MY FIRST GIVE-AWAY!

I am thrilled to hold my first Give-Away and that it is for Mary Lou Weidman’s new book!  Outof the Box With Easy Blocks is a book you are going to want to own.  Mary Lou co-wrote this whimsical book with the talented, Melanie Bautista McFarland. When I read in the introduction, "Who wants to do things like everyone else?....Be a stray once and awhile!" I knew this was my kind of book.   You will love the free-form piecing ideas and techniques.  Also, you will find the complete instructions for the Hoochy Mama blocks.  There is even a Hoochy alphabet that is a pieced, rather than appliquéd.  This style of making quilt blocks lets you put your own personal style into a quilt.  You put yourself, your talent, your skills into each quilt.  You are not just making a copy.

There is an entire section on creating faces.  Isn’t this angel darling?

You can’t help but smile as you look at the ideas and pictures throughout this book.  You’ll want to view and read more about Mary Lou and her quilting fun on her blog  MARY LOU AND WHIMSY TOO.  (It’s also on my sidebar).

This book has so many cute ideas I didn’t know where to start.  So first I made a cat.

Then I made some hearts.

Then I noticed how nice they looked next to each other on the cutting table.  

So I put them together and got this!  I was going to have the saying at the bottom (You have my wonky heart) on the top using wonky letters like those shown in the book; however, I didn’t have enough room.  Then I thought I’d put "Welcome" at the top.  But, when I saw “Smile” in Mary Lou’s book, I had to use that.  I love this wallhanging.

There is also an adorable Purple Cow in the book.  Em is making it up.  You can check out Em’s cow here  and here 

If you’d like to get out of your box, just leave a comment here and tell me about a quilt you would like to make using Mary Lou’s and Melanie’s techniques.  You could win your very own autographed copy of Out of the Box With Easy Blocks!   I’ll announce the winner on Thursday.    Even if you don’t have a Google account that lets you leave a comment, you can still participate in the drawing.  Just send me an e-mail at westmichquilter@gmail.com and I'll be sure to add your name.

IF you don’t want to wait, I saw a copy at the Attic Window Quilt Shop when I was there Saturday.

♥

Stay calm! Stay kind! Stay Positive!

Caroll