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 I found this little Teddy  at the Dollar Store and he fits nicely into my recent finished kids quilt pocket.  No removable parts or eyes - OK for kids.  With gasoline costs, I'm staying closer to home these days and glad to have a simple Dollar Store nearby.  This little guy is exactly what I wanted, so I purchased several!   

This started as an ordinary Shaded Nine-Patch, meaning I was only planning on making one block.   I made 100 blocks  !!!!! and am close to the last of quilting it.  I did have to purchase several more green FQs.  I was ...

OK, so I got carried away - and despite the THOUSANDS of options for this simple 9-patch, I accidently made the very same design from an almost-the-same layout.  Not sure how it happened but ...  The first quilt  (left, posted a few months ago) was so much fun, and such a good use of leftover squares, I just HAD to make another, not realizing I used the same layout.  Each is about 60 inches square.

Some of you ask about quilting designs I use for FMQ.  I quilted lots of overall swirls with a variegated Metler silk finish cotton No 50 thread .

I was scheduled to teach the Shaded Nine Patch Star to the Thread Bears Quilter’s Guild of Sherill, NY in May. But as it doesn’t look like I will be able to, so I am going to teach it here.

This star was designed by Studio 180 Design Certified Instructor Sarah Furrer.  I love it as a fun way to learn the Shaded Nine Patch Unit.  The Shaded Nine Patch is an amazing unit that has endless possibilities & can be made in 7 sizes.  Maybe Sarah will make it a pattern someday. You will need the Tucker Trimmer ...