Mystery Quilt Along Finish!!

I got a late start on the Mystery Quilt Along hosted by

Tracy at It's a T-Sweets Day and Cindy at In A Stitch Quilting.

Fortunately in mid-March, my jobs slowed down enough for me to have a few fun afternoons to spend in my sewing room.

Just in time, too, because this project was due March 31st! 

The challenge started January 1st when the rules were posted. I love simple challenges that don't have a LOT of requirements. This definitely fell into that wonderful category! All that was required was to use a specific fabric using the pattern and project of your choice. 

This is the fabric we needed to use: 

It's called Biscuits and Gravy - You Be You in Fluffer Nutter Blue

and made by Moda.

When I saw it online, I thought it was more of a gray color, but it's really more like a green/blue. Very pretty and as I found out, it coordinates well with many fabrics I had in my stash! 

I settled on a lovely charm pack that I had long admired, but hadn't found the perfect project for....yet!

This is such a pretty collection called High Street by Lily Ashbury for Moda.

It mingled well with Fluffer Nutter!

I searched on Pinterest for blocks using charm packs

and found I had a gazillion choices.

I got started by making a gazillion half-square triangles.

I wanted to play with the blocks before deciding on a pattern. 

So many choices! I loved them all!

This is the layout I loved the most. 

Here is Jax showing his approval. 

Why is it that of all the places a dog can rest,

they always choose to lay on the fabric???

I shared this photo on Instagram (follow me @ _duchick_) and it made me smile.

I was ready to close the sewing room door for the day when I turned around to take a last peek. I was happy. 

Below are photos of the finished runner on my dining room table. It's finished just in time for Easter. 

This table runner measures 19" wide x 50" long.

I kinda love it!

Thanks Tracy and Cindy for hosting this Mystery Quilt Along!

Linking up with:

Inquiring Quilter: Wednesday Wait Loss

Sew Can She

Sum Of Their Stories

Sew Can Do

Freemotion By The River

Review: The Healing Powers of Essential Oils

I am new to the world of essential oils and am probably one of the last ones to jump on the essential oil wagon! It was only a month ago that I bought several combination sets of oils online at a well-known site. I really didn't know how to use them, when to use them, or what purpose they had, but I wanted to be on that wagon with so many of my friends!

Shortly after that purchase, I found this book and hoped it would fill in all the questions I had. 

I was 2 days into reading this book when my husband contracted some flu-like virus. His temperature spiked, skin was tingly, muscles ached, and he became miserable with congestion and coughing. I went to the index of the book and looked up what I'd need to help him as he was open to anything to relieve his symptoms and possibly get over this quickly.

In the book, I found several recipe combinations that I felt could help him. Even though I was short one or two oils for each recipe, I gathered what I did have and mixed them with a carrier oil from my kitchen and applied it to his temples and behind his ears. He also kept a small jar nearby for light inhalation. 

Did it work? It really did! The next day he was feeling a lot better! The symptoms of the flu (fever, aches, tingly skin) were gone and he felt like he had a minor cold. He continued applying the essential oil combination for the next few days and found he was on the mend very quickly. 

"Essential oils can help you sleep better, relieve your pain, heal your digestion, support you in losing weight, and help you feel vibrant enough to pursue abundant and radiant health in all areas of your life."   This is stated on p.78 and the above instance alone dealing with my husband's virus, sold me on the powers of essential oils. 

What I love about the book is the table of contents and the index to easily find what you're looking for at the moment. Within the pages, there is also discussion on how to get the best results from the oil(s) you're using and where to apply them. 

You can find more information about this book here: The Healing Power of Essential Oils

More information about the author can be found here: Dr. Eric Zielinski, D.C.

"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."

A Stitch in Time–Challenge 5 of Project QUILTING Season 9

My mom always told her 8 kids (I'm #7), that we were "a wee bit Irish",

so that was enough to say we could officially wear green on St. Patrick's Day and call ourselves "Irish" at least for a day. 

In a way, I think that was also permission for me to enjoy green beer in my college days. 

Yes, I had my share.🍺

Last year, my husband and I had our DNA tested and mom was right!

My results came back that I was a whopping 6% Irish and

my husband is 4%! A wee bit Irish, indeed!

Knowing that, it was "about time" we had ourselves a wee bit of green shamrocks to decorate our home with.

Catching on to me method of thinking, are ye?

Anyone with a smidgeon of Irish blood needs at least one green shamrock-y table topper! ☘

And so it had to happen.

I had pinned this table topper and now was the time to make it! It is a freebie from Canoe Ridge Creations....thank you!

It really is a simple project and I finished it in 2 short afternoons.

I was enjoying my make so much that I didn't take too many pics early on. Gasp!

This is my first photo before I had the top and bottom borders on.

Above, straight lined quilting was the go-to choice today. 

 So many decisions!!! Which binding would look best?

I hope you chose the sparkly shamrock binding!!

Never mind those Mardi Gras beads. I am only 6% Irish, after all.

This wee little guy fits perfectly on the side table near my chair. I really love it!

It truly was time to have some green in our home. 

A stitch in time, indeed!

Made in my home in Dubuque, Iowa

Made with 3 layers: fabric top and bottom with batting

Measures: 15.5" x 15.5" square

Linking up with:

Persimon Dreams a-stitch-in-time challenge-5

Inquiring Quilter Wednesday Wait Loss 58

My Day on the Small, Smaller, Smallest Blog Hop!

It's already the second day of the Small, Smaller, Smallest Blog Hop!

Hosted by the lovely Carol S. from Just Let Me Quilt,

you will find an awesome range of projects by fabulous quilters! 

Today, I am sharing a (small) gift I made for my sweet friend, Toni.

At our last Galentine's Day party, my friend talked about the poor condition of her pot holders.

(You'd think we'd have better things to talk about, right?)

My mind immediately jumped to how I could remedy that!

Another excuse to spend a few hours in my sewing room AND take part in this blog hop! 

I had seen the Friendship Star Quilt Block at Craftsy and figured it would make a great design for a pot holder for a friend!

I chose the smallest size at the 6" finished block.

My added border and binding took it up to 8.5" square.

Craftsy also offers measurements for 9", 12" and 15" blocks.

I set out cutting my pieces and setting up the pattern.

I wanted to add her initials to the center of the star, so I traced the letters onto the paper side of Heat 'n Bond Lite and fused it to a square of fabric. Once cut out and ironed down, I simply free-motioned around each letter a few times. 

I used one layer of Insulbrite and one layer of batting as the filler. 

The batting serves as a good absorbent for any liquids. 

I added quilting in the ditch to add some "character".

Then the binding. Check out those sharp corners, would ya?

My friend, Toni, is going to love these!

Thanks for stopping by Hazel's Daughter for my stop on the blog hop!

****If you like it here, I'd be tickled to have you follow my blog!****

When I changed my blog name from Sparkles, Sprinkles and Everyday Crap, I lost all of my followers through some Blogger glitch.  Aaaack!!!

Be sure to stop by these other blogs and see all of the other creations this week!

March 5 

Kris Loves Fabric

Creative Blonde

Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats

Lily Patch Quilts

Needled Mom

Quilt Fabrication

Sew Many Yarns

Meanderings Along Lizard Creek

Melva Loves Scraps

March 6

MooseStashQuilting

Vroomans Quilts

Creatin' in the Sticks

Beaquilter

Quilt Doodle Designs

Den syende himmel

Quiltscapes

Quilt Taffy

~~~> You are here! Hazel’s Daughter

March 7 

Selina Quilts

Cynthia's Creating Ark

Sunshine Quilting

Marjorie's Busy Corner

Elm Street Quilts

Kathy’s Quilts

Pamela Quilts

That Fabric Feeling

Words & Stitches

March 8 

Sew Incredibly Crazy

What About Rheema?

Kwilty Pleasures

All Thingz Sewn

Ms P Designs USA

Ridge Top Quilt

Life in the Scrapatch

Seams To Be Sew

Blessings of Thread

Just Let Me Quilt

Also linking up to:

SewFreshQuilts Let's Be Social

Inquiring Quilter: Wednesday Wait Loss

Quilt Fabrication: Midweek Makers

Mellow Yellow Challenge 4 of Project Quilting Season 9

"Mellow Yellow" was the next challenge at Persimon Dreams Project Quilting.

It wasn't in my plans to get involved in this one.

I have a lot of excuses.

• I wasn't feeling inspired. 
• I don't have a lot of yellow in my stash.
• My work schedule was pretty heavy last week.
• Yellow always reminds me of a former colleague who loved yellow. She said it made her happy. She was anything but happy. She was a royal PIA. And downright mean!

But then, late last week, a secretary at one of the schools I work at said she had a new grand-daughter. I asked her if I could make the baby a bib with her name on it. The secretary was thrilled that I'd asked and she'd love anything "girly" as an applique.

My first thought was to make a yellow bib! Could I make that girly enough?

I dug through my stash and forced some yellows together until I got 2 fabrics that I liked.

I strolled through my plethora of machine applique designs and settled on a layered flower from BabyKay Appliques. Then I pulled scraps and coordinating threads to make the applique.

It was coming together. Still that "girly" thought nagged at me.

Kinda like that ol' colleague of mine.

I mixed a few fonts together to get a sweet scrolly, girly look. This would work OK.

Here is the design and name loaded onto my machine.

During the machine applique process...

Notice I even have the mellow yellow pin thing going on??

You can imagine what song I had strumming through my head, too! "They call me......" 

Lining up my bib template and ready to cut!

A pink ric-rac trim was added along the seam line before stitching to the terry cloth backing. Definitely girly.

I may have to re-think my feelings about yellow.

I am kinda in love with it! It makes me happy! 

Madison's bib measures 9" x 13"

It includes applique

It was made in my home in Dubuque, Iowa

I am linking up to:

Persimon Dreams Challenge 4 Mellow Yellow

I am # 93!   I'd appreciate your vote!

Inquiring Quilter Wednesday Wait Loss

Bold and Brave–Challenge 3 of Project QULITING Season 9

This week's challenge at Persimon Dreams was to take Bold and Brave by the horns and complete a project in a week.

I'm not usually a bold person, but by golly, I sure am a brave one!

I've conquered many fears in my years on this planet and I needed to conquer one more this week!

Enter the Orange Peel Template! I bought this set over a year ago and needed to kick my apprehension aside and dig in!

I also needed to make a Galentine's gift for this coming week,

so I merged the two thoughts and got going!

Several years ago, I made this piece of art that hangs in my sewing room. I found the inspiration for it on pinterest.... a hole that I often get lost in.

Back then, I simply cut the "leaves" from scrapbooking paper by hand without a template and glued them down on a painted canvas. 

Looking more closely this week, those leaves really looked like "orange peel" shapes!

I was cooking with gas now! I brought out the rest of the Riley Blake Raspberry Parlour jelly roll that I used for my Valentine Pillow and chose the lightest strips for the background fabric. Sewing those strips together and then cutting up again to make a patchwork top was easy as pie and a quick sew. (Many apologies for the poor lighting!)

All ready for quilting!

I used a lightweight craft batting which I feel is perfect for table runners. 

Using a soft pink thread, I quilted using straight lines on each side of the seams. 

I failed to take photos of the pile of petals I had cut, but I have lots leftover for another snowy day project.

All petal fabric came from my stash (yeah!) and was backed using

Lara Buccella's Crafted Applique: New Possibilities technique.

(Please come back, Lara...we miss you!)

I love her technique as the edges will not ravel.

I played with the petals FOREVER getting a look I was pleased with. 

Then I sewed them down using my walking foot and a straight stitch

around the inside edge of each petal. 

Notice that one purple petal? 

That's purely intentional. 

It's a sign that I was there!

I used Riley Blake's Lovebug Love Script for the binding. 

Some lucky friend of mine will go home with this table topper this week! 

I ~almost~ hate to part with it!

OK, I'm lying. I want this for  myself. 

Measuring 31" x 18" .

Made in my home in Dubuque, Iowa.

3 layers of material, with applique on top. 

If you like my project, 

please vote for me 

I am #95!

at Persimon Dreams Bold & Brave Challenge

Linking up with:

Freemotion By The River's Galentine's Day

Quilt Fabrication Midweek Makers 111

Inquiring Quilter Wednesday Wait Loss