Summer Fun and Games

Welcome to Treadlestitches!

Happy Juneteenth!  I hope things are going well with you today.

 

The little fun and games quilt is finished, and ready to be donated to Quilts for Kids.  

I made my pieces smaller than the original pattern, so I could have the whole design, but in a smaller sized quilt.  Simple quilting in a 3 in. grid with the good old serpentine stitch, and straight stitch for the red solid areas.

I love looking at all the little pieces, like that minion jumping for joy.  I hope the child who receives it has as much fun with it as I've had.

Here's the back.  I keep a box of 5 in. squares, and sometimes use them to make the back wide enough if it's only a little off. 

The pattern comes from Jo Kramer and Kelli Hanken, and was published in this magazine:

American Patchwork & Quilting, issue #164, from June of last year.  It took me a whole year to get around to this quilt, but I finally did.

Here's what it looked like in the magazine.  Jo Kramer writes a twice-daily blog (no kidding, twice daily!) called Jo's Country Junction.  When she mentioned on the blog that this pattern was available in APQ, I immediately subscribed.  Once I had paid, I could download an electronic copy (which I did!) and then the print copies are mailed to me as they come out.  I am really enjoying getting a magazine again.

Back before the internet (does anybody else remember those times?), I subscribed to several quilt magazines.  It was the best way to connect to the wider quilt world.  I could see photos of far away quilt shows, prize winners, antique quilts (my favorites), and read about new techniques. The very best quilt magazine, in my opinion, was Quilter's Newsletter, which ceased publication several years ago.

This week, I went to the annual rummage sale at the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts, and got these old magazines and books from the free boxes outside.  Reading these is taking me on a trip down memory lane, back to 1997.

Guess what else I got?

You guessed it--fabric!  A whole cart full!

Yardage, fat quarters, and lovely lovely scraps!

More novelty fabrics for kid quilts!  Bugs, cupcakes, Halloween, minions, happiness!  Bargain prices, too.  This kind of sale benefits everyone.  People clean out their stash, the museum gets the cash, buyers like me get affordable cotton fabric, and kids' charities get quilts.  I can't wait to start cutting into this gorgeous stuff.

June is purple month for the Rainbow Scrap Quilt Challenge.  It's positively purple in here!  I'm starting Sew Preeti's Positivity quilt along (read all about it HERE).  It's an easy pattern, but I'm having a hard time finding bright fabrics that are not too juvenile.  These quilts will go to adults who may not be interested in Curious George or zoo animals.

The ice cream blocks are done for the month.  I've been struggling with purple flavors, anybody got any ideas?  So far google and I have come up with ube and cotton candy wonderland.  Maybe plum?  Or blackberry?  The berries are purple when mashed.

Purple poinsettia star blocks are in progress.  It can be tough to find 1800s reproduction purples, but I've got a few.

We've got a busy summer going around here.  Little Buddy has play group every morning, and Big Buddy goes to play practice.  We do have some time in the afternoon to hang out in the shade.

We were blowing soap bubbles with bubble wands.  I couldn't figure out how to take a picture of the boys when the bubbles were in the air, since I was the one making the bubbles.  Baby Buddy loved this so much he started clapping his hands.  We have to make more time for bubbles.

Happy Father's Day tomorrow for all who celebrate, and Happy Juneteenth today! 

Cheers for reading,

Sylvia@Treadlestitches

Linking up with:

Sarah at Can I Get A Whoop Whoop

Angela at So Scrappy

Alycia at Finished or Not Finished Friday

Cynthia at Oh Scrap