The Baby Quilt

It's finished. I love it. Seems funny to be saying that. Now, let me explain. I have been asked to make a baby quilt for someone. As I'm sure you know, there were some requests and requirements. I could design the quilt, but it had to be in yellow and white. No other colors. I was very concerned. It's not that I have a problem with a monochromatic design. They can be amazingly beautiful. I was concerned about the amount of contract you can get with yellow and white. I designed the quilt. I thought it would be OK. I bought the fabric, I thought it might be boring. I added Minkee to the top to give it some texture and interest. I think it came out great. The Minkee is so very soft. The backing is traditional cotton. I might even do this again! (I am glad it was just a baby quilt though)

I felt the need to move into a little color. I have a throw planned for Diane Next Door using the Loralie panel we purchased, but first a small tote bag. I have been eyeing this fabric at my local quilt store, trying to decide what to make of it. I decided a tote would be great (with a little extra fabric to go into something later). I knew I wanted to use my favorite green. It wasn't in the baby quilt or the red lotus flower quilt. I had been feeling some of those withdrawal symptoms, sweaty palms, the whole thing. The pattern is from Lazy Girl Designs. The bottom of the bag was solid black, until I started quilting that is. The lining is that wonderful green. It's almost too bright, but I shouldn't loose anything in there. I had some decisions with the handles. I was going to use a pair of wooden handles I had lying around, but they were too small. I also had a pair of vinyl longer handles, the ended up being too narrow. In the end I decided to make the fabric handles. I love it! Now I can move on to those crazy ladies from Loralie and then maybe that Halloween quilt...

Check out the Benartex website when you get a minute. www.benartex.com My Floral Delight quilt is on the front page!



Here's what the little boys have been up to.

Busy..Busy..Busy

I went to the Grand Reopening of Millcreek Vacuum and Sewing over on Saturday. Loralie from Loralie Designs was there to speak. http://www.loraliedesigns.com/ She is so incredible creative! I bought some of the Sew Fancy and Sew Girls lines to make a wall hanging for my sewing room..someday anyway. My neighbor, Diane Next Door bought the Masquerade Ball panel and has named every lady on it.

I didn't have much time to stay and chat though. Honey and I are trying to work out a booth at the Houston Quilt Market in October. I have quilts to make, quilts to quilt as well as the whole booth to design. I'm looking at these poles to hang the quilts. http://www.ironpals.com/ I am curious how well they work. Market is in 2 1/2 months, not very far away and then it will be Christmas!

By the way, the September/October issue of Quilter's Home is hitting the stores. I have not received mine in the mail yet, but I was able to buy a copy at my local quilt store and at Barnes and Noble. (just in case you wanted to see my quilt in it).

Back to work!

The Lazy Days of Summer

Oh how I am wishing for a lazy summer day. This summer has been jam packed. I can't believe July is almost over already. I typically have a bed size quilt at least started by now for a Christmas gift. Hmmm, not this year. I haven't had any time to think that far ahead. Now don't think I'm complaining, really, I am not. This summer has been full of really exciting happenings, well exciting for me anyway. In May I went to Portland, OR. In June I went to San Francisco. In July I've been catching up.

I have been working on a log cabin quilt with a lotus block. I've finished the top of version one. Here are the teasers.

Love, Love, Love the second combination. I'm combining this block with cream and gold log cabin blocks. Sew much fun!

You'll have to check out the next issue if Quilter's Home http://www.quiltershomemag.com/ as well. It should be available August 5th. I'm camping out by the mailbox for my copy. My quilt "Just for Jan" is in the Sept/Oct issue! I made this quilt for my sister for Christmas last year. Our birthday's are back to back, the 3rd and 4th. I often wonder if that is why we like so many of the same things. She is my color companion. We like the same blend of colors and the same types of design. This issue is coming out just in time for our birthdays. How appropriate! When I told Jan, she said she wanted an autographed copy! What a great sister. My sisters (I have 4) are the main reason I have started publishing my patterns. They ganged up on me and demanded I start writing out the instructions. I promised them and now one of my quilt has been published. Smart girls, those sisters of mine

I've also been working on a baby quilt for a friend of my sister in law. I love pinwheels for baby's. I'm also using Minkee for part of the blocks. This is a one block quilt. The pinwheels are in the center of the blocks.

I hope you all are enjoying your summer as well. I'd better get busy again.

My Perfect Day

I've been thinking recently, it's time to have one of those perfect days. I know exactly how I would spend that day, so I've been planning. Not that it takes long to plan. I want to spend my day riding to several quilt shops. I rode to my brother's house last weekend for the holiday. I brought my sister her quilt. It was a beautiful day for a ride and that just got me thinking again.

I've read about quite a few people that use quilting as a way to relax and and get away from the craziness of everyday life. Mark Lipinski shared his view in the last issue of Quilter's Home. http://www.quiltershomemag.com/issuex/0708/. I have to admit that I also use quilting as a way to relax. How can you be stressed out when you are sorting through beautiful fabric. I fold and refold, put it away, take it out again, put it away again, just to sort through my stash and see what I have. I love to put pieces next each other and see how they play together. I get into that zone, stitching the pieces together, where I can sort through the things in my life. I feel blessed to have this wonderful craft.

I have to admit though, I get the same feelings riding my motorcycle. When you ride a motorcycle, you have to constantly watch what is going on around you. The same kind of focus you should have when running a sewing machine. Pay attention, you wouldn't want to sew through your finger. (I've come close and know a few who have.) My favorite trips on my bike involve a remote country road, a few curves in the road and trees overhead. As I ride down these roads, my mind starts drifting towards the colors around me and the shapes of the scenery. A new quilt design comes to mind. It is very similar to sorting through those piles of fabric.

So, my perfect day involves riding my motorcycle down some of those country roads to the quilt shop to pick out new fabric. I'll take in the colors and shapes and then translate them directly to fabric. and then start all over again on my way to the next shop. I wonder what the weather will be like on Saturday.

Why do I quilt?

I have to backup a little before I answer that question. I spent last weekend in San Francisco for my sister's wedding. I have been very busy leading up to this trip with Quilt Market and making my dress for the wedding. I didn't have much time to plan my travel project. Now I have a hand applique project that I have been working on for the last 3 years. The pattern is Mexican Rose from Applique Quilts from 2005. It was designed by Donna McCall. I only work on it in airports and on planes it seems. It has become my flying project. I have finished one block and am well into the second. I found it goes much faster if I turn the edges at home and can focus on sewing. That is where the problem stemmed from for this trip. I needed to cut out more pieces and turn the edges. I use the starch and press method to prepare my pieces. I starch (or use sizing) the edges and press them down to the wrong side. Of course, this all requires a few minutes to prepare and I just didn't seem able to put it together in time.

So did I leave without something to keep me busy? Of course not. I have been intrigued by the dimensional flowers and have been considering putting them together with those mirrors I keep talking about. I saw mirrors used in a ceremonial coat in Seattle last winter and keep thinking about how to incorporate them in a quilt, to the point of feeling haunted by them. I quickly cut the required squares to fold into roses, following the directions of Rebecca Wat and her book Fantastic Fabric Folding. I made one rose before I left, and came home with only that one rose.

Which brings me to this question about why I quilt. Seems like a stretch, I know. I quilt because I love fabric and I love how the colors play together. I learned to sew making garments. I still make some clothes, my dress for the wedding, my own wedding dress, a shirt here and there. I still enjoy making clothes, but I have to make something I might actually wear. Quite frankly, my clothing color choices are far more boring than my quilt color choices. I wear alot of black and navy with a few colors thrown in. I just can't seem to wear that fuchsia pink and lime green combination that I can put together in a quilt.

I cut out those squares for the roses, contemplating what colors to take along and what I would eventually do with them. For me it's about the feel of the fabric and putting the colors together. I love planning a quilt and playing with different color combinations. I love making the quilt and seeing the blocks and the quilt come together. I especially love finished the quilt and then laying it out on the bed and running my hands over the beautiful results. I didn't need to sew and fold any of those squares this past weekend. I just needed them with me to take out and look at once in a while, admiring the shades of red and the feel of the fabric. Someday I'll fold all those flowers and someday I'll have 12 blocks of the Mexican Rose. I've heard Mark Lipinski say we are often buying the dream of a quilt when we buy fabric. That is what I have, a dream (Oh, and alot of fabric to play with).

So why do you quilt?