Second Annual Quilt Auction: April 2014

Last week, I shared with you that I've not been doing much quilting for next year's auction.  In fact, I did put together this little quilt (with the help of my friend, Anne), but guess what - it has already been snatched up!

The fabric is the Riley Blake line "Happy Ever After," and I used a pattern found in Growing Up Modern  by Allison Harris of Cluck Cluck Sew.

My friend, Trudy, takes care of my youngest daughter, Marian, every Wednesday while I take Charlotte to the hospital for her chemo treatments.  Trudy is like another grandma to Marian. She has been so very generous with her time to her, and so very generous with her pocketbook to our quilt auction, so this quilt has already found a home with Trudy's granddaughter, April.



I love the little castles, rolling hills, and the minky on the back!



The princesses are so adorable; I think the blonde one below is "Princess April."



While this quilt didn't make it to the auction before finding a home, I do have some others in the works.  Also, I've seen some pretty wonderful quilt tops that Tracy and Anne have put together - oh my!  Things are coming along...

I'm planning on running the quilt auction during the first week of April 2014.  Don't forget: if you've commmitted to making a quilt, I'd love to receive it by February.  I know the holiday season is upon us, but might that mean a bit of extra time to sew?

With the tumor paralyzing her arms,
Charlotte has grown quite adept at turning pages with her feet.

We'd love your help!  Won't you help us raise funds for brain tumor research?  If you have any questions, please leave a comment or email me at charlottesgraceforacure{at}gmail{dot}com.


(Linking up with QuiltStory, My Quilt Infatuation, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, and Crazy Mom Quilts.)

A Fall Finish

I've been getting quite a bit of sewing done lately, but only a few things have been for the quilt auction in April.  Goodness!  I'd better buckle down and put a few things together for our generous, quilt-loving friends to bid on.

In the meantime, I've been making a few things for people who deserve them.  First up: this absolutely autumn-themed quilt.

I first spotted this pattern in Quilty Magazine and loved it.  As far as I'm concerned, you can't really go wrong with half-square triangles, squares, and plenty of Kona White.



This is probably the scrappiest quilt back that I've ever put together, and I love it!  While I don't quite recall how the quilt top came together, I distinctly remember (happy?) playroom mayhem as I quickly finished piecing the back after starting it during naptime and not finishing before my little ones awoke!



I realize that these Denyse Schmidt fabrics might be a few years old, but I've only been quilting for a year and a half, so everything is new to me!



I made this quilt for my friend, Tracy, because if anyone deserves a quilt, this lady does.  I started putting it together the day after her birthday.

I'm a star procrastinator and lousy friend like that.

Around the same time, we commemorated Charlotte being on chemo for a full year now.  This got me thinking about how this means that Tracy has selflessly invited my oldest two kids into her homeschool nearly every Wednesday for a year (so that I can focus on Charlotte when I take her to her chemotherapy treatments), and what have I done to thank her?  Answer: nothing... till now.  A few weeks later, I was still working on this quilt when Tracy told me that she was celebrating her anniversary of ten years after her ovarian cancer diagnosis.

So this quilt has a threefold purpose: Happy Birthday! and Thank You! and Congratulations!



I've been trying to be better to remember to take Charlotte's picture with the quilts before I gift them.  Usually, when she sees a quilt, she utters a super-enthusiastic, "WOW!  Pretty!"



But I guess she wasn't too impressed with this one...


(Linking up with QuiltStory, My Quilt Infatuation, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, and Crazy Mom Quilts.)

Our Beach (Quilt) Adventure

Last week, I resigned myself to the sad fact that we had not made it to the beach this year, and so I shared my beach quilt "finish" nonetheless.  And then - what do you know?  We made it!  And oh my - this quilt looks so much better in the sunlight and on the sand. Not to mention the accent of my handsome husband holding it up.  (Isn't he a good sport?  Look: he even dressed to match!  What more could a girl ask for?!)  

It was windy on Sunday, but we had the help of my in-laws, so we took off for our beach adventure.

It was a great day for digging in the sand...

... for contemplating life while watching waves crash onto the shore...

... and for falling in love with the beach for the very first time.

I hope your weekend was as happy as mine!