Ashley's Red & White Nine Patch Delight . . . . . .

I had 3 main reasons for starting my blog:

First, I wanted to be able to participate in challenges and giveaways. That's worked out well, I own 3 quilts that I love and never would have made if it were not for my blog AND have received the neatest things in the mail.

Second, I wanted some quilting friends that would share their love of quilting, challenge my skills, and provide support as I navigated my way through the myriad of families of fabric, patterns, and tools. That has surpassed my wildest expectations. I have and continue to meet wonderful people through my blog, people I would consider friends, even though we've never met face to face. You have no idea how happy that has made me and how much you all have added to my very small life. Thank You!

Third, I wanted a journal of the quilts that I have made and plan to make. If you look at the Categories to the left, little by little I'm blogging about all of my 54 quilts. But that's one area I need to improve on. Some quilt stories will be more interesting than others, and it's the boring ones that are the hardest to document so I'm going to improve on that, starting today!

Here's Quilt # 2 - Ashley's Red and White Nine Patch Delight.

Yes, this is the second quilt top I made, way back in 2005. My first quilt class was a beginning class that taught me how to make split rails and nine patches. From that basic knowledge I made this quilt, it was easy, pretty much more of the same, split rails and four patches instead of nine.

The pattern is "Nine Patch Delight" from Marti Michell's "Quilting for People Who Still Don't Have Time to Quilt" book. A wonderful book for a beginner, I highly recommend it.

I made this quilt for my daughter, she requested something red and white so there was no way to go wrong on the fabric choices. Ashley was thrilled to have her quilt and immediately started using it as a throw. It made me happy to think of her 1800 miles away watching TV under one of my quilts. But as happy as I was for her to be snuggled under a quilt, it wasn't until just this past fall that I felt comfortable enough to get some of my quilts out of the closet and actually start using them. Something else I can contribute to my blogging friends. What was I waiting for??

Speaking of red....

This week I washed this backing for my October Schnibbles top, "One Star, Two Star, Red Star, Blue Star. (Quilt # 52)

And as I have learned through your blogs, not only to wash the backings, but to use these neat little Color Catchers. So nothing new......

But look here....look what I found at the bottom of the washer after I removed my fabric, a lone sock, a lone WHITE sock, not pink sock, WHITE!! Color Catchers....can't live with out 'em!

And finally, for today, when I blogged about Farmhouse Threads, the pattern company of "Oh Christmas Tree", several folks commented that they bought a different Farmhouse Threads pattern "Let It Snow".

One of my friends is making that pattern. She liked the pattern so well she's making it bigger, she sent me this picture the other day, isn't it just the perfect time of year to be looking at all those happy, smiling snowman faces!!

I have a "Let It Snow" pattern that I'm giving away today. One, because this is the time of year someone should be working on this quilt, and two, to say Thanks for stopping by!

Just leave a comment on this post before Friday, January 15h, Pacific time. I'll announce the winner on Saturday.