quick update

batiks have been taken...thank you dot!...and the aurifil thread too....

say hello to victoria!

NOTE:  bag of HSTs has been taken!  ****  this is my pal victoria from new hampshire.  we met on the internet and share a fondness (fondness?  LOL) for civil war fabrics and, get this, she lives close to keepsake quilting!  now keepsake is about 3 hours from me, vic's house just over 2, so sometimes we meet inbetween.  just so happens that marden's in sanford is about equidistant, imagine that!  but being the equal opportunity gatherers we are, one shop wasn't enough so we hit 2 others--kathie's in sanford and footprints in rochester, nh.  rochester has a bustling main street/downtown area and vic found us a fast and yummy chinese place for lunch.  if you are in either locale, can highly recommend all 3 venues for fabric, friendship and fine times!  kathie's shop has been open about 5 years and is in a welcoming, spacious old farmhouse.  kelly's footprints i'm not sure about, but she is already looking for a larger space.  all in all, it was an ENJOYable day (there's that word again!).

two quilty deals

,

have a couple of quilty items up for sale.  first is a gallon bag with batik scraps; i've made one 25" square wallhanging out of this bag already and there is at least another and possibly 2 that could still be made from what's left.  these are first quality, quilt shop batiks, many from a recent quilt i made.  price is $6 plus postage from southern maine.  **** second item is a large quantity of half square triangles made from bonus triangles of quilt shop fabric leftover from my recent scrappy indigo project.  the size is 1 3/4" unfinished.  i could save them for someday but not sure i ever will use them.  price is $4 plus postage.  e-mail if interested. 

not a fabriholic but....

a fabricologist!  thank you, mrs. goodneedle, for clearing that up for me.  so, no addiction, just a deliberate gathering of woven cottons for a purpose....and there is a purpose for each and every piece, scrap and FQ.  **** saturday was an enjoyable day here in lobster land celebrating dear brother's birthday, sewing and relaxing until my weekend is over.  the maine quilts top is a flim; not quite a flimsy but very, very close.  the little swap project is progressing nicely.  some leaders/enders were sewn up.  some tumblers were sewn together.  only wish i could find a place to put this stack of fabric, except for the pinks/greens of course, they have a purpose AND a place. 

'nuff said!

is there a quilter anywhere who doesn't live by this mantra?  i hardly think so.  met up with my NH pal victoria yesterday and introduced her to a few new retail establishments.  this was given to us at the very first one and i wore it the rest of the day.  it looks just like my little phoebe! *** now that autumn change is done, will spend some quality time with the old viking this AM and get the maine quilts flimsy done, then finish up some handwork for the small quilt swap piece.  another "weekend" day for me which I plan to enjoy!

got 'er done!

just this morning finished the binding on my "autumn change" quilt; it's only sofa throw size, but lots of cross-hatch quilting should hold it together a while....LOL!  delicious autumn prints, i love 'em and love to use 'em.  it's a gift so soon will be on its way to a new home.  ****  how great, now can move on to another quick (maybe) finish with the amish center diamond.  it's cool enough here today to quilt with overcast/rainy skies.  and if that doesn't take too long, might even be able to squeeze in the pineapple blossom quilt, which is also a gift.  need to make room for more UFOs as i've some new project ideas swirling around in the gray matter....BTW, this pattern came from a "quiltmaker" mag back in 2010, i apologize to the designer as i don't have her name...in the mag it was done in browns/aquas.  it's chinese coins pattern and since i chose autumn fabrics, named it "autumn change"  get it?

today's mission.....

should i choose to accept it, of course, is to strip up these nickels into pieces for some little spool blocks.  i know, i know, wasn't going to make any BUT i have an idea in mind and so jumping on the little spool bandwagon with both feet!  now that the autumn change binding is nearly finished AND the maine quilts piece flimsy is just about done AND my little quilt swap blocks are almost finished (whew), i can take a bit of a detour.  not for long, though, as the temps are creeping up--63 right now at nearly 10 am--and need to quilt the last border on the amish center diamond and get that bound for another finish before summer officially arrives.  **** so many lovely UFOs calling my name, it is difficult to choose just what's next!  ***** and a big thanks to all who peeked at and commented about "suddenly spring,"....to paraphrase sally field, "you liked it, you liked it!"

suddenly spring!

omigosh!  what can i say after a day spent in quilting heaven?  this is how far i got on my project in bonnie hunter's workshop yesterday.  it will be titled "suddenly spring" because that is how it makes me feel.  during my trip to maryland a few weeks ago, i left the cold and brown maine environment to arrive in boston to see flowers on the trees, and as the train went further south, spring was a reality....suddenly!  and yesterday's workshop?  it was typical bonnie--fun and exciting filled with sewing and sharing, picking up valuable tips and tricks as only bonnie can deliver.  hop on over to her blog for more photos.  *** first up for me is to unpack the quilty suitcase, put phoebe back in her place, clear the decks here and get ready for work later on, still in the afterglow of a truly perfect day.

paintbox anyone?

this pattern is from edyta sitar, just found it in an email from hancock's of paducah.  wouldn't this make a delicious scrappy quilt?  i would probably use white instead of the beige and a different applique design in the corners, but i love, love, love a scrappy quilt like this!  wait, though, don't i have a scrappy ocean waves in progress?  i certainly do.  oh, and the scrappy honeycomb amish quilt too?  yep, i do.  and the scrappy boston commons waiting to be quilted?  so i am SURE i can pass up this one; seems i have scrappy covered at the moment.  *** another cool spring day here, that breeze from the north is keeping our temps too low for my liking.  it's sunny but still not what you'd call warm, but better than minnesota with 12" of snow overnight.  oh yeah, way, way better.     

playtime with phoebe

thought i should get phoebe out and give her a run thru to make sure all is in order for sunday's workshop, and it is!  she is purring along like usual.  here are some of my pinks and greens i'll be using.  the plan is to get everything prepped so when i get to the workshop i can get right to the sewing part and bonnie's ruler instruction and fabulous tips.  she said she has a bit of a throat tickle, but hoping she will be hale and hearty for her busy weekend.  **** today started binding the autumn change quilt!  that'll be a finish soon, then it's quilting the last border on the amish center diamond for a 2nd finish in may....2 bed size quilts off the list!  good thing as i have 2 ready to take their place--the scrappy indigo flimsy needs batt/back and baste and then this workshop top the same.  after the may quilts, it's small projects and applique work on the hawaiian.  i would so love to have that basted before 2013 is history.....