a quilting gold mine

pulled out my HUGE stash of QNM and find that these old magazines are worth their weight in gold.  for example, found this article on a younger jo morton with patterns of some cute little quilts.....how fantastic is that?   my stack dates back to 1990 and i've been leafing thru them the past few days basking in the story of quilting over the past 20+ years.  plenty of technique lessons, articles by quilt teachers who are at the top of their game today and those photos to match......people like gwen marston, carol doak, jinny beyer plus those no longer alive like virginia avery, bonnie leman, pat campbell, doreen speckman and others.  back then i wasn't "into" civil war reproductions and was surprised to find many quilts and patterns that i can use for my newly acquired collection of fabrics.  some quilters don't like the magazine today, but even though it has morphed into a more modern resource, the inspiration it provides is priceless to me.  i "flung" 2 years of issues and need to fling more, but it'll be difficult finding ones i can easily let go.  yeah, it's THAT good....

a giveaway win

patti had a giveaway and lucky me was the recipient of these delish applique patterns!  thank you, patti!  you should hop on over to her blog and see some of her superb work on folk art quilts and others; her applique work is beautiful.  **** and on this sunny, warmish, early spring day i have a few errands and some sewing goals to meet.  still working on my project for maine quilts this year and last night got more quilting done on autumn change.  **** yesterday popped on over to cyndi's blog to see the luscious new fabrics in her shop...that i'll get to see in person next week when i pick up my "blue variety" stash.  aren't they gorgeous!  ***  seems like spring is really just about here; we still have a bit of snow but it should be gone by week's end with our daytime temps near 50; so good to see grass and blacktop again!

challenge from bonnie

if you saw bonnie's facebook post today, then no doubt  you are drooling over this beauty right now!  i know i am for certain.  hmmm, i DO have a significant civil war stash and i do need to use it up....don't i?  i can get the pieces all cut except the cream and pick that up in october.  want to join me and cheer each other on?  one thing, though, i'll need more space before i pull out ALL my repros to cut up for this; better go start clearing the decks.  **** sidelined a bit this weekend with a flare of my previous eye problem, but all is well now and professional advice has been sought and initiated.  **** no real machine work to report but plenty of quilting was accomplished on the autumn change.  diligently pushing for a finish on this ASAP.  now, back to quilting!

thursday sewing

off and on today been sewing on that maine quilts project.  started out with 1/4 yard of the white print and 1/2 yard of the dark blue and this is what is left.  pretty discouraging i'd say....paper piecing doesn't use up a whole lot of stash by any stretch.  this will be a wallhanging and it is far from done, so will use up more of the fabrics that were set aside for this project.  and yes, it IS an official UFO so when it's done, another gets crossed off.  **** cold this morning and seasonable today with some melting of the hideous snow.  despite the winter feel, some of the seasonal places are starting to open on a limited basis, so that is always a welcome sign.  **** off to shower and settle down for the night with the quilting project.  idle hands, you know.... 

UFO progress

this UFO has been in the works for some time.  amish style, of course, using up some cherrywood scraps from their scrap bags.  it is hand pieced and will be hand quilted.  only 20 blocks in all with alternating solid blocks -- for the quilting of course!  this is the first time i've seen them all together and soon it will be a flimsy....no rush, though, whenever is ok with me.  it is a gift quilt so won't be staying with me.  i am thinking my next hand piecing project will be civil war repros.  it has to be small enough to be portable as i've the hawaiian to keep at home....just plain too large to stuff into my purse.   **** yes, it is disgustingly true, we have had another snowstorm.  we are all praying this is the last.  we (meaning collectively new england residents) are so done with winter! 

a quilty day

with flakes falling and plows plowing, not to mention winds howling, it is definitely a snowy quilty day here in coastal maine.  did i mention tomorrow is the first day of spring?  oh yeah, we are all too familiar with this kind of weather this time of year.  i have only peeked out the window once, trying to avoid looking at it more than necessary.  instead, been cozy in my quilting chair working on this gift quilt.  it's over 2/3 quilted and thinking about what kind of binding it wants.  don't think it will be a march finish, but soon after.  **** the setting triangles are all sewn in on the little basket quilt, so ready to baste and quilt--love that companion angle ruler!  **** now that scrappy indigo is an official flimsy, moving on to the next project, a secret project, for the upcoming maine quilts show this summer.  so, without further delay..... 

non UFO finish

you would think that with a lengthy UFO list, my focus would be on finishing rather than making, but i couldn't resist this springy little wallhanging in the recent Quiltmaker issue.  it's going to hang in my work cube giving it a definite non-winter ambience.  rest assured, though, UFOs are being tackled.  just yesterday another square for "just takes 2" got finished.  **** last night during quilt-cam, sewed up some squares for another new project that will be finished soon....kim diehl's "pie birds" runner.  it uses those luscious civil war repros and is a quickie 7 square project.  **** now that this little cutie is finished, my hand quilting time will go to "autumn change," hoping for a finish--maybe no march but april definitely.  hoping that'll give me time for another bed size quilt finish before hot weather arrives.  now off to soak up some late winter sunshine!

surprise fabric!

that vic is such a dear!  mr. mailman brought me this in a little package from vic today..  i send her my strings for a friend of hers--and quite happy to find a home for them too, i might add--so i hope she didn't think she needed to "pay" me.  i am glad indeed to get these coordinating fabrics and they are most welcome in my stash...thank you vic!  **** finished the scrappy indigo flimsy but not ready for its closeup yet; also put together another block for JTT and printed off some applique patterns of upcoming blocks.  the little spring wallhanging is done and will find its spring home in my work cube tomorrow.  now i am cutting some civil war strips for a scrappy tablerunner, pattern by kim diehl.  lastly, made a cranberry bread and topped off the day with lunch at olive garden.  and, best of all, quilt cam tonight!  spending every minute of this early spring day in most enjoyable ways! 

little baskets part 2

oh yeah, i think this fabric is going to be fine for the setting triangles.  usually i plan these things ahead and sew the triangles on BEFORE the rows get put together, always when machine piecing.  this little serendipitous project was hand pieced and the setting triangle fabric hadn't been chosen so they will get set in by hand--a good portable project.  gee, i am really liking how this is going to finish up.  ****  just this morning heard that ice season was nearly over here in new england....doesn't hurt me one bit!  sure, we might get some more rogue snows but it can't last as mr. sun is bearing down on us much warmer these lengthening days.  ****  it's my weekend and i've got a long list of things i hope to accomplish, which is always too ambitious, but i know some of them will get crossed off.  getting a bit of a late start due to a couple of late nights but first up...laundry! 

wonderful wednesday

well it's wednesday friday for me and yesterday finished assembling the little basket quilt.  fortunately have a wide selection of possibilities for setting triangles, but chose this red civil war stripey piece, which coincidentally used it all up on this project...how good is that?  have several other projects using civil war repros dancing in my head.  first up is to finish quilting the spring wallhanging, finish quilting autumn change, finish scrappy indigo flimsy (almost done!), send off the batik AND rotary cut strips for another project and for a tablerunner....whew!  ****  our springy weather continues, so much so that last night kept my window open a bit, wore shortie jammies AND used only 1 quilt....yep, spring is coming for sure!