stack-o-quilts ~

from the top down ~

Beatrix, Modern Quilts Illustrated using Sense & Sensibility fat quarter bundle
Little Leaves, Elizabeth Hartman using Tea With the Queen fat quarter bundle
Strawberry Fields aka Cabbage Patch, Material Obsession using  Phillip Jacobs cabbages
Hawaiian Postcards, Lisa Boyer using assorted Hawaiian print fabric (not the king size)
BFF, Four-Patch Frolic, fabrics purchased in Montana the weekend of my brothers wedding
Granny Squares, Blue Elephant Stitches tutorial using Amy Butler jelly roll
Modern Workshop, Oliver & S using Tea with the Queen fat quarter bundle scraps
Avalon, Material Obsession using Laura Gunn fabrics

 

One of the creative ladies in the San Diego Modern Quilt Guild posted a picture of her pile of quilts on flickr the other day. Inspired by her picture, I rummaged around my closet and there I found what I had been hiding. At first I was embarrassed, then felt a pang of guilt that I have a stack of unfinished quilts this high. I should complete these very pretty quilts that I worked so hard on. Sometimes I am not inspired to create a quilt back and decide what design to free-motion quilt to put it all together. Eventually I will, but some I think I made just to learn a new technique, some were made because of a vacation and others because of the fabric line I loved so much. So I will not be hard on myself and just leave these beauties for another day.

I am still working on the king size Hawaiian Postcard quilt that is taking up every last pin I have, a Super Secret quilt to finish, stitching up Piece by Piece this weekend and any other project that may pop up. A squirrel moment is the very thing that derails my best laid plans.

What's in your closet?

Finally ~ finished

Well sort of...just the quilt top. Now to decide the back, long-arm quilting pattern and thread color. I typically go with the 'less is more principle', an all over random pattern with white thread. Boring, I know.

What could be better, the sun is shining, a gentle breeze and 16 Laura Gunn fabrics all stitched and bordered with a soft blue painters canvas print. 

taken with a phone

taken with my camera
two kids under holding the quilt up as best they could

no wind here....

Next on the block, the Ferris Wheel quilt just waiting to be cut up. 

The perfect summer to do list :: the Ferris Wheel quilt

:: a picnic or two

:: a trip to the beach

:: great music & food 

:: gingham. 

What are you doing this summertime? What are you making or baking or backing?

Finished Friday ~

from my camera

from an iPhone

       I am playing around with different ways to photograph quilts and finished projects. I will keep trying....My charming husband measured my quilt then our bed and has suggested that if I add another column, an additional 4 fat quarters, it would fit our bed. Thanks hun! I thought I was finished.... 

       I really like how it turned out. This is a great pattern to highlight a selection of your favorite fabrics and it goes together faster than other quilts I have made. I am not sure what to do with the back. I will have to take it to a fabric shop and see what kind of trouble I can get into. 

      Yea, fieldtrip!

Memorial Weekend ~ keep calm...

found on pinterest ~ gogokim dot blogspot dot com

I have found that I am much happier when I take the time to take it out and do it right.

 A tip from my good friend in taking out stitches...clip every 3rd or 4th stitch the whole length (Spool thread for instance), only on one side, then turn project over and pull the thread (bobbin thread), they should all come out quick. This has saved me time, mental anguish and it saves your fabric too. 

 Then there were the yummy treats for a picnic

Chocolate chip cookies made with bread flour and cake flour
from ~ The New York Times

Oatmeal raisin

 

And Pineapple-mango upside down cake
too much cake or not enough pineapple?

 We enjoyed our weekend with friends, who fed us, mind ~ body ~ & soul ~

A perfect weekend is when you meet new people, share ideas and listen to eight-year olds play the piano while watching one dance. Wishing I had a picture

Have a great week

A Little bit of this & that ~

I cut, ironed and arranged by fat quarter squares for the Avalon quilt found in the book Material Obsession. I love each of the fabrics and the 'painters canvas', for the borders and sashing, will hopefully give the eye a chance to rest. All of the fabrics are from the artist Laura Gunn. I had never seen her fabrics in a store till I went to the quilt show. I went a little crazy...but good.

I feel a little guilty because I have a perfectly pretty quilt, hanging by strips on my wall waiting to be sewn together. I promise.... and blocks waiting to be finished.... It is a tale that should be titled, "If you give a girl a room.....".

Then a friend stopped by with a huge bowl of blackberries. Whose to say no to this gift. I had chocolate chip cookies in the oven which we all shared. We froze half and with the other half I whipped out my Cooks Illustrated cookbook and threw together 'Blueberry Buckle' but substituted the blueberries with blackberries. Now be careful, as you can see when mixing the berries into the stiff batter they have a tendency to break up. What a pretty color ~ And the very center was a little undone. Pardon my messy oven stone....it has seen many pizzas, breads, rolls and goodness in it's time.

 

More to come this holiday weekend, a pineapple-mango upside down cake, sewing, knitting and resting, oh yea cleaning too. We all have a touch of the sniffles and it all started with the youngest. Good thing for long weekends. Hope you enjoy yours ~

Happy Sunday

WiP's Wednesday

Fabric ~ Laura Gunn
Purchased ~ Fabric Chicks
Pattern ~ Avalon
Ordered ~ sashing and border in a pale blue

Fabric scraps
Pattern ~ Big Dresden pincushion
From ~ Molly Flanders

Happy Wednesday!