Thelma's Eventide . . . .

Remember when I renamed my Eventide "Dancing with the Devil in the Pale Moonlight"? That name just popped into my head while I was piecing this quilt, something about the sassy red playing nicely with the light blue. (for you folks that have been on vacation since the first of the year, Eventide is a pattern designed by Carrie Nelson for Miss Rosie's Quit Co)

Well now that my quilt is home from the quilter I think it needs another name, because this quilt is too classy to be out dancing with anyone in the pale moonlight, let alone the devil!

I could not be happier to have this quilt home or with the quilting. (I had 5 quilt tops waiting their turn and bumped Eventide ahead of them, I'm so glad I did.)

I went back and read my posts of when I was working on this quilt, oh the fabric drama I created for myself. It all seems funny and not necessary now. I started with Park Avenue by 3 Sisters for Moda but I pretty much took out all the red from that line and used some French General reds instead. I fretted over every Ohio Star block combination and even passed on 3 of them once they were done.

I must say, it was worth every drop of sweat, I absolutely love this quilt.

Luckily for me, Moda made extra wide fabric backing from the background fabric of that family, and that's what I used for the back.

It's sort of hard to tell in this picture, but it looks nice in person and you can really see the quilting detail.

I went with a custom design with a few straight lines but mostly feathers.

Every star block is quilted like this, a center design with a lovely

fleur de lis-ish design in each corner.

And a few more feathers in the border.

If you participated in the sew along be sure to send pictures of your updates, whenever that may be.

I'm working away on my Red and White Quilt Show Tribute Quilt, more in my mind and on paper than in my sewing room, but hope to have something to share, even if it's just a start, later this week.

(Eventide has approximately 1,307 pieces)

And on a personal note,

Hey Deb, I got my charm pack, thanks so much, it's just what I needed for a few little pincushions and mug rugs I've been playing around with - I lost your email address but wanted to let you know I received it, was thrilled, and am using it!

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A Little More of Virginia's Star Quilt . . . .

With Belle Meade done it was on to my next project. After working with nothing but French General reds, whites, and blues, I was in the mood for some different colors.

So I went with this . . .

Virginia's Star Quilt by Lori Smith for From my heart to your hands Quilt designs. My favorite part of this pattern, it comes with 5 different quilt size options. The star block can range in size from a 4 1/2 inch square to a 10 1/2 inch square, and this pattern has detailed directions for each size.

So here are all my stars . . .

I wish I could take credit for choosing all that lovely fabric, but this project is the result of a kit, a kit I've had for several months. This project was kitted for the 6 inch square blocks, so that's what I went with.

So that was easy, the size was chosen for me, the fabric was chosen for me, no drama for this project, right....right...., uh not right.....

I wasn't particularly fond of the border provided in the pattern, a 6 inch piece of plain fabric with a star in each corner.

I thought I could come up with something a little better ( you know me and borders) and thought maybe a scrappy checkerboard inner border would have a good look and feel.

It didn't take long to figure out that the scrappy checkerboard border fought with the scrappy stars, so back to the drawing board......I was a little limited since this was a kit, and I really don't have much in the way of fabric on hand.

Then I noticed the binding fabric that came with the kit, and tried this.....

This I like,

so the binding became the border!

I'm still deciding on the perfect width for plain tan inner border, and plan to add another plain strip of fabric to the other side of the checkerboard border. I'm also still deciding about whether to add the hst units along the outside, like the pattern.

This I am sure of, I ran out of fabric! The kit didn't come with enough fabric to finish the border using my pattern changes!! I was able to order more of the dark fabric from the quilt shop where I got the kit, the plain tan border fabric, it's available, but the color is a little different. It has a hand dyed look that probably changes on each bolt. Luckily for me, I know a quilter who had also bought this kit and she is willing to part with her border fabric so I can finish mine! Aren't quilters the nicest bunch of folks you would ever want to meet!

So while I wait for more fabric to finish this project, I guess I'll get started on Eventide!

Stop back tomorrow for an update on my Eventide progress and some sew along updates!!

Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm wearing my Valentine's Day socks and eating red food all day. I just love it when I have to eat Red Velvet Cupcakes for breakfast, just in the name of a holiday! I'm all for any holiday that adds a little fun to what would normally be another boring winter day. If a valentine doesn't find its way to you, don't hesitate to treat yourself to a little something....it's all about love, and shouldn't you give yourself a little love everyday, but particularly this day!!

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Eventide Sew-Along and Winner . . .

First, to all the folks who have so much snow that they have to actually shovel their roofs, I am so sorry I complained about my measly 22 inches!! I don't even shovel my drive, is there a service for that type of thing.....I can't imagine getting up on a slick roof to shovel snow. No more complaining about snow from me, no sir......now the temperature, that's another matter, today it's 0!

I'm so excited, it appears as if we have around 25 quilters up for an Eventide sew along! At first I was amazed by the number of folks who said they would participate, but then it is an amazing pattern. And for a Carrie Nelson pattern, pretty low on the pieces scale, only around 1,115.

So here's the list of folks who I think are in the sew along:

Leona

Nicole - Sisters Choice Quilts

Sherri - A Quilting Life

Cindy B

Anita

Sue - Cozy Little Quilts

Mary Lou - Cheaper Than Therapy Quilting

Deb

Linda - The Quilted Pineapple

Gretchen - Stella Bella Quilts

The NCQ - The North Carolina Quilter

Brenda - Quilting Along Life's Way

Chris

Laura Dublin

Dresden Quilter

Carol

Becky - The Quilting Book Lady

Mary

A

Cheryl

Paula Frances - Love Zao

Shelley

Kathy - Troublesome Creek Quilts

Lisa - Stashmaster

Sarah

Betty

Deb

Gayle

Sinta - Pink Pincushion

If you want to join us, and I missed you, just leave a comment or send me an email, cupcakesndaisies@gmail.com. If you're on the list in error, I'm sorry, leave me a comment or send me an email and I'll remove you from the list.

Anita, Mary, A, and Cheryl. You left comments saying you wanted to sew along but I don't have a way of contacting you, please send me your email address. I'm happy to do the blogging for you.

I have a few more folks still thinking it over, quit thinking, come on and join us, and send me an email or leave a comment so I can add you to the list.

Here are the rules, start when you want, finish when you can and if you finish by the end of March, 2011, you get a mug rug, made by me! We'll also have other drawings as we go. Oh, and a prize for the first person done, piecing the top. Shelley started this project with Carrie in Wisconsin, so she has a head start....just throwing that out there for you competitive types!!

I plan to blog about the Eventide Sew Along every Tuesday. Feel free to blog about your progress when it suits you. If you have a blog, I'll link to it. I just love the parades that Sherri and Sinta have for their monthly sew along, so let's do the same, have an Eventide Parade the last day of March.

That's it! What could be more fun!

Added later - If you are looking for an Eventide pattern, the Fat Quarter Shop will have them online in the next 24 hours or so. Also, Kimberly from the Fat Quarter Shop has donated a gift certificate for our sew along! Thanks Kimberly, that's very exciting news! The fun just keeps happening and I've yet to even unwrap my fat quarter bundle!

And the winner of the Eventide pattern is

Jayne - of Jayne's Quilting Room.

Congratulations Jayne, and thanks to all who stopped by and left a comment.

I'm working on this project right now,

Virginia's Star Quilt by Lori Smith of From my heart to your hands.

I just need to finish the stars, sew them together, and add the border.

Depending on how Virginia's Star progresses, I'm hoping to start Eventide the end of next week.

Someone asked about my progress on my needle turn applique project, I'm loving it and am still working on my first block. I would show you my progress, but I get the idea that appliquers blog about their applique when they finish a block, and I'm new to the club and don't want to break any rules, so hang in there, there will be a applique block to share soon.

(If it were up to me, I would show you a picture every time I added a piece, wouldn't you just hate that!!)

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Eventide Sew-Along . . .

Good news, several folks are interested in a Eventide sew along!! Although I'm not surprised, this is one great pattern.

As to the "rules" . . . let's just keep it simple:

- Start by the end of February (I think I'll be ready to start next week)

- Blog about your progress every Tuesday (have you ever noticed how Tuesday is a sloooow blog day?)

- Let's shoot for having the top pieced by the end of March (of this year). If a project stretches out much past a month, I lose interest.

If you don't have a blog send me an email (cupcakesndaisies@gmail.com) and pictures and I'll blog about it for you.

I'll create a Sew Along list with a link to all the participating blogs on the left hand column of my blog.

First one done gets a prize, anyone who finishes by the end of March gets a mug rug.

I've been looking at this bundle of fabric setting on my shelf for months,

it's Park Avenue by 3 Sisters for Moda. This is going to be my Eventide fabric. This is a Christmas line, but I plan to omit the holly fabric, then it will be just a stack of pretty florals and prints.

Just in case you were waffling on joining us, here's an up close and personal picture of this amazing quilt.

On the back of the pattern Carrie says, "this quilt will work with any color scheme and style of fabric. Just pick a primary color, an accent color and the complementary colors."

I think the most fun of the sew along will be seeing the different fabric choices.

The fabric requirements for this project are 3 1/2 yards of assorted background fabric, 6 fat quarters assorted light and medium prints, 8 fat quarters primary color prints, 3 fat quarters dark prints, 11 fat quarters medium to dark prints and 3 fat quarters for inner border.

You still have time to leave a comment on yesterday's blog post to win the pattern, I'll announce the winner on Thursday.

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Lesson Learned . . . .

This is Eventide, a pattern designed by Carrie Nelson of Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. The fabric is Luna Notte by 3 Sisters for Moda.

While attending my classes with Carrie this fall, this was one of the many quilts Carrie brought with her, and let me tell you, this is one lovely quilt and a pattern that is on my continually growing To Do list.

What I find most interesting about this pattern, is the red squares set on point and running down each side. I think they add great interest to the quilt, but don't overpower or distract from the small star blocks or secondary pattern of the large stars. Carrie told us that when she was working on this pattern, those red squares were just that, red squares, but she felt the red was too strong, so to tone the color down, she made those squares using plain red fabric and a red print fabric. I thought that was very clever. I would have never thought of using two fabrics, I probably would have just kept looking for that perfect color from one fabric. Luckily for me, now that Carrie has shared this little secret, I don't have to be clever, I just have to remember to give it a try.

And this weekend I did, but not on a quilt.....

This is my snowman Christmas tree, only snowman ornaments or snowman parts (snowflakes and snowballs) adorn this tree. I've been collecting snowman ornaments for at least 14 years, I started with a very small table top tree and look how it's grown. It's a fun tree to decorate and I just love it. Most of the ornaments are gifts from friends and family.

What I didn't love was nothing tying the whole tree together, it was just ornaments hanging on a tree.

This year I bought this snowball garland for the tree, thinking the snowballs would tie the whole concept together,

but the snowballs were distracting, you looked at the garland instead of the ornaments. Remembering how Carrie toned down her red, I toned down my snowballs by mixing in a second garland of smaller snowballs.

And I think that's just what this tree needed! I'm not sure what amazes me more, that I like the looks of two different styles of garland on one tree, or that I actually remembered something from a class that was over 2 months ago!

So is this a lesson that less is more, or more is more, I'm not sure . . . how about a lesson in keep trying until you like what you see.....which is the perfect segue for this....

Here's my Root Beer Float trial block,

the cream fabric on the left was my first choice and did not suit me, the size of and distance between the motifs was too large for the small areas in the block so I'm now thinking about using the fabric on the right. I don't think this is the perfect combination, but I do think I'm getting there.

I do love the star pattern and still think it's a good fit for this fabric, Olde World Style fabric by Monique Dillard for Maywood.

Stay tuned, I'm sure I'm on the brink of something wonderfully lovely, or at least that's what I'm telling myself.

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