More Spring Retreat -- a post for Darlene

The first thing I wanted to complete is the baby quilt for the couple down the street. The baby is due May 3rd. I got it layered and machine quilted and the binding machine stitched on. It just needs a bit of hand quilting in the solid blocks and the binding hand stitched down.




The Chocolat table centre was quite a bit of work as it turned out with all the sashing and corner blocks. I should have strip pieced the sashing and corner blocks - it would have gone a little quicker. I put the first border around (light green fabric) and then decided I really needed the sashing to go around the outside before the first border. So I had to take off the light green (only two sides though) make more sashing (these are 1 inch strips and squares) and sew them around the outside of the blocks. Does that all make sense? Anyway that put me behind for time - I was hoping to get this top layered this weekend as well. But it is small enough I can layer it at home.



As I was working on my charm pack quilt another quilter showed me what she was doing with her charm pack. I thought Darlene would like to see this. I thought it was pretty nifty - looked great and was really easy.


She took the full five inch blocks and sewed them together as a nine patch. Then they are cut right down the middle in both directions. Then you just mix them up and sew them together any way you want. It is hard to see the nine patch from the picture - she didn't have any nine patch blocks before they are cut. You can see how the nine patches are cut in quarters and then can be mixed back together.

But you can see what happens with the block. You get a block that has one 5 inch square and the 2 1/2 inch pieces on the sides.



I thought it was a great idea. I don't know if I am behind the times completely and this has been out in the quilt world for years - which is entirely possible :)) but I had not seen this idea before. You could even do this and sew blocks together to make fabric for a really cool bag. I bought a new pack of charm squares -- Chez Moi -- which I thought would be great fabric to try this with.

A few people have honored me with a Thinking Blogger award last week. It was so wonderful to find my blog among the names of some wonderful bloggers that I also love to read each day. I thank you all so much including me among your favourite reads. There are so many inspiring bloggers out there. I am so happy to have stumbled upon blogging, ( by accident - and it is a long story which I shall tell one day). I have such a list of bloggers that it is hard to pick out just a few. Most of the blogs I read are on the Quilting 4 Pleasure blog ring. I am so glad I was able to join the ring - and how it has grown, from me coming in at #13 to now 73 members and more waiting to join. Not all of the blogs I read are from the blog ring. It is so strange how we accidently happen across a certain blog that pulls us in and then brings us back again - and then an email or two and before you know it you know a fellow quilter in Italy, Portugal, Australia or Ontario. And of course so many American quilters, one or two for almost every state - no Hawaii yet. We will have to wait for Kim I guess. I can not really single out just five blogs, I love to read you all!!! Thank you.