Just look

I have received four packages to date for the 15 minutes play quilt bee that begun in October. Just look what I already have.  This is going to be scrumptious.  I am really getting excited and had to show everyone how it is looking so far. 

 These are from Margaret, Beth, Shelly and LeeAnn.  Thanks ladies.  I have great plans for this design.  What you see here may just not be what you see in the end. 

15 Minutes BEE JULY for Mary

I had two or three ideas rumbling around in my  mind for the July 15 Minutes Play Quilt bee.  But when I saw the quilt that my friend bought at an auction, I knew right then and there that I must have one!  If you gals will jump over to this post on my blog, you'll get the idea regarding fabrics and colors.  I love the idea of using recyled clothing, if you happen to have some, but if not, just using scraps will be great.  Just sew rectangular blocks  in a long strip, using  blocks of black and off white here and there. 

As far as size for the width of the rectangles, anywhere from 5 to 10 inches in width and length. But nothing too structured. Make the strip as long as you want. Well, perhaps not any longer than 90 inches??  Or maybe a couple of shorter strips in two different widths.  Just do whatever you want.  Any questions?

my first houses

Never having constructed this type of house, I decided that it's high time I look into buying one of the books by Gwen and Freddie..  It took me way more than 15 minutes to come up with my two.  The one on the left my version of a southern antebellum home.  The one on the right is my log cabin in the pines. However, I have learned one thing.  This house thing can get one hooked pretty quickly.  I just might have to make another before I send these out to Lynn.

A very merry Christmas to everyone.

Flower Power

An update on my scrappy flowers .  Getting a bit bored with the log cabin flowers, I began to experiment with some other varieties.  I've pinned them on the aforementioned log cabin background where they are awaiting further inspirations.  Maybe a few more flowers, leaves and stems, maybe even some grasses and a bird or two. And I will most likely rearrange them all before it's done. What do y'all think?    So much fun in so little time.

Log cabin help

This weekend turned out to be pretty productive for me. I managed to squeeze in a tad more than 15 minutes a day, between all the usual friends, family and home details.  So, I've got this very large log cabin type quilt top that I made last winter.

It was just screaming for help, but I couldn't decide just what would help until . . . . . .  Using bits and pieces and strips that I keep stuffed into this old mesh shoe holder, sorted by color, of course; 

 

along with my hand dye teenies that I could not bear to part with quite yet, I decided that free style pieced log cabin flowers would help give this plain jane some pizazz.

Once I make lots and lots of flowers, my plan is to zig-zag them onto the top in an eye pleasing arrangement.  That's the vision for now, at least.  Off I go for another 15 minutes, or more.

a little scrap action

I got out my bag of silk noile scraps the other night to make a few curved string squares. take a look at the process here at my blog.

Waste not want not

Hi girls, Mary here.  I've been lurking around the corner and decided that y'all were having way too much fun.  I just had to jump in.  I love this concept, since I can never throw away a piece of fabric over an inch in size.  Plus the fact that I take my scissors or rotary cuter and whack off the selvages, leaving a couple of inches along with the selvage.  So now I've got bags of strips for my sewing pleasure.

So now comes the fun part, free style piecing, as I like to call it.  Without further ado, the results of my 15 minutes a day.

 

I made a log cabin quilt in 1980. My first attempt at quilting. That was enough for me for the next 15 years. Too many rules and not enough fun.  This is way more fun.  I'm thinking of using various blues for the sashings, sorta like I've got going on in the picture.  We shall see what the process becomes, huh?