Working on my "Minnesota Hotdish" quilt top today

 Today I continue to work on my quilt top and am very pleased at how it is coming together.  It began as an idea in color, then picking a pattern, buying the fabrics then cutting and piecing the blocks together and finally arranging them in blocks of 4. (I did this so that the one directional print I have will be going in the right direction when the top is pieced together. 

This is my directional print.  Birds.  I do like the effect it has.  Today I was at my monthly crafting gathering at my community center and 2 of the ladies were hand quilting.  I got a good tip from my friend Jean.  She draws her quilting pattern on each strip or block before piecing it together with a pencil.  Wow! what a great tip so I thought I might try that by doing it on my completed blocks of 4.  I already had been thinking about what I wanted in each center so now to decide on a pattern.  I just love to get together with other crafters and share information.  Tomorrow is my quilting group at the "Pointe" and I can't wait to show them my progress on this quilt.