It's all about contrast!

Yes, it is all about contrast. No matter what you sew contrast makes or breaks your work.

We are so very lucky to be quilters in this day and age. I feel as if I am riding the big surf wave and winning!!!!
I am so grateful to designers like Bonnie Hunter (http://www.quiltville.com/) for education about letting loose. I am no longer a matchy/matchy gal. Gotta have that contrast!!!! Thanks Bonnie!

I could not resist trying my hand at the pineapple block Bonnie has posted about for a few months now. I have been saving all my little triangles just for this project. As you can see I love browns and it shows in my use of color with this paper-pieced project.

Contrast...contrast...contrast.... Bingo-Bonnie (http://www.bingobonnie.blogspot.com/) is a great teacher too. She gently helps us learn about contrast through her swaps.

This is my batch that will be mailed off to her as soon as I get permission to do twenty sets instead of ten sets. I am a mega swapper!!!!!!!!

Now..on the home front...the chipmunks are really storing food away for the coming winter season. This one raids the bird feeder daily much to Baby (on the left) and Bess's dismay. The chipmunk KNOWS that they cannot get to the feeder and I swear the eye contact just drives Baby up the window in a total attack mode!!! Unfortunately for my blinds as Baby weighs 22 lbs.

I love Bess's expression...

I cannot get enough of this method of quilting. Kudos again to Bonnie Hunter for showing us how to do the Freehand Baptist Fans without any marking. It just flows around the quilt.

And the back looks just as good as the front. I am using a deep rust YLI quilting thread.

MaggieMae tries to help me with the sewing...lots of help.

Her fur is coming in so nice. And she likes being brushed now since there are no more tangles.

Pink Smokey Mountain Stars done!

This is my second Smokey Mountain Star quilt. The first one went to a grand daughter. I loved it so much I had to make myself one. My pink fabrics were seriously depleted after the first one. What a good reason to buy more pinks! Anyway....I hand quilted this one. I love it!

I am using Bonnie Hunter's/Tonya's Freehand Baptist Fans! Love the process. I am not marking them at all. For the first arc I kinda scratch the surface with the needle then just "go for it"!!!

I am using a deep rust YLI quilting thread. Lots of contrast. My stitches really show up!

I hope my stitches improve with more practice. Bonnie dares us to step beyond our own boundries. I jumped!

Maggie's fur is growing back in so fast. She loves total body rubs and brushing now that she no longer has those tangles.

I do have another appointment for her this month. But I do not think she needs shaved again...maybe just a bath and painted nails!

I babysat this poor pooch. My brother-in-law had to leave for the day and I would not let him keep this pooch in his car. It is 90+ out there...one dead dog...so I said I would watch him.

He cried and cried...whimpered..scratched at the door..barked and then decided to help me quilt.I tied a big bow on him. Took him for three walks...did not want any pee on my carpet. He did not pee outside. And I worked on him as Caesar Milan recommends. He minded me.

And I taught him how to sing. Hubby really laughed at that! Said I was teaching him a bad habit. I thought it was the least I could do for this poor Texas dog. He really missed his master. A very loyal dog! He stayed with us for three days. And my five cats did very well considering they have never interacted with a dog before. Well...Baby was in the closet the whole time. I brought her food and treats. She must have sneaked out to use the litterbox. At least I hope she did.

I bought a new purse at a quilt shop. It is called a Miranda Bag. I really like it but there are no zippered pockets inside. I found the pattern online and will make myself one with the inside how I want it!

Our Bonnie with my Crabapple quilt

The following e-mail greeted me when I opened my program!

Hi there....this is Bonnie holding your top early this morning in my living room. She loved it and commented on your chosing the perfect tree border. I'll holler at you when I have it finished.
Hugs!!
Mary @ Quilt Hollow

I cannot begin to tell you all how thrilled and honored I am to have our Bonnie Hunter touching my quilt and Mary Flynn doing her magic quilting! The quilt blends so nice with Mary's house.
This was the first quilt I simply had to make following the release of her latest book "Adventures with Leaders & Enders"

Now how am I going to sleep tonight?

Update on the Unwelcomed visitor and Neutral Swap Squares

I wrote a note on a piece of muslin and attached that to a braid of selvedges then tied this on the black cat. (this was suggested by one of my followers)
The note said:
" I have been visiting 227 TwilloRun Drive and watching Sue sew.
Sue wants to know if I have permission to visit her."
The black cat did not mind the collar at all. She is so very tame.
A few days later she returned without the collar/note.
Now it has been over a week and I have not seen her. I hope she is inside her home and not dead on a road somewhere.

Here is a picture of my 1 1/2" squares for the neutral swap I have going on with the regular fabric swap over at Yahoo Groups.
There was a good response with signups. This will be a great addition to the swaps. No one can ever have enough neutrals.
The container on the left is the one I use to collect the strips before cutting. And yes, on the backside of my cutting table I have LOTS of bolts of fabrics.

Here is a close-up view.

Take your glasses off...back off ten feet...they are neutrals if they read as a solid!

HA!

Here are the first swapper's neutrals to arrive....lovely little gems!

Has anyone tried "PinMoors"?

They are a spongie little tip for the ends of straight pins. Makes straight pins an easy tool for quilting smaller items. I just did some diagonal quilting on this piece of fabric. The PinMoors keep the pin in place...no sticking your fingers or palms...they remove easily.