Disappearing Nine Patch in Progress

Tonight I whipped this up:

I don't mean to sound boastful, but this pattern was so easy that it didn't take long at all.  This quilt top looks like I spent tons of time on it and I really didn't.  I put the tutorial on here a couple of posts ago.  These are 9 patch squares that have been cut crosswise down the middle.  Then the little blocks are reassembled into a different looking block.  I'm really loving this pattern.  I found some really pretty 5 inch cotton fabric squares on eBay at a very good price.  They were in my mailbox when I got home from work this afternoon and I couldn't wait to get started.  I guess I don't know when to quit when I start this kind of stuff because I didn't stop until this small wall hanging was sewn together.  It's not finished.  I still have to put borders on and quilt it, but I really wanted to share what I've done so far. 

This fabric is just a hodgepodge of everything.  When you use just 3 or 4 colors it really adds a different look.  Look at this square that I started with some 5 inch squares I already had.

Lots of fun!  I hope this inspires you to make one of your own.  If you do, I hope you share your pictures with me or on your own blog.  But, let me know if you make one and share the photos.  I'll post more photos of this one later.



The Lord is my Shepherd

This morning on the way to work one of my favorite chapters in the Bible came to me.  I used to have it memorized when I was a child, but this morning as I was trying to recall it, I couldn't remember it all.  It just made me realize that I need to memorize it again.  It's Psalm 23.  I love the way this chapter is written and when I read it from the King James Version, it sounds like music.

Psalm 23

(A Psalm of David)

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

I grew up going to church and learning all these verses and chapters from the Bible.  The King James Version is the version of the Bible that we always used.  Over time, I have come to start using other versions as well, but I really like the New International Version.  It makes things easier to understand.

I'm not a person who is what some would call a Bible thumping Christian.  I don't proclaim my Christianity from the rooftops, although I'm sure some would think I should.  I prefer to live my Christian life quietly, without announcing any works I might do.  I think it's much better to do works in quiet so that I don't seem boastful about what I've done and people don't necessarily know it's me that did them.  I know I did them and that's all that matters.  I work mostly behind the scenes in helping people or doing whatever Jesus puts in my path to be done to glorify him.  As I said, I'm not one to shout my Christianity from the rooftops, however I'm not afraid to tell anyone that my Lord and Savior is Jesus Christ and that he died for my sins.

I hope I don't sound preachy today.  It just seemed like the Lord was leading me to post this on my blog and Facebook today for a reason that only He knows. 

In my next post, I will share some pictures of the Disappearing Nine Patch wall hanging that I've started.  I'm having great fun with this pattern and it's so easy!

Disappearing Nine Patch Block

I'm always looking for new, easy quilt blocks and patterns to make. This morning a coworker brought in a quilt that she had been working on at a quilt retreat. It was beautiful, but the pattern was a little more complicated than I wanted to try. So, I was looking up something else quilt related in Google and ran across this easy quilt pattern that I had seen awhile back and forgotten about it. It's called the Disappearing Nine Patch Block. I've been loving nine patch blocks for a really long time. In fact, my very first quilt was a nine patch quilt. I made several nine patch blocks from scrap fabrics in my stash and I made all of the center squares of the nine patches with red fabric. It was so easy and I had a quilt top in no time. My very first one, and it made me feel so good that I could create something so beautiful. Well ... now, I have discovered a wonderful new variation on the nine patch block. I can't believe I haven't known about this before. Here is a Youtube video tutorial describing it.

Disappearing Nine Patch Block Tutorial

Now, you see how easy this is. I can't wait to try one. But ... then I saw that pretty quilt in the tutorial and those lovely scallop edges. I have shied away from scallop edges in the past, but the following video makes it look very easy. At least it's presented in a way that I think I could actually do it.

How to Make a Scalloped Edge on a Quilt

When she was talking about the scallop ruler, I knew I had to order one of those, so I did that. Then I saw this next video on how to make the continuous bias binding for the scallop edges.

How to Make Continuous Bias Binding

Well, then of course, you know I had to get one of those bias rulers too. Maybe I didn't need that ruler. If I were a more seasoned and experienced quilter I could probably figure out how to make those bias strips without it, but for me, it will be much easier to make them with this ruler, so I ordered one of those too. Sigh ... I guess when it comes to quilting, or any project really, one thing calls for another. But, now I really want to learn how to make those scallop edges. I think they are beautiful and add such elegance to a quilt. I have tons of 5" squares, so I can't wait to start working on the disappearing nine patch block. I will post pictures when I get some of it made.

Book Spine Poetry

I wanted to share something with you that I've been working on the past few days.  I just discovered a really fun, inspiring form of making poetry from book spine titles.  This is the coolest thing.  The best definition of "book spine poetry" that I can give you is that you look for book titles (not authors) either in your own book collection at home, or in a library.  You find a book title that speaks to you or sounds intriguing, then you find some other titles to go along with it to make a short poem in a way that makes sense.  Once you have your books together and your poem, you stack the books with their spines showing in the order of the poem.  You read the titles, not the authors, to make the poem.  Then snap a picture.  Anyone can make poetry with book spine titles.

Then I asked myself, what better place could I do this than in a library where I work?  Man, the possibilities are endless.  It was all I could do today to do my real work.  What I really wanted to do was go out in the stacks and look for poems.  I did manage to make a few and I made this short video.  I hope you enjoy it.

I hope you will be inspired to make your own book spine poetry. If you do, please take pictures and share. My understanding is that some schools are using this as a learning tool to get kids interested in writing poetry. I sure wish my teachers had used these types of things when I was in school. I think my writing and other schoolwork would have been alot more fun if they had.

Wind Storm

This has been an unseasonably hot summer so far. It's been in the 90's almost every day and for the past week or so, the temperatures have been over 100 degrees. We had a bad wind storm last week. I was at home by myself when it hit and I was scared to death! I have never seen the trees bend over the way they did that night. I felt like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.

I was pacing the floor. I didn't know what to do, so the only thing I knew to do, if I thought a tornado was coming, was just get in the bathtub and pull a quilt over me and pray and hope for the best. The storm finally ended, but not before taking our power for about 2 days. We did finally get our power back on and it was wonderful!