Baby Quilt and Blooms in April

The last few evenings have been spent designing (trying to design) a baby quilt for my soon-to-be granddaughter.  Nothing I had in mind worked out so I am back to nine patch and snow balls.  Those are always  a "safe" bet.  I have most of the nine patches completed, but still have about 16 snowballs to make.  The picture below shows the two blocks.

This project will be put on hold for a week.  I am going for a visit to see my grandkids.  This will be the first Easter that I have spent with them since I moved to MS in 2004.  I usually go earlier in the year for the grandkids birthdays, but this year it worked out for me to go now.  With a new grandbaby due in early May, I will be making this trip again soon.  Seeing Nana two months in a row will not be a bad thing. Huh?

My Christmas cactus plants, in my window at work, actually bloomed again this week.  I love these plants.  While the blooms are not as many, they are still beautiful.

I forgot to post the picture of my first daffodil bloom.  It bloomed the middle of March.  I had planted several bulbs in December, but we have so many squirrels I expected to never see a single flower.  Mother Nature prevailed.  There is something about a daffodil that gives you hope that Spring is just around the corner.

Happy Easter everyone.  Have a wonderful time with your family.

Bits and Pieces of the Weekend

Welcome to my new followers.  Thanks for your interest.

This weekend has been spent catching up on several projects.

I am participating in a year-long swap with the scratchingpost yahoo group.  Each month 50 of us send out cupcakes to those having a birthday during the current month.  The picture below shows cupcakes that I sent out for the April birthday girls.

We are also doing a "Cuppa Joe" swap.  I have received about 10-12 cups, but have not taken a picture of them.  Sometimes in the next month I will get them out and share them with you.

I have also finished the next block in the AccuquiltGO! quilt-along.  Block 4 is tumblers.  We made six sets of three tumblers sewn together, and a long strip of tumblers.  These blocks were made using our light

 and darks neutrals.  My dark neutral has an obvious directional print.  I cut two of the tumblers out in the wrong direction.  Since I used up all of my originally chosen dark, I had to pick out another design to complete the blocks.  I found the perfect color in my stash - Handspray by RJR Fabrics.  If any additional dark neutrals are used in the quilt-a-long, this is the fabric I will be using.  I think it blends in quiet well.  What do you think?

The "Just Needles" group of Pascagoula is making a couple of quilts.  The focus fabric chosen is the floral fabric seen in the picture below.  Isn't it beautiful!!  I chose to combine it with the green and purple fabric shown.  I loved how the "Lovers Knot" block turned out in this color combination.  Click on the picture to get a better view of the fabrics.



I had made this pattern earlier this month for a secret project that I cannot share at this time.  I just loved the pattern, so I made it again with this color combination.  The picture does not do the colors justice.

Just One Star

Information on this endeavor can be found at http://modafabrics.blogspot.com/. 

The Sandstitchers Quilt Guild is participating in this worthy cause.  I have completed two blocks, one is shown below.  If you have some time, please consider participating.  I feel confident that they will more than meet their goal of 1800 star blocks.