Shirley Anne’s Heart

Posted By drsao on April 20, 2008

Many quilters from all over the world are at this very moment happily completing Step Two of the Orange Crush Mystery Quilt designed by Bonnie K. Hunter (if anyone is interested in joining in on the fun – go to www.quiltville.com.) 

Weeks ago, while waiting for our Step 1 instructions, many of us (including yours truly) selected our three fabrics plus an accent fabric for our quilts- and it has been very entertaining to see all of the different color choices.

I had decided to make a PINEAPPLE CRUSH instead of an ORANGE CRUSH

(since I was using a PINEAPPLE COLORED FABRIC instead of orange.)

….and my fabrics

were…..(the teal is the accent color)   

But alas, I have now changed my mind…

….I’ve decided on a brighter red fabric to substitute for the burgundy checks.

My STEP 1 BLOCKS for the PINEAPPLE CRUSH are Controlled Scrappy

– two colors – beiges and navy blues…..

Recently I have experienced a bit of unexpected bravery and have decided that I should REALLY TRY to fight against my “CONTROL AND ORGANIZE GENE” and expand my horizons.  I decided to GO TOTALLY SCRAPPY.

AND….since I decided to go SCRAPPY with my four patches (putting in EVERYTHING but the kitchen sink) I said, “SELF, you might as well do the ORANGE CRUSH QUILT in scrappy.”

And  here are my SCRAPPY STEP ONE 150 Four-Patch BLOCKS for the ORANGE CRUSH…

And still on my SCRAPPY ROLL – here are my STEP TWO Scrappy

142 Half-Square Triangle Four-Patches…..

And since I have Steps One and Two completed I needed to make a FABRIC CHOICE. 

Here are my OFFICIAL choices for fabrics for my Scrappy Orange Crush Mystery Quilt.

I don’t know yet which one will be my accent color.  🙂

And now I need to get back to my CONTROLLED SCRAPPY MODE and make my STEP TWO blocks for my PINEAPPLE CRUSH MYSTERY QUILT.

Ok – so now I have officially admitted that I am making BOTH an Orange Crush and a Pineapple Crush Mystery Quilt.

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Posted By drsao on April 20, 2008

I wonder how many other quilters have ever cut so many extra strips of material that they could almost make a WHOLE quilt with the leftovers?  I guess I got CARRIED away with making my little 1 1/2″ square four-patches for the round (shown below) on my Birth of a Sampler Quilt because I had an embarrasssing number of EXTRA FOUR-PATCHES….I think they are EVER SO CUTE!!!

This month’s assignment was to make a round of alternating nine-patches and hour-glass blocks.  HM…..I wondered if I could substitute some of my cute little 1 1/2″ four patches somewhere here…….I carefully arranged some blocks on the floor and IMMEDIATELY GOT HELPERS.  Oreo CHIPPIE Cookie got very excited about the way this quilt was developing  (how do people WITHOUT CONSULTANT CATS ever manage!!! LOL)

Then Midnight Jr. had to come in and give her two cents worth of ideas….and we all agreed that the little squares could substitute for the 9 patches…….

So I decided to repeat the CUTENESS in this month’s round.  I substituted SIXTEEN BLOCKS – (each with 36 1 1/2″ squares) for 16 nine-patch blocks and voila…..look!

Here is a close-up (and in case someone is curious) yes I still had some of those little 1 1/2″ four-patch blocks left over…..sigh….maybe they will show up in another quilt one day.  LOL

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Posted By drsao on April 18, 2008

Oh what a stretch it was to go TOTALLY SCRAPPY on this! 

I was feeling more brave about mixing “EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK” with each block that I pieced.  My grandma used to make quilts like this – and so I am trying to give up control and fight against my “CONTROLLED AND ORGANIZED GENE” in order to produce a Bonnie K. Hunter WANNABE SCRAPPY QUILT.  I have decided that The Orange Crush Mystery Quilt is going to be truly scrappy.

Here they are – some of my Step 2 142 Half-Square Triangle 3 1/2″  Four Patches….. 

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Posted By drsao on April 18, 2008

Sometimes there are months that are even MORE SPECIAL than others and April, 2008 is one of those months! 

April started with the new MYSTERY QUILT from Bonnie Hunter – the Orange Crush – and believe it or not, that was exciting (almost like Christmas.)  We are all now busily working on step two already!

Then there was the Wakefield Quilt Retreat AND the one day VA Scrappers Retreat…..more happy times…

APRIL 13 Sarah had her art work displayed in the Chesterfield County Arts and Sciences festival….a wonderful exhibit…see an earlier blog for a picture.

APRIL 16 Nanna turned 12 – whoo hoo – she is so much fun – funny – smart – and almost perfect (except when she puts toy worms in my bed!)  What’s not to love!  Her birthday pedicure and dinner with friends is tonight.

LOTS HAPPENED ON APRIL 17th

APRIL 17 Sarah and all of the 2nd Graders at her school put on a musical performance – TALES OF TEMPLES AND TOMBS…..it was wonderful.  The kids had fantastic make-up and costumes (their collars were made in their art classes!)  Sarah did a great job – such a sweetheart!

APRIL 17 Cooper registered for kindergarten – he was so excited.  He wants to start elementary school today.  He was all smiles – and he is looking forward to his parents going on a trip soon so that he can stay with me and have NO RULES!

AND – TA DA –

AND FINALLY, still on April 17, my parents celebrated 65 years of marriage!  What an awesome accomplishment!  They have produced four children, seven grandchildren and10 great grandchildren.

Here they are with their first two great grandchildren (Harry and Leanna) in 1997.

Leanna is the Nanna who just turned 12 and Harry is now 13!

Today is my brother’s birthday……a milestone birthday……1948 – 2008 – HMMMMM – he is now in the GREAT DECADE (with me!)  From left to right are my brothers Fred and Dan, then me (SAO), Mother, Daddy, and the birthday boy – JIM!

Goodness – this month isn’t even over and a lot has happened to celebrate….and there is more to come!

APRIL 21 – grandangel Caden will turn 14.  He is a dear, sweet, smart boy – but did he have to get taller than Grandma Shirley (this was taken in February in CA.)  We have both changed a lot, haven’t we!

APRIL 24 Caden’s parents celebrate their anniversary!

April 23 and 24 Nanna will play the part of a mouse in her school play HERCULES…..and there just MIGHT be a picture later…….:)

Stay tuned because, you never know, May may be another one of those months….and June…..and maybe July……..I guess all months are special!  :):)

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Posted By drsao on April 13, 2008

I went to the  Arts and Sciences Festival today at Cosby High School (sponsored by the Chesterfield County Public Schools.)  I was SO IMPRESSED with all of the wonderful exhibits.  Our county art and science teachers and students are awesome – what a great show.  There is a lot of talent in our county!

The art was unbelievably good and the displays were creative – the whole experience was enjoyable.  I enjoyed the way in which the art was displayed almost as much as I enjoyed the art itself.

I MUST mention that my 2nd grader grandangel had one of her “masterpieces” on display.  Here is Sarah with her work of art!  I love her flowers – and there might have been a cat lurking in that picture somewhere too!

I just HAD to get a close up!  🙂

I thought that Jimmy Herd, the art teacher at Swift Creek Elementary, led his students to produce a masterpiece ……. just look at this one – it must have taken a lot of planning to get these ‘BLOCKS’ to fit together in artistic splendor!  I call this innovative and spectacular!  LOVE IT!  HM – that sure would make a fantastic quilt!

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