Tag Archives: LCsCottage

Initial Pillow No. 4

This month’s pillow is for my second granddaughter.

I used Cindy Needham’s Ultimate circle stencil to create a guide to free motion quilt.

Hannah Pillow

I didn’t want to use the larger circles, but I did start marking one by mistake. Oops.

Hannah Pillow

After marking the lines from the stencil that I needed, it is simply a matter of ‘connecting the dots’, in my case, for petals.

Hannah Pillow

Then it got complicated.  I had drawn s0 many lines that I really needed to concentrate on which ones that I was going to quilt on.

Hannah Pillow

I thought it easiest for me to outline stitch the lines that I needed, and fill them in later.

Hannah Pillow Hannah Pillow

I hadn’t decided how I wanted to fill the petals, so I quilted the centers and the background first.

Hannah Pillow

Now we are getting somewhere!  Love the texture!

Hannah Pillow

I used Wonderfil Invisifil 100 wt. to outline stitch the letter and the ladybug.  Aurifil variegated 40 wt. was used to free motion quilt the flowers, and Aurifil 50 wt. was used for the background stitching, as well as appliqueing the letter.

Hannah Pillow

The finished pillow:

Hannah Pillow

Just a simple covered zipper backing:

Hannah Pillow

I didn’t think that I would make it this month, but here it is the last day of the month, and I can still link up to QuiltShopGal’s May free motion quilting pillow challenge.  Yay!  I chose Option #1.

Be sure to check out Cindy Needham’s website and blog.  She is a fabulous quilter and teacher!

Hannah Pillow Joy Pillow

Initial Pillow No. 1

Initial Pillow No. 2

Initial Pillow No. 3

Hubby’s Walk in the Garden

“It was such a spring day as breathes into a man an ineffable yearning, a painful sweetness, a longing that makes him stand motionless, looking at the leaves or grass, and fling out his arms to embrace he knows not what.”
–  John Galsworthy

Hubby took his little pocket camera out to the garden and I thought I would share a few of his finds with you.

Toad

This little fella was very willing to pose.

Toad

He is only about 2 inches in size, and oh, so cute!

Toad

Lots of his friends and relatives live here, and I am happy to see them!

Toad

These photos are all of the same little guy; I just couldn’t decide which pose to share, so I’m sharing several.

Toad

“The world’s favorite season is the spring. 
All things seem possible in May.”
–  Edwin Way Teale

The next photo looks like Autumn, but it is indeed a red maple in spring.

Red Maple

The peonies are showing a gorgeous blush!

Peony

And the bees are happily buzzing and gathering around the allium.

Allium
 “An optimist is the human personification of spring.”
–  Susan J. Bissonette  

Allium

“Green is the fresh emblem of well founded hopes.  In blue the spirit can wander, but in green it can rest.”
–  Mary Webb

*Clicking on any photo will show an enlarged view.

One Little Word Vision Boards

Back in January,  I wrote about joining Ali Edwards’ One Little Word class.

I chose Joy for my word of the year.

One Little Word Vision Boards

February’s assignment was to create a vision board.  Yes folks, I completed February’s assignment in April, and am just now posting about it.

Better late than never!

One Little Word Vision Boards

This does not mean that I haven’t been learning about my chosen word, or applying what I have been learning to my life.

I’m just slow getting assignments done.  That’s all.

One Little Word Vision Boards

The assignment was to create one board, but I was having so much fun, I created two!  It has been a long, long time since I played with paper and glue.  I had forgotten how enjoyable it is.

I found the time that I spent cutting pictures and words from magazines, then gluing into a collage, creative and relaxing.

One Little Word Vision Boards

There is the emotional and spiritual aspects of such an assignment, and I take those seriously, but for the moment:

It is good just to be a kid again!