Emerald Braid

Are you ready for St. Patrick's Day? I pretty much have to celebrate this holiday, because of my name and my naturally curly red (well, previously red) hair.

Our new home has several rooms painted in different shades of green, so I've been stitching more green quilts for decorating. I made this table runner last November and it's still on the oak buffet in our foyer.

I used a couple of fat quarters and a white on natural print for this quick and easy project. Simple 5” squares with half-square triangles were laid out in a braid pattern. I pieced it on Annie, my sweet little Featherweight and quilted in a straight stitch with green thread. Emerald Braid is 52” x 13½” finished.

Wishing you a happy St. Patrick's Day tomorrow, and don't forget to wear green or the leprechauns will pinch you!

Accuquilt dies used:

55010 Square 5”
55397 Half-square triangle 4½”
55017 Strips 2½” binding 

Irish Wishes

When your last name is Ireland, well, you can't let St. Patrick's Day go by without sharing a green quilt!

I'm sewing a different one now, but made this little table mat a few weeks ago. It's actually multinational, since I used dies from Australia. Green batik and a lime green print contrast nicely with dark green polka dots on a pale green background.

I separated the four sections with 1” sashing, then bordered the outside with 2” strips. The reverse side features the two green prints. I quilted with variegated green thread, using a ruler template to make stylized circles.

Irish Wishes is 18” square. Now I need to wish for a pot of gold, but I'll settle for a pot of shamrocks.

Blue Wren Dies used:
6369 Jackaroo Star 12” finished
6015 1 1/2” strip
6720 Magic Strips (2 1/2”)

Don't forget to wear green on Thursday,

or the leprechauns will pinch you!

Green Space

Green Space

We've finally sprung ahead. I'm not too crazy about the time change because I lost an hour of sewing! Anyhow, I'm happy that spring is nearly here. Daffodils are blooming and forsythia isn't far behind.

Today's quilt is two shades of green, for St. Patrick's Day and all things spring. The pale batik contrasting fabric gives just a hint of yellow and blue. Placement of the patches in these large 16” blocks creates winding paths across the quilt. I laid out the design and colors in EQ8.

Green Space is 48” square. I quilted along the curves with green thread using a decorative leafy vine stitch. In the center sections, I used a straight stitch and made a double octagon pattern. 

This one was easy and enjoyable to sew. Callie cat gave it her seal of approval.

Accuquilt dies used:

55031 Half Square Triangle 4” finished
55409 Triangle in Square 4” finished
55017 Strip 2 ½”

Don't forget to wear green on Wednesday

or the leprechauns might pinch ya!

Little Green Apples

Wearin' of the green for St. Patrick's Day...it's a natural at our house!

I'm sewing with green, too.  Little Green Apples is a lovely baby quilt in shades of green and white. These prints are old fashioned, just like the pattern. The curved seams in the Apple Core die went together perfectly on my Janome 9400 machine.

I quilted in white thread, using straight stitch and following the curves. The outside borders were stitched in straight lines. This little beauty was a delight to sew, and finished out at 42” square.

I have several projects cut and ready in case of quarantine due to the current pandemic. In fact, I'm thinking about staying home anyway. Who wants to risk getting sick? I need to spring clean, and I'll use ANY excuse to sew all day.

Accuquilt dies used:

55036 Apple Core

55017 2 ½” strip

Sláinte!

Snow Day In March

Snow Day

Well, isn't this a surprise? Two inches of snow this morning gave me an opportunity for a breakfast of snow cream. A fluffy, pretty snow stuck to the trees and grass but not much on our roads. Now the sun is melting it fast. Not too unusual for Tennessee, though, because I remember snow on St. Patrick's Day and on Easter.

This winter table runner is made from a batik snowflake print, using AccuQuilt wedge die. I whipped it up earlier this year on a snowy January day. 

The backing is pieced from two fat quarters. I used a decorative snowflake stitch for quilting. Snow Day is 21” x 25” size.

Now, forward to Saturday's holiday: St. Patrick's Day! With a last name of Ireland, you know I have to celebrate.

Citrus Mint Stars

I used my LeMoyne Star die to create this little quilt called Citrus Mint Stars. Little pieces, but easy to cut, sew, and piece with the die. Tan solids contrast nicely with two green prints framed by batik sashing. 

For the back, I combined a leftover block with green and cream half square triangles to make one large block. This one is 35” square, quilted with a wavy stitch in tan thread. It's hanging in my kitchen right now.

Gotta go, I need to add extra steps to my daily walk, after snow cream and the lemon pie I made for my husband's birthday.

“Spring is when you feel like whistling

even with a shoe full of slush.”

~Doug Larson

A St. Patrick's Day Wish

 

Warm Irish Wishes

 

 These things I warmly wish to you:
Someone to love
Some work to do
A bit o' sun
A bit o' cheer
And a guardian angel always near.

I'm spending today outside in the sunshine.  Yesterday I had the windows open for a while, swept the back porch and did a little sittin' out there.  And, surely the fairies and leprechauns have planted notions in my head concerning a new layout for my sewing room.  There's definitely furniture moving in my immediate future.

An Irish Toast for ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

 

There are many good reasons for drinking,

One has just entered my head.

If a woman doesn't drink when she's living,

How the hell can she drink when she's dead?