Spring Pinwheel Quilt

I made this quilt last May (2013/before I started blogging) and wanted to get it documented here on my blog. I call it Spring Pinwheels. This is  my very favorite fat quarter pattern. This lap size, takes 12 fat quarters and can literally be made in a weekend! I quilted it with a butterfly pantograph .

And I found the perfect butterfly print for the back. (It's kinda hard to see the print.)

I made it for my very favorite Aunt Carlene as an I Love You/Thank You gift. She came all the way to Oregon  from Michigan for our oldest daughter's wedding.
We were all so happy to have her here!  

Me, my mom & Aunt Carlene.

Nothing like sending one of your favorite people home with a quilty hug!!
With smiles,
Val:)

Tuesday Archives #10: Cats & Charity Quilts

Welcome to the linky party that rejuvenates your old quilting/sewing posts! 

Click here to read more about this linky party.  And, hey! If you are new to my blog...welcome! I'd love for ya to help spread the word by adding my button to your blog and after taking take a look around, I hope  you'll become a  follower too!

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<a href="http://myplvl.blogspot.com/" title="Val's Quilting Studio"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTh-z8MMZ2VMG5eOk3VAQbw4e7l-v0gQQ1yBZyyvmagoeIAeuGX8qww-6JOmIkrtcFvNzCZEAkhaLp1oXC05Jlr-kIGufJ_gRTv3B7C0SVcKnPPa5aeQJUlvX65bsV-8ikQJ2KSxwSCDo8/s1600/Untitled2.jpg" alt="Val's Quilting Studio" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

  Also, I posted May's themes on my sidebar.

This week is all about CATS and CHARITY QUILTS. 

CATS: 

Who better to highlight this week than Barbara at Cat Patches!

Her Red Work kitties won Best Pet Themed Quilt in last year's Pets on Quilts Show and it most recently won the Redwork Challenge at the Road to California Quilt Show!!
Check out her post, it's sooooo cute!!! 

Grab yourself a "I was highlighted " button Barbara.

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CHARITY QUILTS: 

I think quilter's have the biggest hearts.  I've noticed many of us have charities that are dear to our hearts and we enjoy donating quilts to these causes. I personally, volunteer my long-arm quilting services to our local area Project Linus Chapter. Here is a wall hanging I quilted for their "display/show" booth: 

The Front

The Back

ALYofF MayGoal/Classroom Animal Quilt

A few weeks ago I started this animal/nature quilt with my second graders. (Click here for the tutorial.) I want to get these sashed together and made into a completed quilt before the end of the school year...which is June 5th. 

 

Oh! And tomorrow's Tuesday Archives themes are: Cats & Charity Quilts. I'm looking forward to to seeing what posts you find in your archives this week. 

I'm off to link up with:

With smiles,
Val:)

May RSC: Greens Chosen & a "Green" Household Tip!

In keeping them dark and bright...here's what I got! Lucky me, my blogging friend Jane sent me a bag full of scraps this week and thus the pile of strips. My husband joked that only I would be happy to get a bag of someone else's scraps in the mail. LOL!!! These will be fun to play with as I add to my growing rainbow neighborhood.

And staying with the theme of green, here's a quick and inexpensive way to keep flies out of the kitchen: Get yourself a basil plant for the kitchen. Serious. We grow (and use) basil in the kitchen all summer long and it keeps the flies away! Who knew?!

Happy RSC Saturday!

With smiles,

Val:)

May for Me Celebration!

I saw this linky at Marcia's Crafty Sewing & Quilting and Sharon's Vroomans Quilts and couldn't think of a better way to begin the month of May!Admittedly, May has been  "Mom's Merry Month"  for years around our house. I even received a text from my oldest daughter today exclaiming so. Mother's Day, my Birthday and the approaching end to another school year, one can always find me with an extra hop in my step right now. 

(Click picture to find out more and perhaps even join us!)

It's all about: taking time to play, putting time a side for you.

Quilting and blogging are truly my "play". But, for my ME time, I walk.
Yep! I walk a minimum of three miles a day. And here's how:

Three mornings a week  I start my day here: I put this baby on an incline of 10 and play a mile worth of Connect Four with myself on my I-pad. LOL!! Sometimes I read.


I then pack my lunch and themos full of coffee and I walk my half mile to work:

My only company being my own shadow...stretched out ahead of me...a little more anxious than I to get to work I sometimes think. But I love the feel of the crisp morning air on my cheeks. The sounds of the neighborhood awaking each day.
My mind gets going and feels awakened too.

Sometimes we meet up with a student who fills our quiet with joyful preteen chatter.

I walk home from work, another half mile added to my total.  My shadow more tired, traveling by my side now. This walk mentally transitions me from the work day to home.

And once I'm relaxed and changed, I bring Jackson for a walk through the neighborhood. This walk usually finds me daydreaming and wraps up mile number three.
So whether it be Winter...


 ...Spring, Summer...


 or Fall...we walk. And on non-treadmill mornings, this afternoon walk is longer.

It's three miles that makes for a much Happier Day physically and mentally! It's just one way I take care of me. I hope you'll join us and share how you incorporate play and set aside time for you. Wishing everyone a Happy May for Me!

With smiles,
Val and Jackson