions.

I grabbed a cup of coffee, well at least two, and sat in front of my greens.  Pulled more than needed, certainly. Some eventually didn't make the cut. This is fun to do with any color collection, by the way.
I have never been a huge 'green' fan, but is essential at Christmas, I think.



Some greens left and more arrived, this time with pink friends and a few brown, pink, green combo fabrics.
The greens aren't just any green.
 Out went the too olivey-muddy greens and too bright-poison greens.
I kept the greens that were 'just right'.

Pinks include pinky reds.  Am I talking your language?  Pinks fall into categories, like every other color family, those that are on the blue side and those on the yellow side (but not orangey, more like salmon pink or cinnamon pink).  To me these are browny pinks--a new category. Bubble gum pinks are bluey pinks....they can play another day.

Cut a bunch of squares to make half square triangle units. Mine are 1 1/2" finished, but you could make any size you like, and make any block you choose.



Broken Dishes blocks set together before border.



Every helpful Molly.
"No photos without me!"





Border options....which one do you like?

I see this little quilt as romantic in style, how about you?

I love hearing from you!
~Betsy~