Auction Block

I finished one of my auction blocks for the Boise Basin Quilters upcoming Boise Basin Quilter's 2009 quilt show on June 27th and 28th.

It is a Chinese Lantern pattern from Australian Patchwork & Quilting, although the coordinator doesn't know which issue it came from.  She had a quilt done with this block and it was gorgeous, and the pattern is amazingly easy to do!  I know I've seen the issue that contains the entire set of instructions, and I can't wait to get my hands on it so I can make one of these for myself!

I'm having a hard time deciding if I should use the same fabric to make the second one, which I've already cut out, or if I should use another oriental fabric.  Hmmm....I think a different one.  It will make for a more interesting quilt.

Knitting New Mittens & Gloves

Well, yes, I am a quilt fiend, obsessed beyond belief.  But I also like knitting, and I have cold hands quite often.  I seem never to find fingerless gloves, much less anything I could use while quilting.

Since I am a computer support technician by day, I need to be able to type freely, which most gloves will not accommodate, and forget about mittens, which are really on my mind!

So, I recently picked up this book:  Knitting New Mittens & Gloves: Warm and Adorn Your Hands in 28 Innovative Ways  (ISBN 978-1-58479-666-4)

It has some very pretty fingerless gloves, and I just love the looks of them!  Especially page 102, Rusalka.  Did I mention that I don't start with the easy stuff??

Now, if I can only convince myself that I can do knitting in the round with 4 or 5 needles.....or figure out how to do that with circular needles, I would be in business.

Heck, I learned quilting, I can do this!...why am I so intimated when they say I have to use a 5 needle set?

OK, time to ask my BFF how to do this.  She knows everything.... :-)

Another Panel

I was so intrigued by the results of Thomas the Train panel that I just HAD to try another one.

On Sunday I got another panel and flannel backing, so I will be ready for the weekend to get that one quilted also.

This one is a soft yellow, blue and brown panel of baby jungle animals, a baby lion and tiger and elephant, and it's perfect for a shower gift where the gender of the child is unknown. I love it! This will be one of my portfolio pieces, so I can show off a simple, large meandering pattern. This time, I will use Warm and Natural cotton batting, so I can also show the texture and density.

Darn, I should have gotten 2 of them, and done one in polyester so I can show off the difference. Hope there's another sale soon!

Pass the Bag - Star blocks

My sub group did a Pass The Bag project last year, and I was too busy to participate.  Every month I felt left out because I really liked what I saw developing.

This year, we decided on a star block.  It only requires 2 contrasting fat quarters to get 2 large and 2 small blocks.  The pattern was drawn onto freezer paper, then ironed onto the top piece of fabric, then cut apart...no seam allowances.

I decided that I was definitely going to participate this year.  I chose batiks for my own project, and put a note in the bag asking that I get the left over fabric from the fat quarters.  I always want a larger quilt, so not only will the leftovers help with increasing the size, they will provide a place of rest for the eye and/or a really great border.

It's only the first round so far, so yesterday I worked on the next blocks, blue and gold.  I am also making more batik blocks for my own project so that I will get the larger quilt I want.

Here are the finished small blocks:

And here are the larger blocks, ready to sew:

We are not supposed to trim the blocks, so that the recipient can decide how to place them and what size to trim them down to.

I think it's going to be great fun to see what everyone comes up with.  Now, how am I going to quilt this....??

New Quilter's perspective

I've been asked to write an article for our local guild's newsletter about my perspective as a new long arm quilter.  What an honor!  And, what pressure!

What is the voice?  What about grammar?  Will it be interesting to anyone?  I haven't written a "paper" for quite awhile, will it be any good??

Guess it's sorta like quilting...you just gotta go for it. ;-)

Thomas the Train

I finally finished one of the baby quilts I had signed up to quilt for the Boise Basin Quilters baby quilt project.  I am really pleased with how it turned out, especially since this is the first time I've done meandering on my longarm. 

 

 

 

The quilt measures 34 x 43 and I used a size 16 needle with a variegated red, blue, green and yellow cotton thread.

 

 

 

 

 

Polyester batting makes it nice and puffy.

 

 

 

 

 

Flannel Thomas the Train backing.

Ricky Tims on CBS Sunday Morning

I first saw this on The Quilt Show's website.  It is a great insight into why quilting is not gender specific....and is so addictive!

 

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