PIFS, BOTMS and UFOS

As promised, here's a look at the PIF (Pay it Forward) gift that I received from Gin. It's a lovely crochet hot pad. So pretty! I envy you crocheters...I tried to teach myself to crochet while we were holed up at my brother's place during the Ice Storm of 2009 but it didn't go so well.

My duty now is to make three PIF gifts to send along. Those are not going so well either. Remember when I learned to insert a zipper? I was so smug and sure of myself then... I had planned on making zippy pouches as my PIF gifts. I haven't been able to insert a decent zipper since! But I'll keep trying and I do have some lovely little scraps of fabric that may eventually turn into zippy pouches, just maybe not for PIF.

On to my most recent BOTM. THIS is my February Block of the Month. My mother, my sister and I get together once a month, head to the quilt shop to pick up our kits and get the low down on putting them together from the shop owner. We then shop a bit, head to Cracker Barrel for brunch/lunch and then back to my house to make our blocks. It's been a lot of fun! I've had a mishap w/my March block, so I'll have to show it off later, when I do it the correct way!

And finally, my newest UFO. I used a box of fat quarters that I'd received for Christmas TWO years ago. I love the colors and patterns of these fabrics! The quilt pattern is from the book McCall's Quick & Scrappy Quilts. The border was improvised as I didn't have enough fabric to do what the book called for and I had LOTS of scraps left from the fat quarters. It's not perfect and there are several things that I didn't get right, but I'm proud of it nonetheless! This quilt has been added to the stack of two other quilts that I've pieced but not yet attempted to quilt, hence the UFO status.

In my next post I WILL be showing off the FIESTA apron I received in the Hot Mama Swap! It's fabulous!