Quilts and Thoughts…

margaret | September 30, 2010

Several of the individual blocks from my block of the month pattern, “Beyond the Gate” appeal to quilters not wanting to complete the entire quilt. Perhaps they see those blocks as separate quilts, or wall hangings, or parts of other quilts, whatever the ideas I don’t want to hinder their creativity and I am now offering them as separate quilt top patterns.  Creativity reigns among quilters and I’m excited to hear they have great ideas for those particular blocks!

I’m calling those blocks “breakout” patterns, as they are a breakout of the original quilt. Each is only the top pattern (with instructions, fabric requirements, full sized pattern pieces reversed for tracing & positioning diagram), no borders, no binding, no backing, etc. just the top. It’s there for your creativity to envelope and run with it.

This is breakout “Windmill”:

This is breakout “Bird House”:

This is breakout “Wheelbarrow & Flower Pots”:

They are all located on this page of my pattern website: http://www.patterns2quilt.com/bom.html

Category: Block of the Month, Patterns | 1 Comment »
Tags: applique patterns, Block of the Month, quilt patterns

margaret | September 24, 2010

After the big cattle corral we had a few weeks ago it was time to let the calves out of the garden. We mended any fence we could see, added so many t-posts I lost count and crossed our fingers as the gate was opened. After all that…they just stood there! Three weeks prior, they wouldn’t have anything to do with the garden and then they didn’t want to leave.

I had been giving them sweet feed and they learned to love it, so I coaxed then out the gate with the bag of feed. They ate the feed and hung around the gate munching on grass for quite a while. To our amazement, they both went inside a shed we had for the livestock during bad weather. Who would have thought that!

I still feed them inside the garden so they won’t be afraid to return to their previous home (in case we need to catch them).

Because I wanted the donkeys and the cows to be BFFs, I put their sweet feed just noses away from each other, but on opposite sides of the fence. That worked out just fine. Now when I call them to eat they all come into the garden and eat next to one another. Well, at least for a while.

The donkeys eat at a slower pace than the calves, and when the calves finish they want the donkey food, so I had to separate them. Those gluttons.

Recently, I began to realize the difference in their personalities. The donkeys are so calm and mild mannered, much like cats. They are curious and very friendly. They like to hang around where they can see us outside and be certain we notice them (in case we have food). They have their favorite trees to stand under and love to eat something that must taste exquisite. Just looks like grass to me, but they love it. They will eat apples out of your hands and are just so gentle and well mannered.

Now the heiferss, on the other hand, have only been out among them for two weeks, but they are just the opposite. I should say one of them is the opposite. Heifer number 49 is so smart. If she is outside the garden fence and sees me carrying the food bag, she runs down the fence line and hot foots it into the garden to eat. The other one, number 48, just stands outside the fence and moos that she is hungry. She can’t figure out the get inside on her own. They both remind me of dogs.

Growing up I never had cats, it was always dogs. Now I’ve been around cats for quite a while the difference is between the two is striking. Dogs seem to jump and bark and be a little wild, where cats just observe. That’s how I would characterize the difference in the heifers and the donkeys.

The calves have been coming back into the garden in the afternoons to lie down beneath the trees they knew so well when the garden was home, but yesterday, sure enough they were taking the afternoon nap under the donkeys favorite trees! Yikes! In fact, as I look out the upstairs window, they are there again! The last two mornings the donkeys were quietly standing under their trees marking territory. But now, the markings have been destroyed, or at the very least ignored.

There are acres and acres of land for them to share, but the calves have taken up the donkeys favorite spot. Perhaps they are just trying to be friendly. Or could it be something else…

Category: General | No Comments »
Tags:

margaret | September 12, 2010

Looking through my things, I discovered several prototype tops of recent quilt patterns I’ve designed and thought this might be a fun giveaway!

I used “stash” fabric for the prototype and later decided to purchase fabric for the top, which would be the cover of the quilt pattern, “Thee Guiding Light”. I used fusible web and it is ready for machine applique. 35″ x 17″

Inspiration for the Christmas wall quilt was Matthew 2:2.

If you’re interested in the giveaway (actually there are 2 giveaways) the information is on my www.patterns2quilt.com website.

While you’re at the website, click “seasonal” to see the final fabric choices and Thee Guiding Light pattern for the giveaway.

Category: Free patterns, Giveaway | No Comments »
Tags: applique patterns, contest, Free patterns, giveaway, just for fun, quilt patterns

margaret | September 5, 2010

What’s more fun than a block of the month with a few twists!
This 12 month BOM, titled “Thirst Ade” is 72″ x 87″.

I’ve made a video of how the quilt is divided into months and explaining the twists,
so jump on over to my pattern website
(www.patterns2quilt.com) to watch the video!

Category: Block of the Month, Patterns, Videos | No Comments »
Tags: applique patterns, Block of the Month, quilt patterns, video, Videos