think its time to do a little applique while I let the fracture in my foot heal....
a trip to the foot doctor yesterday and I came home with this...4 to 6 weeks should be interesting.
or maybe hand quilt all these little quilts I have made recently....

I have wanted to make a quilt using blacks as the background for awhile. As soon as a friend sent me a picture of hers using black as the background I knew I had to make this one too. It was the perfect time to experiment with black and it won't be the last time I do it! The pattern is by Lori Smith Fit to Frame series 4 I changed mine just a bit as I wanted the stars to really float....yes I added another little quilt to the pile that needs to be hand quilted, thats ok I was inspired and I had fun! thats what quilting is all about having fun! And yes I had to order more of these two blacks , I was happy to still find them!!!
I ordered them on Saturday and they were at my door on Monday how is that for service? Thanks Tara! So the next time I want to use blacks as a background I am ready.
Blacks are hard to find I have learned you need to stockpile some of these colors....agree????

this little quilt is one of my favorites, its all about the fabrics! Isn't it always?
The other thing I really love about this quilt is the back! Yes it is true, I made the quilt top to fit this fabric! just love cheater cloths or panels just fun to use for backings on my little quilts.

notice the hand quilting whenever I hand quilt a little quilt I sometimes try to do something a bit different, experiment.
this hand quilting thru the block rather then diagonally was very easy, I didn't have to deal with seams and bulk! I will be doing this again especially with little tiny squares !!!!

Here is another one of my favorite little quilts I hung this up on the wall in my sewing room a few weeks ago to just enjoy everyday. I made it with cut off strips from a quilt I made a few years ago. the very end of the blocks and then sewed it together and cut it into strips without any measuring just sew cut, sew cut....my first attempt at liberated quiltmaking.
I need to do more of this.
Everytime I visit Nifty's blog I am inspired to sew like this again.
I have been a huge fan of Gwen Marston for years her liberated quilt style just speaks to me but her traditional quilt making for years and years and years before this style surfaced has always been where my real love of Gwen's work is.
someday I hope I can hand quilt like she does....

As soon as Cyndi posted these two books on her blog, Busy Thimble Quilt shop in Maine, that she was selling them I went ahead and ordered them!
I have been waiting for someone here in the USA to carry them! They arrived yesterday and I waited till last night to really look thru the books, oh my is all I can say! Beautiful books and wonderful projects , great photography.
I am very happy with both books and I know I will make a few projects from each.
For the Treasures from Holland book by Petra Prins there are quite a few little quilts I will be making, this quilt here I had to share with you as I love the layout of this quilt and the use of the block to form a great border, I don't think I would even add the outside border like she did. The layout is so graphic!

The Past and Present book by Yoko Saito well this sunflower quilt is just beautiful...I am trying to decide to make it folk art looking with plaids or go with reproduction fabrics :) . This book is worth it just for this quilt pattern in mho!

Can you tell I really love quilt books? Especially quilt books inspired by antique quilts . I don't buy quilt books just for the patterns, I love seeing fabric choices in quilts, how the quilter combined colors in a quilt and makes it work, quilts photographed in homes...how they use their quilts in their homes, the quilting designs.
Spending an afternoon just flipping thru quilt books makes me just as happy as an afternoon sewing at the machine or by hand.
How about you? do you reference your quilt books for quilting ideas? setting ideas for a quilt block your making? color inspiration?
If you want to see the inside of these books you can check out the Quiltmania page.
I see two more books on this page I would love to order ok 3!!!! Two USA designers and another Japanese designer
Yes the books are more expensive then we are used to paying for here BUT there are so many more quilts and patterns in the book then we normally see in our books here.
Well worth it in mho.

As soon as I saw this antique quilt posted on Bonnies Blog I knew I had to make it and just happen to have a full scrap basket to start cutting from for the blocks.

Yes I just added another project to my list of ongoing projects! Its OK! I am having fun and isn't that what quilting is suppose to be all about?

I pulled out my cheddar solid fabrics , chose one and then just started cutting strips and a few squares, no I never cut a whole project out then sew I like to see progress, I cut and sew and cut and sew. I never just cut for one project
I am cutting little tumblers (thimbles to some people) and 1 1/2" squares for my one going postage stamp quilt and of course little nine patches whenever the mood hits.

aren't these blocks just adorable? 3" finished can't you just see a queen size quilt made with these.
I happen to love little blocks, wonder if I can really do a large quilt in these blocks, ok so that would be how many blocks for a 90 x 90 quilt? oh I guess I only need 898 more blocks!!!!
Isn't it fun to be able to make a quilt from your scrap basket and fabric collection sometimes???
I love revisiting these fabrics that I just used in another quilt and use up the scraps from other projects.

Lori and Randy are making this quilt too, I can't wait to see more pictures of their blocks...
so are you tempted to make this quilt too????, for me a quilt with cheddar in it well its just hard for me to resist!
EDIT: Bonnie is doing this quilt as a Leader /Ender 2011 Bow Tie Challenge, leave her a comment if you want to join in on the fun of making these blocks! She was kind enough to do all the math and give us a tutorial on making this quilt.

History Repeated
Block Exchange Quilts by the 19th Century Patchwork Divas
by Betsy Chutchian and Carol Staehle

If you only buy one quilt book this year this should be the book.
I LOVE this book, why?
AMAZING quilts by an amazing group of women. I Love that they swapped blocks and then everyone goes home and makes their own quilts. Very inspiring to see one block set in many different layouts in beautiful finished quilts! Even though the blocks are all the same the quilts have a different look and feel to them by the way the maker chose to layout their quilt.
I am so inspired. The fabric choices are to die for. So much to learn from this one book.
I enjoyed reading their story, makes me want to move to Texas and become a 19th Century Patchwork Diva!
The patterns are well written with great photos/diagrams of each step (I am a visual person so I love this)
and yes I added 4 new quilts to my list of quilts to make just from this book.

All I want to know is when is the sequel coming out????

After you get your copy and I start my first quilt from the book maybe we can have a quiltalong...
which one....hmmm nine patches with incredible settings? or will it be the pinwheels set in a nine patch? Or the wheel of fortune block or maybe the carolina lily ...
let me know are you up for that challenge and which one do you want to start first?

due to the high gloss on the book cover I had a terrible time taking a picture after taking about 30 decided this one was the best! great photography for the cover and in the book , so clear and sharp and you can see all the wonderful fabrics they used and I have to admit to owning some and wishing I owned all of them :)

I was inspired by a quilt I saw on Susie's blog Needle Turnings to make this quilt. I just love the combo of blue and brown together. I emailed her and asked if she wouldn't mind if I made a quilt like hers for my collection of little quilts, she said YES!
I sent the link to Dawn and she loved it as well...I sent her blues and she sent me browns...ah yes a great way to make a little quilt in mho with the help of friends!
Its on the pile of little quilts waiting to be hand quilted this summer. Still have that goal of one a week.
So what are you working on this summer?

I made a little quilt with blues and browns a few years ago hate to admit it still needs to be quilted!
will post a picture of that next time and maybe it will even be quilted!

what a few days I have had visiting with antique quilts and soooo much inspiration.
I went into NYC yesterday to see the quilt exhibit at the American Folk ARt Musuem before it closes it doors today at this location. They will be moving to the Lincoln Center location where the Star exhibit is. We went and saw that as well. Well worth the trip if your in NYC or any where near it. Seeing these quilts that I have admired for a long time was just wonderful.
I made the Friendship Savory Star quilt a few years ago, still hand quilting it! Need to get that out and finish it after seeing the original. Andover did this fabric line and pattern a few years ago.




I went to a local historical society museum the other day and what a treasure trove of quilts they have I was in AWE . I need to go back before they take this exhibit down . Just how adorable is this little doll quilt , so loved and made by a child, what a treasure.

amazing hand quilting....I would love a bolt of that turkey red fabric please!!!!

So tell me aren't you inspired by antique quilts too???? I am brave enough to make a quilt on a cheddar background like the first quilt? I have loved that quilt from the first time I saw it a few years ago...maybe my 4 block eagle quilt I want to make should be on a cheddar background!

I had a lot of questions on how do I quilt my little quilts, I cut the backing larger then the quilt by at least 4 inches on each side. and the batting larger. this way the hoop has something to hang on to. When you trim the little quilt the larger piece you cut for the backing now goes in the scrap basket for borders or cut up into squares/shapes/strips whatever you want! I have tried quilting without a hoop and well if just doesn't feel right to me.

I like to use the quilters 1/4" tape to hand quilt against when I am quilting straight lines.
I have bought this tape also at a auto body supply store, they use it for detailing cars, its cheaper here!

The winner of my giveaway is Dawn from Quilts and Pieces! I can't wait to see what she makes with this fabric line.
I am taking a blog break its vacation time!!!!.....