A Dutch Treat May Mini

Welcome to

 another Monthly Mini installment. 

This month I decided to have a bit

of quilting fun with my collection of 

Dutch fabrics.

I can't really enjoy them while

they're in a pile 

on a shelf.

Why do I save them there?

Why do I save so many of my

favorite fabrics?

No more lamenting.

Here's what I did this month.

Dutch Treat

24" x32"

The pattern is from

Petra Prins and An Moonen's

book, Promenade in a Dutch Garden.

It was easy piecing

hst's together from small colorful pieces

from my treasured collection and

then using only one fabric piece for the light.

The center star

acts as a small calm medallion

surrounded by the busy chintz patterns.

I finished the edge with a  traditional Dutch

invisible binding.

In this method you finish the edge

on the top with strips that are 

then folded it to the back of the quilt and

stitched down.  Instead of stitching

I used a narrow stitch witchery on the edge

to hold it in place.

I machine quilted a simple diagonal grid 

over the top.  I didn't want the 

beautiful designs of the fabrics to be 

covered over with threads.

To make it's debut,

I headed out to the barbed wire fence.

The bright green of the spring hay made the colors pop.

"Dutch Treat" was joined by two other Dutch favorites.

It made for a sweet mini May parade

in the open field, early in the morning.

Don't forget to check out what other

May minis were created on

Wendy's blog, The Constant Quilter. 

Until Next Time-

Kyle

May Mini and Moth Mayhem

Here it is the end of May. 

A May different from any 

other that we may have 

           ever experienced. 

"Six Feet Apart"

17" x 27"

My May mini

is simple, 

somewhat somber,

yet with a sense of order

with blue backgrounds for hope.

The 4 patch blocks

are from my Leaders and Enders

endless sewing.

Hopefully, we've all been following

the social distancing directives

to keep everyone safe and healthy.

 Even the Playmobile people

are in accordance.

My May mini is linked up with 

Wendy, the Constant Quilter,

the other mini makers who

keep coming up with unique and 

wonderful ideas each  month.

Check out what's being created.

****

The other May Happening,

like we need anything else

here in Colorado,

is the invasion of the Miller Moth!

They are the migrating adult moth

of the army cutworm.

These dusty, pesky moths

migrate from the prairie to 

the mountains to spend the summer.,

lucky them.

We have been inundated by 

an extra large invasion of  these 

nuisance pests this late spring. 

We have placed

swatters in strategic places around the house.

Each day and night

we find ourselves on moth patrol.

I don't know how they get in, but 

they do!!!!
One even had the audacity
to hide inside my sewing machine.
I screamed pretty loud when he
flew out into my face.
So gross.

I'll spare you having to look
or hear anymore about them.

****

I wanted to share a couple photos

my daughter who is a first grade teacher

sent me last week.

She was allowed back into her classroom since

leaving for spring break back in March.

She said it was like entering a time warp.

Everything the way she left it 11 weeks ago.

Very weird. 

 ****

Back to quilting-

Remember

If you need to

get your quilting mojo back,

join us in June sharing your

 monthly mini!

Until Next Time-

Kyle

May Baskets and Blossoms

It's the end of May

and the flowers have been
definitely putting on a show

here in northern Colorado.

Those blossoms were  my inspiration 

for my May monthly mini

May Baskets and Blossoms.

25"x 25"

It started with a fat quarter bundle I purchased
from Fat Quarter Shop
called Chalk and Timber
and grew from there.

Four traditional basket blocks,

a pieced border made with pink flying geese,
and just enough border fabric to
tie it all together.

A simple quilted grid pattern,
(stitched during the royal wedding replay)
and this month's mini was complete.

The backing was fun to
stitch together using
a toile print and
some ancient Debbie Mumm fabric.

It all seemed to fit.
Who would have guessed.

Baskets and blossoms


seemed like a fitting
ending to May.

Thanks to Wendy,
the Constant Quilter
for encouraging many of us
to have fun each month.

Until Next Time-
Kyle

A Happy May Day Quilt

 One of my antique quilts 

reminds me of May Day:

flowers, and high expectations 

of warmer weather.

April showers bring May flowers.

 Antique Tulip Applique

Red, Green and Cheddar

approximate age mid nineteen century

91" x 77"

The quilt itself is in great shape.

The red fabric though is shredding and

 is very fragile.

But the flowers are happy and the green

is that lovely shade of poison green

that I love.

The cheddar adds a special color element.

There are a few pieces of red that 

have stood the test of time.

The red  binding is very narrow, but has

shattered.

The alternating plain blocks are

quilted with tiny even stitches.

The basket pattern is consistant in all the blocks,

but the floral arrangement is different in each basket.

How fun is that!

 And what do these may flowers bring?

Happy thoughts and sunshine smiles

And wishes for a wonderful Spring.

Except for the front range here in Colorado

Look at our spring weather!

Until Next Time-

In the Merry Month Of May

 May is such a wonderful month.

It includes multiple trips to the garden nursery

to bring home more and more flowers.

Here in Colorado it has finally warmed up enough for 

me to take the flannel sheets off the bed.

That also means it's time to change the quilts.

To celebrate the addition of flowers to

the gardens here are a couple of quilts from

my collection.

Folk Art Flowers

2005

58" x 70"

These delightful folk art flowers are
from a Buggy Barn pattern from
their book, Perennially Crazy.

I have always enjoyed these designer's
systematic approach to a scrappy quilt.
It's organized randomness.

Teaching their patterns was such fun.
Each quilt was so unique and the students
were always delighted with their results.


This next quilt is a design from Gerry Kimmel-Carr
of Red Wagon.

Summer Garden
2000

This quilt was another one of my projects that was
done while I waited for my girls at cello and violin lessons.
It's amazing what you can accomplish when you
have a few minutes here and there.

It's hand appliqued and machine pieced.
I had planned to quilt it myself but could never figure out what
to do in the long blue columns.
A quilter I used from the Denver area did a nice job filling in the blanks.

Using the complimentary colors of blue and orange was fun.
It made the applique take center stage.

Now I'm heading off to the nursery.
Time to get those other flowers in the ground.

 Until Next Time-