I’m leading with this photo, the green leaves just beginning to bud out on the airy branches at the park where I walk most days. It’s three laps, 2.2 miles, almost 4 km, then a stretch of the legs and I drive back home.
Sometimes I walk around the neighborhood, like my husband, who loves to photograph flowers (above). But this Spring, so many are tired:
So I am happy to bring you this one, that I found on an walk.
I also saw this sticker on the ground. I didn’t get a sticker. Did you get a sticker?
To thoroughly give you seasonal whiplash, this month Marsha had us rummaging around our Christmas stash to make her block. She found the free pattern online from a fabric manufacturer, but I morphed it into a handout for a single block. You can download a free PDF of the directions ifi you want to make a wreath block:
She determined the overall tonality of the fabrics we would use, as she sent us the fabric for the banner across the wreath, the ribbon and the background. Then we could choose what we wanted to for the rest, staying within traditional colors.
I became confused when figuring out what to cut, as there are a lot of moving parts, so I wangled up this schematic to help me keep track.
It really didn’t take that long. I read about one of the quilters in the BeeSewcial group this month who spent twelve hours on her block for their group (it’s stunning–I always love her blocks). In our GridsterBee, we kindly request to keep it under a few hours. I’ve done a block once that took me 12 hours in a bee, and I swore never again.
Three more SHINE blocks have come back home. They are free EPP downloads, if you are interested. Start HERE.
My friend Cindy, of LiveAColorfulLife who found this photo, says “You have arrived. You have been ripped off.” Oh, boy. Here’s the original quilt:
I laughed because it looks like they used this EXACT PICTURE on their website. Not only are they thieving the quilt design, they are thieving the picture, too.
UPDATE: The website actually has two of my quilts. Go and see if any of yours are there, and then write them a letter telling them off, or something. So what do you think? I imagine that they just print the picture on a square of polyester, then quilt it. Interestingly in this second one, they rotated the photo and didn’t make it very large, so it’s a bit hard to see. The original is here.
Almost done clearing out the This and That box. Two things left — hang on for the finish.
I’ve been asked to keep making the graphics for the Inland Empire Modern Quilt Guild. The top one is the general info graphic about how to follow us and get the news. The lower one is the announcement for our Guild Challenge: Sounds and Voices. My entry is all done and submitted, so I’m looking forward to our meeting on Saturday to see the other entries. Here’s a teaser:
I had gifted one of my other small quilts that had the pop cans on the back, so when I put this one together, I used some more of the pop can fabric. It’s a favorite. I’ll show that in the next post.
Okay, I promise that this is the last thing. The fine people over at Electric Quilt have been revamping and changing and making a whalloping good piece of software to go along with the Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns by Barbara Brackman. I was able to be a beta tester, and will be doing a giveway of the software (both Mac and PC) the week of April 18th, as well as a couple of my observations (and a handout for a pattern) about the software (I love it) and how it can be used. Just wanted to give you a heads up.
And that’s it! Thanks for staying for the This and That Show, and thank you all very much for your comments on my last post. I loved reading about what you think about Craft (both noun and verb), and the assurances that you will keep riding your craft horse into the sunset.
And yes, I need to get this quilted.
Also: notice the watermark, bolder than I usually plant on my photos, thanks to the theives, above.
OccasionalPiece--Quilt! 
I love the flying geese quilts you showed last time. Those are my kind of colors. I wish I had someone like Dave to take pix of flowers for me.
Doug and I got COVID-19 shot stickers.
Stay well.
Can you get the thieves to take down the stolen photo and pattern? That boils my blood.
So rare that I hear someone say “pop” instead of “soda”. Gave me a smile this morning!
MA so slow I feel like I’ll be last in the vaccine line! But happy about Joe’s promise of a shot in every arm by the end of May!
I love following your mind in it’s wanderings! And I truly love show and tell. Doo you remember the EPP hexies I was working on at one of the meetings where you and I sat and sewed? Well, they are all on their papers, now just have to decide how I want to sew them together. Actually was a let down when I finished them – don’t have another EPP project at the moment. Sorry you had to “arrive” by being stolen – such a bummer. Your creativity and color sense are stunning to me.
I hope there is a recourse for the stolen photo and design. That is unbelievable! It’s still one of my favorite quilts of yours. Great organization on your bee block! I am looking forward to seeing how the blocks play together. It looks like you are keeping yourself busy there as we pass these crazy days.
Love your posts, so much variety in some posts or in-depth on subjects such as ‘craft’. You will not be surprised to find that the website has stolen another quilters design.
I recently found someone on Etsy who took the idea of my violin quilt and re-did it into a guitar. Not sure how I feel about that….. But hers is technically different. Obviously they just stole your pattern!
Only sort of spring signs around here. The snow is definitely melting, but there is so much it will take a while. I did see a fly today outside. Guess its warm enough for that!
I’m hoping and praying that life for you all in the Northern Hemisphere will start getting back to normal soon! That bee block sure did take some time! But certainly worth it in the end! Your experience with the rip off company reminds me that it happened to me a few years ago with my Feather quilt! I write them a nasty email and they took it down!
I look forward to hearing about the new software for Block Base. I’m hoping it’s not too expensive, because I’d really like to try my hand at designing.
Wow! Of all the nerve! The robbers, I mean. I really believe the human race is de-volving. Angry letter in progress.
Wow! Another masterpiece put on by nature – thanks, Dave! Can you believe those colors?
Wow! I appreciated the piece you put up on feeling like one has run out of things to say — you wonder why you haven’t heard from me??
Wow! They gave out stickers??? I got jipped.
Hope to “see” you on Saturday. Have fun at your lecture tomorrow! You are amazing!
It’s so disheartening all the people out there that rip people off and run scams. I checked out the site yesterday and it wasn’t even clear to me what they were selling so I sent them an email. I just noticed that all quilts are now taken down! WaHoo for you and other readers who maybe gave them cause for concern. Wouldn’t be at all surprised to see new quilts pop up on their site though. I’ve had trouble with people stealing my quilt photos and reposting them on Pinterest to direct traffic to their own site. One was actually a woman on Etsy selling her own patterns. Why use my quilts to drive traffic to your site? Guess she didn’t think her own work was good enough. Ha.
That first flower is stunning–the colors!! You are SO talented with the graphics. and I sure agree that so many of us are just plain tired. It’s such a treat to see all the beautiful things are you working on.
Very tacky of that company to steal designs, and their products look tacky too. But they have 324 pages of “quilts” and I don’t have the energy to worry about whether they’ve stolen one of my designs too. Would focusing on that help or hurt me? enough said. Good luck writing to them; I’ll be interested to hear if they even respond.
Glad to hear it’s not “just me” sensing the lack of enthusiasm. I wrote about it on my blog and no one commented– heehee. Wondering if life is going to be unrecognizable when we get back to it. Enjoy your blog. Still working on my Frivols kits which you inspired me to buy– five down seven to go.