Charm Pack Charity Quilt Update

I finally settled on a pattern for my charm pack charity quilt.  

I wanted something I could make relatively quickly.  

I borrowed a book from a friend that had this pattern in it.  

The pattern is called Connect Four.  

It was so quick to make!  

I cut out the backgrounds and did all the sewing in one day!

I had that pale yellow in my stash and the charm pack was from a swap in the A2MQG.  

We were supposed to make a quilt using the charm squares from the swap.  

I ended up with enough blocks to make 2 tops the size we need for donating to Mott.

Sorry for the poor lighting, my hallway is not lit well at night.

It needed to be just a touch larger so I need to put borders on it.

Oh, thank goodness the quilt inspector showed up!  

Don't know how I would get anything done without her supervision!  

There is the first top all put together.

  I realized that I did not have enough of the yellow to do a border for the second one 

so I went digging through my stash and you know what?  

I found more of it!  If you need a super easy baby quilt this one just might be a good one!

I need to find some flannel from the stash and get this ready to quilt!  

I did get the binding on another quilt all sewn down on Sunday too while binge watching Haven 

with my daughter.

Hubby has been feeling ill with a cold all week, so we were kind of low key this weekend.  

I actually had to do some cooking (ew, ick).  

I made some chili and it turned out pretty well.

Linking up to WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced.
Also Sew Fresh Quilts Let's Bee Social

~XOP~

Charity Quilts A2MQG

Being one of the chairs of the A2MQG, I get to photograph and deliver the quilts to

 Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor.  

I have decided that I should photograph them and credit their makers.  

So grab a cuppa (or in my case a Diet Coke) and settle in for a little quilt show!

First up, are these adorable Elizabeth Hartman animal quilts. 

 I love this little fox made by Jackie MacGregor.  

She said it went together quickly and would recommend making these for donation quilts.

Jackie also made this amazing Hazel the Hedgehog quilt.  

Some little is going to be thrilled with these!

The next two were made by Kim Ulrich and Susan Ulrich from kits that I cut from my stash.

Never underestimate how great a simple patchwork quilt can look!

Thanks ladies!  

Notice the cat model? 

Next up is a super sweet quilt made by one of the other Pam's in the guild, Pam Eckler.  

You will not meet a sweeter person than this Pam.  

(Maybe it's the name?)

This next beauty was made by Debbie Grifka.  She is making one charity quilt a month.  

So happy we got this month's work!

I was able to finish quilting my charity quilt too.  

So will link up to Crazymom Quilts Finish it up Friday.

I am also linking up to 100 Quilts For Kids.

I did some straight line quilting on this one.  I also put the binding on by machine. 

 It goes so fast to do it this way!  

I have yards and yards of this flannel, so you may be seeing it again in the future.

A BIG thank you to my assistant photographer, Mosen, 

who just chased his sister under that tree, which you can see her if you look hard enough.

Lots of things to do this weekend and all of them involve me sewing.  

What a happy prospect to look forward to!

Have a happy weekend!

~XOP~

Charity Quilt From YOU, My Friends

I figured that I needed to work with the extra blocks you all sent to me and 

make that charity quilt that I said I would make.  

I pulled out the blocks and lo and behold, there were not that many extras.  

In fact, not even enough to make a small charity quilt.  

What's a girl to do?  

I diligently begun to make more to put with these. 

 Autumn thought I was crazy! 

 She's a cat, so what does she know?

I made what I thought was enough and it was not.  

Looked like I needed to make one more row.

  Or did I? 

 Maybe I could put sashing between the rows and call it good enough?  

YES, I certainly could do that and so that's exactly what I ended up doing.

I had this amazingly adorable sea life flannel just hanging around so I used that for the back.  

It is all pinned and ready to quilt. 

 Straight line quilting is what is on board for this little quilt.

When it is finished I will link up to the 100 Quilts for Kids.  

Linking up to the WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced too.

Are you considering making a quilt for the 100 Quilts for Kids?  

If you are not, you should consider it.

~XOP~

Charity Quilts

I have collected up the charity quilts from the AAMQG and 

dropped them off at Mott Children's Hospital this week.  

They are always so thankful for the quilts for the NICU babies!

I finished one with the help of another friend, who did the quilting and the binding. 

 Do you remember when I was making this one?  

I used all the cut off triangles from other quilts (binding and corners etc) to make this quilt.  

I used the squares as a leader/ender when I was sewing other quilts. 

 It went together so quickly!  Super easy donation quilt.

Here are a few of the other quilts made by members of the A2MQG that went to Mott

I am going to link up the Crazy Mom Quilts Finish It Up Friday if she posts that today also.

Now back to my Bee Positive quilt and the wedding quilt.  

What will you be working on this weekend?

~XOP~

Weekend Update and Wednesday WIP

I actually had quite a productive weekend!  

I managed to add two rows to the stitch and flip charity quilt.  

That top is now ready for making into a quilt and donated.  I just have to figure out how to quilt it.  

I did some cooking.  Pigs in a blanket.

Individual chicken pot pies

I finished embroidering my peacock for my swap partner

Working with sparkly thread is more difficult!

Then I finished the top too.  

I got the side geese made but one was incorrect.  

I must have printed the paper piecing incorrectly.  

I ended up having to remake one set of the geese to put the whole top together. 

I tried to trim it down but that didn't work.  

It was kind of close on the side but I just didn't have the heart to discard it.

So I used it on the back!  

One of the points is cut off due to my earlier trimming, but it's on the back.

I figured my partner would not care and I just couldn't bring myself to throw it away!

Did laundry, and grocery shopping, went to Cabela's with hubby and then a quilt shop.  

All in all it was a great weekend, but I wish I had one more day at home.

Linking up to Lee's WIP Wednesday too.

How did you spend your weekend?

~XOP~

A2MQG Charity Quilts

I am the co chair for the Ann Arbor Modern Quilt Guild.  

I share this job with my friend Stephanie.  

(who is awesome by the way!)

We have been collecting quilts for the several charities.  

We are trying to stay local.  

The three groups that we are donating to are

Mott's Children's Hospital, for the NICU

The Ann Arbor VA hospital 

Margaret's Hope Chest in Grand Rapids

I thought it would be nice to document the quilts we have so far for donation.  

I have a couple more at my house that are mine and I will be donating them to Mott's. 

 I wanted to use those as my donation for 100 Quilts for Kids too so will post those separately. 

 This is now being run by Heather at Quilts in the Que. 

 You can find information right here if you are interested in donating too!

So on to the photos. 

 Most people did not put their names on their quilts so I can't give credit, but each and every one showed a generous heart by donating to someone in need! 

 I can say from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!  

Your gift will be loved and appreciated!!

In no particular order:

I have always wanted to make one of these Mod Mosaic quilts. 

This makes me want to make one even more!

The front

And the back

This is the front 

And this was the back!

I hope you have enjoyed viewing these as much as I did photographing them!  I plan a drop at Mott's soon.  I need to call the charity director this week to schedule when I can drop them off.

GREAT job members of the A2MQG!!!  You ROCK!!!

~XOP~

Quilts for a Friend

I had an extremely busy weekend.  

(Notice no gym time this weekend though)

As you know, Friday was going to Grand Rapids to see my dad.  

I forgot to mention that I ended up taking my sister to Sam's Club to get a few "snacks".  

A few??  

Really??  

This is what my trunk looked like.

DH and I stopped at Aunt Betty's in Pinckney for breakfast on the way to GR.  

He is such a trooper!

Secretly, I think he only comes along for the breakfast.  

Their corned beef is amazing!!

So you know that I dropped off the MSU and U of M quilts at Margaret's Hope Chest. 

 Saturday consisted of a HUGE learning experience for me. 

 I have 2 quilt tops that I sewed to test a pattern for Jacquie. 

 I thought I would use Liz's long arm to quilt them.  

We got the first one on the big machine and 

we both realized we would only be able to do 2 of the 4 quadrants. 

 I was doing some straight line quilting, the quadrants were triangular and

 I was doing a spiral at half inch intervals. 

 UGH, NEVER again!!! 

 Each line had to be laid in point to point and only 3 lines stitched at a time.  

The 2 quadrants took me over 5 hours to complete!! 

 Then I had the bigger one and thought there was no way I could do that

 so we basted it and it is going to Jacquie to quilt.  

I took the other one home and have to do the other 2 quadrants on my domestic machine.  

I did one last night (3 hours). 

 Total learning experience and not one I really care to repeat!! 

 I love the look but what a gigantic PITA! 

 I can't show them yet but soon, I hope.

OK now on to better things.  

I had 2 tumbler quilts from Yolanda to make for her nephews.  

My friend Pauline finished the binding on the second one and 

now both are ready to go in the mail back to Yolanda.

Yolanda was diagnosed with cancer and is looking for volunteers to help her finish up her WIP's. 

 If you think you might have time to help please email me 

and I will put you in touch with the person coordinating that.

Here is the one for Chase

And for Daniel

The quilting on Daniels was geometric, and the quilting on Chase's was surfers.

Pretty happy to have those going out this week!!

All in all a fairly productive weekend, I think.  

Did you see that Kate is doing a QAL for 100 Quilts for Kids?  

Use the button at the top of my blog to take you there.  

Looks like fun and I am going to try to participate, if not on their schedule, on mine! 

 I have just a few more commitments to finish up.  

How was your weekend??

~XOP~