Thursday, May 7, 2020

Nine patches for Paula

Hello all, and welcome to my stop on the blog hop honoring Paula Budinger. Paula was a good and gentle spirit who blogged about the quilts she made at Paula B Quilts. She made a lot of scrappy quilts for kids, and donated almost all of them. I got to know her through Angela's Rainbow Scrap Challenge, where Paula often linked up her creations. She and I sometimes chatted back and forth, like ya do, about her quilts, especially the antique quilts she collected. And she was a Wisconsinite as well, so we had a small connection there, too.

Paula Budinger

On February 8th, Paula passed away after a short illness. Her obituary is HERE, where you can read about how very awesome she was, from electron microscopes to art and design, all across the country. Paula would have been 79 yesterday, and a bunch of us are honoring her quilting legacy through this blog hop.  Because Paula's life and work made us happy, there are also some "presents" for her birthday, in the form of prizes for you! That information is at the bottom of this post.

Here is what I made in honor of Paula:


Yes, two tops! Both bright and happy and intended for children. Since Paula loved scrappy quilting and bright colors, I thought a quilt made in her honor should be the same. It happens that I had a bit of the animal fabric that I had intended to use for a quilt for my grandson. I didn't like how it looked with the alternate blocks, so I used something else, but I had already cut the animal fabric, so there it was, leftover in a strange size. It worked great for this project, though!


The larger quilt is a giant double 9-patch that measures about 45 by 45. The blocks I had cut from the animal fabric were 15 inches square, perfect for using 5 inch squares to make 9-patches as alternate blocks. It worked great! I chose the yellow and green to coordinate with the animal print, and somehow I managed to use them all up. Eagle-eyed readers will notice that some of those yellow and green squares are actually pieced together. Shhh! This quilt will be donated through Sarah's Hands to Help project.


The smaller quilt top was made with the scraps from the first one. Why not? It needed to be used!  This one used a different green and yellow, both polka dots. It happens that I made this in 9-patch form as well. I made four 9-patches with 6-1/2 inch squares and then combined them to make this 36-inch square top. This little quilt will go to Jack's Basket, an organization that celebrates babies with Down Syndrome.


I am very happy with how these two tops turned out, and they will be among the first things I quilt up when this crazy semester is over. I feel like Paula would understand! I have a few small scraps left of this fabric, but otherwise I am thrilled that it is used up and will help comfort some small people.




And now for the presents for you all!  Here are the prizes being offered:


Lorna, Sew Fresh Quilts, $50 gift certificate for her pattern shop.
Yvonne Quilting Jetgirl, 2 PDF patterns of choice.
Bernie Needle and Foot, $25 certificate for her shop.
A fat quarter bundle from Figo Fabrics
A set of quilty gift cards from Initial Thought by DMF  Note cards set 1
A pattern of choice from Karen, Sugar Free Quilts
A $30 gift certificate for Doris, Cactus Queen Quilt Co
A PDF pattern of choice from Joanne, www.etsy.com/shop/CanuckQuilterDesigns
$25 gift certificate to Fat Quarter Shop
(donated by Janice Holton)


"How do I get one of these prizes"? you ask. Here's how it works-- below is a list of bloggers honoring Paula through this hop. Every comment entered on one of the posts in the hop by Friday, May 15, will count as one entry. Winners will be chosen that day from all possible comments by Janice at Color, Creating, and Quilting. Then the winners get a happy package in the mail! International readers, you can enter, too, as many of the prizes are digital. So you get happy email instead of happy mail.

Thanks, all, for stopping by to honor Paula's life and legacy. Be sure to give thanks for all your quilty friends, too. As we've all sadly learned, life is sometimes too short, and it looks a little less colorful without all of us in it. 


Wednesday, May 6

Karen @ KaHolly
Kate @ Smiles From Kate

60 comments:

SallyC said...

Cute quilts, I like your fun animal print. Such a great way to honor Paula.

Sarah Aldrich said...

Elephants are always a favorite with kids. Sarahsgiftnship(at)gmail

eileen said...

Nice colorful quilts, sure to brighten up a kid's bedroom!!

Nann said...

Such cheerful quilts! The elephant print is great!

Cathy44647 said...

What fun quilts that will be cherished by any child for years and years!!

piecefulwendy said...

Love that elephant print, and I think Paula would've loved these two scrappy prints!

cityquilter grace said...

it is amazing how little fabric can turn into something so delightful!

Vicki in MN said...

Paula would approve of your cute quilts. Once quilted you will hardly notice any piecing that shouldn't be there;)

MissPat said...

These two cheerful animal quilts will delight the children and families who receive them. No one will even notice the pieced units. You are just making the best use of the resources you have.
Pat

quiltingbydawn said...

Two great quilts to honor Paula! She is smiling seeing all the bright quilts made charity!

Jocelyn said...

Love your quilts! So sorry about Paula.

KaHolly said...

A delightful and warm post about Paula. Clearly, you were kindred spirits!

Kate @ Smiles From Kate said...

What a lovely tribute to Paula, you described her so well. Paula would definitely have approved of your quilts, they will make two small tots very happy. I love the animal fabric. Thank you so much for participating and sharing your thoughts, it is much appreciated.

Linda in PA said...

Both of these quilts are adorable! I love the elephants!

Bernie Kringel said...

Life is way too short for some Mari. You worded that well at the end of your post.
I treasure all of the friends I have made because of quilting and blogging-and you are at the top of the list.
Great use of the scraps, bright colors and cute animals. Both will be perfect for the kids and will be fun to quilt up. That is just about the right size for quilting at home - not too much to push thru the machine.
Have a great day Mari.

Kathy E. said...

Paula would be smiling at using those fun animal prints and polka dots for a child's quilt. Who doesn't love sloths and elephants? Clever use to get 2 tops sewn up and ready for quilting when you can get time!
duchick at gmail dot com

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

Oh, Mari, I love that jungle print! So fun for kids' quilts! Those are just great and perfect to honor Paula.

Nona said...

Happy quilts and love the colors. These will be loved through the years.

Kathryn said...

I'm like you, I try to find a use for leftovers from one quilt before having the fabric languish in my stash. I like both of your quilts. They will be loved by a child.

barbara woods said...

love your quilts

barbara woods said...

great quilts

Hannah said...

Bright and happy a fitting tribute. Even with the hint, I didn't have the eagle eye to find the pieced blocks:)

JanineMarie said...

Oh, Mari, you have captured the essence of Paula's quilts with the fun bright colors and animal prints. I'm sure these would have delighted her, and they sure will make some kiddies happy!

Karrin Hurd said...

Beautiful cheerful quilts and a great tribute to Paula!

The Joyful Quilter said...

You've got a couple of great donation quilts in the making there, Mari! Bright and cheerful with a touch of whimsy in those darling elephants. Paula would have loved them both!

Janice said...

What a great post, Mari! I really enjoyed reading that. And I enjoyed the bright colorful fabrics you chose to use. LOVE bright! I'm sure Paula would approve. Love the idea of calling the prizes "birthday presents". Nice touch. :)

Joye with an e said...

I like those quilts you shared and am getting some ideas for the NICU quilts I make.

Linda said...

What darling quilts! I love the animal print, especially with those the yellow and green. I did not know Paula but I'm happy to be included in this hop in her honor. That is a good reminder about being thankful for quilty friends. I don't have any in my non-cyber life so I am especially thankful for those I "meet" online.

AnnieBikes said...

These are just the kind of bright, fun, quilts that our guild makes for our charity projects. Thanks for honoring Paula in this way.

Louise said...

Aw, what cute quilts! I love that animal fabric, especially the sloths! It's hard to find a good sloth themed item, you know. Thanks for playing along on the blog hop :)

grammajudyb said...

I am loving those polka dots! And that print! Elephants, tigers, zebras, and sloths! Oh my! !

Sharon Aurora said...

I love your colors! Both quilts are sure to be well loved by the children who receive them.

GranChris said...

These are so sweet. Love them.

margaret said...

there will be 2 very happy children lovely quilts

Carol Andrews said...

What sweet bright quilts. They are sure to brighten any child’s day. Paula would be proud. 😄 Carol

Preeti said...

Such cute fabrics! Such darling quilts. Paula would definitely approve of these including the piecing of scraps to achieve the square blocks.
Eagle eyed I am not - just dreamy eyed from such adorable prints. May I shamelessly lobby you for the scraps? Happy to cook for you - once this crazy semester is over :-D

Mary Elizabeth said...

These are so bright and happy. The fabrics and colours are really fun and they would be a wonderful addition to any child's room.

Judy J said...

Cute quilts!

Danette said...

These are both wonderful quilt tops! I'm sure whoever receives them will be very happy.

Susan said...

Both quilts turned out great!

Susan said...

Two fabulously happy elephant quilts which will be enjoyed by children. Congratulations on a job well done.

Unknown said...

Love your animal print! Thanks for sharing. This hop is fun and inspirational and a wonderful way to remember Paula. Nancy A: SewingGranda@gmail.com

Bquilting said...

Thanks for honoring Paula! Two lucky children will love your quilts!

thatfabricfeeling.wordpress.com said...

Jack's basket is a wonderful organization. I've donated two quilts there and it's time I finished a few more. Thank you so much for sharing. Those animals are lovely for a newborn!:

Kathy S. said...

Yes, Paula B. would have loved this post and the two bright charity quilts. They will be used and loved by someone in need.

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

Oh how sweet!!!

KatieQ said...

The bright, happy quilts are a lovely way to honor Paula's memory.

Susie H said...

Adorable animal print, sure to bring a smile to the recipents' faces. Paula is smiling too!

Jollygirl said...

What a lovely way to honor Paula. I love your quilts.

Rebecca said...

Simple unpretentious quilts do honor to your friends legacy. Some kid is going to love these!

Magpie's Mumblings said...

I love those cute little elephants - great choice of fabric. Thank you so much for the invitation to visit here with you.

Rose said...

What a great tribute to Paula B. Those quilts will brighten some family's celebration.

Val said...

Thanks for your contributions!!

e said...

Adorable quilts

Beth said...

Thank you for the reminder to be thankful for our quilty friends. During this stressful, tenuous time, it's helpful to be especially supportive.

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

Great use of the elephant fabric. Paula would be pleased.

Janice Holton said...

I loved the extra little details you shared about Paula. Thank you so much for your participation in this small way to honor her. ❤

Kathy said...

I love the animal print. This scrappy and colorful quilt is a lovely tribute to Paula.

Emily said...

Such wonderful, happy quilts! Love the greens & yellows and that bright and fun animal print!

Quilter Kathy said...

A wonderful way to honour a fellow quilter!