Christmas Table Toppers and A Birthday Quilt Finish

I have quilted three of the Christmas table toppers, and still have two more to quilt.

"Oops" was corrected and I tried a little free motion; don't look too closely!

So much for Christmas right now.  Maybe next week; maybe not.

I have a sweet little friend who will be having her ninth birthday in October.  She has been active in summer baseball, and I had wanted to make her a baseball quilt using purple, her favorite color, as well as her school color along with gold.  I couldn't find fabric meeting those requirements.  Then I learned she is also going to be a PeeWee football cheerleader, and I was able to find just the right fabric --- well the color is not really purple, but I think maybe I have been able to make it work.  A friend had given me a yard of batik fabric in wild colors that matched perfectly with the focus fabric, so here's how it came together.

First, it began with this:  (Finished at 6" squares and 12" x 6" rectangles)

Then came this:  (32 little 1.5" finished squares - times nine!)  I don't even remember when I've pieced so many little pieces for anything!  Again, finished at 12" x 6".

Next came stars - finished at 6" and 12":  (I wish the purple showed up better in the 12" stars, but I wanted to get rid of---I mean "use" --- that batik background!  It really did match --- until I cut it up into little pieces!)

And here's the finished Birthday Quilt for my little cheerleader friend soon to be nine years old:

74" x 56"
(I have to prop my design wall with that crock churn and step ladder.)

I hadn't really thought about the backing, and while I had quite a bit of fabric left, none of it was large enough, so I put the leftovers together and here's the back:  It is off center less than an inch from the top side --- good enough for me!

It will be tough to wait until October to give it to her, but at least it is finished, and I think she will love it.  She comes to me every Sunday at church and gives me a big hug.  I do indeed love her!

Again, I must tell you I had no pattern; just flying by the seat of my pants again, and this evolved.  Hope I made a safe landing!  

I've stayed in the sunroom all month quilting, and at least see some progress there, but I'm glad none of you will see the house!  It is a mess!  It's been too hot to go outside except to get the mail and feed and water the birds.  We had forty-plus days without rain, but on Thursday my yard got 1.1" of rain, for which I'm very grateful! 

I've got to come up with something soon for a friend's granddaughter which is to be born in October.   That will probably be next.  The grandmother is a quilter too, so that may make it difficult for me!

Been missing several of the gang this summer.  I guess everyone's been busy with life.  I have enjoyed seeing the posts that have  been added.  Hope to see even more soon from everyone.

---"Love"