Schnibbles in a Schnibbles . . . . .

I finished my latest project last night, ahead of my end of month schedule, barely. It's a wonder, the way my month got started. But once I got working on Madeline my pace and my attitude improved.

When I started working on Madeline, I wasn't even thinking of Sinta and Sherri's A Year of Schnibbles Sew Along, but luckily for me the month of May is quilter's choice, and I chose

Madeline and Good Fortune.

So here's quilt #58 named Madeline's Good Fortune. It finished at 108 x 108

As you may remember, I started working on Madeline after seeing Nicole's bigger and better version of Madeline. We enlarged the blocks to finish at 11 /1/2 inches, Nicole went with a five blocks by five rows Bigger Madeline and my plan was to go with a seven blocks by seven rows Even Bigger Madeline for my king size bed.

Madeline was the Schnibbles pattern for January and I loved every one of those quilts in the parade, especially the ones made from Rouenneries fabric.

I had been saving my Rouenneries fabric for a lady of the lakes or ocean waves type of pattern. But when I received my fat quarter bundle of Rural Jardin, I decided those patterns would look even better if I used Rural Jardin, the blue from that family giving one of those projects more dimension. So between Nicole's pictures of Bigger Madeline and my recently freed up my Rouenneries fabric I was set to go to town on my Madeline.

So I made 30 of the blocks I needed for my original design of 49, and filled up my design wall. I liked every block I made better than the last. And even though I loved each block, I got to thinking a whole king size bed of those Madeline blocks would be a little plain, so I hit the internet looking for ideas.

I started with Carrie Nelson's blog, La Vie en Rosie, since she designed Madeline I thought perhaps she would have some ideas.

Then I stumbled across this Schinibbles . . .

and it was my "Good Fortune" that Carrie had earlier designed a pattern with the same look and feel as Madeline.

If I centered something in the middle of Madeline, I needed something that was 35 x 35, Good Fortune is 32 x 32! So I increased the size of the outer border and added a border and got this

The perfect compliment to Madeline. I think it looks lovely all by itself.

Good Fortune would make a wonderful center for any type of medallion quilt, just add any borders that suit you. This was a breeze to piece and finished exactly at the 35 x 35 size I needed.

I mitered corners for the the first time on my last quilt . . . .

and went the same route for Madeline's Good Fortune. But this time I went with a mitered double border. I had no troubles this go round and think I'm hooked on mitered corners.

I made Madeline's Good Fortune to actually use on my bed. I think once it's quilted it will be a perfect fit!

Next up, a few pillows and shams to match....oh and getting it quilted.....the sooner the better!!

Be sure to stop by the blogs of Sinta/Pink Pin Cushion and Sherri/A Quilting Life on June 1 to see all the wonderful Schnibbles.

With it being quilter's choice, it should be quite a show.

Thanks for stopping by,

Added Later: I have received so many requests for the yardage requirements for this project that I have decided to add them here. I've never written or designed a pattern, and pulled all the fabric I used for Madeline's Good Fortune from a stack of French General fabric (Rouenneries and Rural Jardin) that I owned, paying no attention to how much I used, this is my best guess.

3 yards of assorted lights for star backgrounds

5 yards of assorted gray fabrics for stars and setting triangles

5 yards of assorted reds and pinks for stars and setting triangles.

3 yards of fabric for border

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Change is in the air . . . . . .

Thanks for all the help with my camera decision,

After him hawing around for 6 months, this is what finally motivated me to take action......

This is a picture of Cooper while on a play date with Lucky. Look to the right...yep, that's Cooper!! This is pretty much what all the action shots looked like....random dog parts. My camera is just too slow to get those dogs in action. As a matter of fact, most of my Cooper pictures are 2 seconds away from being a great picture and instead are just OK pictures.

I think I've mentioned how a wonderful family with a 4 year old setter lives near me, and just in the last month we've been getting the dogs together for some exercise in their 3 acre fenced in backyard.

Look at that long green play area for the dogs....here the dogs were kind enough to stand still for 5 seconds so I could get a decent picture of them, with all their body parts, in one shot.

This is how I know it's time to go home, Cooper's tongue hanging down past his collar!

So anyway, I ordered a camera based on the information you sent, it should be here this week, I expect you'll notice the difference in my pictures immediately, because they will be horrible, but that's OK, practice will make perfect..I'm hoping!!

For all the folks who leave comments about my neat sewing room, I thought I would share this picture for you.

I only prewash my red fabric, and any fabric that I'm going to be mixing with those reds, which meant I had quite a stack of Rouenneries and Rural Jardin fabric to wash.

I did not sew when we moved into this house, but when we move into another house, bannisters like the ones in the above picture will be a must. My sewing room is at the top of the stairs, off to the left, so I use those bannisters all the time. I throw fabric over them after it's pressed but before it's cut and stack it there after its been washed and while it's still damp.

That blue piece of fabric in the picture is really a plastic table cloth, since the fabric was damp I didn't want warp or ruin the stain on the bannister, so I put that down over the bannister first.

That fabric hung like that for at least 3 hours before I got it all pressed and folded.......

I sure am glad company didn't unexpectedly drop by.

I'm still working on Even Bigger Madeline......

Nicole, of Sister's Choice, took the Schnibbles pattern Madeline and enlarged the blocks to make a beautiful quilt. (click here to see it) I took one look at her quilt and decided to do the same. She made a 70 inch square finished quilt, using 5 rows of 5 big Madeline blocks. I decided I wanted to be able to use my quilt on my king size bed and decided to go 7 rows of 7 blocks, giving me an Even Bigger Madeline.

Well here's a picture of all the blocks I could fit on my design wall. I'm combining the reds and lights of Rural Jardin with the creams, grays, salmon and reds of Rouenneries. I love every block I've made.

But after I got all these blocks up, I decided my Even Bigger Madeline needed a little something. I thought all those blocks in all those rows would be boring on my bed......so I'm making a change, and hope to have the new and improved Madeline done by the end of the month......stay tuned, there's more to come!!

But the best news of all, I'm loving this project and can hardly keep myself out of my sewing room.....ahhhh, it's a wonderful feeling!!

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Analysis Paralysis ! ! !

For almost a year now, I've been trying to make a purchase decision for a new camera.

I narrowed my decision down to two choices but have been waffling over those two ever since.

I'm leaning towards the Nikon D90

OR

the Nikon D5000

Back and forth I go, unable to decide.....and while I'm wasting all this time, I'm missing out on taking really good pictures!!

The majority of the pictures taken with the camera will be of quilts and dogs, but really, mainly quilts. Oh I'll probably take a few pictures on vacation and of family, but the reason I'm buying this camera is to get good photographs of my quilts.

If you have thoughts or experience you could share with me, to help with my decision, could you please send me a note at cupcakesndaisies@gmail.com?

I don't want anyone to feel uncomfortable leaving their opinions in the comments section, that's why I thought an email would maybe be better.

If you like a camera better than my Nikon choices, feel free to send that information too...oh and any help with the lens issue would be a nice bonus!!

I've been reading photography blogs, gathering information and researching cameras, but those blogs don't talk about photographing quilts....so that's when it occurred to me to bring this up on my blog, where folks who quilt would likely visit.

Thanks so much!!

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I Spy Selvages . . . . .

I won a bag of selvages from Karen at the Selvage Blog.

Not just selvages....

some really cute selvages.....

I think these acorns are my favorite...

but these are pretty cute too!

I've been using my standard rotary cutter when I remove my selvages from the fabric, but these selvages all had curved edges instead of straight, which I think is a very clever idea. Note to self, buy one of those wavy edged cutters!!

I sure hope my jar fills up soon, I'm eager to use these strips, although I'm thinking my first selvage project may be a tuffet.

I ran across a blog today displaying pictures of an I Spy quilt and it reminded me that I'd yet to blog about the one I Spy quilt I've made. My goal is to have blogged about all my quilts by my one year anniversary, which is only 3 months away.

So here's Quilt #21 - Maya's I Spy Quilt

I made it for my niece's daughter. It's just your traditional large hexagon block with triangles added to set. I used the Pat Yamin templates, where you get the hexagon and triangle templates as a set. She has 3 sizes to choose from, 3 1/2 inches, 4 inches or 5 inches.

(click on pictures to enlarge and get a better look)

To add a little fun, I had an embroidery shop embroider some of the I Spy picture words on strips of 2 1/2 inch wide fabric. At the time, Maya was learning to read, so I thought having the words run around the edges of the quilt would help her learn the words while also looking for the pictures. This quilt now lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

I'm still working on my Roundabout and Madeline projects, hopefully I'll have made enough progress to merit taking pictures and sharing soon.

Thanks for stopping by!!

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Roundabout, Madeline, and Flora . . . . . . .

I've had the best week in my sewing room in ages and made progress on both my projects. I kind of like having two projects going, which shocks my socks off!!

I've made and trimmed all the pieces and assembled 3 blocks for Roundabout.

Same for Even Bigger Madeline, all the pieces are done, I'm just making the blocks. So far I've not made a block that I don't love, I'm swooning over that Rouenneries fabric! Even though the fabric has a French influence, it got me in the mood to watch Pride and Prejudice, not the new one, with Keira Knightley . . . .

the old A&E one, with Colin Firth. I love the language...... "Mr. Bennett, how can you vex me so?" For some reason, watching that movie and working with that Rouenneries fabric just feels like the perfect match.

I've added something to my sewing room.....see it....

on the top shelf . . . . I've started trimming and saving my selvages. Do you visit The Selvage Blog? Karen posts pictures almost daily of the most amazing things that folks make from their selvages. Not just really cool quilts but things like bowls, bags, and my all time favorite a chair!! I'm not sure if I'll ever make anything, but there's no sense in wasting them, I would hate to run across something I really want to make but have no selvages to use.

I cut the selvages off as I go, and throw them in this jar. This jar was a wedding present from Thelma and Charlie Green. It's one of our few wedding presents that have survived 33 years of marriage and 14 moves.

Have you ever seen these......

I use them all the time, not just in my sewing room, they come in handy all over the house. They come in L, XL, and XXL and I use them all.

I'm using this one to store my Glace backing.

I was lucky enough to receive some lovely flowers for Mothers Day.

I've enjoyed them all week.

Each day the arrangements would get more blooms,

or the blooms would open wider. Maybe that's why I had such a good week, maybe I work best when fresh flowers are around the house!

This poor little bud was broken from its stem when it was delivered....

so I put it in this little glass bowl and put it on my nightstand. It probably got more attention being in this little bowl than it would have in the arrangement, so it was kind of like getting two arrangements from the one.

I'm one lucky Mama and I know it!!

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Catch Up . . . . . . . . .

Remember awhile back, when Cooper had a two week break in doggy daycare? Well Cooper and I are both happy to report that the break is over. The first day back after the break, the dogs were almost uncontrollable with excitement. When Cooper got in the daycare room he ran around in circles barking at the ceiling he was so excited. I've never seen him act like that at daycare before or since. He must have been so happy he just didn't know what to do.

This is why I like doggy daycare. This is Cooper when he got home, after the first day back, he was so pooped he didn't even open an eye when I took his picture.

Remember this.......

This is what I told you I was going to work on when I finished up Jake (who is already at the quilter's, yeah!!)

I decided to make the geese first, to get a feel for the fabric.

But the project just wasn't calling my name. I think this fabric, Stars and Coxcombs, is perfect for this project, but I just wasn't running up to my sewing room to work on this quilt. I like a project that I'm so excited about that I hurry through all my To Do's to squeeze in as much time as possible in my sewing room. This project just wasn't doing it, so I packed it all up and started something else.

My daughter has asked me to make some runners for her bedroom furniture. Allyson, Fat Cat Quilts, made a table runner using the blocks and pattern from Roundabout. To see Allyson's runner click here.

I really liked it so I figured I would do the same for my daughter's runners. I'm using 2 cotton quilting fabrics. The other 3 fabrics are shams and pillowcases from her bedding. That fabric stretches and slides something terrible.

Here's my inspiration block for that project.

When I'm not fighting with the fabric for Roundabout, I'm working on this.....

only bigger.

Nicole, Sisters Choice, made a Big Madeline that I fell in love with. I'm making an even bigger Madeline, same size blocks as Nicole, 11 1/2 inches, but 49 of them for my king size bed.

I was getting tired of the bedding collection in my bedroom, I've been using it for over 6 years. So I took down the heavy drapes, and got rid of the matching bedskirt, comforter, shams, and pillows. Right now Hibiscus at My Caribbean Cabin is on the bed with plain sheers covering the windows.

But sometime, I'll be replacing that quilt with this one.

Rouenneries and Rural Jardin, two families of fabric just made for the bedroom I think....

Here's my inspiration block for Even Bigger Madeline. I'm using the bolder reds from Rouenneries and Rural Jardin for this quilt.

I was planning to use Rouenneries for Belle Meade, but I've now decided to make Belle Meade using my Rounneries leftovers and the blues from Rural Jardin. It will make a nice companion throw for the chair in the bedroom. I've also bought extra yardage to make some shams and pillows.

It will be a nice fresh look.....something to get me wanting to spend time in my sewing room!

Just yesterday I was having a conversation with Sandie at Crazy 'bout Quilts about not being able to juggle more than one thing in my sewing room at a time, and here I am right in the middle of these two projects plus the Moose on the Porch Jelly Roll Sewalong, very unThelma like!

I'm hoping to have the runners and Even Bigger Madeline all done by the end of this month, stay tuned for updates!!

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I'm Baaaaack . . . . .

I'm back online!!

You really take for granted how much you use your computer until it no longer works. I didn't know the temperature, so I never knew what to wear when I left the house for a walk or bike ride. My husband asked me a question about a deposit into our checking account and I said, "Oh, I can find that out" and then I remembered, no online banking. The thing I missed the most was the daily interaction with all my blogging buddies. Sometimes, I could bring up a blog, and read what was written, but the pictures would never load. On the one hand, it was great keeping up to date with what everyone was working on, but not being able to see the pictures was torture!

Over the last few weeks our DSL provider replaced our line, modem, wireless box and IPO address. I'm not sure which one was really the problem, but I have my doubts it was all of the above. I did meet and develop a nice relationship with my repair man, Eric. He and his wife are training for their first 5K, have two children, and he wrestled for a college in Iowa.

So now, without further ado, what I bought at the quilt show in Paducah. Just incase you forgot, I took $158 to the quilt show in Chicago, bought 3 patterns, but came home with more money than I left town with after a girlfriend pitched in for gas. So my budget was to stay around $150, the amount I collected in change over the last year.

First up......

the pattern and makings for an adorable cupcake pin cushion by Pieceful Designs. I saw these cupcakes at the Quilt Show in Chicago, but just gave them a cursory glance due to the congested vendor area. They were also at the quilt show in Paducah. I stopped to get a better look at them and was immediately engaged in conversation by a very pleasant and persuasive vendor. They are cute, and the saleslady swears they are easy!! I've yet to even open the box, it's packaged so cutely. I've been wanting some sort of hand work, maybe this will fit the bill. I went with the pink pin cushion with the white bottom, but they are all delicious looking.

If you go to the Pieceful Designs website, check out the adorable banners and trivet covers, they have some unusual and clever patterns.

Next up......

a fat quarter bundle of Butterfly Garden by Kansas Troubles. My father-in-law turns 90 in October. I thought I would make him a throw using this fabric. I'm still up in the air over a pattern. I've always loved the Kansas Troubles fabrics, I'm glad I found an excuse to finally buy some!

I looked at several Miss Rosie patterns and decided on this one....... Opening Day...

Nichole at Sisters Choice made this quilt using Roman Holiday and I've always admired it.

Last week I got Carrie's new book, Spice of Life Quilts, Opening Day is one of the patterns included in the book, so now I have two patterns.

I also picked up two books by Anka's Treasures. I picked them up from two different vendors and did not notice they were by the same person until I took this picture!

I picked up the Fat Quarter Cottage book for the quilt on the cover and

this quilt, on display in a vendor booth.

The Shams with Style book is my favorite, and it was this one line in the book's introduction that drew me in and had me part with my cash; " We make all these beautiful quilts and unsuccessfully try to match a purchased pillow sham to our hand-made quilts." That's me, unsuccessfully trying to either tuck the quilt around the pillows, throw the pillows on top of the quilt with no shams, or use plain white or ivory shams. It ALL looks bad, I like a nice finished and professional look. This is the main reason I've not used my quilts on my bed, without the fancy pillows and shams, I just did not like the look of my quilts on the bed.

There are several shams, pillowcases and pillows showcased in this little 16 page book. And they all can be made in multiple sizes. I've bought extra yardage with my last two fabric purchases knowing that I would want to make some of these great pillows.

And finally, this was my big splurge,

a fat quarter bundle of Sophia by Windham. It's a splurge because I have no pattern in mind, and also have some Paprika black and red fabric that I don't know what I'm gong to do with, so I don't need another red and black family of fabric.

Oh well, I don't have many fat quarter bundles, so it's kind of nice having one in reserve, just waiting for the perfect pattern to come along.

I went over my $150 budget, but really just by the amount of the Kansas Troubles fat quarter bundle, and since that's going to be a gift, it shouldn't really count..should it?

Thanks for stopping by, I think things are back to normal for me here at Cupcakes 'n' Daisies!

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Internet Woes . . . . . . .

For some reason, that can't be explained by our local DSL provider, our internet has not been happy for a couple of weeks. We went from absolutely no problems to constant timing outs and downloads that never finish.

No one seems to know why.

It's gotten so bad at home that I've resorted to going to Starbucks to use their wireless connection. Since they are nice enough to let me sit at their tables to get caught up on my favorite blogs and email, I feel it is my duty to buy a chocolate cherry mocha (grande) and brownie. (you can't order one without the other, that's the rule!)

My waistline cannot take it anymore.

So as soon as my DSL connection allows me to download pictures, I'll be happy to blog about all the neat things I bought at the Paducah Quilt Show. Until then, I'll just be keeping up with what all you, my favorite fellow bloggers are up to.

Don't forget about me, and come back when you can,

THANKS!!

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