Two Baby Quilts

 

We have two friends who are about to become grandparents. 

I saw a fabric called Bramble Patch by Hannah Dale in one of the quilting magazines that arrive here regularly. I just fell in love with it and had to have some. I found it at Fat Quarter Shop online and bought enough to make me happy. 

This first little quilt is made of four patches and framed five inch charms.

 

This one is a framed panel from that line. I love the little forest animals. They are so sweet!

 

I quilted both at the same time using the same solid gray for backing and binding.

 

You can't tell a lot about the quilts here, but they are fresh from the washer and dryer and so wonderfully cuddly! I hope each baby and his parents will love them as much as I do!

 

This is the plaque we placed in Ruthie's garden to commemorate our friend Dawn. 

 

 

Ruthie would like it.

 

The tumblers I cut from batiks have now been assembled into a quilt top. The backing and batting are all ready. Now I just have to get it loaded and quilted!

 

Isn't it good to have plenty to do inside on these so hot days. I seem to forget how hot it gets here in the summer, but I have remembered now! The very best thing to do in Houston is hibernate in the summer and go out and about in the winter!

 

I hope you are finding ways and means to stay busy and happy where you are.

I'm thankful for so many things and for so many people. I'm thankful for you!

 

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine 

A Quilt for My Friend

 

More years ago than I care to remember I met my friend Carmen. She and her husband lived in the apartment right next door. They had a son the age of our son. Needless to say we became friends and have remained so all these years, even though we seldom see each other in person.

Carmen has a milestone birthday coming up next month and I wanted to make a special quilt for her.

 

 

I like it a lot and I hope she will, too.   

 

 

Mr. Muddling had a birthday last weekend and of course I made a cake for him.

It was delicious.

 

So many pretty things going on. The second from left photo on top is an orb weaver spider who was here for a couple of weeks. The photo to the right of it is the egg sac she left when she moved on.

 

Our daughter Ruthie had a friend in the UK, Dawn. They met years and years ago in an online support group for chronic pain. Though they never physically met, they talked and video messaged and typed a lot and ended up being great friends.  The stone on the lower left is Dawn's latest gift to us. She has always remembered to send us some sort of sweet remembrance on Ruthie's birthday and Christmas. We adopted her after Ruthie left us and she was so proud and happy to be a part of her "Texas family"! We had a sweet message from Dawn's daughter on Tuesday telling us Dawn had passed away last Friday. I know she is no longer in pain and I am so happy for her. I know that she and Ruthie are still catching up. But there is a big hole in our hearts knowing we won't hear those sweet messages of hers. I miss her.

 

This is now a queen size quilt top. Sooner or later, it will be quilted.

    

While I had all those batiks out I cut a nice stack of tumblers. I've been sewing some of them together in between other things. And I'm pretty sure I'll need to pull those batiks back out and cut more!

I really have been busy even though I haven't been telling you about it! One thing I can tell you for sure is I am ready for some cooler weather! 

I hope you are staying cool (or warm as the case may be!), and that you are finding lots of things to do and for which to be thankful. God is still good. And He is good all the time. If you don't already, I hope you get to know Him.

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine

Hello Again!

I know. I've been absent again. I'm sorry. I'll try to catch up a little. I don't know what those birds are, maybe geese? I had never seen any here before. Lots of cucumbers! And flowers everywhere! I love it!

The cucumbers are transforming into pickles. I'm using my grandmother's sweet pickle recipe, but the dill ones I'm making up as I go along. You know - muddling!

I made this sweet little table topper for Mr. Muddling's chair side table. Isn't it pretty!

Mr. Muddling and I got the old disintegrating greenhouse disassembled and out of the way and put together our new one. It is almost the same. I have the top covered with several layers in an attempt to keep the sun from destroying this one, too. They are not the most long lasting, but the price is right!

I have already got all the pretty plants into the new greenhouse. It helps so much to have a place that is not so sunny for the baby plants to get a good start.

Ruthie's garden is looking good!

And of course I have a new project in the works! This one is from the June issue of American Patchwork and Quilting. Easy and fun. Two of my favorite words!

Hope you are having a good start to your week and that the rest of it will be wonderful! There is always so much for which to be thankful. And I am!

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine

A Quilt for a Rock Star

Here is the completed "slice and dice" project I mentioned in my last post.

Last week our son was visiting and told us how very concerned he is for his friend who is battling lung cancer. His friend is a gifted musician. He is well known and respected in the rock music scene here in Houston and beyond.  Our son Larry has played in a number of venues with him. Larry is a talented musician as well. 

I asked if he would like me to make a quilt for Todd. He got all excited and said he knew exactly what he would love if I could make it.

What he had in mind was something to represent Eddie Van Halen's famous "Frankenstein" guitar. Being fairly ignorant of that stage of rock music I had no idea. but with the aid of the ever helpful internet I found numerous pictures of the many variations and copies of that guitar there are in the world.

I went to work with a solid red background and integrated slices of white and black.

Our son was pleased. He said what I had done would be instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with that guitar. Yay!

He delivered the quilt to the hospital yesterday. Larry was not allowed in the room, but did get messages and a picture of a very happy Todd with the quilt over him.

For those who don't believe as I do, not a problem. But I believe that when we pray God hears. I truly believe it makes a difference. I always pray over the quilts as I make them, and I prayed a LOT over this one. I continue to pray for strength and healing for Todd and for grace for his wife.

Meanwhile here at Muddle Manor flowers are rampantly blooming everywhere and we love it! Lots of them come inside to bring happiness in here as well.

I hope everything and everyone is happy and healthy in your world, and that you are finding ways to spread joy wherever and however you can!

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine

Happy Easter!

I wish you a very Happy Easter! I recently finished quilting this Lion and the Lamb panel.  We are loving seeing it hanging in the hallway. It seems to say so many things about The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, who is also the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world.

In much lighter news, I've been playing again, this time with decoupage. These are a few of my finished projects. It's fun, and I guess it keeps me out of trouble! There are Facebook groups aplenty and lots of tutorials on YouTube as well if you're interested..

This is a little "slice and dice" project I'm making for a friend of our sons. More about it later.

A block I made with a new GO! die, Goose Tracks. I like it! I'm sure there will be more of these showing up around here in the near future.

I hope you have a wonderful Easter, and that you celebrate the life you've been given!

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine. 

Happy Days

What a lot of pretty things going on here - inside and outside. I am loving the flowers! They seem to have been extra pretty this year. Or maybe I'm just glad to see them. Anyway, I have surely enjoyed looking at them 

As you can see there is a bunny who has moved from place to place to get in the picture. He was a happy find while we were out shopping one day.

I finished this little green quilt. It was one of those "just because I could" quilts.  I've been making those scrappy blocks for a while, just enjoying putting them together, and it seemed good to me to put some green blocks in between and make a quilt. So I did.

Now this one is something extra. I have a friend who allowed me to choose one of the antique quilt tops she had been given for myself. I chose this one. I've always liked those 1930's/1940's fabrics, and I really like this pattern, so it was quite a blessing to me. The green fabric in the sashings is not as strong as I'd like it to be, but perhaps with the backing and simple meander quilting it will survive and be happy for a while. It is living in the office right now.

I have more things to share, but I think this is enough for one post. I'll be back soon with more.

I hope you have lots in your world that is making you feel happy and blessed!

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine

Is It Spring Yet?

I've been trying to convince myself that Spring has arrived. And there are lots of areas that agree with that thought. I'm ready for flowers and fresh veggies growing in the gardens.

I've been playing again. I took some of the height off a birdcage I bought when I thought I would get a canary. (I thought about the mess I would have to clean up and changed my mind.) Anyway I decided it would make a fun Easter display. It does!

Mr. Muddling and I wandered around a favorite antique mall last week and found that sweet pair of white rabbits that are now residing in the candle holder, bottom left. I added a ceramic tree that had belonged to my grandmother and they look all cozy and comfortable. I am incredibly silly sometimes, but I have fun!

I have been working on another quilt. Of course. It's on the quilt frame and I might finish quilting it tonight. Or not. We'll see. Those pieces on the upper left are 1 1/2 inch strips. the ones on the upper right are 1 1/2" X 2 1/2" before I sew them into the quilt. The Accuquilt dies and Studio 2 are really lifesavers for cutting and trimming.

This is a little table runner I made recently. I quilted it on my Singer 301. Now it lives on top of  a bookcase in our den.

Here it is in place, with some happy things on top. The watercolor is a download I purchased on etsy from a Ukranian artist. Obviously they cannot ship things right now, but downloads are possible.

The world is so crazy these days. I am glad this world is not my home!

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine