Hands2Help Guest Blogger Preeti!

 Hi everyone, and welcome back to Hands2Help 2022!

 

Today we are very lucky to have my good friend Preeti as our last guest blogger for 2022. Here is her fun project:

Many of you know Preeti from her blog Sew Preeti Quilts and her new pattern business. For those of you who really enjoy making and donating quilts, Preeti has a new quilt along starting on Memorial Day weekend, just as our challenge is ending. I'll let her tell you the details, but you will enjoy it. For now, hop on over to Preeti's to check out this fast project, and be sure to leave a note of thanks on her post, right HERE. (No, I did not know she was calling it that!)

REMINDERS!

Preeti is our last guest blogger, and the next two weeks, May 15 and May 22, will be for people who don't have blogs or IG but want to show off their quilts. If this is you, send your pictures to me so I can post them!

The linkup for everyone else to show off their quilts is coming on May 29, so get those photos ready!

Finally, when you have finished your quilts, please fill out the Count the Quilts form, right HERE! There are 38 quilts already counted, and we want to be sure to get yours counted, too!

Thanks again to Preeti, and happy stitching everyone!

Falling into spring

Hi everyone! How are you all doing? Here's how I am: my husband has a cold. Condolences gratefully accepted in the form of chocolate.

Meanwhile, I've been sniffling with allergies, reading papers, churning out the grades, and ordering books from the library so I can do some research this summer. And I also finally got around to taking some beauty shots of this finished quilt:

Hurray, another one done! I quilted this a while ago, then finally put a binding on it, and then it waited around for a bit until I finally took some pictures. I don't know why I waited so long, but it just got pushed aside in the shuffle of many things happening. Good thing I have it during this really busy week, though!

I took these pictures on a rainy day, which has happened a *lot* lately. Really, you should see the grass! But the clouds and the rain really have made everything green and have made for very bright photos. It helps that the colors stand out from all the green, too.

This was made from a pattern called Sunnyside by Myra at Busy Hands Quilts, and it is all from scraps. A friend gave me some gold fabrics, and I pulled the remaining colors from my scraps. I started it during the pandemic in 2020, finally finished assembling the top last year, and then quilted it this year. Hey, sometimes these things take time! 

 

 

As you can see, the quilt got quilted a large meander in a beige thread to make it stay nice and soft, and then it got an orange binding to coordinate with the oranges in the quilt. Not what I usually go for, but it works! With the riot of colors on the front, the backing is a nice calm beige. This quilt has been washed and is being donated to Mercyful Quilts for Hands2Help. I think it's pretty gender-neutral, it's the right size, and it's definitely cozy. I hope someone will find it comforting.

So that's another finish! And for all those of you who wanted to know why the azaleas from last week have to come out, check out the purple azalea that just bloomed:

 

It's really pretty, but I think you can see how incredibly overgrown and unkempt that whole area is. This plant is taller than I am, and there are no blooms or leaves near the bottom, and all of the plants in this area are really scraggly. It will look so much better when it's cleared. Not to worry, azalea lovers! The plan is to plant some new ones in the front of the house a little later this spring, where they can be seen and enjoyed and won't be choked by other plants.

 

Everyone have a wonderful weekend! I still have some things to finish up for the semester, then I plan to nap quite a bit. And of course, I'll be bringing tissues and drinks to the guy laying on my sofa who apparently has never before suffered like he is right now. Fun, hey?

 

 

 Sharing at Finished or not Friday, Brag About Your Beauties, Oh Scrap! and the Patchwork and Quilts linkup at Quilting Patchwork Applique.

Hands2Help Guest Blogger Cathy!

 Hi everyone, and welcome back to the Hands2Help Comfort Quilt Challenge!

 

 

Today we are lucky to have Cathy from Crazy by Design as our guest blogger. Here is her project:

 

 

Super cute and way easy! You may know Cathy from her really cute blog, and if you don't recognize the name, I know you will recognize the projects. She makes lots of quilts for donation, many of them through Quilts For Kids, and they are always darling. Hop on over to her post, right HERE, and be sure to leave a nice note of thanks on her post!

It's time to count the quilts!

So, it's now May, and our challenge ends Memorial Day weekend with our final linkup for everyone to show off their quilts. Just so everyone can be ready, I've made up the "count the quilts" form for you to fill out once you send your quilts off. I've asked for your name, but you can just use your first name or your nickname, whatever you are comfortable with. I just want to know about the quilts and be able to keep everything straight!

Find the form HERE. There is also a link on the H2H tab at the top of the page, and I'll keep posting it each week until we finish.

No hurry to fill this out! I'll close the form and get the final count on June 4, so you still have plenty of time! 

Also, a REMINDER: today is the last day to sign up. I'm closing the form in the morning, and then I'll be organizing our prizes.

 

One more REMINDER: if you don't have a blog or IG and want to show off your quilt, send me a picture and I'll include it in the quilt parade on May 15 and May 22. Final linkup party for everyone to show off begins May 29.

Thanks again to Cathy, and thanks everyone! Happy stitching!

Suddenly spring

 Holy cow, folks, it's the end of April. On Sunday it will be May! How in the world did that happen? Plus, one day this week I got up and suddenly the whole world looked green. The leaves have popped on the trees and we have all kinds of shade again. Many of the trees are flowering now, too. Spring has definitely sprung.

If it's the end of April, you know it's also the end of the academic year, which means I've been really busy this week. All those meetings, all that grading. . .not nearly enough stitching, but I did manage to add the pink round to my medallion quilt for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. Have a look:

 

 

I am really, really pleased with this! Who doesn't love pink polka dot fabrics? Plus, if you squint a little, it looks almost like a white ribbon waving around the quilt top.

 

All of the blocks in this quilt top so far are different sizes, and this block is 3 inches. For reference, the yellow round blocks are 4 inches, and the aqua are 2 inches. The actual pink block is above, for anyone who would like to make it themselves. I strip pieced everything and it was super easy, which is not always true with 3-inch blocks!

 

As you can see from the artsy-looking picture above, the azaleas are also blooming in the yard! I forgot about these, really. They're in a part of the yard that we are planning to clear out, and we just didn't get to it last year. I really did mean to cut them down, but it just didn't happen. Oh, well! Maybe this year? In the meantime, we'll enjoy the pretty flowers.

So, that's it for my current RSC progress. I have some of the pink stars cut out, so I'm a little behind, but I'll do those with the next color. Just as soon as I finish this grading. . .

Everyone have a great weekend. I'll be chained to my desk, but I hope that you all have some nice weather and some pretty flowers to enjoy! Here's another beauty from my forgotten garden!

Sharing at Finished or Not Friday and soscrappy for RSC22.