Sunday Quilt Inspiration: E L E P H A N T S

This post first appeared in February of 2015, and it's still a favorite--over 12,000 views. How is that even possible? Well anyway, I thought I'd make it easy to find, again. 

Try spelling elephants with spaces between the letters....it's strange. This morning I was reading a few blogs, as I tend to do pretty often now that I've cut back on the number of quilt magazines I purchase. I ran across Sew Fresh Quilts and had to take a closer look at her darling "Elephant Parade" quilt.

See that cute little pink guy near the bottom?  That one just gets me.  I like elephants.  But baby elephants, well, they are too adorable.  They look hugable and loveable and cuddly.  I know, it's a crazy fantasy to want to hug a baby elephant that probably weighs as much as I do (and I'm not skinny!) but I can't help myself.

Recently it seems, Facebook is wrought with baby elephant videos. One in which a baby is stuck in a hole and can't get out is just heartbreaking.  Of course, the folks with the video camera help and save the day, but the struggle is real...because the little guy is not so little.  But he's cute and mom is right there in a panic unable to help.  Heart-wrenching, I tell you.  

This video shows a newborn baby being protected and helped by the entire group of elephants as he struggles to get up.  The video is a bit long (9 mins.) but let it stream and advance it so that you get to the end if you just have to see that he makes it.

Since they're so darling, I thought I'd look for a few quilts with elephants on them.  Turns out that there are more than just a few. Plus, there are elephant fabrics, softies, pincushions, and other items.  These are some of my favorites.

And this brings us back to the Sew Fresh Quilts "Elephant Parade" quilt along.  This is the quilt you'd be making if you quilt along with Lorna, but she suggests that you can make other items just by using the pattern to make the elephants, then modify the project to suit your needs.  I'm thinking pillow since I have too many other projects going right now.  

Lorna is already in week two, so maybe you should scoot on over and get started!

Happy Quilting,

Sunday Quilt Inspiration

Sunday Quilt Inspiration is becoming more and more difficult lately as it's a struggle to think of anything new. I thought I'd take a look at a few of my older posts in the hopes that I'd come up with something. Then it occurred to me that there are a couple of posts that I could "rerun." This is one that I especially like. Anything in blue is my update from today. I hope you are inspired.

Let's take a look at a few inspiring quilts, shall we?  These come from two of my favorite quilting blogs. They are not the only blogs I visit, of course, but some that I visit often and like very much.  Why not go by and say hello after checking out the inspiring part of this post?

From Carla at Grace and Favor, who is a grandma and quilter we have a couple of darling quilt. It seems that Grace and Favor is no longer active. However, the pieces that Carla put up are still worth taking a look at. Her work is awesome and, yes, inspiring.

Take a close look at Carla's perfect points.....I'm a bit jealous!

For fun a grandchild's mug rug for hot cocoa and cookies.  Now there's a grandma who is inspiring!

Birds on a Wire definitely is worth going to her blog to see.  You need to check out the little clothes hanging beside the quilts.  This is one of my favorites of her quilts....yes, inspiring!

Another fun project: a scrap bucket made of scraps.  I have to make one of these for the studio.  I probably won't use matching scraps since I don't have any, but there are some unused blocks around somewhere........ 

Amber's blog, A Little Bit Biased, is a recent find for me, and I spent perhaps a bit too much time reading her posts and ogling her quilts during the Thanksgiving holidays.  She definitely has lots of talent for both writing and quilting. Today she has renamed her blog Gigi's Thimble and she sells patterns for the beautiful quilts that she designs.

As her header indicates, Amber is also the owner of Gigi's Timble Quilt Patterns.  If you're considering purchasing a pattern, visit her site for some fresh takes on old favorites and for a few surprises also.  Her patterns can also be found on Etsy.

I hope you're inspired to get to your sewing rooms and pull some fabrics out!  I love that feeling of pulling fabrics and getting started on a new project.  Don't you?  Hmm, which color gets to be first this time?

Pin It Weekly #251

Wow, I've posted about five years of weekly pins. Some of my own pin, some from followers, some from pinners who just happen to have great boards and ideas.

From the Audubon Society, find it at:
https://www.pinterest.com/mary_marcotte/humming-bird/

Five years! 250 posts. I'm quite happy with my stick-to-it ability. (It's a rare thing.)

From the Audubon Society, find it at:
https://www.pinterest.com/mary_marcotte/feathered-friends/

I just had to look back and see when this started. Apparently the Pinterest bug bit me hard in the summer of 2012. By the end of the year I was posting weekly Pinterest posts. I called them Pin It Wednesday until I figured out I was rarely posting on  Wednesdays.

From the Audubon Society, find it at;
https://www.pinterest.com/mary_marcotte/butterfly-flying-flowers/

To give myself a little leeway, I changed the name to Post It Weekly and was thrilled to post anytime on a weekday.

Now here we are almost six years later and I'm still going. Well, according to the dear darling the math doesn't add up, but he doesn't know Mary math, so how could he figure it out?

So, happy dance! And three cheers for six years! Plus thank yous all around to all of you for hanging in with me. Six years of Pinterest foolishness and seven with this blog. Love, hugs, and Southern squeezes to you all.

See you in a quilt,
Mary

Fons and Burns: Catch up now!

Mary Fons (Google Images)

For those of you who do not know, I have kind of an infatuation with Mary Fons. She is a fabulous writer and a cute little thing to boot. With any luck, I'll have an opportunity to shake her hand.

I read her blog, PaperGirl, in fits and starts. I may skip her posts for a month or so, but then I have to catch up with her again. That's when I go back to where I left off and read every article posted in the meantime. It may be that I'm obsessed.

Ken Burns (Google Images)

On my last binge read, I discovered that she had interviewed Ken Burns, a well-known movie director and quilt collector. Part of his now-famous collection was on exhibit at the Quilt House, the exhibition hall of the International Quilt Study Center and Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska. 

Unfortunately, the exhibit closed on May 14. However, a free Quiltfolk article on the exhibit and Mary Fons' interview can both be found here:  https://www.quiltfolk.com/wp-content/uploads/quiltfolk-ken-burns-exclusive.pdf

Quilt Retreat!

One weekend not so long ago I went to Fountainbleu State Park to meet some quilty friends for a craft retreat. I met Erika and Kelly through the La. Traveling Quilt bee two years ago. We keep in touch through Facebook and have met for our own mini-retreat here in my studio.  Last year we planned this retreat but I decided to opt out since it was so close to EOC testing. This year, however, I chose to attend. Oh wow! I had such fun! Loved the weekend!

These photos are from Pinterest, so they come from a variety of original sources. I had hoped to get out at some point over the weekend and take a few pictures myself. Unfortunately a storm blew in on Saturday and rained most of the day. On Sunday we all tried to pack up and get out of town before the real weather hit. 

I averaged between 35 and 40 miles per hour on I-12 for almost half of the trip home. Every 18-wheeler I saw was pulled over on the side of the interstate. While I considered doing so myself, I had no idea how long I would be stranded, so I continued slowly and steadly. The drive didn't matter--I got home eventually--and the weekend was wonderful!  

I had a wonderful time working on a couple of projects: finished the green string quilt, started a quilt using fabrics I bought for a granddaughter years ago, and made a few zipper pouches. 

We, the retreaters, decided to bring something for and exchange with the other quilters. The collage above shows some of those somethings, including the fat quarter of fabric you can see in the background of the pictures. How perfect can it be? This perfect...
pink fleur de lis! 

Every item was well received. My quilted bags (here's a tut) and pincushions were raved over much more than they deserved, but who stops applause when it's coming? 

Have I said that I loved, loved, LOVED the entire weekend? I am thrilled that I attended this year. I have every intention of attending again next year.  When was your last retreat? If you blogged about, add the url to your comment so we can read about it. 

Stash Report ~~ January 2017

My first stash report for 2017 and there's very little to report. I haven't completed as many projects as I'd hoped I would. The problem, of course, is that I have to go to work. Believe me, teaching all day takes the wind out of your sails. I tend to come home and crash. 

Mind you, that is after teaching and whatever Beta business I'm caught up in. Right now Beta means getting ready for convention: practicing for the skit, helping our candidate with her speech, making costumes, working on props, backdrop and general "stuff."

Stash Report for January 2016
	Yards	Completed Projects
Used this month:	7.5	Camper Rug (2 yds)
Added this month:	0	Murky Waters (5.5 yds)
Used in 2017:	7.5
Added in 2017:	0

The Beta costumes don't count either way as we purchased felt especially for that purpose. The pillow I made for Marley early in the month is counted in with the camper rug. I have not a clue of how much fabric I used on the rug. Once it's in strips, it feels like a lot, but who knows? I'm not cutting more fabric to figure it out, but you are welcome to do so.

Finally, you may have noticed that I changed the grid a bit. No reason. This is just easier. I tend not to have very many UFO's hanging around.  How is your stash looking?

#marymarcottequilts

!!! NEW !!!

Have you noticed the new look of Fleur de Lis Quilts?
It's been a couple of weeks in the works. I haven't a clue how to save the changes without actually making the changes happen. So there's no big reveal, just a change here and there when I get a moment steal an hour to work on it. 

Aside from the big difference of the newer, cleaner photos across the top (figuring out how to do that was difficult interesting), there are a few other changes or additions.  

• The tutorials page is organized! Check that out because I worked really hard.
• A new linky party page is available for those followers who like to crash a party or two.  They are arranged by weekday so that it's easy to figure out who, what, when, where AND every party has a link. I've been working on this page for a while and have over 50 links, but if you know of  an error or a party that I've missed, please shoot me a note or email. 
• I've added a poem or two to my poetry page. The poems are all original and penned by me.
• I don't know how many tips/techniques were up the last time you visited the page, but I now have 11 and plan to add more. By all means, check back.
• Finally, I hope you visit my quilts page. Nothing there has changed but while I'm tooting my horn... 

In other words, hang out a bit, look around, leave comments, ask questions, join in the conversation. If you'd prefer, you can still send me an email at mary.marcotte@gmail.com. 

And as always, thank you for coming. I'll gladly visit your blog and follow, especially if you leave me a note. In fact, for that, I'll comment on your blog as well, and I generally have lots to say.  

Sunday Quilt Inspiration: Blogs of Interest

These aren't necessarily quilting blogs.  They are more just blogs that I follow because they have so much interesting information, tutorials, and topics.  I thought I'd share them with you all photos are from the blog, not Pinterest.  All of these sites have quilting/sewing information, but the wealth does not end there. Really, you have to visit to understand!

A Beautiful Mess

I Heart Naptime

The Sewing Loft

Bugs and Fishes

Made to Be a Momma

girl. Inspired.

My Quilt Infatuation

(Check out Kelly's Needle and Thread Thursday)

And for some inspiring quilts...

Here's the skinny on this last one (because I promised Quilt Index folks I'd always credit their work)

Falandino, Lucy. Santa. 1986. From Michigan State University Museum, Michigan Quilt Project. Published in The Quilt Index.

Do go by and visit the blogs and see all the fantastic ideas, tutorials and inspiration they have to offer.  You'll be impressed, I promise!