May Mini-of-the-month and Miscellany

Part of the Circa 1880 club is a new small quilt pattern using the uneven 9-patch blocks every other month.  I am using the "April" pattern for my mini-of-the-month with Wendy over at The Constant Quilter blog.

Next week those of us participating in Sandy's "Indigo Challenge" will be posting our completed little quilts--well, I think everyone else has theirs completed. I did finish piecing mine this week and hope to get it quilted before the end of the month. But in case I don't have it completely finished, I figured I had better not plan on it to do dual duty for both the Mini-of-the-Month and the Indigo challenges. I am very excited to see what the others have done with the vintage indigo fabrics Sandy shared with us.

Here are shots that show the quilting on this. Of course, you can click on them if you want a closer view. No feathers in the border this time. I put feathered wreaths in the setting square and triangles.
And here you can see it with its sister, the February small quilt. Each little quilt incorporates the same uneven 9 patch blocks that make up the bigger quilt that is the main focus of the Circa 1880 club.

I know it is a bit after the fact, but I wanted to share a few things from Mother's Day. First of all, my Mom and three of my children (with two spouses and four grandchildren) were able to join us for dinner that day. We missed our oldest daughter's  family in Oregon, but are grateful for the technology that gives us video chats!

And I loved that the air was scented with these beauties from the yard. I have probably made about 4 bouquets like this in the past week or so. This is my favorite part of spring flowers. I have 16 lilac bushes in 13 varieties. If I could figure out where to put them, I would get more!

One of many surprises for Mother's Day was a pair of tickets to a game of Utah's Major League Soccer team, ReAl Salt Lake. I am a big fan, and my sons are the ones that got me hooked. How fitting that they gave us the tickets. :)  We enjoyed a day of perfect weather and a perfect score--a 3-0 shut out. 

I mentioned earlier in the month that this May is the 8th anniversary of my little blog. It has been such a fun ride. I have met several bloggers and followers over the years, from Maine to Oregon, and many places in between. I hope to meet many more. And there are so many others that I feel like I know, though our paths have never crossed in real life.  I am grateful for each friendship and thank you for sharing this experience with me. I am offering this little bundle to a follower who comments on this post. I know some have had a hard time getting comments to show up lately, since Blogger has changed some things. I have changed my setting for now to hopefully allow your comments to get through. If that still doesn't work, send me an email (through my profile info). This will remain open until the 30th of this month.

There is a simple little one-patch quilt, some of my herbal soap, a spool of my favorite Aurifil thread--a good neutral color for piecing, a package of my favorite extra fine, glass-head pins, and a little magnetic closure notepad with the saying "So much fabric, so little time."

Leave a comment if you are interested, and I'd be interested to know how many of those 8 years you think you have been following.
Until next time,
Janet O.

Drawing Now Closed