Dots on Dots Blog Hop: Smitty's World

Welcome to the Dots on Dots Blog Hop!  I'm so glad you stopped by.  Today, I'm joined by

Busy Bee Quilts 

Stitch by Stitch

Mary on Lake Pulaski

Just Let Me Quilt

[Amy's] Crafty Shenanigans

PolkaDotClassic

AnnieOak Designs 

Blueberry Moon

so please stop in to see what they've created for this fun blog hop.  Click here to see the complete schedule of participating blogs.  

Here's my block.  It's 12.5 inches as you see it here:

Every fabric is a polka dot fabric of some kind.  And since I love polka dots, there was no shortage of fabrics in my stash to choose from.

My block is inspired by a block called (appropriately) "Cat and Sunflower" that I found at Free Quilt Patterns.  I decided to add the sun, which was simple enough to make up myself.  And I added the grass, also simple enough.  Then, because I'm a terrible artist, I used another block I found at TLC Home called "Fly Away Ladybug!" to create the ladybug you see.  I printed the quilt block, then scanned it into the computer at 35% of the original size, and then appliqued it to the larger block.  I machine embroidered the antennae and the little curlicue flight path.

And as long as I did all that, I decided to make a wall hanging from the block.  I'm calling my little quilt "Smitty's World".

I added a 2-inch border all around and then free motion quilted it.    It ended up at 15 inches square.  

I added rays to the sun,

veins to the leaves of the sunflower,

and stippling to the sky.  Also, I quilted a little heart motif into the border.

And, because I love kitties, I couldn't resist quilting a heart on the cat's tummy to go along with the border.

And you didn't think I'd put just a plain back on it, did you?  No!  What else would I choose for the back and the binding, but more polka dots!

And here's my real inspiration:  my sweet little buddy, Smitty the kitty, who never fails to smell the flowers while he chases the bees and the ladybugs.

I hope you like my block!