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?

in progress ~

Potholders for my kitchen ~

As I was making the bias tape for the potholders, I was remembering a tutorial on Polly Danger's blog. I was reading all about applying bias tape, I noticed the foot of her sewing machine. I started digging around in my attachments and reading through my instruction book. A wealth of information and tools just under my nose. Literally! I am going to try out the satin stitch foot and see how everything turns out.

Need to make or buy bias tape for these potholders. I just love barkcloth. I know the purple and the tropical don't go together. The potholders with the birds were a project from over a year ago that I want to finish. I will stitch them up and hold on to them. I know they will find a good home.

Using scraps from my Montana quilt or rather BFF from the quilting book Four-Patch Frolic I am throwing together an impromptu quilt. I had purchased fat quarters from a little fabric shop in Montana and still have plenty leftover. Perhaps this will become the backing for the BFF? Trying to arrange the squares in a random pattern is difficult for me. I keep seeing patterns. ugh

                                              

The kids are off having fun and I am puttering around the house doing a little of this and a little of that with no interruptions. And...it is amazing how the house stays clean. Only today and tomorrow and then they all come home. School starts next week, we have a short summer vacation from school and my darling husband and I commented that we have had so much fun this summer with family and friends. Hope you have too!

Quilts are like postcards...

This past summer we headed up to Montana for my brothers wedding. On the way we went to Seattle to play and to help with some of the last minute preparations. I do not know if we were helpful  but we had a great time. In planning our vacation we had to decide how much time to spend in Seattle and Montana. We should have decided to spend more time in Montana. There was so much to do, we will just have to go back someday. We went to pig races, saw a ole time car show and wandered around the shops in Red Lodge.

I had some time one morning and found a little quilt shop in Washoe, MT. After more than an hour I had stimulated the economy and was coming home with  a great project. BFF in the quilting book Four Patch Frolic. A larger version, probably queen size, was hanging up in the shop. I purchased all the fabrics for the top of my quilt per the directions. I will have to choose a blue and a yellow fabric for a larger quilt. The colors remind me of the drive we took over the Beartooth Pass. Still plenty of snow in July. 

I didn't get started on this quilt, that I now call my 'Montana Quilt', till just recently. It went together easily. Fabric really change how a quilt looks. I know I am stating the obvious but when I got home and was looking through the pattern book I couldn't find the pattern and began to panic. Then I laughed...it was right there.

I didn't realize it but I have purchased fabric everywhere I have gone. It is a nice reminder of fun times.

Happy Sunday