tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26223384213893622012024-03-13T10:57:07.417-04:00Charlotte's gRACE for a CureHelping fund brain tumor research, one quilt at a time...Lauren Deelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616630618347076716noreply@blogger.comBlogger117125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622338421389362201.post-51079964196091516242017-05-28T19:13:00.001-04:002017-05-28T19:13:28.442-04:00Big Baby Churn DashSuper quick post here... I'm just trying to keep a log of the quilts I finish (which are just too few and far between these days - ugh!).<br />
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Anyhow, this little baby quilt was for the baby of a dear friend of mine, Sarah. She named her fourth baby, Theodore - isn't that too cute?!<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-62nCycPFItM/WStVn9ViMkI/AAAAAAAABkk/ztYmeMGstnkjTiFgs056OrbziVHJdRMywCLcB/s1600/edited_1491346997468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1459" data-original-width="1458" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-62nCycPFItM/WStVn9ViMkI/AAAAAAAABkk/ztYmeMGstnkjTiFgs056OrbziVHJdRMywCLcB/s640/edited_1491346997468.jpg" width="636" /></a></div>
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I used fabrics from <a href="http://www.sarahjanestudios.com/textiles/" target="_blank">Sarah Jane's "Magic" fabric line</a>, and this print below was my favorite - architectural plans for castles! I loved using it as my low-volume print for the background. The gray print has dragons and the navy blue is stars. Perfect for an aspiring knight!<br />
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My friend, Sarah, was so gracious not to mind that the quilt was oh-so-many months late! She loves her some handmade goodness, though, so I knew I'd get a deadline extension. :) </div>
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<br />Lauren Deelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616630618347076716noreply@blogger.com75tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622338421389362201.post-8178832551816536452017-01-10T16:10:00.000-05:002017-01-10T16:10:02.871-05:00Wee Wander Quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Well, hello and welcome back! Indeed, let me welcome myself back to this little blog. The thing is, I haven't had as much time for quilting in the past two years, and I haven't felt much motivation to blog. But I do feel that "keeping up" with the quilting community inspires me to keep sewing. It feeds my creativity and my motivation. </div>
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So sharing a blog post or two every now and then will hopefully keep me connected to my quilting (and other) friends and keep me motivated and on track in my quilting goals. Also, I just like to have pictures of my quilts in one spot. That's here. There are a few quilts that I made last year that I was in such a hurry to gift that I didn't even photograph them. Now, that makes me sad! At the time, I didn't think that I cared too much. But it turns out, I do. So here's to better documentation of my quilts!</div>
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As it turns out, this is my THIRD quilt out of these "Wee Wander" by Sarah Jane fabrics. The other two were baby quilts (seen <a href="http://charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/2014/12/wee-wandering-part-one.html" target="_blank">here</a>) that were given to a friend and sister-in-law for their new babies. But this one is for MY baby! Actually, it's for my oldest baby, Elyse, for her ninth birthday.</div>
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The pattern is called "Red Velvet" by Camille Roskelley, and gee did I wish I had a bigger design wall when planning this quilt. My sweet husband was a dear to put up with it sitting (in dozens of pieces) on the bedroom floor for what turned into two weeks!</div>
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We're always told not to play favorites, but heck - this print (above) is mine! The girl reminds me of how I used to collect fireflies as a child, and now, she reminds me of how my daughter currently does. She looks like us!</div>
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So many of these prints are really lovely and perfect for my daughter. She loves the outdoors and especially loves horses, so I love that particular theme in this fabric line. I also love how the prints used for negative space still had images in them, like the girls feeding the birds.<br />
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A last little touch that I think is sweet is the addition of this "P.S. I love you" tag. I have a miserable track record when it comes to labeling my quilts, but this was a super cute find at a local quilt shop, and I've enjoyed adding them to quilts lately.</div>
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And of course, a huge "shout out" to Anne who quilted this with her signature "meander". Thanks, friend!</div>
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Up next... my third "Posy" quilt. Can't wait to share that one. See you back here soon!</div>
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Lauren Deelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616630618347076716noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622338421389362201.post-19805682869924215342016-11-29T19:41:00.000-05:002016-11-29T19:41:36.494-05:00Not much to show...... for not posting on this little blog for over a year! Oh dear! I have really let blogging fall by the wayside, and to be honest, quilting, too! It's been so sad. But I have missed archiving my work in this space. I have shared some of my makings on Instagram and Facebook, but it's just not the same. Every now and then I will come back to this space and look at old quilts that I made and be thrilled all over again with some of the things I've done but forgotten about!<br />
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So I'm going to try to post every now and then just to keep a record of what I've been sewing.<br />
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First up... I don't have a good picture of this finished quilt, but you get the idea: half square triangles of Cotton + Steel. This was a charity quilt for a good friend of mine.<br />
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Next up: this quilt went our friend, Gracie. She one of Charlotte's best friends and good helpers, too! When she turned 16 earlier this year, it was time to whip up a quilt for her. I used a jelly roll of Mormor by Lotta Jansdotter and a Camille Roskelley pattern. I love how it turned out, and I think she did too! ;)</div>
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After Gracie's quilt came another quick quilt from pre-cuts and another Camillle Roskelley pattern. This one was a surprise for a quilt-loving friend at church.</div>
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Now this little pillow was done just a week or two ago. I'm still working on a quilt for my youngest, Marian. I'm trying to make a quilt for each of my four kiddos on their even-numbered birthdays. Marian was turning four earlier this month, but alas - her quilt is still in the making. But these little economy blocks came to the rescue. I did a handful of them back when it was the trend, but didn't make enough for a quilt before I <strike>got distracted</strike> moved along to something else. But don't they look so cute as a pillow? They were a quick fix to my little, gift problem as I finish up her quilt.</div>
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Now I've saved the best for last... this is my third "Wee Wander" quilt and what I think is my best quilt ever! It was surely the most complicated pattern that I have ever done. And I just love this fabric so much. These colors are not quite true to life as this picture was taken with my phone, but maybe one day I'll get this quilt in a proper photo shoot. It's really worth it!</div>
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Despite the small photo, it really is a fairly large quilt (for me, at least). The pattern is called "Red Velvet" by Camille Roskelley (again!) and it finishes at 64x73 inches. My friend, Anne, graciously quilted it for me nearly a year ago! But I kept it a secret from my eldest, Elyse, till her ninth birthday party last week. (No, not an even-numbered year for her, but the quilt was ready, so why not? In fact, maybe it's a year late. I doubt she got one last year...)</div>
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So that is all for now. If you are still reading, after all this time, and now all the way to the end, you might be wondering - "But what about Charlotte?!" She is doing so very well. She has been off of chemo for over two years now, and her subsequent MRIs still show "stable disease." That's the short version, and hopefully I'll do a longer post on her soon. Soon! ;)</div>
<br />Lauren Deelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616630618347076716noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622338421389362201.post-52169920540477800032015-07-07T07:00:00.000-04:002015-07-07T07:00:04.153-04:00A "Made in Cherry" Made with Posy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Dear Little Posy Quilt,</div>
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How I love thee. </div>
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You took forever to make.<br />
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But keeping all your fussy cut images upright made sewing each square one by one well worth it.<br />
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I love your strawberry backing...<br />
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...and how you crinkled up so softly after the wash.<br />
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You were even so easy to quilt. <br />
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Last but not least, I love your photo bomber, too.<br />
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Affectionately,<br />
Your quilter<br />
<br />Lauren Deelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616630618347076716noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622338421389362201.post-80408846630593438742015-05-26T07:00:00.000-04:002015-05-26T07:00:03.840-04:00"Happy Go Lucky" Hourglasses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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I finished this quilt maybe two months ago now... just trying to catch up on my blogging. :) </div>
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I paired a few fat-eighth cuts of Bonnie & Camille's "Happy Go Lucky" fabrics with some solids that I had on hand. Then I dug into my scrap bin for the piano keys border.<br />
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I just love how it turned out! Really: this is one of my top three favorite quilts.<br />
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I did the backing with another piece of "Briar Rose" that I had on hand. I'm just not sure I can get enough of those mama bees knitting!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pn28w5XtUfI/VWKQsVM5a6I/AAAAAAAABfg/Vn2NzOhxkd8/s1600/IMG_2254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="390" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pn28w5XtUfI/VWKQsVM5a6I/AAAAAAAABfg/Vn2NzOhxkd8/s640/IMG_2254.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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This was a gift for Baby Lucy whom I know from church. Her mother is a dear who appreciates handmade goods and once upon a time called my quilts "Rad." Yup... that's how you get on the fast track to a handmade quilt in my book. </div>
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"Rad" + new baby = I'll whip you up a quilt in no time. ;)</div>
<br />Lauren Deelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616630618347076716noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622338421389362201.post-13138981494226829432015-05-01T08:05:00.000-04:002015-05-01T08:05:09.157-04:00May is Brain Cancer Awareness MonthIn the past, I have already begun begging people for charitable donations by this time of year. I decided to take a break from it this year, with the exception of today's one little blitz.<br />
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Last weekend, we attended the annual fundraising event for Duke's Brain Tumor Center. They do a fabulous job at this institution, and it was our fourth year in attendance. So these sweet pictures are from that event (and were taken by my friend, Kellie).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlotte insisted on giving a kiss to her brain tumor buddy, Layla.</td></tr>
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This coming weekend, we will be attending for the second time a fundraiser in the form of a <a href="http://pbtf.convio.net/site/TR?fr_id=1990&pg=entry#.VULs2_lViko" target="_blank">motorcycle ride to benefit the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation</a>. Funding the <a href="http://curethekids.org/" target="_blank">Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation</a> (PBTF) is so important to me because while the NCI currently gives a mere 4% of their budget to pediatric research, the PBTF supports research that is both pediatric and brain tumor specific. <br />
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Charlotte has been living with brain cancer for four years now - the entirety of her life. It is difficult to explain her situation when the question, "How is she doing?" arises. She is doing GREAT in day to day life. She is full of joy and is as silly as can be. Charlotte giggles all. day. long. She has a very high quality of life. She is greatly loved. But regarding the long-term issue of her cancer, Charlotte currently has progressive disease; the cancer has metastasized and spread since we had to stop chemo last September. However, our hands are tied when it comes to treatment options. Because the primary tumor is on her brainstem, it will never be able to be removed. She has already completed courses of three chemo drugs and has been rejected from being eligible for another three. There are very few drugs left to try. None of them will be a "cure." At best, future therapies might buy her some more time, while hopefully maintaining a reasonably high quality of life. <br />
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Won't you please consider giving generously so that we can translate research into better therapies for our kids? We need more options and fewer toxicities. <br />
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<b><a href="http://pbtf.convio.net/site/TR?px=1164941&fr_id=1510&pg=personal" target="_blank">Click here to donate today</a></b>. And a huge THANK YOU for doing so.<br />
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<br />Lauren Deelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616630618347076716noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622338421389362201.post-28524729815454963102015-04-01T06:00:00.000-04:002015-04-04T09:12:40.729-04:00A Sherbert Pips Quilt<br />
Marian's birthday was back in November. <br />
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This pretty quilt was finished only a few months later.<br />
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I took two charm packs of Aneela Hoey's "Sherbert Pips" line and did a little "disappearing nine-patch" pattern. <br />
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Then I added some Kona Ash sashing and a border of Sarah Jane's hopscotch print.<br />
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So quick and easy!<br />
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And then I sent it off to my quilter for a little "meander" goodness. (Don't you just love that girl on the swing?)<br />
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The backing got a little interesting as I tried to use up every charm and not purchase new fabric, all at once!<br />
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Marian might be the littlest person in my home, but she's my biggest quilt lover. This quilt is no exception.<br />
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In other news, I celebrated a birthday earlier this week. I don't really like cake - unless it's made out strips of binding and sitting atop a pretty, little dresden plate! Such a charming little gift, wouldn't you say?<br />
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(Linking up to <a href="http://crazymomquilts.com/" target="_blank">Finish it up Friday</a>.)<br />
<br />Lauren Deelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616630618347076716noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622338421389362201.post-72902346634034823462015-03-23T07:00:00.000-04:002015-03-23T07:00:04.282-04:00Charlotte's Birthday Quilt<br />
This is the quilt that I made for <a href="http://charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/2015/02/celebrating-charlottes-birthday.html" target="_blank">Charlotte's birthday</a>. Only, poor dear, when Charlotte unwrapped the quilt, it still had the clover clips attached and the binding only half done! Oh, I'm terrible with deadlines...<br />
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(And nevermind the outdated pictures. Spring is in full, glorious swing here in North Carolina. I meant to post these pictures right away when I took them in late February, but life gets in the way, you know?)</div>
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Anyhow, this quilt got started back in September when I spotted the Heather Ross "Itsy Bitsy Spider" fabric for the first time. I'm such a fan of Heather Ross, but am also so new to quilting that some of these older fabric lines are "news to me." And Charlotte is a fan of "Itsy Bitsy Spider" (she was singing it just this morning, in fact), so of course I just had to buy a fat quarter or two of this sweet fabric.</div>
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And then I threw in a bunch of coordinating fabrics. See "Posy" below. I cannot get enough of this sweetness! (I'm making another Posy quilt now using Fielke's "Made in Cherry" pattern; it's divine, if I do say so myself.)<br />
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Back to the quilt at hand, though: more Heather Ross fabric in the form of Briar Rose strawberries. A favorite of mine... sigh.<br />
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Anne gave me these trees as a little scrap probably two years ago now! I am proud to have made a place for it here. <br />
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Here's the backing: two different DS quilts fabrics from JoAnn's.<br />
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I <i>love</i> the backing.<br />
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I also love the quilting. <a href="http://www.chocolatedippedquilts.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Logan</a> did this for me yet again. I love how it crinkles after it's been washed.<br />
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One thing I don't love is the gray (Kona Shale) that I used. I should have gone with Kona Ash. Oh well: that's one reason I love quilting - I'm always learning.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WqVYvI2vKos/VQ9tekEkZkI/AAAAAAAABb8/lKQmQale1UY/s1600/IMG_2214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WqVYvI2vKos/VQ9tekEkZkI/AAAAAAAABb8/lKQmQale1UY/s1600/IMG_2214.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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See the snowflakes on the quilt? Oh, it was not lost on me that the morning I wake up to a six-inch snowfall, instead of wrapping my kids up in quilts to keep them warm, I toss the quilts out on top of the snow to take frivolous pictures! The quilts came back inside wet and useless. Ridiculous.<br />
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Here's my youngest. At age 2, this is the most snow Marian has ever seen. She loved it.<br />
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And I love this last picture. Clearly, Marian has been studying and practicing her impressions of Marion Cotillard. While my Marian might want to step up her fashion game, the glance and smile over her shoulder aren't bad, eh? <br />
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<br />Lauren Deelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616630618347076716noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622338421389362201.post-89872159900961218802015-03-08T09:00:00.000-04:002015-03-08T09:00:03.181-04:00Quilt Auction Housekeeping<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Gee, I wish I could say that I made this stunning, little beauty. But it was a gift from my sweet friend, Anne. Isn't it fantastic, and aren't I just the luckiest gal alive to be the recipient? And if you can believe it, the husband even approved it to be hung on the wall. A first! Even he must love it. Anyhow, just wanted to put that picture up as a teaser to more boring matters at hand...<br />
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Quilt Auction. It's usually this time of year that I am receiving quilts from all over the country, photographing them, and writing up posts to advertise. Unfortunately, while I do love to raise funds toward pediatric brain cancer research, I am unable to do the auction this year. My day-to-day life finds me super-busy with four little kiddos at home and the homeschooling that they require. So I have decided to take this year off. <br />
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I have been given two quilts, however, that were unsolicited by me but donated by sweet ladies who want to help. I plan to do a "mini-auction" for these two quilts this spring. Please contact me ASAP if you have a quilt that you had been planning to donate but haven't yet let me know. I would be happy to auction a few more quilts in addition to the two that I currently have, but I just cannot swing an auction of 20+ quilts this year. <br />
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I hope to be able to do a larger auction again in 2016. (Oh, it really is so much <i>fun</i>, isn't it?!) Thank you for your understanding and support of our cause.<br />
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<br />Lauren Deelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616630618347076716noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622338421389362201.post-88854601252010409052015-02-23T07:00:00.000-05:002015-02-23T12:01:11.110-05:00Celebrating Charlotte's Birthday<br />
It happened a month ago now, but Charlotte turned four years old! I can hardly believe it; it's almost too good to be true. Our family and friends alike marvel at Charlotte's life. I know that many pray for a "healing miracle" for Charlotte; truly, I marvel at the miracle that she is already. Yes, she has a terrible cancer. But for now, she also has breath in her lungs and joy in heart. Darn it all if I don't love this kid to bits and pieces!<br />
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Alright, let me show you the pictures from her party. First, I should explain that our family doesn't really "do" birthday parties. Invite the grandparents, order a pizza and bake a little cake, and that's about all the hubbub our kids usually get. Three months ago, things got a little c-c-crazy when I bought some streamers for Elyse and Marian's joint birthday. ;) <br />
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So you'll believe me when I say that we truly felt like a celebration was in order this year when we hosted 25 people in our home! I suppose that six of those twenty five already occupy the home day in, day out, but still... that many people felt like a big deal to me. We had both sets of grandparents come from Virginia, my sister, Shannon, flew in from New York City, and then local friends, too (including nurse-friends from Duke and Charlotte's oncologist with his wife). <br />
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Enough rambling. Here are some pictures. First up, we did "Charlotte games." Charlotte's arms have been paralyzed by her tumor, but no worries: she is quite adept with her feet. It was important to my husband and me that the kids play games in the same manner as Charlotte. So the first game we played was coloring with toes.<br />
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Next up: stacking blocks with feet. We didn't get a very good picture of Charlotte doing this, but really: she is a pro! I wish I had her abs of steel. She doesn't even support herself with her arms (as you see Henry doing in the picture below), yet I have seen build a tower at least seven blocks high! She amazes me.<br />
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My husband named the final game "The Rump Race." When Charlotte is not in her wheelchair, she scoots across the floor on her bottom. So we lined the kids up at one of the room, and they had to scoot on their bottoms all the way to the other end. Here's Charlotte leading the pack:</div>
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After the games, we ate a little bit. (But I will spare you pictures of us stuffing our faces. Phew!) Then presents. Charlotte has such thoughtful friends and family members. :) My gift to her was a new quilt (imagine that), but I'm still working on taking some good pictures of it. I'll share that quilt in a later post. </div>
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Candles and cake! These next two pictures are just absolutely priceless in my mind.<br />
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And Charlotte just <i>had</i> to keep Barney for herself...<br />
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This next picture of Marian? I die. If she isn't just the cutest little thing I ever did see...</div>
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I just love this picture. These are my kids and Tracy's kids. They are like cousins; they just love each other so much.</div>
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And here is Charlotte with "her" Dr. G. (She'll say, "When do we go to Duke and see my Dr. G?" Isn't that so cute? Stop being so possessive, Charlotte! He does have other patients, you know...)</div>
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One last photo: the birthday girl flying across the floor in the great little scooter her Papa bought for her. </div>
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This was truly one of the happiest days of my life. It was so special to me to have these particular people in our home: the ones who love Charlotte most and know all that she has been up against and has been through to get this far. And while Charlotte has quite the spunky personality out of the house, she is even more vivacious in her own home where she is most comfortable and at ease. So I just loved having our friends and family see that side of her, too. I truly felt as though my heart might burst for joy all throughout the party. It was so much fun and so very special to me.</div>
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If you're still reading this far... thanks! :) And a million thanks, as always, to my sweet friend, Kellie, who acted like my personal photographer and took all these great pictures. </div>
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<br />Lauren Deelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616630618347076716noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622338421389362201.post-34017722539848860262015-01-31T14:47:00.000-05:002015-02-01T18:29:09.351-05:00The Kate Spain Scrappy Quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy Saturday to you! I don't know about you, but I just love a lazy Saturday with not much on the agenda. And that's what I'm having today! It's a welcome break. </div>
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The past two weeks have been filled with planning, cleaning, and hosting Charlotte's 4th birthday party. (That's right: she's FOUR years old!!!) And then it took me a bit to recover. Here's to life in my thirties. Sigh.</div>
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Anyhow, here's a finished quilt! Hooray! <br />
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Do you remember my <a href="http://charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/2014/06/my-favorite-quilt.html" target="_blank">Kate Spain HST Overload quilt</a>? Well, I had a few scraps remaining, and I just could not part with them. So I sewed them together, then cut them up, sewed them together again, and came up with some scrappy half-square triangles.<br />
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If I remember correctly, I believe I cut the squares to 4-inches, before doing the HSTs. So they are rather small. Which means the scraps are even smaller!<br />
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Then I added the border, and then I didn't like it. :(<br />
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So I sent it off to Anne, and wouldn't you know... she saved it! She did this very tight meander only in the negative space, leaving the triangles and border with quilting. The texture is fantastic.<br />
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I think I found the smallest scrap. In the picture above, see the blue patch on the top? That's made up of TWO fabrics. The one on the bottom right is probably not even as big as half my pinky nail. Teeny tiny!</div>
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And I love the texture on the back, too. I did a strip of that gorgeous peacock fabric.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_923aKa6JYI/VMzXDmz-sWI/AAAAAAAABWw/8gkT0wqIS_s/s1600/IMG_2122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_923aKa6JYI/VMzXDmz-sWI/AAAAAAAABWw/8gkT0wqIS_s/s1600/IMG_2122.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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What I think <i>really</i> rescued this quilt in my mind is the binding. Anne took it upon herself to do that for me. Isn't she a dear? I was going to do a scrappy binding, but boy does she ever have an eye for these things! The gray stripe on the bias is just fantastic. Now I simply cannot part with this quilt. Perhaps it is time I start to keep more of my quilts, anyhow. Thanks so much, Anne! :)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jaq7q0ETxP4/VMzXB7VjC6I/AAAAAAAABWY/z9XeoArrruY/s1600/IMG_2117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jaq7q0ETxP4/VMzXB7VjC6I/AAAAAAAABWY/z9XeoArrruY/s1600/IMG_2117.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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What's so great about this "finish" is that I feel like my quilting has been in a slump lately. When we moved early in the summer, I was able to set up a really lovely quilting space out in our sun room. The problem with that is that the sun room is not at all insulated. So it's about 30 degrees out there right now! And that has put a damper on my productivity. But I have been getting quilts that I worked on earlier in the year back from quilters, and so I still seem to have a "finish" or two each month. </div>
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How about you? Are you busier than ever this winter? Or has quilting taken a backseat to other endeavors?</div>
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(Linking up <a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Amanda Jean</a> and with <a href="http://quiltingismorefunthanhousework.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Cynthia for "Oh Scrap!"</a>)Lauren Deelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616630618347076716noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622338421389362201.post-35644730968122806172015-01-08T15:18:00.001-05:002015-01-08T15:18:44.180-05:00Harrison's Gray + White Mod QuiltMy sister, Theresa, is having her first baby soon - hooray! I am so thrilled for her and for her husband. Of course, I had to make the baby a quilt! My only regret is that I did not have it done in time for the baby shower last month. :(<br />
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Anyhow, Theresa decided that she would do Baby Harrison's nursery in gray and white. (And by the way, isn't "Harrison" just the <i>best</i> name?) Theresa has a very clean and modern aesthetic, so I thought that more modern quilt would appeal to her. I came up with this:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TQfGiRULoz4/VKBdzNu_1ZI/AAAAAAAABVg/VrHMICku-VY/s1600/IMG_2096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TQfGiRULoz4/VKBdzNu_1ZI/AAAAAAAABVg/VrHMICku-VY/s1600/IMG_2096.JPG" height="640" width="494" /></a></div>
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I just did a "stack and whack" technique that my friend, Anne, taught me after she pulled off <a href="http://charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-quilt-for-brother.html" target="_blank">this gorgeous quilt</a> for her brother. I added the borders then quilted along the vertical seams and voila. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IcszKfqQENg/VKBdzRwgBzI/AAAAAAAABVk/neBfeC0J6x8/s1600/IMG_2099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IcszKfqQENg/VKBdzRwgBzI/AAAAAAAABVk/neBfeC0J6x8/s1600/IMG_2099.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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I also put together four, little burp cloths backed in gray minky. Theresa's husband is a Virginia State Trooper, so I thought they might like this "civil servant" style fabric. <br />
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It's my first attempt at a modern-style quilt. Theresa loves it, and her State Trooper husband loves the burp cloths, but what do <i>you</i> think? Please be honest... Modern is not really my style, but maybe I'll give it another shot in the future.<br />
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<br />Lauren Deelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616630618347076716noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622338421389362201.post-62244376139204192842014-12-19T20:06:00.002-05:002014-12-19T20:10:58.220-05:00Wee Wandering {Part One}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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It is no secret that I am a huge fan of <a href="http://shop.sarahjanestudios.com/" target="_blank">Sarah Jane</a> fabrics. My first three quilts were done with her <a href="http://sarahjanestudios.com/blog/portfolio/quilt-market-children-at-play-collection/" target="_blank">"Children at Play"</a> line. Her latest line, <a href="http://sarahjanestudios.com/blog/portfolio/quilt-market-wee-wander-collection/" target="_blank">"Wee Wander,"</a> was released one year ago and is (hands-down!) my favorite to date. The fabric is so wonderful that I did not feel the need to go with a fancy or complicated quilt pattern (not that I <i>ever</i> feel that need). </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C7IosT2I6Xw/VJS0EOkA3JI/AAAAAAAABUs/6PAdC5Vl19g/s1600/IMG_2082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C7IosT2I6Xw/VJS0EOkA3JI/AAAAAAAABUs/6PAdC5Vl19g/s1600/IMG_2082.JPG" height="640" width="522" /></a></div>
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So both of these quilts are free tutorials from <a href="http://www.diaryofaquilter.com/" target="_blank">Amy Smart</a>. The tutorial for the above baby quilt can be found <a href="http://www.modabakeshop.com/2011/10/baby-lattice-quilt.html#more" target="_blank">here</a>. This little quilt went to my brother's new baby, Nyasha. She is his fourth child and is just as adorable as can be!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i7f1syqbIjY/VJS0D9FrF_I/AAAAAAAABUo/JjYN7oIqqfI/s1600/IMG_2086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i7f1syqbIjY/VJS0D9FrF_I/AAAAAAAABUo/JjYN7oIqqfI/s1600/IMG_2086.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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I backed both quilts with this print of fireflies and jars. </div>
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This second quilt I shamelessly copied almost exactly, again, from an Amy Smart pattern. (This pattern can be found <a href="http://www.michaelmillerfabrics.com/inspiration/freequiltpatterns/wee-wander-firefly-border-quilt.html" target="_blank">here</a>.) And this quilt I made for my friend's baby, Evie. It's just too bad that Evie has already celebrated her six month birthday. Sigh... One of these days, I'll have a baby quilt ready <i>before</i> baby is born.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ezpSYWRI4Gk/VJS0FFGhD5I/AAAAAAAABVA/ItLefvDjgFk/s1600/IMG_2094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ezpSYWRI4Gk/VJS0FFGhD5I/AAAAAAAABVA/ItLefvDjgFk/s1600/IMG_2094.JPG" height="386" width="640" /></a></div>
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I just had to have the swirl quilting done on this, and I surely could not do it myself, so <a href="http://chocolatedippedquilts.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Logan</a> helped me out again. Thanks, Logan!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RAt47OhL7_M/VJS0hMv3tKI/AAAAAAAABVM/v8Bdus8oE9M/s1600/IMG_2056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RAt47OhL7_M/VJS0hMv3tKI/AAAAAAAABVM/v8Bdus8oE9M/s1600/IMG_2056.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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And with the scraps I put together a little boxy pouch, following <a href="http://pinkxstitches.blogspot.com/2014/01/boxy-pouch-tutorial.html" target="_blank">this tutorial</a>. It was only my second time using a zipper, and I think it went pretty well... only... don't inspect the inner lining too closely, okay?<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U7JfcX5fJys/VJS0g7uYOnI/AAAAAAAABVI/iFhdAgfpqps/s1600/IMG_2074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U7JfcX5fJys/VJS0g7uYOnI/AAAAAAAABVI/iFhdAgfpqps/s1600/IMG_2074.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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The little pouch turned out to be a perfect gift for Elyse when she turned seven years old earlier this month. She was able to tuck her new camera and new binoculars right inside it. What a pretty little lady.<br />
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It will probably be quite a few more months before I'm able to pull off a "Wee Wandering {Part Two}" post, but I do love this fabric so much that I am making a larger, lap-sized quilt for me. The pattern is a bit more complicated (imagine that!), but I already have the cutting done. Wish me luck!<br />
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<br />Lauren Deelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616630618347076716noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622338421389362201.post-2906074479107128082014-10-27T08:00:00.000-04:002014-10-27T08:00:00.710-04:00The (less than!) One Dollar Quilt Top<br />
You did read that correctly. This quilt top? Yeah. It cost me less than a dollar. Shoot! What a deal! <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9rYHLHrzB3M/VDwb90ePbxI/AAAAAAAABS4/agIY3eyqNtE/s1600/IMG_1821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9rYHLHrzB3M/VDwb90ePbxI/AAAAAAAABS4/agIY3eyqNtE/s1600/IMG_1821.JPG" height="490" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sometime over the summer, one of the local quilt shops here decided to host a "yard sale." So the customers brought in their unloved fabric, and it was offered up at about $3/yard. In turn, the customers who sold their fabric received store credit for their sales. (Isn't that just a <i>great</i> idea?!)<br />
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See all these pretty squares? They were pre-cut, and in a scrap bag (with a bunch of other fabric!) marked at $2! These squares did not take up even half the bag. Hence, my less-than-one-dollar quilt top.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8S186YCBTwE/VDwb-_rcnyI/AAAAAAAABTE/wwYtr6g_2Eg/s1600/IMG_1826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8S186YCBTwE/VDwb-_rcnyI/AAAAAAAABTE/wwYtr6g_2Eg/s1600/IMG_1826.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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And check this out: Heather Ross matroyshkas! Sheesh. I looked those babies up on <a href="http://etsy.com/" target="_blank">Etsy</a>, and don'tcha know it: someone is hawking these for $5 per 5-inch square! Now that is surely highway robbery. Still, as if I didn't already think I got a sweet deal, that discovery makes it even sweeter.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9mjPi1w71oo/VDwb_lXHitI/AAAAAAAABTQ/yBiZzJXIzi8/s1600/IMG_1827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9mjPi1w71oo/VDwb_lXHitI/AAAAAAAABTQ/yBiZzJXIzi8/s1600/IMG_1827.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now about the same time I made this sweet purchase, <a href="http://yellowpencilstub.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">my friend</a> adopted her darling, third child. So I just sewed these little squares all together and voila : (almost) instant baby gift.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vEq2N_HaZJs/VDwcARLRA_I/AAAAAAAABTY/1aunLjX4s7c/s1600/IMG_1828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vEq2N_HaZJs/VDwcARLRA_I/AAAAAAAABTY/1aunLjX4s7c/s1600/IMG_1828.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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And really: isn't it just so bright and cheery? Perfect for new babies and their cute, chubby cheeks!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uD83GJqTPKw/VDwcAyvKB1I/AAAAAAAABTc/5vl6I4jMe5s/s1600/IMG_1831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uD83GJqTPKw/VDwcAyvKB1I/AAAAAAAABTc/5vl6I4jMe5s/s1600/IMG_1831.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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(The backing? More Heather Ross strawberries. Love those.)<br />
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And speaking of chubby cheeks.... Here is the sweet baby, already getting in some good, old-fashioned tummy time.<br />
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Now <i>this</i> is why I make quilts! What a precious baby girl! Love her to pieces...<br />
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<br />Lauren Deelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616630618347076716noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622338421389362201.post-36379807196269477422014-10-13T16:00:00.000-04:002014-10-14T10:35:00.276-04:00Mix It Up<br />
Thank you so much for your kind comments (and even tears!) following <a href="http://charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/2014/10/last-day-of-chemo.html" target="_blank">my last post</a>. I am so grateful for this online community and for your cheering on my Charlotte in her journey.<br />
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Today I want to show you a quilt finish that is long overdue. I started this quilt over a year ago. It was the project that kept getting pushed to the side as other projects had actual due dates. Since this one was for me and my husband "just for fun," it did not really get priority.</div>
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It goes very well with this month's <a href="http://le-challenge.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Le Challenge</a> theme, "Mix," so I'm going to use that as a starting point for sharing about this.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hjiwd77RbEw/VDwVnfjzAVI/AAAAAAAABSI/oi3IR-rAcQs/s1600/IMG_1802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hjiwd77RbEw/VDwVnfjzAVI/AAAAAAAABSI/oi3IR-rAcQs/s1600/IMG_1802.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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When the Alexander Henry fabric that I used for backing was released, I just fell in love with it. Those skyscrapers and big flowers... they called to me. So I started with that print. And then I just bought this fabric and that fabric and used a bit from my stash.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cKckJ8brOto/VDwVlTpMfII/AAAAAAAABRk/ZfvQEMag67s/s1600/IMG_1797-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cKckJ8brOto/VDwVlTpMfII/AAAAAAAABRk/ZfvQEMag67s/s1600/IMG_1797-001.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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I think this quilt fits so well under the "Mix" category because usually I don't mix designer fabrics so much. My default quilting style is to use just one fabric line or a few different lines but from the same designer. This quilt has prints from many different designers. There is some Denyse Schmidt, Joel Dewberry, Aneela Hoey, V. & Co., and Lizzy House, among others.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TebC2aDUQhM/VDwVlguyZOI/AAAAAAAABRo/a2fMIv3g5Tw/s1600/IMG_1798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TebC2aDUQhM/VDwVlguyZOI/AAAAAAAABRo/a2fMIv3g5Tw/s1600/IMG_1798.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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This quilt measures about 72 x 72 inches. It was too big for me to quilt, so I was happy to send it off to <a href="http://chocolatedippedquilts.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Logan</a> to quilt for me. She did the "square dance" pattern; same as on my <a href="http://www.charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/2014/03/my-hash-tag-glimma-quilt-aka-glimmaquilt.html" target="_blank">Hashtag Glimma Quilt</a>. (I don't like change...) <br />
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I have it folded and sitting at the foot of our bed. It is not big enough to have a "proper" drape, but I don't care. I love it, and it perfectly matches the <a href="http://charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/2014/03/glimma-plus-pillow.html" target="_blank">Glimma plus pillow</a> that sits at the head of the bed. More points for me for "mixing it up!"<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MCN37hXt8BQ/VDwVolIYVrI/AAAAAAAABSY/g8go8A4w068/s1600/IMG_1808-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MCN37hXt8BQ/VDwVolIYVrI/AAAAAAAABSY/g8go8A4w068/s1600/IMG_1808-001.JPG" height="640" width="536" /></a></div>
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I figure cute pictures of Charlotte never hurt, so here she is with Goldie again. I didn't plan her outfit, but she looks straight out of the eighties to me...</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uvM-TKglJn8/VDwVoaOy8XI/AAAAAAAABSU/fUJ81O7cDaM/s1600/IMG_1806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uvM-TKglJn8/VDwVoaOy8XI/AAAAAAAABSU/fUJ81O7cDaM/s1600/IMG_1806.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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...Ready to record her first mix tape!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FR9FKrLNPZU/VDwVpM61xHI/AAAAAAAABSo/8C90uW8cgsg/s1600/IMG_1812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FR9FKrLNPZU/VDwVpM61xHI/AAAAAAAABSo/8C90uW8cgsg/s1600/IMG_1812.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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P.S. If you like the pattern, I used the measurements found <a href="http://www.eatingoutloud.com/2011/11/kate-spain-central-park-quilt-part-1.html" target="_blank">here</a>. But if you need a full tutorial on how to do this, I suggest <a href="http://filminthefridge.com/2010/10/20/rectangle-squared-a-quilt-block-tutorial/" target="_blank">the one from Film in the Fridge</a>. It will be a different size block, but lovely results all the same. <br />
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<a href="http://le-challenge.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank" title="Le Challenge"><img alt="Le Challenge" border="0" src="http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z475/Lucy_Brennan/LeChallengebutton_zps100e8a3c.jpg" style="border: none;" /></a></div>
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Lauren Deelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616630618347076716noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622338421389362201.post-21432009367582345262014-10-03T08:00:00.000-04:002014-10-03T10:59:45.663-04:00Last Day of ChemoIt was almost a month ago now that Charlotte had her "last" chemo. She has been receiving weekly chemotherapy for her brainstem and spinal cord tumor for two years now. The tumor has been stable for one year, so we decided that it was time to take Charlotte off of treatment. For her last chemo, our friends, Kellie and Grace, came along, and Kellie took all these lovely pictures for us.<br />
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So here is a day in the life:<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15080649049" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6492 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6492" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5567/15080649049_c439275e0c_z.jpg" width="427" /></a></div>
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When the nurse assistant showed us to our room, we found the door decorated with streamers and with the poster: complete with "Frozen" and "Barney" figures! These folks know my Charlotte so well. I cried.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15244334126" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6503 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6503" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5568/15244334126_aef9ed236f_z.jpg" width="427" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15244443546" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6474 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6474" height="427" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3921/15244443546_74b74304ec_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The first thing to do is to don our masks in order to access Charlotte's port. She is so brave. She doesn't cry, but only sings us songs as they poke her with a big needle each week (the numbing cream helps).<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15264337991" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6476 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6476" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3876/15264337991_062c7f7c2d_z.jpg" width="427" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15080698509" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6477 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6477" height="427" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5595/15080698509_fd2c7b9954_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15264328151" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6479 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6479" height="427" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3852/15264328151_535258fdf4_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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All done! See that little pink pig? She received it the previous week from the girls in the radiology department after being a rockstar during a CT scan. I admit: I was not too thrilled to have a gold-hoofed pig join the ever-increasing stuffed animal farm we seem to run. But Charlotte loves the darn thing so much that she even sleeps with it! It fits so perfectly right under her little arm that it really grew on me so quickly. In case you were wondering, we named her "Goldie."<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15080861208" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6480 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6480" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3868/15080861208_b7b4511666_z.jpg" width="394" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15264311941" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6484 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6484" height="427" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5563/15264311941_a48c4164b4_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Then it was time for a wardrobe change.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15080671299" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6485 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6485" height="427" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5595/15080671299_6f2a9276b3_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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That does not usually happen during a chemo day.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15080817548" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6493 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6493" height="427" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5576/15080817548_b9cd805227_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's the story: a few months ago, the kids and I passed by a yard sale going on just down the street from our old home. And hanging from the tree, wouldn't you know it, a little Indian dress just in Charlotte's size! Well, Charlotte's oncologist is of Indian origin, and he loves Charlotte, so I thought he might find it fun if she showed up for chemo in this little dress. Surprise!<br />
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Needless to say, he loved it. But the dress (called a "pavadai") didn't quite fit her (too small) and he said that there is also all this jewelry that goes with it and he is visiting family in India this summer so why doesn't he get her one to fit and with all the accessories to boot? Now, how could I turn that down? I couldn't. <br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15080808067" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6495 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6495" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3903/15080808067_49f359b382_z.jpg" width="427" /></a></div>
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So Dr. and Mrs. G did a little shopping for Charlotte, half-way across the world in India! And now doesn't she look beautiful, all dolled up?!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I admit: I think she's so funny!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15267004912" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_6490 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6490" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5590/15267004912_e428c46fa7_z.jpg" width="427" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15266974512" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_6496 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6496" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5580/15266974512_07ce98466f_z.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at her pretty necklace!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15266971542" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6497 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6497" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3859/15266971542_be49276f7c_z.jpg" width="427" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15244352886" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_6498 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6498" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3864/15244352886_aff0b07e81_z.jpg" width="427" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlotte must have cracked a joke here, too.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15080615519" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6499 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6499" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3860/15080615519_0739d812bf_z.jpg" width="427" /></a></div>
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Next, while waiting for Charlotte's labwork to process and for her chemo to be drawn up, we headed out for an ultrasound and to deliver cookies to thank all our friends. Above is our Child Life Specialist, Katie. She's just the best. And below is one of the pharmacists. (One time, they invited us in to the pharmacy for a tour. I got all gowned up and they took me back to where they make the chemo. You just would not <i>believe</i> all that goes into that! They follow about a hundred different safety precautions. It's amazing. We are so grateful that they are so careful.)<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15244344616" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6500 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6500" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3836/15244344616_d778805582_z.jpg" width="427" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15080782537" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6501 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6501" height="427" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5573/15080782537_1448943ac4_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The lady in the above picture works in the lab and is a fellow quilter! I always peek in to see if she's there; we swap quilt pictures and stories when we run into each other. Fun!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15266950002" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6502 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6502" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3897/15266950002_58ae0a9156_z.jpg" /></a></div>
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Marian starts to look a little rough when it's well past her naptime. But this is the yard sale pavadai that she's wearing! See! Isn't it just gorgeous?! I tell ya: that $4 purchase has yielded the best return I've ever seen. </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15244314586" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6507 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6507" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5570/15244314586_8275b24112_z.jpg" width="427" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15080627000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6505 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6505" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3925/15080627000_1cbafcbbc2_z.jpg" width="427" /></a></div>
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Then it's time for the actual chemo infusion. It only took a minute to push the drug into her port. </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15080746367" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6508 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6508" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5571/15080746367_386c88f87f_z.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15080594600" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6511 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6511" height="427" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3925/15080594600_d301529064_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15080728318" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6512 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6512" height="427" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3910/15080728318_cac90fedc6_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15267271945" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6515 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6515" height="427" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3843/15267271945_bc7400fcf2_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And more party! Here the nurses came in singing, "Happy Last Chemo to you" to the tune of "Happy Birthday." It was so sweet. And they gave Charlotte this doll (which Marian claimed as her own once home, but Charlotte has been too preoccupied with Goldie to mind).<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15244269226" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6516 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6516" height="427" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5555/15244269226_5ba5046c92_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15080527799" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6518 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6518" height="427" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3873/15080527799_0c4deb3f9e_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here we are with (most but not all of) our favorite nurses. It is so hard to put into words how much we love her nurses and doctor. Do I like that Charlotte has cancer? Not at all. But am I so grateful that we have the privilege of knowing these wonderful people? Absolutely. This might be what <a href="http://smile.amazon.com/One-Thousand-Gifts-Fully-Right/dp/0310321913/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412348234&sr=8-1&keywords=ann+voskamp+one+thousand+gifts" target="_blank">Ann Voskamp</a> calls "the ugly beautiful" of life. We must try to see beauty in all things. Even in cancer.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15080525270" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6527 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6527" height="427" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5562/15080525270_3efa5e4349_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15267189585" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6534 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6534" height="427" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5557/15267189585_f0af77da76_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And Elyse and Henry were invited to choose a toy, too, because it's as they say: cancer affects the whole family.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15266798782" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6535 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6535" height="427" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3852/15266798782_fab7831a92_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15264064531" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6542 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6542" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3855/15264064531_600e53e80f_z.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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We think she looks like such a princess here.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/106844554@N07/15244123086" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6550 by Lauren Deel, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6550" height="427" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3884/15244123086_9ce867c219_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlotte loves Dr. G so much.</td></tr>
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Raising funds for research is so important to me because while we called this "Charlotte's last chemo" it is most likely her "last" just for now. She still has her tumor, and this type of tumor will typically progress. So we will keep scanning her periodically and will put her back on therapy if/when her tumor progresses. And that's why I want to help raise funds and support research initiatives that are pediatric specific. The chemotherapy that Charlotte was most recently on might not work the next time her tumor grows. There will most likely always be a need for more money because there will most likely always be a need for more therapies because of the nature of these tumors; namely: they keep changing.<br />
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So thank you for all of your support: in prayers, words of encouragement, quilt donations, and cold hard cash for those quilts. :) Charlotte is nearly four-years old and a delight to us. We are constantly in awe of the grace of her growth and of her life and are thankful to God for these good gifts.<br />
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<br />Lauren Deelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616630618347076716noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622338421389362201.post-7831786235479535332014-09-09T08:00:00.000-04:002014-09-14T06:45:13.486-04:00Raffle quilt for Allergy Research<br />
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*Note: Quilt Raffle has ended. Julia Jech is the winner. Thank you for all the entries and support!*</h4>
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It might be hard to believe, but <strike>this <i>lovely</i> quilt could be yours by the end of this week</strike>! Ain't nothin' in life free, though, friends, so I'd better give you the details...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VerfK-2B9A8/VAe7QasJhuI/AAAAAAAABQk/Di8aGXtYR6I/s1600/image%2B(4).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VerfK-2B9A8/VAe7QasJhuI/AAAAAAAABQk/Di8aGXtYR6I/s1600/image%2B(4).jpeg" height="640" width="473" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tracy used Allison Harris's "Suburbs" pattern.</td></tr>
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One of Charlotte's best friends in all the world is this sweet kid:</div>
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Elijah is the son of my friend, Tracy. (And yes, he is every bit as sweet in person as he looks in this photo... and then some!)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of lovely fabric by Bonnie & Camille</td></tr>
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Tracy has made <a href="http://www.charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/2014/03/maritime-modern-baby-quilt.html" target="_blank">quilt</a> after <a href="http://www.charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/2014/03/2wenty-thr3e.html" target="_blank">quilt</a> after <a href="http://charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/2013/04/sweet-star.html" target="_blank">quilt</a> for my brain tumor auction, and now she's made another one to help raise money for allergy research because her sweet Elijah is living with life-threatening food allergies.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And even some Wee Wander goodness!</td></tr>
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Here is what she wrote on <a href="http://www.foodallergywalk.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=1106154&lis=1&kntae1106154=6BF9F8DC251440C9A7F5C973F2904F24&team=6059882" target="_blank">her fundraising page</a>:</div>
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"Our sweet Elijah's life is affected by food allergies every day. He is so sweet, strong, and resilient - he constantly amazes us. Even though he has risen to the challenges before him each day, having to be kept separate from so many things to keep him safe is very, very hard for him. We pray each day for his allergies to become less sensitive or go away. We pray for researchers to find ways to help or to find the cause. We pray that we can keep him safe so the unthinkable never happens. We educate the people around us to help Elijah have the most normal childhood possible. <a href="http://foodallergy.org/" target="_blank">FARE</a> supports both research and education. We ask you to <a href="http://www.foodallergywalk.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=1106154&lis=1&kntae1106154=6BF9F8DC251440C9A7F5C973F2904F24&team=6059882" target="_blank">support our team</a> and join us in prayer for a cure.</div>
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*Note: Quilt Raffle has ended. Julia Jech is the winner. Thank you for all the entries and support!*</h4>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look: a little gray house made out of wooden planks!</td></tr>
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"We are having a raffle for a large, throw-sized Christmas Quilt to thank our donors. For every $5 you <a href="http://www.foodallergywalk.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=1106154&lis=1&kntae1106154=6BF9F8DC251440C9A7F5C973F2904F24&team=6059882" target="_blank">donate</a>, we will put one ticket in the bucket. When you <a href="http://www.foodallergywalk.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=1106154&lis=1&kntae1106154=6BF9F8DC251440C9A7F5C973F2904F24&team=6059882" target="_blank">donate</a> $20, we will give you a bonus ticket. Winner will be chosen on the eve of the allergy walk." (That would be this Friday night!)</div>
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You are still welcome to support food allergy research, but...</div>
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*Note: Quilt Raffle has ended. Julia Jech is the winner. Thank you for all the entries and support!*</h4>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This kid's gonna be a heartbreaker... so handsome!</td></tr>
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Even $5 will get you a ticket into this raffle! And really, that's nothing when we're talking about keeping our little people safe. Elijah is one of the nicest boys I know. Really: he is always looking out for others. When he comes to play at my home, he sticks close to Charlotte in order to make sure she is doing okay and having fun. Or, last time he was here, we couldn't find him. But he was off "babysitting" my youngest, Marian. (Which I guess means that we couldn't find her, either - oops!) Anyhow, we love Elijah so much, so please, be nice like Elijah: <a href="http://www.foodallergywalk.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=1106154&lis=1&kntae1106154=6BF9F8DC251440C9A7F5C973F2904F24&team=6059882" target="_blank">donate a few bucks</a>. <strike>And you just might win this very pretty quilt...</strike></div>
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*Note: Quilt Raffle has ended. Julia Jech is the winner. Thank you for all the entries and support!*</h4>
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The quilt is no longer available, but you are still welcome to...</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.foodallergywalk.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=1106154&lis=1&kntae1106154=6BF9F8DC251440C9A7F5C973F2904F24&team=6059882" target="_blank">Click here to donate now and help us say FAREwell to food allergies.</a></b></h4>
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<br />Lauren Deelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616630618347076716noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622338421389362201.post-12423179247868591702014-09-01T18:48:00.000-04:002014-09-01T18:48:33.271-04:00Stacked Coins Quilt<br />
Happy Labor Day! I hope that you are having a wonderful, long weekend.<br />
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This is a sweet little baby quilt that I originally intended for our <a href="http://charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/p/current-quilts-for-auction.html" target="_blank">brain tumor quilt auction</a> back in April. But, it was not finished in time, which was actually perfect! "How can that be?" you might ask.<br />
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1. I had PLENTY of quilts to photograph and to blog and to link to eBay, etc. It was very time-consuming (though all for a great cause, of course)!<br />
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2. I found an even more perfect charity for this little, rainbow quilt!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Gw-c-XAZkoE/U_1PYE0lAVI/AAAAAAAABPM/OsaYpHSV3PU/s1600/IMG_1443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Gw-c-XAZkoE/U_1PYE0lAVI/AAAAAAAABPM/OsaYpHSV3PU/s1600/IMG_1443.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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One day when Charlotte and I were at her chemo appointment at Duke, we started chatting with our friend, Miss Mary Margaret. Mary Margaret runs art programs for the children in the hospital through an organization called <a href="http://artsforlifenc.org/" target="_blank">Arts for Life</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UkU_sU-4VjQ/U_1PZL3UIiI/AAAAAAAABPY/GkafSuGiDKU/s1600/IMG_1447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UkU_sU-4VjQ/U_1PZL3UIiI/AAAAAAAABPY/GkafSuGiDKU/s1600/IMG_1447.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Mary Margaret knows that I quilt, so she mentioned that her aunt was making a quilt for her to auction off during an upcoming fundraising event. The event is called <a href="http://artsforlifenc.org/localcolor" target="_blank">"Local Color."</a> Well, I had just finished making this little quilt, but it was homeless! (This is a rarity... only the second of its kind in my home.) <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rjNr7_Dgxhw/U_1PZp_vJ7I/AAAAAAAABPc/KOJ3rgU9CNE/s1600/IMG_1448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rjNr7_Dgxhw/U_1PZp_vJ7I/AAAAAAAABPc/KOJ3rgU9CNE/s1600/IMG_1448.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Anyhow, when she told me about <a href="http://artsforlifenc.org/localcolor" target="_blank">"Local Color"</a> and I thought of all these colorful coins stacked one on top of the other, well... this just had to go to Mary Margaret's cause!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cZ3Giv8RQn4/U_1PaEXJY-I/AAAAAAAABPo/aK68oOuRHF0/s1600/IMG_1450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cZ3Giv8RQn4/U_1PaEXJY-I/AAAAAAAABPo/aK68oOuRHF0/s1600/IMG_1450.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Of course, I can't be talking about all this sweet charity without giving some other gals some credit. The "Tones" by Michael Miller charm pack was sent to me by the talented and generous Amy Smart (<a href="http://www.diaryofaquilter.com/" target="_blank">visit her blog here</a> - especially if you need some <i>great</i> <a href="http://www.diaryofaquilter.com/p/tutorials.html" target="_blank">tutorials</a> and <a href="http://amysmart.bigcartel.com/" target="_blank">patterns</a>). And the backing and quilting were donated by my sweet friend, Anne, of <a href="http://charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/2014/06/annes-pickle-dish.html" target="_blank">DS Pickle Dish</a> fame, of course.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y8S_F67-U1E/U_1PZKx6JOI/AAAAAAAABPU/U19DH3ovOCc/s1600/IMG_1446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y8S_F67-U1E/U_1PZKx6JOI/AAAAAAAABPU/U19DH3ovOCc/s1600/IMG_1446.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Are you local to North Carolina and available this Friday night? <a href="http://artsforlifenc.org/localcolor" target="_blank">Local Color</a> will be such a fun night! Grab a date, then book your tickets <a href="http://artsforlifenc.org/localcolor" target="_blank">here</a>. In addition to your dancing shoes, don't forget to bring some cash or your checkbook for the great items at the auction. <br />
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Have a great week!<br />
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<br />Lauren Deelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616630618347076716noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622338421389362201.post-83113687884094869422014-08-18T21:30:00.000-04:002014-09-14T06:32:03.708-04:00A Vintage Briar Rose Baby Quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is one of my most favorite quilts... ever. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After making <a href="http://www.charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-briar-rose-finish.html" target="_blank">Elyse's "Briar Rose" quilt</a>, I had the lavender colorway of the line remaining. I thought it would be enough to stitch up a nice, baby-sized quilt using <a href="http://www.tickleandhide.com/2014/02/hello-petal-layer-cake-quilt.html" target="_blank">this tutorial</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So I stitched up all I had. And wouldn't you know it? Not big enough! But, my <a href="http://wishuponaquilt.com/" target="_blank">local quilt shop</a> was (and still is!) having a great sale on many of the same fabrics. So off I went and bought a few more quarter yard cuts. (Can you believe I left the quilt shop having spent only $8?! That's some serious restraint, people.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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I also dug into the stack of the few FQ Kona solids that I own. And I found that some of those hues go just swimmingly with this line. Hence the reason that I love this quilt so much. I think that the use of solids increases the vintage look of this line.<br />
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I still cannot get over some of these sweet scenes! The picnic scene above, and then below, the mama bee is knitting with baby bee tucked into a basket (under a quilt!) right next to her. Don't miss that, folks!<br />
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I did not set out to make this quilt for anyone in particular. The fabric had just sat there long enough and started calling to me again. (Strange, I know.)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BSCD0U5HFr0/U_AYGDWNfcI/AAAAAAAABOU/gMI1SQazix4/s1600/IMG_1732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BSCD0U5HFr0/U_AYGDWNfcI/AAAAAAAABOU/gMI1SQazix4/s1600/IMG_1732.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div><br />
But as I was stitching it up, and it developed this increasingly vintage look with the addition of the solids, it became clear to me that this would be for our friend, Dr. Katie. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_zsCagJjcIY/U_AYHEShz-I/AAAAAAAABOc/eLWRMDMB9hs/s1600/IMG_1742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_zsCagJjcIY/U_AYHEShz-I/AAAAAAAABOc/eLWRMDMB9hs/s1600/IMG_1742.JPG" height="494" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Dr. Katie is one of the first doctors that we met at Duke. She was on rotation as a resident for the inpatient hem/onc hall while Charlotte had a miserable, three-week stay there in late 2011. I could tell you quite a bit about why I adore her and how we hit it off. But I'm going to keep it short and sweet by saying that as a doctor, she is both competent and compassionate. She also has that wonderful trait where I knew from the first time we met that as she was considering treatment plans for my child, she was thinking of her own. I always knew that she was treating Charlotte as though she were her own child, always giving her the best care. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VTqUUbmJXn4/U_AYHpnGE4I/AAAAAAAABOg/0krGJMxyAiY/s1600/IMG_1747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VTqUUbmJXn4/U_AYHpnGE4I/AAAAAAAABOg/0krGJMxyAiY/s1600/IMG_1747.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Dr. Katie just recently had her first baby girl. I did not know that I was going to make her a quilt; I had not really planned on it. But as this quilt came together, it just had to be for her. Dr. Katie strikes me as the kind of lady who loves vintage things and would appreciate a not-bubble-gum-pink or girly-girl sort of gift. I hope she likes that this is definitely a little girl quilt, but not in the pretty, pretty, pink princess sort of way.<br />
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When I touched base with Dr. Katie last week to ask after her and the baby, she told me that they are doing well. The baby's name is "Nova Rose." Really? A vintage Briar Rose quilt for Miss Nova Rose? I'm not sure it could be more perfect if I'd planned it! I am about to ship it out to her, so here's crossing my fingers she finds it to be as perfect as I do.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lpqDg95W7Lw/U_AYHp_IgZI/AAAAAAAABOk/vutNNsgAPkU/s1600/IMG_1749.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lpqDg95W7Lw/U_AYHp_IgZI/AAAAAAAABOk/vutNNsgAPkU/s1600/IMG_1749.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div><br />
P.S. I did the backing in the lavender strawberries. I love it. Wish I had bought more...<br />
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(Linking up to <a href="http://quiltstory.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Fabric Tuesday</a>, <a href="http://myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">NTT</a>, <a href="http://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Confessions of a Fabric Addict</a>, and <a href="http://crazymomquilts.com/" target="_blank">Crazy Mom Quilts</a>.)<br />
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<div align="center"><a href="http://le-challenge.blogspot.co.uk/" title="Le Challenge" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z475/Lucy_Brennan/LeChallengebutton_zps100e8a3c.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo LeChalleng" alt="Le Challenge" style="border:none;" /></a></div>Lauren Deelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616630618347076716noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622338421389362201.post-31754948633360216942014-08-09T22:48:00.000-04:002014-08-25T22:15:07.215-04:00A Posy Sixteen-Patch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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First off: Sorry, but these pictures stink. I guess that's what we get when I try to spend more time with the fam these days. ;)</div>
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In any case, here's a sweet little baby quilt that I made for my dear friend, Sarah. Well, I guess I really made it for her new baby, Anne Margaret. "New" is a relative term, of course; I think that the quilt squeaked in just under the wire for Baby's six-month birthday. </div>
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Anyhow, no more <a href="http://www.charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/2014/07/quilt-guilt.html" target="_blank">quilt guilt</a>, right?! <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a8zoreKuEwM/U-bYkG9zA7I/AAAAAAAABMw/dQb_5CVLyaY/s1600/IMG_1703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a8zoreKuEwM/U-bYkG9zA7I/AAAAAAAABMw/dQb_5CVLyaY/s1600/IMG_1703.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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I just love these fabrics. It is the "Posy" line by <a href="http://comfortstitching.typepad.co.uk/" target="_blank">Aneela Hoey</a>, and oh my - it took me over a year to cut into them, I do believe. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rH2k3R5a6LE/U-bYkZORg3I/AAAAAAAABMs/P1ymYfKqRls/s1600/IMG_1704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rH2k3R5a6LE/U-bYkZORg3I/AAAAAAAABMs/P1ymYfKqRls/s1600/IMG_1704.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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When these fabrics are all sitting in a stack, they just don't seem to go together. Something about the coral color with a light pink and bright pink and the lavender then a mint green? But somehow, when it's all stitched up, well... it works!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zIjmeA4Z3Gw/U-bYk0e3O1I/AAAAAAAABM0/uVaZcqvf17I/s1600/IMG_1705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zIjmeA4Z3Gw/U-bYk0e3O1I/AAAAAAAABM0/uVaZcqvf17I/s1600/IMG_1705.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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I think it's all so sweet and innocent and vintage-looking.<br />
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I particularly love the girls reading books. Sarah was an English major in college, so I was hoping she'd dig this.</div>
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The backing is a whole cloth of those little girls reading.<br />
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This girl is reading a book titled, "The Big Book of Adventures for Girls." I love that!<br />
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And what could this one be doing? Journaling? Doodling? Writing her first novel???<br />
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And we have some bunnies and hens, too. Love them. And Elyse's half-polished finger. Hey, she's a good sport to always help with my quilt photography. :)<br />
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This was short and sweet because I'm in the middle of stitching up another baby quilt top! Hopefully, you'll see pictures of that one soon, too!</div>
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(Linking up with <a href="http://quiltstory.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Quilt Story</a>, <a href="http://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Confessions of a Fabric Addict</a>, and <a href="http://crazymomquilts.com/" target="_blank">Crazy Mom Quilts</a>.)<br />
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<br />Lauren Deelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616630618347076716noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622338421389362201.post-64443558044630007242014-07-24T14:39:00.002-04:002014-07-24T14:39:14.006-04:00This and ThatJust a short post today in the form and tradition of a public service announcement. <br />
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<b><u>First:</u></b> Since this blog was started as a way to use quilting to raise money for a worthy cause, I like to spread the love and every now and then help promote other quilty fundraising. So, you just might want to consider helping fund <a href="https://www.adopttogether.org/cornwellsadopt" target="_blank">this sweet couple's adoption</a>. Doing it out of the goodness of your heart would be great, but there are beautiful quilts being offered as extra incentive!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quilts for Sarah's giveaway. (Her pictures.)</td></tr>
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The short version: Sarah over at <a href="http://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Confessions of a Fabric Addict</a> is hosting a Christmas in July Giveaway. Her daughter is adopting a special needs child, and they are trying to raise the funds to complete the adoption and bring him home. This is such a sweet story, and you can read more about the adoption, and the quilt giveaway <a href="http://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/2014/07/can-i-get-whoop-whoop-giveaway.html" target="_blank">here</a>. (The giveaway ends tonight at 5 p.m. CST, so hurry!) A mere $5 will earn you an entry!<br />
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<b><u>Second: </u></b> Have you heard about the <a href="http://www.play-crafts.com/blog/palettebuilder2/" target="_blank">Palette Builder</a> over at <a href="http://play-crafts.com/" target="_blank">Play Crafts</a>? I might be just a tad late to jump on the train, but this is so neat! Of course, I've seen palette builders that can be used to find paint colors, but Kona Cottons? You just upload your pretty picture, then it matches Kona Cottons for you to be able to quilt your gorgeous palette in real life. Don't like a color? Delete it from the mix, and they'll add another! <br />
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What I really like about this is the potential to find Kona Cottons from a print that you have not yet purchased. Or, to pick up some solids after a purchase. Because you know, I'm <i>always</i> forgetting the solids!<br />
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<a href="http://play-crafts.com/blog/palettebuilder2/" target="_blank">Click on over</a> and have fun! And go ahead and thank me for your latest internet distraction. </div>
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(Linking up with Jennie at <a href="http://porchswingquilts.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Porch Swing Quilts</a>.) </div>
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Lauren Deelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616630618347076716noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622338421389362201.post-7010193130633518292014-07-16T14:45:00.002-04:002014-07-16T19:10:00.456-04:00Quilt Guilt<h4>
<u>-quilt guilt.</u></h4>
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<i>noun</i>; that feeling one has when one should be working on this quilt or that quilt, but instead, one buys more fabric, starts three new projects (some not due for another four months) and generally procrastinates.*</h4>
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Anyone hear me on this? Half of my family (the husband and two older kiddos) went out of town for the Fourth of July holiday, and what did I work on? Only five different projects! <br />
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1. First up, I finally got around to cutting my Posy stash into 2.5 inch strips for a 16-patch baby quilt. Now, this is what I'm<i> really</i> supposed to be working on. For heaven's sake, this is for a baby who is at least 4 months old now!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IcSIfWnJWdQ/U8Z4sm1EF7I/AAAAAAAABK8/3yyeuBun7rs/s1600/IMG_1520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IcSIfWnJWdQ/U8Z4sm1EF7I/AAAAAAAABK8/3yyeuBun7rs/s1600/IMG_1520.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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2. But after I cut that, I read <a href="http://pinsandbobbins.blogspot.com/2014/06/a-quilt-for-aneela.html" target="_blank">this sad post</a> and wanted to help make a quilt for Aneela, the talented lady who designed the fabric above. So I grabbed some of that Posy to make two blocks from me, and then went to the charm packs of Sherbert Pips that Anne recently gave to me (sweet friend!) and made two blocks from her. (She just moved. She's at the beach, but her stuff is in storage, and I have no idea where her fabric ended up!)<br />
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3. After making these blocks, I just couldn't put that sweet fabric down! So here is where my sewing seriously digressed. Instead of finishing up the above-mentioned baby quilt, I sat down and sewed a disappearing nine-patch with some Kona Ash sashing for my daughter, Marian's, 2nd birthday, which, I hesitate to mention, is not until November. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ay43J5FZyXo/U8Z4tnXRGLI/AAAAAAAABLQ/Nk27HNAPNss/s1600/IMG_1528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ay43J5FZyXo/U8Z4tnXRGLI/AAAAAAAABLQ/Nk27HNAPNss/s1600/IMG_1528.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(It's a bad picture; and I've since added another border.)</td></tr>
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4. In the picture below, you can see some blocks to the right of the Posy basket, yes? This was the next thing I got distracted by. Charlotte's first oncologist, Dr. Amy, is having a baby boy soon. When we left Arizona, I desperately wanted to give her a thoughtful gift. But I was only sewing crayon rolls at the time, and did not think that would be very useful for ordering chemo or writing up scripts of zofran. But now she's expecting a baby boy! I could not be more thrilled. So I took some leftover blocks from <a href="http://www.charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-quilt-for-baby-matthew-1.html" target="_blank">Matthew's quilt</a>, have made a few extra, completed the layout and now it's ready for sashing and for completing the quilt top.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WasoY28n6c4/U8Z4uIRu4hI/AAAAAAAABLc/xvkgJgSDQjU/s1600/IMG_1534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WasoY28n6c4/U8Z4uIRu4hI/AAAAAAAABLc/xvkgJgSDQjU/s1600/IMG_1534.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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5. I then received this bundle of gorgeous "Mirabelle" fabrics (and other goodies!) in the mail from <a href="http://quiltingismorefunthanhousework.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Cyndy</a>. I won her giveaway - hooray! The sweet thing about this is that I've wanted this fabric but did not have a "real" reason for buying it other than a bit of nostalgia. You see, my fourth child, Marian, was born months before this fabric was released. And the crazy thing is, she was "Mirabelle" in the womb for at least six months! Really: even the cake at the baby shower had "Welcome, Baby Mirabelle" on it. But about two weeks before she was born, my husband and I both confessed that we just did not feel right about the name. It just did not seem to go well with "Elyse, Henry, Charlotte, and... <i>Mirabelle?</i>" It was not until two hours after she was born that we settled on "Marian" as her name. Crazy, eh? So back to my quilt guilt distraction: I've been generally dreaming about what to make with this pretty bundle. (Thanks, Cyndy!) <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vsj8vXDyl90/U8Z4hhqeJEI/AAAAAAAABKc/e6htlk_Wguw/s1600/IMG_1556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vsj8vXDyl90/U8Z4hhqeJEI/AAAAAAAABKc/e6htlk_Wguw/s1600/IMG_1556.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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6. Then there was a sale on shipping over at <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/sewmeasong" target="_blank">Sew Me a Song</a> and wow, I'm just a sucker. I had to get this "Itsy Bitsy Spider" fabric (by Heather Ross) for my sweet Charlotte, because she just loves that song and the poor dear did not get a quilt for her last birthday. But after cutting everything up into charm squares, I decided that I don't want to do another disappearing nine-patch, after I got it out of my system with the one that I showed you above. So now what to do?! I'm really crazy about the <a href="http://patchworknplay.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/its-my-turn.html" target="_blank">Rocky Mountain puzzle block</a> and am thinking of this (check out <a href="http://www.kitchentablequilting.com/2014/02/finished-rocky-mountain-puzzle-quilt.html" target="_blank">Erica's version here</a>: I'm just a tad obsessed), but then I'd have to re-cut my fabric and there'd be quite a bit of waste. Or there's <a href="http://www.happyquiltingmelissa.com/2011/02/happy-quilting-quilt-long.html" target="_blank">this quilt-along</a>. Well, any suggestions for charm squares, some of which I definitely want to highlight the fussy-cutting?</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IMQFglSRQc8/U8Z4iLdv6eI/AAAAAAAABKg/gS3nsOlxZwM/s1600/IMG_1565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IMQFglSRQc8/U8Z4iLdv6eI/AAAAAAAABKg/gS3nsOlxZwM/s1600/IMG_1565.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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7. Last but not least, I pulled out the lavender color way of the Briar Rose layer cake that I had left over after making <a href="http://www.charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-briar-rose-finish.html" target="_blank">this quilt</a>. I paired them with solids, followed <a href="http://www.tickleandhide.com/2014/02/hello-petal-layer-cake-quilt.html" target="_blank">this tutorial</a>, and wow - I am <i>loving</i> this baby quilt! Again, such distraction because I did not have a recipient in mind. But after adding those solids and seeing how they definitely increase the vintage feel of this fabric, I have the perfect person in mind. Or... her baby, rather. :) (And that design wall... Where have you been all my life? It's small, but it's sweet. I'm so grateful to have a permanent little sewing space in our new home.)</div>
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Did I say that I got distracted and was working on "five" things? I just counted seven, so it must have been an understatement. Sigh... I am happy to say, that those 2.5 inch Posy strips in the first picture have been nicely ordered and stitched into a quilt, and I'm now working on the last step: hand-stitching the binding. And I made a list this morning of future quilts and the order in which I should work on them. But will I stick with it? Probably not!</div>
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Question: does this happen to you, or am I the only one who is so scatter-brained in my sewing projects? Any remedy for sticking with the task at hand and just getting it done? Especially baby quilts for babies nearing their six-month birthday?...<br />
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(Linking up with Lee for WiP Wednesday at <a href="http://freshlypieced.com/" target="_blank">Freshly Pieced</a>, <a href="http://myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kelly with NTT</a>, and at <a href="http://quiltstory.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Fabric Tuesday</a>.)<br />
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*I did a little google search for "quilt guilt" and came up with nothing. If I'm plagiarizing something or someone somewhere, do please let me know.<br />
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<br />Lauren Deelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616630618347076716noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622338421389362201.post-79689944777764781042014-06-30T19:06:00.001-04:002014-06-30T19:06:24.204-04:00Anne's Pickle Dish<br />
<i>Yesterday, I wrote about <a href="http://charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/2014/06/my-favorite-quilt.html" target="_blank">my favorite quilt</a> as part of the <a href="http://sewmamasew.com/" target="_blank">Sew Mama Sew</a> series that has been running all month long. I'm so sorry I didn't get the memo sooner, so we are squeezing in right under the wire here! As I was writing my post, I couldn't help but think of my friend's Pickle Dish. Anne Reinhart is the dear friend who makes her way into so many of my posts. I've been able to show many of her quilts here, as she has donated them for <a href="http://www.charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/p/past-quilts.html" target="_blank">auction</a>. But this Pickle Dish deserves a post all its own! I love it so much and really think it demands being shared with and appreciated by as many as possible. Since she doesn't have her own blog, I've invited her to share about her "favorite quilt" by completing the Sew Mama Sew interview. </i><br />
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Q: Tell us about your favorite quilt. When did you make it? What pattern did you use? What fabrics?</h4>
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Truth be told, every time I finish a quilt, I think "THIS ONE is my favorite EVER." But when I finished my Denyse Schmidt pickle dish last month after a pregnancy-mandated quilting hiatus, I knew it wasn't just my favorite, but that it would be a hard one to top. I started it last fall after seeing so many beautiful examples pop up online. I debated for some time between using Sarah Fielke's pattern in <u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Material-Obsession-Modern-Quilts-Traditional/dp/1584798807/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404167488&sr=1-7&keywords=sarah+fielke" target="_blank">Material Obsession 2</a></u> or Kaffe Fassett's pattern in <u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kaffe-Fassetts-Quilt-Romance-Patchwork/dp/1600852599/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404167537&sr=1-1&keywords=quilt+romance+kaffe+fassett" target="_blank">Quilt Romance</a></u>. It was a little like choosing between two evils as both required me to venture outside of my quilting comfort zone! I ended up choosing Kaffe Fassett's pattern as my starting point since I enjoy paper-piecing. The fabric choice, however, was never in question. I have an outlandish supply of Denyse Schmidt prints, and I figured that if I was going to tackle the pickle dish, I might as well go all out and cut into all of those lovely prints that I have been stockpiling!<br />
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Q: What memories or people does the quilt make you think of?</h4>
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This one definitely makes me think of <a href="http://www.charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-quilt-for-baby-matthew-1.html" target="_blank">my little guy, Matthew</a>. I started it unaware that he was on his way and finished the quilting with him tucked in the Baby Bjorn. And, well, I'll go ahead and blame him for being the hold-up on finishing the binding... he and I have been too busy snuggling for me to do my hand-stitching!<br />
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Q: What do you like best about the quilt?</h4>
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I just love those gorgeous fabrics all playing together so nicely. I'm not sure I came close to making a dent in my Denyse Schmidt stash, but I love seeing so many different prints from her different lines. The only fabric that isn't hers is the black and white polka dots.<br />
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Q: How did you grow as a quilter while making it?</h4>
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This quilt was definitely a challenge for me... not so much in execution, but in overcoming my fear of curved piecing and my dislike for templates. Two new skills in one quilt... what was I <i>thinking</i>?! Thankfully, I discovered that cutting out all of those center "eyes" with a template was manageable and that curved piecing isn't so bad... although it requires a lot of pinning! So I survived the process, and amazingly, when all was finished and I unfurled it to show off to my husband, I found myself telling him how much I really want to make another one!<br />
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Q: If you could make this quilt again, what (if anything) would you do differently?</h4>
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I would absolutely make it bigger. When I started it, the projects seemed so daunting I was worried that if I increased the size, it would end up in my UFO pile. It was such a relief when I finished the paper-piecing, and then the block assembly, that I convinced myself that it was big enough just the way it was. In hindsight, one more row would have really made it perfect.<br />
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Q: Where is the quilt now?</h4>
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I'm a quilt-stacker. What can I say, I love the look of a stack of quilts! In the weeks since finishing up my Pickle Dish, my husband retired from the Army, we moved most of our belongings into storage, and moved temporarily to the beach. But no worries, I smuggled most of my quilts to our new locale and have happily stacked them here with us. Although... this stack is a little bit "to-do" (confession: I have five quilts with bindings to finish!) and a little bit "where-am-I-going-to-put-all-of-these-in-this-tiny-house?!"!<br />
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<i>Really... isn't Anne GREAT?! And don't you think she needs her own blog? Please join with me by protesting her lack of a blog in the comments section. All the quilts in the pretty stack need their own airtime. Want to see the ones I've already blogged? Surf around by clicking the list below. And enjoy!</i><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/2014/03/dolce-quilt.html" target="_blank">Dolce Quilt</a></i><br />
<i><a href="http://www.charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/2014/03/little-stripes-quilt.html" target="_blank">Little Stripes</a></i><br />
<i><a href="http://charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-quilt-for-brother.html" target="_blank">Mark's Quilt</a></i><br />
<i><a href="http://charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/2013/04/annes-quilt.html" target="_blank">Classic Rail Fence Quilt</a></i><br />
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<br />Lauren Deelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616630618347076716noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622338421389362201.post-7559497794831604202014-06-29T14:49:00.000-04:002014-06-29T14:57:09.271-04:00My Favorite Quilt<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px;">It's finally time to show a quilt that I get to keep for myself... hooray! And just in time to participate in the "My Favorite Quilt" series over at <a href="http://sewmamasew.com/" target="_blank">Sew Mama Sew!</a> Throughout the month of June, they have been showcasing the favorite quilts of quilt bloggers. Then regular folk like me can participate by completing their interview and linking up. What fun! So here we go...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px;"><b>Q: Tell us about your favorite quilt. When did you make it? What pattern did you use? What fabrics?</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px;">Last November, I participated in a Kate Spain charm swap that Michele over at <a href="http://quiltsfrommycrayonbox.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Quilts from my Crayon Box</a> hosted. Around the same time, my quilty friend, Anne, brought over her "HST Overload" quilt to show me. I wanted to keep it for myself. But being the good friend that I am, I let Anne keep her quilt and decided that I would just make my own, using the Kate Spain charms that would be arriving soon. I've never looked back. I did look on <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/laurendeel/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> a few weeks later, though, and realized that I had pinned <a href="http://www.redpepperquilts.com/2010/05/more-pics.html" target="_blank">Rita's quilt</a> many, many moons ago. So I guess it was on my "to-do list" even before I saw Anne's quilt or signed up for the charm swap. All at once, the quilting stars aligned, and I had the impetus to actually make this quilt. I love it when that happens! And I love it when the perfect fabric for backing goes on sale, too. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px;">Even though all this happened back in December, the next few months were quite busy with the <a href="http://www.charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/p/current-quilts-for-auction.html" target="_blank">quilt auction</a>. So this quilt was not actually finished until a few weeks ago.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px;">Well, of course it makes me think of Anne. I had to channel her good taste in order to put all these fabrics together. I usually would not do such a "loud" quilt, not to mention one that lacks Kona White! Also, Anne did the clamshell quilting for me, and when her third baby was only a week old! (I promise I did not ask her to do it then. She gave me a coupon for Christmas for a "free quilting" - what a sweet friend! - and I do believe I got the quilt to her before her original "maternity leave." But she had a harder-than-expected pregnancy, so it did not get done before <a href="http://www.charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-quilt-for-baby-matthew-1.html" target="_blank">Baby Matthew arrived</a>.) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px;">I also think of my husband when I see the quilt, mainly because he dislikes it so! At first glance, he reported with disdain, "It has too many colors in it! I mean, there must be 25 different colors in that quilt!" If only he knew that the selvage of the backing alone showed 25 different colors... </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px;">I love the colors! Quilting for me is primarily about the fabrics. I was excited to participate in the Kate Spain charm swap because I love Kate Spain's use of bright colors as well as her lovely, nature-inspired designs. I'm not sure that I was originally planning to use all the charms in one project, but I'm so glad that I did! I might have otherwise agonized about how to separate the charms into different projects. But that would have required too much thinking and too much making things "matchy-matchy."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px;">I learned that I might really want to start trimming down my HSTs. Or at least snip off the dog-ears. With four little kids and <a href="http://www.charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/p/who-is-charlotte.html" target="_blank">one with special needs and cancer</a>, I try to cut corners and quilt as quickly as I can. But I must admit that handing over the quilt for Anne to do the quilting was a bit embarrassing. "Umm, try to avoid the points where the blocks meet; you might break a needle," I sheepishly confessed. Fortunately for me, the quilting seemed to go well for her, and now that it's all said and done, I really don't notice the bulk in those corners. Still... I might want to do it "right" the next time. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px;">I would work a bit more on the layout. Now that I see pictures of the quilt and also look at it at every meal (it's in view of my seat at the dining table; makes me happy!), I see blocks that I wish weren't right next to each other. I do remember working on the layout quite a bit, though, and agonizing over it. I'm sure I reached a point (as with every quilt) where I just threw my hands up in the air with "enough is enough!" and went with what I had. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px;">Also, I would make the quilt bigger. It's only 52 by 58 inches, so rather small for a throw quilt. Big enough for me to keep warm, but no room for my husband. Though, I don't think he minds!</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CdID8fUO0OI/U6-ckJDX_iI/AAAAAAAABI8/2auLOnCK6Cg/s1600/IMG_1498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CdID8fUO0OI/U6-ckJDX_iI/AAAAAAAABI8/2auLOnCK6Cg/s1600/IMG_1498.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px;">We just moved into a new home, and my new-to-me quilt rack has a perfect home on a little wall by the fireplace. So the quilt lives there. It's kind of in between two rooms, so like I mentioned before, I can see it at every meal. It's also in sight of my husband's new couch. It's a pretty sweet couch that is the centerpiece of his study. And though he loves me dearly, he has his limits with this little hobby of mine. As soon as we got the couch into the room, he turned to me and said, "Listen: no draping quilts over this couch, or making pillows for it, okay?" (How does he know my mind so well?!) All that to say, the blues in the quilt really do accent the couch nicely! So the quilt is close enough to the couch for me get a bit of homemaking satisfaction out of the connection, but still far enough away from it to maintain this thing called "marital bliss" that we've got going on.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rdXWPhNJ4vg/U6-bLJd70FI/AAAAAAAABII/5K1nSd_Rpdo/s1600/IMG_1535.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rdXWPhNJ4vg/U6-bLJd70FI/AAAAAAAABII/5K1nSd_Rpdo/s1600/IMG_1535.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px;">But when he's out of the house, who says I can't stage a photo shoot?! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px;">So there is my favorite quilt. It was an easy choice because it is, in fact, my <i>only</i> quilt! That's right: I've made dozens of quilts for auction, for friends, for my own kids, but this is the first that is just for me and just for fun. Wow, that makes me happy! I think I'll sign off here so I can go pet it right about now...</span></span><br />
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Lauren Deelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616630618347076716noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2622338421389362201.post-31969774005451904852014-06-23T08:00:00.000-04:002014-06-28T19:38:56.776-04:00Kai's QuiltLook at this kid! Isn't he just the <i>cutest</i>?!<br />
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So this is Kai (the name is short for "Malachi"). He is my friend, Tracy's, fourth child. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kai at two months old</td></tr>
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Tracy is the same, sweet friend who kept my kids every week for the last year and a half while I took Charlotte for chemo. (And the same friend who made<a href="http://www.charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/2014/03/maritime-modern-baby-quilt.html" target="_blank"> this quilt</a> and <a href="http://www.charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/2014/03/2wenty-thr3e.html" target="_blank">this quilt</a> and <a href="http://charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/2013/04/sweet-star.html" target="_blank">this one</a>, too.)</div>
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So one day in early May, Tracy told me that she would be leaving within the week to go pick up Kai from Las Vegas and bring him home. "What?!" Even though her adoption papers had been with the agency for almost a year, this all seemed <i>very</i> sudden.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tzqKtQ-n7NE/U6UFMkX7sHI/AAAAAAAABGw/NsRlJCi8NVY/s1600/IMG_1397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tzqKtQ-n7NE/U6UFMkX7sHI/AAAAAAAABGw/NsRlJCi8NVY/s1600/IMG_1397.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
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Well, off she went to Vegas to pick up Kai. Now even though I had other baby quilts in the queue, I stopped everything and whipped up this quilt top. After all, Tracy would do no less for me. I got the top done (tweaking one of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Simply-Retro-Camille-Roskelley-Classic/dp/1607056844/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403494395&sr=8-1&keywords=roskelley" target="_blank">Camille's patterns</a>), then off <i>I </i> went to New York City for a long weekend with the husband. (Our May trips make Tracy and me sound <i>much</i> more exciting than we are in real life!) </div>
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Of course, Anne came to my rescue yet again. While I was enjoying myself in NYC, she did her great meander on this fun quilt, even though <a href="http://www.charlottesgraceforacure.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-quilt-for-baby-matthew-1.html" target="_blank">she had a teeny newborn herself</a>! (In the picture above, I just love the Sarah Jane print of cloud shapes; particularly, the little house makes me think of Kai having a forever home in Tracy's family.)</div>
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The quilting was all done when I returned home, so Anne dropped the quilt off, I slapped the binding on, and it was ready for Tracy and Kai when they returned from Vegas. Hooray! I love a good surprise; and what could be better than a surprise quilt?</div>
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Tracy likes Ed Emberly, so I did the backing in these frogs. Which, I must add, I have seen in pictures online, but oh my goodness: they are <i>sooo</i> much cuter in real life!</div>
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I am so happy that this quilt has been such a hit with Tracy and Kai. Tracy just loves the colors! And of course, she loves Sarah Jane and Camille, too! I think I nailed this one... yay!</div>
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Our family is so happy that even though we've moved to a wonderful new home, we are still not too far from Tracy's family - just about an hour away! They've already come to play at our home in the woods. </div>
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I wish I had a picture of all of them, but they are all so quick and busy that all my pictures came out blurry! The one above is of Kai's big brother and sister, Asher and Betsy, with my Elyse in the middle. What sweet kids!</div>
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(Linking up to <a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Crazy Mom Quilts</a>, <a href="http://myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">NTT</a>, <a href="http://lizzielenard-vintagesewing.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/free-motion-mavericks-link-up-week.html" target="_blank">Free Motion Mavericks</a>, and <a href="http://quiltstory.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Quilt Story</a>.)</div>
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<br />Lauren Deelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616630618347076716noreply@blogger.com7