It seems like ages ago when I began this journey. Playtime Plus is a pattern that was done by my friend, Sandra Walker, and appeared in Benartex’s ezine, Modern By The Yard. (found in the right hand column). She writes at mmm!quilts.com and I just love what she does. Last year, I participated in her Free Fall QAL that involved fall colors – and I had a bunch in my stash – easy peasy and Free Fall. This year, I thought, “no, I am too busy” but the bug hit me. It became one of my Quarterly Goals, to finish this quilt.
I had a great background but I didn’t have fabrics. I thought, OK if I can find something that works with my background I’ll use it. At MQX in April, I found just the packet. They were sold by Sturbridge Quilting and Sewing in a “8 pack”. They have packets of fabric with differing amounts 1/2/3/4/6/8/12 – they work with their patterns and other patterns but the fun thing is that in each packet the fabric totals a yard.
I just love the Moda Grunge (peacock) with this background and these fabrics. Someone else does too. That’s Percy – my 10 year old Labradoodle – all trimmed up – and claiming it as his own! This is my second row all done.
Here are rows 1&2 sewed together. I worked on this quilt in two places, which is kind of fun. It went to Medford MA and to Peaks Island ME with me on numerous occasions.
I sent it off to be quilted by a friend I met at the same MQX show! We took Electric Quilt with Candace West – I highly recommend it – and I knew I would give her a few of my quilts to do one day. Linda chose the pattern “Modern Eccentric II” pantograph. I love the waviness of the pattern moving the smaller plus signs. I always feel the quilter knows more than I do, so I left the decision up to her. She did a great job picking it and quilting it. Her turnaround is fast so if you are in the Portland/Freeport ME area let me know if you need her contact info – she is working on a website. This is a perfectly modern pattern and I love it!
So the quilt is now bound and needs a home. For now it is on the guest room bed – I believe it is one of 6 quilts on it – Yikes! It is nice to have gift options lined up or items for our the boutique at our guild’s show. I haven’t really decided where it will go.
I may have to do film an bed turning – where you show each of the quilts from the top to the bottom. One description says it was a social event….maybe I will figure out a way to do that! Meanwhile, I need to find coordinating pillowcases for the photo studio guest room. Look closely and you will see my Island Batik Great Outdoor quilt sticking out (the yellow)!
I had some leftovers and ran my first giveaway. I am pleased to announce that Louise H who blogs at My Quilt Odyssey won the stash! Hope you enjoy them – I sure had fun playing with them. Truth be told, I was thrilled to have them go to a good home so I didn’t feel obligated about turning them into something!
All in all, this was a terrific experience. Sandra’s Adult Playtime Plus QAL began in April and ended in mid-July and I was able to keep up with the gang. Furthermore, I was able to use stash, purchase a little fabric, have a new friend quilt my quilt, share it with you and run a giveaway! I named the quilt “Be Positive” for a number of reasons. I was trying to think of a play on words but it was all getting jumbled. Suddenly, this just popped into my mind and I thought it very appropriate. It is also my nephew’s blood type and he is awaiting a kidney transplant due to juvenile diabetes. He is often on my mind and his positive attitude is so wonderful, it is entirely fitting for this quilt.
“Be Positive”
51″ x 51″
Machine pieced
Machine Quilted by Linda Deming
Pantograph: Modern Eccentric II
April – August 2018
Just a reminder:
The Island Batik Blog Hop continues. Jump over to one of the ambassadors and follow the projects. There is a menu at the top of my page that has all the links/dates. Here are this weeks in case you missed them.
Busy Hand Quilts: Finished or Not Friday
Tish’s Adventures in Wonderland: UFO Busting #27
mmmQuilts!: Plus Playtime Parade of Quilts
Confessions of a Fabric Addict: Can I Get a Whoop Whoop
Clever Chameleon Quilting: Colour Party
Disclaimer: *Links with asterisk indicate an affiliate link. Your price is not any different, but a small percentage of the sale will go to supporting my blog.
Oh Percy! You are too cute!
Kathleen, your Bee Positive quilt is positively beautiful. I love the photos of it on the rocky shoreline.
Thanks, Abbie! Percy is driving me a little crazy, wanting to rub on each quilt – so I have to keep the guest room closed which drives me crazy. We are lucky to spend our time here in Maine – all year, part-time!
Percy says “What? The quilts you make aren’t for me?!”
I love that Blueberry Park fabric in those colors. Beautiful quilt Kathleen.
Thank you, Jan. It was a fun quilt to make and I really love the way it turned out.
It’s beautiful, Kathleen! That peacock grunge is the perfect background, dark and luscious. I love the name you’ve chosen, and hope that your nephew’s kidney match shows up very, very soon. It seems appropriate that your scraps will end up in a donation quilt to help another child in the hospital, and I’ll do that to honor your nephew 🙂
Thanks for the good wishes for my nephew. He has had a couple bad spells this year, but he remains so positive! So sweet that the scraps will become a donation quilt!
So will Be Positive go to your nephew? I do hope he finds a match soon. My sister-in-law has gone through that, and I know how agonizing it can be to wait. Congrats to Louise for winning the scraps, too. I know she’ll whip up a fun donation quilt with them. Be Positive is positively perfect!
What a great finish! I was just going to ask the same question as Wendy, maybe this is the perfect quilt to gift to your nephew.
Thanks, Yvonne. I do love the way this turned out. There are one too many flowers on this for my nephew, and it is a little small for him. I have another that I think will be going his way!
What great photos, Kathleen! Do you live close to the ocean? I love the quilting your quilter came up with. Best wishes for your nephew.
I do live in the ocean – on an island – part-time throughout the year. It is our retirement house, but we are still ensconced in our Boston activities so we go back and forth. Thanks for the kind wishes for my nephew.
Okay several of us are on the same wave-length, that it should go to your nephew, unless you’ve already given him one… It’s got a masculine feel and with that name, which I LOVE! I had no idea it was my quilt when I saw the title in my email and then the rock, and THEN!! EEEE!! Oh I am so glad you put in the close-up of the fabrics! That background with that beautiful Grunge (which I may now be looking for) is perfect foil for the Blueberry Park pluses to twirl across! And then the quilting, love the gentle swish of the texture it gives! Thank you so much for quilting along (again) this year with me, and for making such a beauty of a quilt. 🙂 I am going to open the linky long enough to add your link to it if you don’t mind, so all these gorgeous renditions are collected in one place!
I am thrilled with the way that it came out. It has a masculine feel, but the flowers are not really him and it is a bit small for a 6ft guy! I have another one or two that have his name on it! I am glad you got to see the fabrics and Grunge is so awesome. I would love it all in my stash. I will go back and link this up….just so it is there. It really was a blast doing this QAL and I am into the stash busting – so this is a big help!!
Beautiful quilt and gorgeous photos, I am drooling over your quilt plus Percy too. Great title for your quilt and will be praying for your nephew. This quilt is definitely a keeper, hopefully you have a wall for it because it needs to be seen and enjoyed.
Thank you, Rose. I love the way it turned out and the photos came out pretty good. I have a yellow quilt not working so well on those stones, I will try a couple of other places tomorrow! I appreciate the prayers for Joseph, just turned 32. Chronic illnesses just don’t see fair for anyone, but especially the young!
Great quilt! I like the photo with it at the sea!
Thanks, Alycia. It was fun to take my quilt out to the rocks!
Woot! Congrats on your Playtime Plus finish! I love those bright fun fabrics and I’m absolutely drooling of the grunge plus.
Thanks, Tish. That grunge gets me every time I see it – I could own them all – but I will only as needed (open to interpretation!).
Hi Kathleen! Your background fabrics are just so yummy. I can see why you wanted to jump in with those, and the pattern doesn’t really come across in the photos. Percy looks so cute claiming row one! Your quilt looks stunning on that first photo – it looks like you were rock climbing to take the shot. WOWEE! Really a pretty great finish. Happy Monday! ~smile~ Roseanne
Roseanne, you are too sweet. I do love that background – both the grunge and the green/blue jimmies (sprinkles in some parts of the country). Not quite rock climbing to take the picture, but a bit of balancing on a large collection of rocks. Percy does claim everything as his own!
Your quilt came out so pretty – I love the way you used various background colors! Great idea! The quilting was stunning as well! I like your idea of “storing” quilts on your guest bedroom bed! Thank you for sharing!
Mia, thank you for your kind comments. Sandra’s design made picking the fabrics easy – very grateful to her. I do love having them that way, but so does the dog…we have to see who is going to win this arguement!
This is so cute! The variety of prints is so fun.
Thank you, Alison, but I must give the designers credit for their hard work! Using a collection makes it easy.
Hi Kathleen, your quilt turned out beautifully. What a lovely thing, to have a stash of finished quilts for gifting. 🙂 Excellent fabric and pattern choice, excellent quilt, lovely post. Wishing your nephew a speedy match. I’m sure his circumstances are difficult on him and your family, this is a great tribute to his attitude and your thoughts of him. I am sure with your thoughtfulness, that the quilt you have earmarked for him will be even more suited.
I am so lucky to have quite a stash for giving. Right now I am holding onto the IB quilts until I decide whether they will roam in a talk or trunk show. Thanks for the wishes for a speedy match. He has no full siblings so it is a little more complicated and in the best of worlds he would get a pancreas too (not a live donor) and that just feels a little too morbid to wish for, but we do. Yes, the black white and red is much more manly – which he is- although I still find it hard to believe that he is 32!
Great quilt! Congratulations on the finish!