Author: quiltinggail

Monday Moments: August 15

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I finished the 3 yard quilt. (Remember I started it when my cousin, Connie, was here visiting!)

I quilted it with Silly Moon “Beanie” rulers. (I LOVE their rulers). My plan was to do a Baptist fan over the whole quilt. Well, uh, I changed my mind and just did the Baptist fans in the border. On the rest of the quilt, I used the 4″ Beanie and did circles which made orange peels. I liked the finished look! Would you believe that the backing is actually a dark dark brown? It certainly doesn’t look like it in the pictures! I used Glide thread “wheat” and Hobbs 80/10 batting.

This quilt is from a pattern called “Dream Weaver” from the book “Quick as a Wink 3-Yard Quilts.” It was a quick and fun quilt to piece … however, when I went to put on the binding, I realized that the instructions called for 1.25″ binding. I obviously wasn’t thinking straight when I cut the red fabric for the binding. I ended up with strips of 1.25″ and I wasn’t about to make binding with it. And this quilt was definitely NOT calling for a flange binding! I didn’t have enough of the red fabric left, so I went to my stash and found the darker beige fabric. The moral of this story is to THINK about what you’re cutting and don’t just follow the directions!

Stitching Time

‘

Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!

  • January – July: 178 / 211
  • August:  14 / 14
  • Total:  192 / 225
  • Percentage = 85% 

Stash Report

Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!

I finished the 3 yard quilt … 3 yards for the front, 3 for the back & half a yard for binding …

  • Fabric Used since the last report    6.5  yards
  • Fabric Used this year:       68.5 yards
  • Fabric Bought this week:   0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    14 yards 
  • Net Fabric used                 54.5 yards 

To Do

Linda from Texas Quilt Gal is hosting “To Do” every week.

The To Do list from last week:

  1. Sandwich Island Batik’s September project √   DONE
  2. Quilt:  3 Yard Quilt √   DONE
  3. Work on project for “See Ya Later” Blog Hop √   DONE
  4. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!  √   DONE
  5. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes √   DONE

This week’s list:

  1. Quilt Island Batik’s September project
  2. Finish dealing with scraps from Island Batik’s September project (can’t let them go to waste!)
  3. Work on project for “Get on Board with Sewing” Blog Hop (I have a plan!)
  4. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  5. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes

Design Wall

Donna, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, host a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.

Piecing:

  1. Work with scraps from Island Batik’s September project
  2. Work on project for “Get on Board with Sewing” Blog Hop

Quilting:

  1. Island Batik’s September project (sorry no picture!)

Upcoming Blog Hops

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Linking to:

Friday Finishes

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I don’t have anything new that is finished … but I have had a couple of finishes in the last week or so.

The first finish was my July Island Batik project that used the Accuquilt Tree of Life Block on Board. The 73 pieces of the block can be cut in one run through of the die. But of course, I had to do it differently and make it scrappy. You can read more about the quilt at this BLOG POST.

I must admit that I am very pleased with how this quilt turned out.

Yes, this quilt used Island Batik fabrics, Hobbs batting and Aurifil thread for the quilting.

Oh, and Cheryl at Meadow Mist Designs hosts a favourite quilt of the month linky party, and this happens to be mine!

My 2nd finish is my post for the UFO blog hop. This kit had been languishing in my “To Do” box and was on my UFO list both last year and this! You can read about it HERE. Here’s a picture:

Monthly Colour Challenge

Jen, of Patterns by Jen holds a monthly colour challenge. This month’s challenge is purple.

Here is my purple block, made with the rich colours of Island Batik fabrics!

And all of my 7 blocks so far for this year … I think it will be a very pretty quilt when it’s finished!

I don’t have a lot of purple quilts … but these are a few that I’ve done in the past couple of years.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Linking to:

UFO Blog Hop

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This blog hop came from the creative mind of Joan at Moose Stash Quilting!

Many of us have lots of UFOs ! These are known in the quilting world at UnFinished Objects. In the past I had over 100 UFOs. I thought I only had 80-something, but I kept finding more and more! On my blog, I run a PHD in (the year). PHD stands for Projects Half Done, but is a cute play on the academic PhD. The idea is to complete at least 12 UFOs and finish every project you start that year. This Blog Hop fits nicely into my PHD in 2022 and I managed to get another UFO finished!

One of my UFOs on the list was called “Kit – Narrows.” This was a Row by Row kit from Fiber Lilly in St. John’s, Newfoundland. I bought the kit 5 years ago when my husband and I were there. Fiber Lilly is a lovely quilt store, and one I would frequent if I lived nearby!

I know that I’ve been frequently known to call applique “CR-APplique.” I have hated applique. But, I am determined to do more and hopefully, one day, I might even like it!

I used Hobbs Thermore for the batting. It is a thin polyester batting that is low loft and does not beard. I find it is perfect for small projects!

Here is the quilt, after the pieces were fused on and before the quilting.

Then, it needed quilting and the button houses attached. The land, and boat were all outlined with an applique stitch. I did a large meander for the clouds in the sky and waves in the water. The iceberg is easy to see, but can you spot the whale’s tale?

I took my time with the quilting and used the following Aurifil Threads:

  • # 5004 – Grey Smoke (land, whale & motor)
  • # 2311 – Muslin (Iceberg, boat, fisherman)
  • # 4655 – Storm @ Sea – variegated (sky)
  • # 4669 – Stonewash Blues – variegated (water and binding)

In my latest Island Batik box, I received a lovely pressing mat from Prairie Spirit Alpacas. I’ll talk more about it in a future post, but I LOVED using it !

Visit the other UFO bloggers:

Monday July 25

Tuesday July 26

Wednesday July 27

Thursday July 28

Friday July 29

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

Christmas in July with Accuquilt

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Here’s what Island Batik told us about this challenge:

AccuQuilt just launched its exciting GO! Tree of Life Block on Board Die! This die assists quilters in quickly cutting the seventy-three pieces needed to create a 3-color, 14” traditional tree of life (also known as the tree of paradise) quilt block after one pass through a fabric cutter. The GO! Tree of Life Die was specially designed with no y-seams – making it accessible to quilters of all skill levels. There is no need to cut all the pieces by hand or use multiple dies to create this popular quilt block.

When you finish, AccuQuilt would like you to give the project you have made to someone you know who needs a little joy or donate it to a charity of your choosing to gift it to someone. When gifting the completed project, be sure to take photos, so this moment of kindness and love can be shared on social media!

Here is a picture of some of the purples cut with the Accuquilt Tree of Life die:

All of the Island Batik Ambassadors received an Pressing Mat from Prairie Spirit Alpacas. I used it to press everything as I made this quilt. The Alpaca/Wool mat made the seams crisp and perfect!

And here’s a couple of pictures of the quilting in progress. I used Silly Moon rulers for a lot of the quilting. The left hand picture shows me using the 8″ Beanie ruler and the right hand picture is some border quilting using “Rocket”. The burgundy “thing” is called “Dude” and is perfect for measuring exactly where the ruler needs to sit. Aurifil Thread #2600 (Dove) was used for the quilting.

For a unique photo shoot, we went to Redwood Park here in Surrey. Here’s what the City of Surrey says about the park:

The unique forest found at Redwood Park is a legacy of Peter and David Brown, twin brothers born to one of Surrey’s earliest pioneering families. In 1893, their father gifted them this large plot of land, logged and ripe for farming.
However, the brothers instead filled the vast space with their favourite trees from all around the world. Fully committed to their forest sanctuary, the eccentric duo built a treehouse where they lived in solitude until their deaths in 1949 and 1958.
Today, a replica of their treehouse stands in the centre of the park.

A picture of the quilt at the treehouse.

And under the Treehouse:

And in the Fairy Forest:

My finished quilt is being mailed to a dear friend of mine. I would LOVE to be able to hug her in person, but that is not possible at this time.

Quilt Stats:

  • Size: 49.5″ x 49.5″
  • Fabric: Scraps of Island Batik from many collections along with Solid White. The purple tree and the binding used Roast.
  • Hobbs Batting 80/20 Natural
  • Aurifil Thread #2600 – 50 wt – (Dove) was used for the quilting and piecing // #2360 – 40 wt: (Chocolate) was used for the binding
  • Piecing, Quilting and Binding done on my Janome M7

Too many HST!

Yes, I made too many half-square triangles … I did not figure out how many I needed for the borders and I certainly did not count how many I made!

So, I made this little zipper bag …

Thank you!

Disclosure: The items needed to make this quilt were generously supplied by the following companies: Thank you, Island Batik  Aurifil Thread  Hobbs Batting, Accuquilt, Schmetz Needles and Prairie Spirit Alpacas !!

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting!    
Gail 

No finishes today … just quilting

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I’m still quilting my July Island Batik project … just working on the border with Silly Moon “Rocket” ruler and “dude” to ensure its lined up properly! I’m using Aurifil thread (2600 – Dove) and you can see Hobbs 80/20 batting poking out!

I was Featured

Jennifer featured this sweet panel from last week. You can read about it HERE.

Andrée / Free Motion Mavericks featured my Pop Star Quilt. For more details read this POST.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Linking to:

Monday Moments July 11

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Dianne’s Quilt

 Dianne emailed me in May asking for the pattern for 3D Pinwheels. She made the quilt and said, “All piecing and quilting were accomplished on my workhorse 1952 Singer 15-91.  She’s a joy.  I like the looks of this quilt, which will be donated to Firehouse Quilts of Colorado.”  

I think Dianne did a fantastic job making 3D Pinwheels! Isn’t it great that she pieced AND quilted this on an antique Singer? Just shows that you don’t need the latest and greatest newest machine with all the bells and whistles!

Thank you, Dianne for sharing q picture of your quilt with me and giving me permission to post it on my blog! I’m sure the Firehouse Quilts of Colorado will love receiving this beauty!

Continue reading →

A Friday Finish

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This was a super fun, easy panel to finish. I quilted this sweet panel for Essem Textiles. It was a fun panel to quilt! I love how soft and cuddly it is.

If you would like this panel, Essem offers fantastic online service. They are quick and efficient! (They can also send you the darker blue binding fabric and the fabric I used on the back! If you request it!)

Continue reading →

A Road Trip

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Last month my husband and I made a quick trip to Edmonton to visit my sister. Of course, it included going to a few stores. We went to Lori’s Country Cottage where my sister picked out what she wanted to buy at their longest day of the year sale. And she also picked out fabric for the Flower Window Hanging Class that we did together. (The class was by Epida Studio and I highly recommend it!)

Then we went to Winfield, a small town SW of Edmonton. The quilting store is Country Stitches Quilting and Fabrics. They had a LOT of Island Batik fabrics and I bought the “flower” and “background” fabric that you see in my Flower Window Hanging. My sister fell in love with a panel and bought enough fabric to make a decent sized quilt. (See picture below!) I resisted and only bought the 2 Island Batik fabrics! And, since it’s IB fabric and already used, I’m not adding it to the stash report.

Here’s some pictures of the store! It’s packed with lots of fabrics, IB fabrics, panels and more! They also sell online.

Lots of panels

Stitching Time

‘

Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!

This week I’ve been doing more “unsewing” than sewing … but it still counts, right? And, I’ve been gallivanting around with my cousin, so that has cut into sewing time.

  • January – June:  149 / 180
  • July 1 – 5:  5 / 5
  • Total: 154 / 185
  • Percentage = 83% 

Stash Report

Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!

No shopping, no fabric added, no finishes …

  • Fabric Used since the last report      0  yards
  • Fabric Used this year:       53.5 yards
  • Fabric Bought this week:   0 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    11.75 yards 
  • Net Fabric used                 41.75 yards 

To Do

Linda from Texas Quilt Gal is hosting “To Do” every week.

The To Do list from last week:

  1. Mail Island Batik Catalogue quilts to California. √   DONE
  2. Work on 3 Yard Quilt √   DONE
  3. Quilt Squirrel Quilt not done
  4. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!  √   DONE
  5. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes √   DONE

This week’s list:

  1. Finish  Island Batik Christmas in July quilt.
  2. Work on 3 Yard Quilt
  3. Quilt Squirrel Quilt
  4. Tidy up and organize my Island Batik fabric
  5. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  6. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes

Design Wall

Donna, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, host a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.

Piecing:

  1. 3 Yard Quilt. My cousin, Connie, kept talking about 3 yard quilts that her guild did. I looked at one of her patterns, cut it out and started sewing … Here are the fabrics I’m using (from my stash)

2. Summer Mystery Quilt: I will be hosting a mystery quilt here on the blog … I’m in the process of writing the pattern and sewing it. When it’s almost ready, I’ll announce the dates and all the details.

3. Island Batik Christmas in July quilt … I’m using an Accuquilt die and am loving how all of the pieces are cut perfectly!

Quilting:

  1. Squirrel is sandwiched and I have a plan for the quilting!

Upcoming Blog Hops

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Linking to:

PHD in 2022: June Report

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YES!!! You can do this!!!!

Are you feeling overwhelmed by your UFOs or New Starts? That’s OK! The feeling is real and you can’t deny it! However, if you arise from your computer chair and go forth to your sewing machine, you WILL conquer a little bit and that will decrease your overwhelmed feeling!

June’s Accomplishments!

I did not finish any UFOs this month. I did finish 2 Island Batik catalogue quilts and they are on their way to California – but I can’t show you for many moons. However, I can show you my “Here Comes the Sun” project and my Pop Star quilt. Both finishes for this month! You can read about them by clicking on the links. I also finished a little zipper pouch and you can read about it HERE.

A Christmas panel was quilted and I took it to Essem before I remembered to take a picture of it! However, Simina sent me a picture of it and some of the quilting this morning. If you’d like the panel, contact Essem Textiles. It’s such a cute panel with Santas, reindeer, bears and snowmen!

The Tally Sheets

Here is an Excel File for you to use (if you want).

PHD Tally 2022- with formulasDownload

And here is the link where you can find the colourful Task Sheet at Ms P Designs.

The Linky Party

Show us your PHD in 2022 Progress!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
https://fresh.inlinkz.com/js/widget/load.js?id=c0efdbe6b4add43dd7ef

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Linking to:

Here Comes the Sun Blog Hop

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Carol, from Just Let Me Quilt is hosting this blog hop. Here comes the Sun is a great title for a June blog hop. However, I live in Western Canada … on the WET coast! We haven’t seen much sun and it has been cool! On the news, they are calling it “June-uary.”

What is the challenge for “Here Comes The Sun”?

Sew something that has a summer theme like: sunglasses, beach items, sunny skies, and/or yellow colors. It can be a quilt, a bag, a toy, or whatever you want it to be.

So, I took a class from Elizabeth at Epida Studio and made this great window hanging with the sun inside the flower! (She has several different classes and is a fantastic teacher! I highly advise that you look into taking a class from her)

The technique to make this was totally new to me. It’s called Pojagi. It’s a technique that Elizabeth learned in Korea. The seams make it look like stained glass.

And here’s a picture of it in the window!

The fabrics are Island Batik … The yellow is Ogee Petal Sunshine, the flower petals are Floral Wonders and the background is Butterfly Blooms.

Once this was stitched together, it was a bit flimsy, so I sprayed it with Terial Magic and it was perfect!

Here’s the list of all of the blogs that are participating! Enjoy the sunny eye candy!

June 20

June 21

June 22

June 23

July 24

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Linking to:

Sunday’s Thoughts

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My cousin, Connie, is visiting from Ontario and we’re having a blast! We spent one day at Quilt Canada, with my husband enjoying it as well! (I’ll talk about Quilt Canada in a future post). Then we did a tour of Trend-tex (a fabric distributor). Today, we went to a fabric sale in a home and to a fabric store. Such fun! There’s a few more days before she heads home … who knows how much trouble we can get into?

Pop Star

Pop Star is finished … and I will be linking to the Pop Star QAL Final Parade. If you want the pattern you can find it HERE. MMM Quilts has some fantastic designs! I LOVE making her patterns!

This quilt was made with Island Batik fabrics: the background is linen, the light blue is pool, and the dark blue is raven. It was sandwiched with Hobbs 80/20. I backed it with a light yellow flannel.

Here’s a closeup of the quilting in the corner … the star used Silly Moon’s Twinkle ruler.

Stitching Time

‘

Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!

This week I’ve been doing more “unsewing” than sewing … but it still counts, right? And, I’ve been gallivanting around with my cousin, so that has cut into sewing time.

  • January – May:  119 / 150
  • June 1 – 20:  15 / 20
  • Total: 134 / 170
  • Percentage = 79% 

Stash Report

Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!

I was at Quilt Canada last week … and I absolutely fell in love with this beautiful fat quarter bundle. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it … but I do LOVE it. It’s called Bluebird, by Edyta Sitar and I bought it at the Chitterchatter booth. There is a total of 5.5 yards.

When Connie and I went on the Trend-tex tour, we did get a lot of swag … but I’m not counting it because it’s too hard to calculate different sizes of fabric and I didn’t buy it. Also included was a water bottle, a scone and a delicious treat! I have no idea what I’ll do with the fabric, but it’ll be used or it’ll go to the guild’s free table.

The Pop Star quilt used 1.25 yards of background …

  • Fabric Used since the last report      10.5  yards
  • Fabric Used this year:       53.5 yards
  • Fabric Bought this week:   5.5 yards
  • Fabric Added this year:    11.75 yards 
  • Net Fabric used                 41.75 yards 

To Do

Linda from Texas Quilt Gal is hosting “To Do” every week.

The To Do list from last week:

  1. Work on Here Comes the Sun  blog hop project √   DONE
  2. Finish 2 quilts for an upcoming Island Batik Catalogue … I’ll show you once the catalogue is out.Quilt  not completed
  3. Pop Star Quilt √   DONE 
  4. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!  √   DONE
  5. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes √   DONE

This week’s list:

  1. Finish both Island Batik Catalogue quilts
  2. Make something … but I’m not sure what!
  3. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
  4. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes

Design Wall

Donna, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, host a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.

Piecing:

  1. Even I’m surprised that I don’t have anything being pieced at the moment!

Quilting:

  1. Squirrel is sandwiched and I have a plan for the quilting!

2. The Island Batik Catalogue quilt tops are done – one is quilted and needs the hanging sleeve and the other is in the process of having all of the quilting removed and will be re-quilted … I used an OLD Aurifil Variegated Rayon thread that looked great on the top … and the back was HORRID!!!! Of course, I did not check the back until I was done! Call me dumb, call me stupid, but it serves me right for not checking the back!

Here comes the Sun Blog Hop

This blog hop starts this week! My day is on Tuesday!

Island Batik Blog Hop

Have you been following the latest Island Batik Blog Hop? With quilts featuring the New York Beauty pattern? It’s been quite a variety of wonderful quilts!

I posted mine on June 6 … you can read about it HERE. Here’s links to the blogs that will be posting this week:

June 20:

Claudia Porter, Create with Claudia
Brianna Roberts, Sew Cute and Quirky

June 21:

Gail Renna, Quilt Haven Threads
Preeti Harris, Sew Preeti Quilts

June 22:

Megan Best, Bestquilter
Leah Malasky, Quilted Delights

June 23:

Suzy Webster, Websterquilt
Emily Leachman, The Darling Dogwood

Opportunity to win!

You can win a fat quarter bundle of Tranquility or Woodblock Bouquets … both wonderful collections! Just follow the prompts in the Rafflecopper giveaway below

a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Some of my followers tell me that the Rafflecopter doesn’t work for them … if that’s you, go to Island Batik’s blog and enter there.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Linking to:

Fons & Porter: Love of Quilting

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Have you seen the latest issue of Fons & Porter, Love of Quilting? I am super excited about this issue!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’ve been looking high and low for it, with little luck. Until today! YEAH!!!

Why? you ask … Because, I have a quilt in the issue. They did a fabulous job photographing it. I absolutely LOVE the table in front of it.

I was so excited to see this in the magazine! A few people emailed me saying that they had seen it – but I hadn’t! It was pretty cool to see it in the magazine!

Quilt Stats:

  • Designed, pieced and quilted by ME!
  • 42.5″ x 42.5″
  • Island Batik fabrics: Contempo and
  • Hobbs 80/20 Batting
  • Aurifil thread (yellow)
  • Free motion quilting on my domestic machine
  • Backing is Fireside

The directions for the quilt are in the magazine. If you make it, I’d love to see a picture!

Here’s a picture of my quilt where you can see all the quilting!

I was Featured!

Jennifer from Inquiring Quilter and Kelly from My Quilt Infatuation both featured my quilts from last week! You can read about it HERE.

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Linking to: