One of My 9-Patch Series Quilt Tops

This particular quilt is the third in my 9-patch series.  I am really happy with the center and how soft and romantic it turned out.  Then of course I had to add on the green border because I thought it needed 'something'.  You want to help me define exactly what 'something' means in the quilting world?

It's done!! 9-patch series #3 top is done!

Yah!  I almost always end up adding a border even when it's a struggle to figure out what kind of border will be complementary.  The green just called out to me and demanded to play it's part.  But then....

Hard to see the blue letters in this light....

 Well, it was kinda overpowering.  Just a smidge.

A little better?

So I got the bright idea to add on a little applique 'cuz I absolutely love and adore applique and this is where I ended up.  Sorry, you can't see my spunky little flowers better.  I cut them out free hand and played with them a bit with one of my daughters help.  Somehow my borders got a bit stretched with all the applique work, but I'm sure it'll be fine after I hand quilt it.  That usually works wonders!

I am looking forward to another crazy, busy week with my son's senior graduation coming up on Saturday.  My oh my how time flies.  It seems like only yesterday I was packing him around on my hip.  Also, my mother-in-law is going to be visiting for a week (or two) during this time.  Obviously, it would be a good time to get some more hand work all prepped and ready to go.*wink

The Rabbit Hole

What I could have been doing

Wow!  I am supposed to be getting ready for our annual church campout this weekend and instead I've been happily clicking away at all the entries for the Bloggers Quilt Festival.  I think I only missed out on a few.  So fascinating to see what's been happening out there in quilt land lately!  And yes, ahem! like one blogger said, (somewhere on one of those hundreds of blogs I landed on) it's like I fell down the rabbit hole this week.  The time is forever gone to me.  The only regret I have is this.  I now have the words 'Kona Snow' embedded in my brain.  Puh-leeze.  It's WHITE.  I can sue Kona for genius marketing can't I?  Can't I?  It's like the McDonalds cup of coffee fell into my lap and it's too hot.  Somebody needs to pay for this.*wink

Bloggers Quilt Festival 2012

I finished this quilt awhile back so there's been numerous pictures of this throughout my blog--this is not a new project!  'Be Thankful' just seemed like the right quilt to use as my first ever entry into Bloggers Quilt Festival.

Not so soft looking outside in direct sunlight

I bought a beautiful floral fabric back in 2008 that was the start of one of my infamous 'got to make a fabulous quilt out of this' stacks of fabric.  At some point, I realized this particular fabric stack belonged in a Pat Sloan pattern I'd been drooling over for years and the cutting began!  Ironic how I never did find a proper place for the original floral fabric in the quilt so it ended up being permanently booted from the project!  I tried so very hard, but it sincerely wanted to go join up with another quilt.....

Inside with the shadows shows off the quilting better

 The quilt is hand quilted in a light green thread throughout in a semi-freehand style.  Let's just say that my quilting lines would not please most quilt police and leave it at that.*wink  The interesting thing is that I'm starting to feel more and more comfortable with this look--kind of an organic, yet still very structured look.

Hand quilting makes the world go round.....

'Be Thankful' is a wonderfully glowy quilt in the right lighting, especially in the evening light that I often worked on the hand quilting.  This is a lighter, brighter look for this slightly primitive style than I'd ever attempted before.  It's definitely sparked an interest in me to 'lighten up' in all areas of my quilting!

The Turtle and the Hare

I had such big plans for this quilts completion.  Originally the plan was to have all of the hand quilting done by the end of April.  That was an estimate of course, but it seemed completely plausible at the time.

Still have miles to go....

Then, I became engulfed by the tidal wave of Springtime events and responsibilities.  Wow.  Did I ever.  At least I can tell myself that the entire center of this quilt is now hand quilted.  Progress is being made  (obviously) because now I am working solely on the outside blocks!  A small consolation, but it does feel good to know that my quilting is not totally suspended forever in 'not getting anywhere fast la la land'.  I like to think of the turtle and the hare.  Sometimes I get to be the hare, which is exciting and feels good in terms of progress, but other times I have to be the turtle whether I want to or not.  I just have to remember who really won the race.*wink

Can Always Fall Back on Hand Work

My husband and I took a quick trip down to Portland Oregon over the weekend.  It was one of those fast but necessary trips.  He made sure and pointed out when we drove right by one of the towns that has an incredible quilt store.  No time to stop, but hey! Isn't this that good quilt store town you love?  hehe  So not funny.

And a few more baskets...

I'm getting the feeling that life is going to keep hijacking my quilting plans for awhile.  Thank goodness I have an applique project and some hand quilting waiting in the wings or I would probably go stark raving mad.  Between that and my Pepsi stash, I should be good to go for a couple weeks anyway.*wink  Plus, I ordered the Gwen Marston 'Liberated Medallion' quilt book which should help sublimate my quilting urges for a few hours at least when it comes in.  Er, or maybe kick them into high gear?  This could be frustrating......

Good to be stocked up!

The Last Group of Broken Dishes Part Deux Blocks

Woohoo!  Now all 46 blocks are done and finished.  This last group is a little more dull?  Gray?  I do like how all of the blocks go together though, which is good.  Big sigh of relief there.  You just never know....

Will I really be able to chop some of these blocks in half?

I nixed the sashing fabrics I had picked out.  They just weren't doing it for me anymore, which is sad.  Not unusual, but sad.  Rarely can I ever predestine my sashing or my border fabrics, which makes me wonder why I even try? Those fabrics were supposed to make a very nicely pieced sashing pattern that I have been wanting to experiment with.  More and more I think I'm going to have to stick with the original pattern and do something very simple so that my blocks will be well framed.  If the sashing is too busy it will compete with the blocks and we can't have that.*wink

Where I started from.

The March/April 2011 issue of Fon's and Porter's Love of Quilting magazine is where I got my enthusiasm for this quilt project.  The stack of selected fabrics finally meets the perfect pattern and that's all it takes to get me to start cutting.  I only have about three (or four) more stacks of fabric waiting for the magic pattern.  Remind me to stay away from the Broken Dishes block though won't you?

Busy Weekend

Vintage Fair was an interesting experience for us this past weekend.  We were screaming busy for two whole days!  The first day was filled up with loading up our goodies and setting up our booth.  The next day involved selling (lots of smiling) and then of course, taking down the booth and hauling stuff home.  Whew!  Lots of work.  The only quilty thing done around here was a little bit of applique on this 'Imagine a Quilt' project.  I had plans to hand quilt in the evenings and there was definitely time if I hadn't been so exhausted.

Can flowers bloom in just plain dirt?

I know the letters are hard to see, but the caption explains what two sides of the quilt will say after I finish the applique.  Then I need to sew on a few flowers and this quilt top will truly be done.  Promise.  No going after it ever again with needle and thread.*wink

One small section of our Vintage Fair booth.

Our booth managed to look amazingly good with all of our creative minds at work.  Thanks to my dad for his wonderful help with the screw gun, hammer and nails!  I caved and brought up a couple of my older quilts and put big prices on them (you know, so I wouldn't cry if they sold).  In fact, one lady checked out the price of one particular quilt and practically RAN away from our booth.   So funny and yet, so sad.  Anyway, no pictures of them because they all turned out fuzzy, but the good news!  I actually sold a quilt!!  It was one that I finished back in 2005, so I'm thinking the bulk of the work on it was done between 2003 and 2004.  It was a sampler type quilt done in reproduction 30's prints, batiks, and very cute florals with lots of applique work, especially on the border.  Beautiful quilt to me and the lady was obviously in love with it too.  It was bittersweet to see it go, but like I told my daughters, we can't keep them all.

Something I couldn't resist....

Then of course, I had money to spend at a place where there was much temptation.  I kept my head down pretty good until I happened to see this hexy quilt.  Um, yeah.  How was I supposed to resist this?  Although it's all hand done, it's probably a fake--it was just too cheap.   Nevertheless, I absolutely adore it, it was a super good price, I've always wanted a hexy quilt and I don't want to make one.  Ever.  After the weekend was over, I had made enough to be able to come home and take my youngest daughter shopping for her 8th grade promotion dress, shrug and shoes plus give my oldest daughter the down payment for her drivers ed. class.  Oh yeah, and I think I have enough left to buy that new Gwen Marston book I've been drooling over!  A profitable weekend overall and I'm still kind of in shock that someone wanted to PAY me for one of my quilts.....