Valentine’s Day 2016 and the Birth of a QAYG Quilt

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine’s Day.   It was a wonderful day for me.

First I emailed a couple of dear friends to wish them a Happy Valentine’s Day.  My husband went clay shooting in the morning, and then we went out to eat at our favorite restaurant in Tucson.

It was a gorgeous day, 82, sunny, and I set up my outside sewing station (in the shade) for the first time since we arrived:

There was a beautiful breeze – which is why my hair is in motion, and I got the first piece of a Quilt As You Go (QAYG) project completed.  The fabric prints are from Beth – thank-you, Beth, and the white fabric was mine.

Yes, it is composed of the same square and rectangle sizes from the last Comfort Quilts I posted, but doesn’t it look totally different?  It is yet a third setting, and the color choices are clear and crisp.

Another difference is I’m sewing fabric scraps together, then cutting some of the rectangles from the made fabric.  This adds more variety, and gives the illusion of a much more complex top.  It is so much fun, and oh so satisfying to actually use some of my fabric scraps.

I can not wait to see how this project develops.  I’ve never made a QAYG quilt before, but with the small harp I have on my sewing machine in Tucson, I thought I’d give it a try.

No presents were exchanged.  Instead we were gifted with a perfect weather day by Mother Nature – thank-you Mother Nature – and enjoyed every minute of the sun, gentle breezes, and beautiful sunset.

Hugs…

Comfort Quilts

I’m happily sewing away in sunny Arizona with the quilt groups I belong to here, and concentrating on piecing Comfort Quilts this year. It’s helping me deal with the loss of my father, and will hopefully benefit the people who will receive these quilts.

 

American Patchwork and Quilting magazine sent me an advertisement last year with a free quilt pattern included, and I made a variation of the 2.5” square and 4.5” x 2.5” rectangle shapes used in 2015. The simple shapes captured my interest, and I decided to make a few more variations utilizing them.

 

The first quilt I made was this one:

 

All the fabric was purchased in Arizona, and the colors are strong. That was my intent, and I’m pleased with the result. The binding will be in the dark blue, and should nicely frame this quilt.

 

The second quilt is this one:

 

And was I ever surprised when a visitor took one look at it and said that’s the Missouri Quilt Zipper Quilt. Now I’d never seen the Missouri Quilt Zipper video, but it was the first thing I checked out when I returned home. Sure enough, it uses the same shapes – little different measurements – a different arrangement, but these two patterns are sure enough kissing cousins. ­­­­­­­

 

That’s okay. I’m still having fun with these shapes, and will most likely make 2 more variations. In fact, one was started yesterday. This one uses very different colors – a solid white, with many prints received from a dear friend (Beth) who didn’t want to use the prints color palette anymore. It’s not a color palette I use often either, but I am most definitely having fun using them in this project.

 

The usual sightseeing, shopping, and relaxing is also going on. The restaurants down here are wonderful, and I’m oh so happy to be in the place my heart calls home.

 

Hugs…