Look Out Improv...Here I Come

First of all, I must start off my telling my oldest son HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! His is the first of eight this month and the first of three in a row. He, his wife, and two children live in Arizona and I was lucky enough to go out a visit them last month.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DANNY

I was thinking that I wanted to challenge myself, in my quilting, this year. I usually stay within the confines of traditional patchwork and applique with mostly traditional prints and colors. In other words...not much imagination. With all of the bright, fun prints that line the shelves of our quilt shops now a days it was about time for me to take the plunge and step into the present day. I have no doubt that I will continue to do traditional quilting it will just be with a somewhat more modern look...I hope...I think...

As I was visiting blogland this week I found that the hostess of a blog that I follow, Jackie at Tall Grass Prairie Studio, was challenging all, who care to join her, in doing that very thing, to think outside the (their) box.

One of the things that each "challengee" is to do is to choose a color combo from the three that she offered and make a Log Cabinish type 12" (finished) block that will be part of some quilts that will be made and donated to charity.

There are people that have volunteered to donate batting and backing fabrics and others to machine quilt all of the quilts that are made and still others have volunteered to finish up with the binding. What totally awsome people!!!

The color combo that I chose was orange and pink. I love the look of these two colors together because the remind me of the beach, where I used to live, at sunset.

The fabrics that I chose to make my block out of...

...all from my stash...

When we chose our color combo Jackie said that we could add other colors to our block, so I threw in a little green and turquoise.

Here's my block.......

...what she lacks in construction points, she more than makes up for in cheery brightness...at least I think so;)

Tomorrow, I will be another year older, and wiser too , (yeah, right) Happy Birthday, to me;)

I hope that everyone is having a GREAT weekend;)

My First Finish for 2K9

I hope that every one's New Year is off to a great start.

Looking around blogland many of you are getting projects finished up that were left over from last year. I love to see what everyone is working on and that so many of you are already off and crafting on new projects for this year.

One of my favorite things is to see the same project being worked on by several people and just, even though the project is the same, how very different each one is, depending on the creators likes and preferences. There's so much inspiration to be had out there.

My daughters/daughters-in-law and I have started a new challenge this year...we will be doing one craft per month and one quilt block per month. Three of us quilt and three don't, so for those that don't we will be starting off with the basics, in hopes of not overwhelming them and inspiring them to do more.

Our January craft project is a pincushion. I chose to use May Britt's Pincushion Tutorial on her blog, abyquilts...you know the rest... Her directions and pictures made this a very quick and easy project.

Here are a few pictures...

Sitting in the snow...

...could it be a snow star or snow flower???...

The snow really throws the color off...

...the color here is much better...

The button is abalone and just a little smaller than a quarter...

...and a side view...

I hope that you are all enjoying you Winter/Summer whatever it may be where ever you may be;)