Simon

Greg and I were fortunate to be able to spend last week in DC with Joel, Cara, and Simon.  They have started new grass in their front yard so Greg was on water duty.  It was left to me to be on Simon duty.  It was a hard job but I did my best!  Here's Greg taking a break.

I've got some great quilts for you.

Marie not only pieced this one, she quilted it as well.  All I had to do was add the label!

Susan pieced this sweet little quilt.  The fish and the blue and green batiks makes a very fun water colored quilt.  The yellow and blue backing has a look of flowing water.  Sandy did a great job of quilting it.

Amy made this fun quilt full of polka dots and zoo animals.  Shannon added a wild backing and the quilting.

This started as a piece of fabric that I just couldn't decide what to do with.  I thought it was so cute so I passed it on to Deb.  She didn't want to cut it into small pieces either.  She came up with a great solution.

 

Teresa pieced this top full of space ships.  The backing has moons and stars.  A perfect combination.  Be sure to notice the great quilting that Shannon added.

Teresa pieced this top of bright fish. It is very bright with a great green and blue background.  Sandy did the quilting that adds to the water look.

One more look at Simon.  As you probably can tell, I just can't get enough of him!

Thanks for stopping by!

A Few Blocks and A Few Quilts

I thought I would show you what I am working on.  These are going to be Dresden Fan blocks for a quilt shop that I sew models for.  It is a rush job but I only have to make 104 blocks. Yes, it is crazy but they are fun.  When I get them done, I may even make some for a quilt for the kids.

In the meantime, here's some quilts for you to check out.

This is a fun quilt that Paula made with charm squares.  I think it is a great quilt and I like the backing.  Sandy added the awesome quilting.

This started as a kit that I cut.  Teresa took it and sewed it.  I was happy with how the color combination turned out.

This quilt was a collaboration.  I had some pinwheels I had made and Judith took them and added some other blocks.  It ended up being a great quilt!

This cute little quilt (a bit blurry!) is a soft mix of vintage looking fabrics.

I hope you enjoyed the quilts.  I'll be back soon with more.  Hopefully I will have my Dresden Fan blocks done and can give you a better look.  Thanks for stopping by!

Who Took June????

Can someone tell me where the month of June went???  When spring weather hits, the first thing I do is plant something fun in a planter on my front porch.  It kind of kicks off the season.

Soon after I finished this, June began and we had planned a trip to see Simon (and his mom and dad).  We spent a wonderful ten days being Mimi and Papa doing all sorts of fun things.

All of a sudden it is now hot summer weather and June is gone!  So, rather than waste any more time, let's catch up on quilts!

How fun is this?  Sandy pieced some scraps, pieced a back, and put it all together.  

This pattern is called Little Charmers.  Several of us worked on this one.  The batik backing is interesting!

Cats and mice!  How nice!!

I love the graphic simplicity of this!

I found these wonderful fabrics--stars, dots, swirls and decided they would make a great rail fence.  But I needed something great for the border.  You know, something that would make it pop.  I looked through my stack of fabric scraps that have been donated and saw this border fabric. I got very excited.  It was a great graphic print!  It was only after the quilt was totally finished that I realized the border fabric is really slices of green pepper.  Well, sometimes you just have to use what you have!

I took a mix of squares, nine patches, and chenille fabric and put it all together.  I think it turned out to be a sweet little quilt for a little one.

I'll leave you with a picture of what I spent a lot of my time doing while we were gone in June.

I can't wait to go back!!!

Ryan

There are some days you get out of bed, the skies are cloudy and you just feel like you are in a funk.  You wonder if what you do is worthwhile.  Does anybody notice?  Does anybody care or appreciate it?  Is it really worth all the time and money you spend?  It doesn't matter whether it is your job or something you love doing.  We all have those questions at some point.  If you are lucky something comes along that answers those questions.  Or maybe it isn't luck.  Maybe it is the affirmation that we are making a difference.   I could show you lots of quilts today but I am going to do something different.  I had something come along a couple of days ago.  This is why I started doing what I do and what some wonderful and giving ladies wanted to join.  I have very few days that I ever wonder about it, but for the few times I have, this erases them all.

Dear Marla,

Hello! My name is Kristina. My 5yr old son, Ryan, was at L.M.H. just two weeks ago.  We want to send a heartfelt ‘Thank You’ your way for the amazing quilt.

We ended up in the ER on a Sunday evening because he couldn’t breathe and his lips were blue. That was the first nights of many… My son has really bad asthma and we couldn’t keep his oxygen level up high enough to get sent home. That first Monday morning in the pediatrics is when he received his blanket. Not only did the letter touch my heart, but my son was thrilled!! The blanket even matches his room here at home!!!  All through his extended stay, that blanket was the only thing he wanted to sleep with. I think it is such a wonderful thing you do and the group does… soon I will be sending fabric your way. Please give me an address where I can drop it by. I live in Lawrence so it shouldn’t be too hard to find it! 

Also, I would like to tell you that he is home now and doing well. The blanket is still his favorite! The pictures I have attached are of my son during his stay, one with his 5yr old cousin getting cozy with him under your blanket, and one with him now at home. 
I saw his blanket on your blog and was so excited to see your other works of art! Thank you so much for the warm and encouraging gift!

Sincerely,

Kristina 

I received this email and pictures and immediately knew it is a good thing we do.  It is worth the time, the effort and the money it takes.  Ryan and Kristina know that we care.  And isn't that the best feeling in the world?  It is....next to being able to give to someone else.  Thank you to all who help me make this possible.  I've said it before.  We receive much more than we give.  Thank you Ryan and Kristina for letting us know.


      

The Same But Different

As you probably know PIECES gets a lot of small fabric scraps donated.  That is a very good thing.  We get to use them to make the awesome quilts we give to the pediatric unit at the hospital.  Some quilter gets the satisfaction of cleaning out their stash AND helping us be able to continue our project.  I hate to throw anything away so sometimes I have to get creative with all those little pieces.  (And sometimes I pass them on to another person to get creative.)

Today was one of those days I was just in the mood to play.  I started in sewing and came up with lots of pieces that will end up in some quilts.  It always feels good to use a little stack of scraps and know you made the most of what was donated.

Today I have four rail fence quilts to show you.  Each is very different.  This first one, in blues and yellows, is very soft and peaceful--a quilt that a girl of any age will surely love.

The second one is bright green, black, and white.  It will be a favorite for a boy.  It has a very graphic look.

The third quilt has little butterflies on the front and big butterflies on the back.  The pink, blue and purple give it a soft look for a little girl.

The fourth and last rail fence quilt is totally scrappy.  Soft pastels live happily together in this one.  Four quilts with totally different looks.  My favorite?  I like them all....for different reasons!!

And just so you won't think all we did lately was rail fence quilts, here is a gorgeous scrappy nine patch--another scrap-friendly quilt.

And of course I wanted to show you Simon at daycare.  He loves daycare and my understanding is they love him!

Thanks for looking!