INSPIRED BY ANTIQUE QUILTS

2012-01-28T08:05:00.002-05:00

What started out as one project turned into another! I wasn't happy with the way it was coming out so I shifted gears and made my liberated stars into a little quilt. Normally these blocks get put in a box and have to admit usually stay there. This year my goal is to use more of what I have and finish a few quilts I started. So instead of putting these blocks into that box! I decided on making them into a quilt/table topper. Then I decided it is my first quilt of the year that will be a Christmas present
Have you see where Darlene and Cheryl started this Christmas Thru the Year project?

That feels good one present made!

here is a little tip when I sew sashing on I mark with a generals chalk pencil where the previous row of sashing is
this way when I pin I can match them up easily....try it and let me know if it works for you.
the liberated star blocks are 6" finished

2012-01-26T04:37:00.004-05:00

when I can't close the box anymore its time to make a few more postage stamp blocks!

next to the sewing machine , where I left off yesterday, need to press and sew together...
Oh my isn't it just wonderful seeing all these different reproduction fabrics together? As I always say its all about the fabrics!
its fun reminiscing what quilts I made with some of these fabrics, and some I wonder do I have any more left?

on the cutting table ready to pin and sew together
2 more blocks made
my goal this week is 5!

If you love antique quilts like I do you need to go visit this blog, Tim Latimer - quilts etc
oh my gosh just beautiful antique quilts. I really appreciate when people take the time to share pictures and the story of their day with us. Thank you Tim!
Beth wrote about it as well... wish this would have happened when I lived in Michigan!

Interested in adding another project to your list this year????
Randy from Barristers Block blog is hosting a quilt along that I am going to have to join. Its a quilt that has intrigued me, Farmers Wife, I have ordered the book, I thought I owned it! I like the challenge of making blocks, especially little blocks! I wouldn't have chose and its one I will make from my scrap basket.

Here is a book I bought recently and am enjoying reading...
Quilts in the Attic, uncovering the hidden stories of the quilts we love
by Karen S. Musgrave

one more blog, Davids Cottage down the hill, to go visit and see this beautiful japanese taupe pouch OH was I ever impressed, just beautiful isn't it?
its all about the fabrics and the details in this one....
I just LOVE it!

2012-01-20T04:19:00.003-05:00

I was trying to capture the texture the machine quilting added to my quilt, I hope you can see it. Just love the way this looks.
Ah a new phase for me in two color quilts....blue and white/tan/beige perhaps? I have a few I would like to reproduce/be inspired by from antique quilts. stay tuned!

I love the simplicity of this quilt and see no long borders added but the blue acts as a border in mho. I find there are ways to add a border to your quilt by just changing the color you use on the outside round of a quilt. I will bind it in the same blue this weekend. Finally we are expecting some snow this weekend, yeah! time to do some hand quilting and binding. I have 3 big quilts that need binding.

Here is Betsy's new fabric line, Hot for Chocolate 11, thanks Betsy! I just love so many of these fabrics. One never has enough of pinks, browns and well you know I love reds :) I ordered more of Betsy's line here at Whittles.

another view of the fabrics and some books I have out I am reading/studying right now...
yes a bit out of my comfort zone and normal quilting style but its good to try new things, right?
Or maybe its time to just admire them from afar and keep with my own style, keeping the traditional quilt making alive!

I have long admired Karen's work and just had to share this post with you
just look at the hand quilting of her latest quilt, OMG isn't it beautiful!

2012-01-18T04:21:00.003-05:00

I finished making the blocks from Lori of Humble Quilts blog sewed them together. I was waiting for the next set of instructions for the border blocks but well....I fell in love with this little quilt just the way it is. I am calling mine done and Thanks to Lori for the tutorial. I love my little quilt, I am very happy I went with the colors from the antique quilt.

Here is an antique little quilt I am reproducing. It has the borders of the checkerboard but again not sure I want to add them to my little quilt! Maybe I have a mental block against borders lately? Or am I thinking simple is best sometimes?

my nine patches so many of you said keep posting the progress! I will have to take them down soon as I need the design wall space! I will need 900 of them to make the quilt I want....yes you read that right 900 , 3" little finished nine patches !

I really have enjoyed seeing all the house blocks popping up all over blogland, I love house quilts. Miki's house blocks have me smiling and intrigued to once again,MAYBE , try and make a few liberated houses. I even took out Gwen Marstons Liberated quilt making books, I have the original hard cover and the newer one and started reading them (scary huh?)
are there any tutorials to make wonky houses in blogland??? Think I can make them wonky????

Did you see Tara's quilt, Katie's string star quilt, its all about the fabrics in mho! I could stare at this quilt forever! I am considering buying the book....I have the scraps to make this quilt too!!!!! (your not surprised are you?) just need the book and the blue fabric!

Here is a house quilt I made quite a few years ago, its from a Jan Patek pattern.

2012-01-15T07:01:00.002-05:00

this is a quilt my friend Judy made for me for Christmas, it is a true treasure.
She made this little quilt, we both love cheddar !, and then decided to applique the back, making it a reversible quilt!!! I believe its based on an antique little quilt top she owns, without the K! Very hard to decide which side to display first! I will hang this little quilt in our home.

An antique quilt top she gave me for Christmas as well she thought I might like to use it as a back of one of my little quilts, oh just look at these fabrics! I would love a few yards of some of these please!

I doubt it will become a back of a little quilt I think I will give it a bath and then hand quilt it, I love tumbler quilts so this one would fit right in on my wall of little quilts don't you agree?

2012-01-12T04:43:00.003-05:00

MY latest little quilt inspired by an antique quilt . First time I made a quilt where the border design did not line up perfectly....I kept telling myself Gwen Marston would not think twice about it, just cut it off I could hear my friend Judy say too and I knew she will just be so proud! (right Judy????)

an update on my 3" finished nine patches, I won't be blogging about these until I have a lot more to share, I don't want to bore you!

Here are the 3 little quilts I made this year so far (see what borders I decided on!)...now its time to step back from making little quilts (oh but they are so fun to make and fit in my schedule right now!) and get back to work on a big quilt I am working on. I hope it snows soon I love hand quilting when its snowing , instead of middle of winter I feel like its the beginning of spring with the temps we have been having here.
Cheri is doing a quiltalong for a quilt inspired by the same antique quilt I did but you can be sure hers will be prim! Check it out! I figured that out yesterday and sent her a picture of mine!

Oh wait a minute I get to make one more little quilt Lori's quilt along I pulled fabric for it, so I already started it right? that doesn't count as another start , don't you agree????

2012-01-09T05:56:00.006-05:00

My goal this year is to have fun with my quilting and to make a few of the quilts that have been on my list forever! One of the quilts I have always wanted to make is a nine patch, 3" queen size, do I decided this is the year to do it. I am working out of my scrap basket first and these are the ones I made so far!
I can never cut for just one quilt at a time or work on quilt at a time so here is my latest little quilt project. Notice all the same fabrics as the nine patches, great time saver make two quilts at once! Its just like one I made last year thats on my wall of little quilts but now the strips are vertical, what a different look!
I am trying to decide on border fabrics....how about a poll?
here are a few I tried....sorry I didn't take the time to crop the pictures but you get the idea I like working on multiple projects at once, I never get bored this way :)
lets call this one A

lets call this one B

lets call this one C

lets call this one D

I would love to know which one do you like best???
and yes please tell me you work on multiple projects at once too!
And did you see Taryn's? I had to laugh when I saw her making one of these scrappy quilts too! A great way to use up those little pieces and/or highlight some of your favorite fabrics.
Just wanted you all to know Betsy has started her own blog! Betsy's Best quilts and more.... You know Betsy one of the founders of the Famous Houston Diva's as I call them, she wrote the book Gone to Texas and then along with Carol another one of the amazing Houston Diva's wrote History Repeated block exchange quilts by the 19th Century Patchwork Diva's , MY FAVORITE BOOK FROM 2011. go say Hi to Betsy and welcome her to blogland!

2012-01-01T03:51:00.005-05:00

Happy New Year!
Here is my first little quilt of the year. Don't you just love the block in a smaller size? I do! Here the quilt will be 8" x 12" finished. This block reminds me of those pinwheels I had as a child and you blew on it or ran to make it go, remember those?
I haven't decided whether or not to put a border on it .

I am happy to share the basic pattern with you for your own personal use. The blocks are 4" finished so each unit 2" finished If you would like to make your own here is the template measurements so you can make your own. I used a template plastic , cardboard would work too, you just need to be able to trace from it. The top is 1.25 and the bottom is 1.75 inches. The height is 2.5" I know it looks weird size wise when you lay it out but trust me it works!!! I cut a 2.5" strip and then traced the template and cut out 4 red and 4 background, REMEMBER to have the fabric right side up or your fabric will not be facing the right direction:) ask me how I know?

Using a charm square would work perfect for this project . You can get 4 out of one charm squares easily.

When you sew a unit together remember to stagger it a bit to have them line up perfectly like here in the picture

4 units makes one block for this size quilt you will make 6 blocks., next I am going to make a 9 block quilt, 3 x 3 I think would be great too!

the little quilt with borders looks great too but still haven't decided. The borders were cut at 2.5"
and here is the progress on my large quilt...I am going to try and make it a charm quilt, do not use the same red fabric twice!

PLEASE if you make this little quilt and show it on your blog link back to my blog showing others where they can find the pattern.
Thanks, have fun and I can't wait to see a few of these little quilts around blogland in all different fabrics and colors!
My goal is to make 12 more little quilts this year, stay tuned for next months quilt, I hope you will join me in making little quilts this year.

2011-12-30T05:10:00.004-05:00

I love the look of this block and well as you can see I am still in the red and white phase! I am still working out of the scrap basket right now. I spent a few hours in the sewing room yesterday and it felt good! its been a few weeks...like all of you this time of year just keeps us way too busy but fun! just kept making blocks...

Its fun revisiting some of my favorite fabrics...A little tip here to help your fabric budget go further, use a muslin or a solid color fabric as the background its cheaper to buy and makes the prints stand out in mho. Not only that its also makes it easier, less choices of which fabrics to put together, something I always spent a bit of time thinking about :), ok maybe too much time!
I was playing around with settings....This is twin size and maybe the one I go with...9 x 10 setting

my next 10 blocks ready for me to start sewing today when I have time today hopefully!

I need to make a little quilt out of this block, I am loving the way the 9 blocks look together don't you think this would be a great little quilt?

2011-12-29T04:52:00.002-05:00

Isn't this beautiful? I love tulips and well red and green antique quilts you can't get any better!
My Friend Lorre gave me this for Christmas, she knows me well! The hand quilting is amazing , she bound it and put a sleeve on the back so I can hang it immediately! What a treasure for me.

Do you think she knew this was on the top of my list to make for 2012? Now I have my own pattern to use to make a quilt inspired by this antique quilt on the cover I have been admiring for the past few years.

If you don't own this book its one worth owning in mho!
One of my favorite versions of this quilt is here.....
I am curious do you have a quilt on the top of your list to start/make in 2012 I would love to know!
ARe you inspired to make lots of little quilts in 2012 like I am as well???? I will be making at least one of those each month.
HAPPY NEW YEAR! I am wishing each and everyone of you a healthy, happy year filled with many hours in the sewing room.
Thank you for taking the time to comment on my little blog.
I truly appreciate each and everyone of them.

2011-12-23T04:33:00.002-05:00

I picked up a few more little quilts I had machine quilted this week. I wanted to show you how great the long arm quilting is on these quilts. I love to hand quilt but in reality I can't hand quilt everything I make. I still have another 5 or 6 that are waiting for binding and probably another 12 that need to be quilted! Lorre does such a great job on these little quilts I am caving in and having them long armed so they are finished and I can enjoy them! I fell in love with the baptist fans on these little quilts, the texture it gives my quilts is great, I tried to capture that for you to see...

The red , yellow and green is actually just X quilted thru the blocks and yes she changed the thread color for each fabric, she knows me well !
the pink and white quilt is a reproduction from Childhood Treasures book, The T Quilt and the red, green and yellow quilt are just my own " designs", just made them using fabrics I love.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
I hope you all enjoy the holidays you celebrate and find a little time for quilting over the next week or so...

2011-12-16T06:09:00.002-05:00

Not a lot of time to sew right now so I thought it was time to make some blocks using my scrap basket fabrics...oh how come I just can't get out of the red and white theme????

As soon as I saw this wrapping paper I knew I had to buy it! So do you think I am carrying the red and white theme a bit too far?
Love the look of it, bold and graphic and will look great on top of my red and white quilt I use as a tree skirt...

Maybe I need to add this great brown fabric with a hint of red in there for the border...

The scrap basket was so full I was able to fill a shopping bag with the overflow....

yes I will be making liberated stars with all the fabrics in this basket, thought they would make great blocks for donation quilts for 2012 and a way to have fun using what I have. I am always inspired by the posts on this blog
A basket full of scraps!
Now to think about a few other blocks to make with these fabrics in my scrap basket....
any suggestions?

2011-12-13T05:09:00.002-05:00

this is the layout I finally decided on , a double nine patch block with an alternate block of the red toile. I have a pieced border planned that I think will really add to this quilt design. I am thinking about hand quilting this with red thread, oh do you think I can really do that????

Here is what is waiting for me this morning on my cutting table ready to pin and just start sewing...

Give it a try next time before you leave your sewing room/space layout a few blocks or units to just start sewing.

2011-12-11T05:11:00.004-05:00

ok so I am a bit obsessed with this red toile....and you know I love nine patches!
this is what will be keeping me busy this week whenever I can escape to my sewing room! I only need a few hundred more!

On my sewing table this morning ready for me to make more nine patches I always leave the sewing room with something to just start sewing with the next day, I have 12 nine patches pined and lined up at the sewing machine ready to sew. I don't have to think I just start sewing!
Looking for some decorating ideas? If you love snowmen like I do
this is the place to look! I always Love seeing Anne's decorating and home and quilts too!
do you need a good laugh...sorry Teresa this just made me laugh and I know years to come this will be a story told over and over again and you will be laughing too! (now you know I did feel bad for her and I know she knows that....) and don' t you just love that santa ornament! I do. fun fabric choices too.
Hope your enjoying Laura's antique quilt photos like I am! so much inspiration.

2011-12-06T03:53:00.003-05:00

After reading the AP and Q red and white exhibit post I was inspired to make a little red and white quilt for my foyer table yesterday. The blocks are 3" finished , the borders I will trim back to 3.5 finished on the top and bottom.
I whipped up another quilt which I will show in another post I need to sew the borders on...I just love this bird toile fabric and I wish I bought a bolt of it!, I love birds on fabric and on quilts...oh and its red! its from Jo's Variety fabric line
Don't you think this bird toile would make a great center for this quilt in the Small Endearments book by Sandi Fox
not the best picture but you can get the idea....

and using the other reds as the hst around it....

I remember when I saw this red bird toile fabric the first quilt I thought was this one in Sandi's book. I love when I am inspired by an antique quilts . Guess that means I need to whip this one up too! Don't you agree? this little quilt needs to be made for my wall of little quilts and hmmm maybe a gift for someone too?

2011-12-05T03:34:00.005-05:00

when your looking for inspiration its always great to hear from a friend that says go look in this book and take out your fabric line you have been saving to make a quilt for yourself! OH MY! Perfect inspirational quilt don't you agree????
Here you go Calico and Chintz Antique quilts from the collection of Patricia S. Smith, one of my favorite books btw!, and oh this fabric line I just love. Collection for a cause, comfort line. Now I need to find a couple yards of that blue and brown print on the right.
Thanks Betsy for the inspiration, as always. Check out her pictures here.....AP and Q
A great quilt, nine patches...never can go wrong with nine patches and a fabric line I have been waiting to use for just the right quilt, yes this is my next project!

Here are a few interesting posts to check out!
red and white quilts...Classic Red and White quilts from AP and Q

want to learn more about color....very interesting read , she wrote a few posts check them out!
In Color Order blog

Red and Green antique quilts, historical red and green quilts NOTHING BETTER then this....
ok I am inspired again....

2011-11-29T04:11:00.005-05:00

this is one of my favorite little quilts I made this year, I am thinking I may make a few for Christmas presents is this a little quilt you would use during the holidays? I am thinking on using it on my dining room table with a poinsettia plant on it or maybe a Christmas Cactus. I am really thrilled with this little quilt, Lorre did a great job quilting it, perfect colors for me all year round :)
ok so wouldn't you use this quilt all year round too????

I have 4 blocks completed now only 12 more to go! You can see Bev's completed top here.

I find myself wanting to make Christmas quilts in Dec, now why don't I start in the summer so they may actually get finished for this year? I pulled out this kit over the weekend from The Fat Quarter shop and decided I want to make something else with the fabrics instead! I may just have to start cutting and sewing today , I love this fabric line, Grace by 3 Sisters, and the red, green and tan just perfect for our home, yes this quilt will be for me!
Am I the only one that buys a kit and takes it apart and makes a different quilt with the fabrics? When you can buy kits on sale its well worth thinking outside the box and just buy it for the fabrics!
I love buying fat quarter bundles gives me a great variety of fabrics to use in my scrappy quilts or even sometimes , rarely, I will just use that fat quarter bundle for one quilt...
When you can buy them on sale its even better!
IF YOU LOVE ANTIQUE QUILTS LIKE I DO.....
then you need to check out Laura's blog she is doing her 25 days of Christmas with a different antique quilt posted every day, pure JOY!
I look forward to this every year! Thanks Laura for doing it again this year.

2011-11-24T05:15:00.006-05:00

this is the little quilt I chose to make first out of Sarah Fielke's new book Quilting from Little Things. this book is just starting to be available here in the USA. As you can see in the picture of the book I have quite a few post its and plans to make a few more from this book. I bet you may be a little surprised as all of Sarahs quilts are made from what I call bright fabrics....not reproduction fabrics. I don't buy books cause they look like my quilts, I buy books when the quilts inspire me, I can look past the fabrics they use and know I can make it my own in my own palette of fabrics. Don't you do the same thing? If not give it a try next time your looking at quilt books, you will be amazed at what books you will buy!
Sarah's quilts are bold and graphic I love that but I can do the same thing with my historical reproduction fabrics, yes I can!

Here is the quilt in the book...ok so I changed it a bit I used one fabric for the background , a great cheddar I have been saving for the right occasion! So what do you think now? Is my little quilt as graphic as hers and mine is in reproductions.

the color is off in the background here (truer colors in the first picture) but wanted you to see the comparison shots...

Did you see Lurlines eagle?

I have to share with you my first attempt into working with wool again in quite a few years, I have JUMPED on the wool bandwagon just wait a few weeks and see what I have done! Isn't this gingerbread man cute and well the fabrics behind him are even BETTER! Ah yes the Friendship line from Howard Marcus for Moda's Collection for a Cause program. remember I posted about it here...
I am so thrilled over these turkey red fabrics, Thanks Moda!

Happy Thanksgiving after all the family festivities I will be doing a little hand quilting this weekend,
I think I got carried away with the basting...quess thats what happens when I talk on the phone and baste I guess!

2011-11-17T04:58:00.003-05:00

My growing wall of little quilts...I am constantly adding to it, rotating a few of them as its great to have so many you can do that, and thinking of new ones to make!
Here is the book that inspired me to have my own little wall of quilts...

JUST look at this! isn't it grand?, I have blogged about this before but now I finally have carried out my plan to have my own wall. Next is an art gallery look in a hallway I need to make about 30 more little quilts, no problem right!!!

I need to get the ladder out and add a few more over the table hard to reach. I also realized I need to add a few of the applique ones up there. I love that I have a selection of them now I can rotate them when I want to .
I use the flower head pins to hang them I just push the pins right into the wall 2 per quilt usually and they stay up there.
So have I inspired you along with Mary Ellisor Emmerling the author of the book to make your own wall of little quilts? Do you have a favorite of the ones I have on the wall now? I would love to know!

2011-11-14T04:48:00.004-05:00

Yes it is true I have made quilts with other fabrics then reproductions !
I LOVE the fall and the changing of the leaves is always amazing to me. The colors are just so beautiful. The quilt is made from Batiks, machine buttonholed, hand quilted and embroidered.
it was a bit challenging but well worth the effort, to this day I just love this quilt, it hangs in our home all year round. (and yes those santa's and feather tree stay out all year round too, I just love them!)
I wanted the quilting to reflect a forest floor with leaves scattered all around...

Now check out Dawn's leaf quilt!
Mine was made with a pattern from Laura Heine

2011-11-10T04:01:00.005-05:00

What can I say as soon as I saw this fabric line, Friendship by Howard Marcus, on Moda's website I knew I had to have it! I was lucky enough to get a package in the mail yesterday with this included!
These turkey reds are just to die for!!!!! I love so many of these prints, ok, ok I love them all. These turkey reds you should/ need to buy yards of and hoard in your closets trust me . Turkey reds don't come around that often that are this good. Here is the whole line.

When I laid out the fabrics my eyes went to the browns and blues, just soooo nice together in mho , yes I admit it I am becoming a blue fan! I may need to make a brown and blue little quilt once I can buy a 1/2 yard bundle of this line! or even a big quilt.

and you KNOW I love red and brown quilts, yes I see another one in my future! these are perfect together!

oh and add in some of these great creamy beige fabrics....Perfect don't you agree?????

I started a fund to buy bolts of these turkey reds the line will be out in March of 2012, start asking your local quilt shops or favorite on line shops to order it now! I love that Moda does these collections for a cause fabric lines, not only are the fabrics from antique quilts but the profits are used to support so many wonderful causes, This friendship line it says
Supporting the Cause…
Feeding America
“Whose mission is to feed
America’s hungry through a
nationwide network of
member food banks and
engage our country in the
fight to end hunger.”
nice to know a company is giving back and my purchases will help support this cause too, even if its just a little dent in the whole picture makes me feel good.
disclaimer NO I don't work for Moda just a VERY satisfied customer
now we just need those limey bright greens that are in the turkey red prints made into fabric for leaves and stems! I need a few bolts of those too!

2011-11-05T04:07:00.004-04:00

I made the basket block last Saturday morning before my power went out due to the snowstorm. This snowstorm in October mind you is just so odd! wrecked havoc in our town. The heavy wet snow took down so many trees, limbs, power lines, etc it was and still is an incredible sight to see as you walk around . The town is littered with trees and branches on so many peoples property including ours. It will be weeks before this is all cleaned up. Most of the town lost power and there are still people without power here. We have a tree company coming this week with a crane to take care of some of the trees , so with just that image you can imagine how bad it is.....
I really try to keep my blog all about quilts and quilting related materials, but losing power for almost a week again in less then 2 months I am so behind in answering comments and visiting your blogs. At this point I decided to just move forward I will be starting fresh , I hope you don't mind. I love getting comments and do try and answer everyone of them. this week I just need to be in my sewing room sewing away! I will get back on track from this post on! Again thanks for your comments I love hearing from you.

I had prepped the tulip block, I drew myself from a block in this book and yesterday I drew and prepped the next block to make as well. I am not much of a drawer/artist but I got out the freezer paper drew some shapes took the scissors and started cutting. If I didn't like it I just trimmed and cut until I did. My next block was inspired by this block, and I do think I may have to make another one using the leaves in the block as well....ok I admit it is was fun and freeing to draw the blocks myself and just cut the templates until I was happy. This quilt will be blocks from this book Album quilts of Ohio Miami Valley. This book is a treasure trove of quilt blocks and album quilts. My plan is just to keep making blocks I like using the solid fabrics and this great word fabric as the background.

A few new books I bought recently...oh my what fun I will have making a few of these Schnibble quilts from Carrie Nelsons new book another bit of Schnibbles
here is the first quilt I want to make from this book (are you seeing a trend here???? solids I NEED to collect solids!!!) I love this quilt the fabrics just sparkle in mho, great quilt I can't wait to make it.

The Reasons for Quilt book by Edyta Sitar is a must buy book for anyone who loves antique quilts, oh my there are some amazing antique quilts in this book, lots of patterns. Not all the quilts in the book has patterns but I don't care, I am so thrilled to see these quilts. So are you surprised I bought the Quilt a new Christmas by the Piece of Cake ladies? oh this book is just so fun, I have been a fan of their work for years. When I saw the preview for this book I thought omg this is just so whimsical and right now I need a little whimsy in my life, I need to collect some brights and happy fabrics and polka dots, just look at this page doesn't it just make you smile?????

and do I ever wish I would have had the bindings on all these little quilts this week I could have sewn them all down! Another pile of little quilts I had machine quilted by my friend with her long arm machine, I will show you them again after I bind them!
I am thrilled with the results....

I can't wait to hang a few more on my wall of quilts and probably send a few more to blog friends and friends as just a RAK
isn't it fun getting a package in the mail?
Have a great weekend, take some time to quilt and lets hope the power stays on!

2011-10-29T05:33:00.005-04:00

I just really love fabric with words on it and knew when I saw this one Etchings by 3 sisters for moda, I had to have it! I have a few plans for it and one will be with using the new solids I bought to try. Centennials by Judie Rothermel. They have a great feel to them and I love the colors! This is a great cheddar if your looking for a solid cheddar, one I need to buy yards of and stockpile it! I was thrilled when Moda started coming out with Bella Solids , the feel of those as well are wonderful and easy to applique. Its nice that the fabric companies are coming out with great solids again in mho. I am using the moda bella fig tree cream 9900 67 for the background of my applique blocks for this quilt, so many of you asked. This is such a perfect color for a background to my reproduction fabrics. One I will use over and over again as well as the Ivory 9900 60.
I am trying to add more and more solids to my quilts. I love the look and hey they are a great way to expand our fabric collection budget! I am happy to have more to chose from.

Ever since I started reading Debs blog I knew I had to change the way I bought backgrounds, I wanted to be a bit more adventurous in color choices. Look at the one in the middle it has a taupe/ grey tint to it, hard to photograph its going to make a great background for an antique quilt I am going to reproduce that my friend lent me.

The other fabric is just great, architectural drawings I think making a house quilt using this as the background fabric will just be fun. Lately I have been buying backgrounds and thought you would like to see , I am trying to give more thought to my background fabrics rather then just play it safe! Some quilts just need a solid color background but lots of them adding interesting fabrics makes them even better. Do you agree?
Have you checked out Whittles lately?
they have Betsy's crossroads to texas fabric on sale! I ordered one I missed when it first came out! I was thrilled to be able to buy a few yards of it. that rusty color print , the last one pictured on the site.
so thats my fabric shopping lately....now back to sewing, have a great weekend hope you find time to spend with a needle in your hand or listening to the humming of the sewing machine, for me it will be both this weekend!

ps did you see this new scrappy quilt magazine! I love that house quilt unfortunately I sold the quilt a few years ago....thanks Tara for posting about my quilt in this magazine!
and then did you see this!!! Thanks Pam for posting about my quilt in this book, I need to order one of those books!
and did you see Pam's Journey 3 is just about available, Love these little quilts! I can't wait to get mine in the mail!

2011-10-25T06:18:00.002-04:00

I was waiting for the right project to use this red fabric. I was inspired by Bev's (no blog but you see her work on Quilts in the Barn blog and Quiltmania #85 issue!) blocks I saw recently. She is making it in red and white as well! The pattern is in Mary Kovals book, Blue and White Quilts.

I was so excited to use my new applique bag that Taryn sent me as a RAK...this is just the greatest applique tote bag I love it!
the pin cushion box is a giveaway I won on Shelia's blog, isn't it adorable, I just really love it. you can see all the goodies that are inside the box at her blog. Make sure you look around her blog she has made some amazing little quilts!
Its up on a bookcase now for me to just admire everyday! thank you!!!!!

2011-10-21T03:49:00.006-04:00

Awhile ago my friend Lorre bought an antique quilt, I just loved it, besides nine patches I love making stars!
I knew I had to reproduce this quilt. Above is my version of the quilt. Instead of making a quilt inspired by an antique quilt this time I was going to try and reproduce this quilt as closely as I could. I spent a few months collecting fabrics and swapping with friends (special thanks to Mary Jo) for some of the odd fabrics in this quilt.

Here is the antique quilt , I was lucky she lent it to me to study and reproduce. Yes, I have permission to share this with you as well.

So do you think its a pretty close reproduction? I thought I would share with you my process of making this quilt.
I thought the quiltmaker was bold with some of the fabric choices in the blocks, I loved how the quilt is such a mixture of light and very dark blocks, something I don't see often in quilts today. I have to admit it was hard not to change the quilt to fit into "our" way of making quilts today! I was determined not to. I learned a lot by making this quilt, fabric combo's on the blocks, she used what she had in some of the blocks, all the fabrics what not the same but the color was. black was black, beige was beige just use it!

first I just started making a few blocks

auditioning fabrics

next the blocks go on the wall and then I start pinning fabrics I will make blocks with onto the design wall in their spot on the quilt. This is my way of getting ready for sewing the next day. I normally tried to have 5 star fabric choices pinned on the wall ready to sew the next morning.

a close up of some blocks....

now to decide how to quilt it, by hand or custom quilted by Lorre on the long arm.
any suggestions????

2011-10-18T04:12:00.005-04:00

I took these blocks back out yesterday I think its time to finish this quilt.
I am thinking about adding an applique border to it.
guess I am not done with my red and white phase yet!

after seeing Lucy's nine patch quilt yesterday I am inspired to finish this quilt I started too...before I start another nine patch quilt , I love how light and airy Lucy's quilt is now I want to make one like that too! hmmm maybe some red toile instead of blue?
ah yes I just love nine patches! and a bit of cheddar what could be better? I was inspired by an antique quilt to make this one...

YES I get to make a few more nine patches before this one is done! I will add in some of my latest favorite fabrics to finish this one and oh yes it may just need a border.
so does this inspire you to make a nine patch quilt????

2011-10-15T06:48:00.005-04:00

I bought this DVD set last month and finally this week was able to watch it from start to finish. I need to watch it again! I learned a lot, saw A LOT of great antique quilts and enjoyed hearing many peoples opinions on antique quilts. From dealers to historians it was interesting. 250 minutes of talking about quilts, what could be better? This series will be on PBS so check your local stations. Or you can buy it here, Why Quilts Matter.

I ordered this book from blurb a few months ago. I was hoping to start making a New York Beauty quilt , at least a block before I posted about this book. its on the list for 2012. I have been following Bill Volckenings Blog for a long time and when he said he was writing a book and sharing pictures of his collection of NYB quilts I was thrilled.
Its a book worth having in your collection in mho. You can preview the book, Beauty Secrets, here and purchase it as well...check it out.
Nifty quilt blog did a great review of the quilt exhibit of Bill's NYB quilts on her blog...just look at those quilts!

Thanks to all of you who entered my little giveaway and for all the nice comments about my quilt. I truly appreciate it.
the winner of the Sew Scrappy Magazine (book in mho!) is Kaaren from The Painted Quilt blog. just send me an email with your mailing address and I will drop it in the mail to you next week

2011-10-12T04:29:00.004-04:00

SEW SCRAPPY MAGAZINE, Vol. 2 quilts for Fabric Lovers
by American Patchwork and Quilting.
I was so thrilled to see my quilt on the cover!
For me it truly is all about the fabrics. I love making scrappy quilts the more fabrics I can add in a quilt the happier I am!
Would you like this magazine???? see giveaway below.... FIRST
Here are a few close ups of the quilt, just enjoy the fabrics!

there are lots of wonderful quilts in this issue here are a few of the designers
Check out Gumdrops from Sherri of A quilting life blog
this would look great in repros don't you think!
Scatter leaves by Pam Buda of Heartspun Quilts
Polka Dot Fest By Becky Goldsmith of piece of cake fame!
oh my gosh I want to order red and white polka dots to make this quilt!
Sew Small , three little quilts by Roseann Kermes of Rosebuds Cottage....
Lynda Hall has a great little fall wallhanging , ah yes I need to make this one too..primitive pieces blog
A snowball quilt using soft colors very pretty, peach cobbler by Pat Sloan...
ok you get the idea I love this issue !!!
oh you want to see more????? guess you really need the magazine!
I am giving away a magazine to one lucky winner, just tell me would like the magazine
I will ship anywhere in the world.
If you love scrappy quilts this magazine is for you! I truly hope you will check it out at your local quilt shop or book store its like have a book of many different quilts I know you will want to have in your library.
Fat Quarter shop carries it here
thank you for all the nice comments yesterday about my latest scrappy quilt I made. check it out if you didn't read that post yet....

2011-10-11T08:09:00.002-04:00

Here is another one of my quilts I put the binding on this past week. I thought you might like to see where the quilt resides now over a chair ready to use this winter in our living room. I used so many of my favorite fabrics in this quilt . I decided to share a lot of them with you.

just had to show you it opened up! oh my just look at all those great fabrics!

gosh how I wish I had even a fat quarter left of this blue it makes my scrappy quilts sing....

oh one of my favorite background fabrics it is just so sweet, wish Henry Glass would reprint this! Its from Judy Roche and Corienne Kramer collection...another one I wish I had yards of !

oh Patty I put this pink in for you :) thanks for adding so many happy fabrics to my fabric collection I would have never bought , now I do!

didn't you want to see the back? a cheater cloth! how fun is that? you know I have become fond of them for the back of my little quilts. I was lucky enough to buy this one on sale for the back of this quilt.

oh look at the black in there...makes the fabrics around it just sparkle, yes I have learned to add black fabrics in my scrappy quilts.

Here is one of my very favorite fabrics, that blue, another one thats all gone now from my fabric collection
oh I don't even know whose fabric it was I just wish I had a BOLT OF it (ok I would be happy with a 1/2 yard of it to add to many more scrappy quilts) all the quilts I have added pieces of it too just make me smile every-time I see it.
Did you see any of your favorite fabrics in this quilt?

2011-10-07T04:36:00.002-04:00

love the pumpkin seed quilting in the blocks...

choosing the clamshells for this little quilt was perfect....oh this is such a great way to use up your little pieces a true scrap quilt, some of my favorite fabrics in this little quilt....

the Japanese taupe fabrics in the center of this quilt are just so beautiful, in mho. the pumpkin seed quilting pattern in the center just perfect. From across the room the quilting on this quilt is just perfect. I am still trying to decide on binding fabric, I am leaning towards black or a very dark brown, any opinions?
I am happy to have all these little quilts quilted and ready to use, since I have made so many this year its hard to hand quilt them all in a timely fashion. I wanted you to see what amazing work the longarmers can do now , yes keeping it traditional in my style. Rather then having lots of quilt tops find a long armer you admire and trust, go ahead and have one or two quilted you will be glad you did. REMEMBER this is coming from someone who just LOVES hand quilting but I do feel machine quilting has its place in some of my quilts.

2011-10-05T04:24:00.002-04:00

Here is another little quilt I had long arm quilted. I love red and brown quilts!
16.5" x 16.5"

Just how sweet is this little quilt ? A very simple quilt but look how much it comes alive with all that quilting. I love how the clamshell quilting adds so much texture to the quilt 12.5" x 12.5"

At first I felt really guilty having these little quilts machine quilted, seeing the way these turned out I am happy I did it.I still have many that need to be hand quilted and two more to bind from the machine quilter :) maybe I need to give her a few more!
I am learning to make choices hand quilting time vs hand applique time, I am choosing to hand quilt my favorite quilts. If you found a way to do it all please tell me your secret! I LOVE hand quilting, the look, the process, the feel but I can't hand quilt every quilt I make, or can I?
Yesterdays quilt is 1" squares , 13" x 15" so you can really appreciate those tiny baptist fans.

2011-10-04T07:51:00.004-04:00

yesterday I picked up a few quilts that were long arm quilted...
I just love the way this one came out! Its amazing what those machines can do!
Look how she took the baptist fans and shrunk them down to fit my little quilt!
Its amazing what a simple little quilt can reach another level by the quilting. This quilt was enhanced tremendously by the quilting in mho

Baptist fans is one of my favorite quilting patterns.
do you have a favorite? I would love to know.

2011-10-02T05:07:00.003-04:00

don' t you just love when the mailman brings you surprises in the mail!
Dawn from Quilts and Pieces blog made me this little quilt and she hand quilted it just so beautifully
thank you Dawn! what an amazing surprise.

As soon as I saw this book on Quiltmania's website I knew I just had to have it.
I am a HUGE fan of red and green applique quilts. It is an AMAZING book I carried it around with me all day yesterday, I could not stop looking at these incredible quilts. This book is a must have if your an antique quilt lover, applique lover or just for inspiration. It is one of the top 2 quilt books published this year in mho .
The Red and Green quilts from the Poos Collection , Kay Triplett
If you go to their website and click on the book you can see a preview of whats in their books.
thank you Dawn, Collector with a needle blog for seeing it at AQSG and thinking of me. Check out her blog, great antique quilts and sewing tools from her recent trip to the East Coast.
I really hope that Quiltmania finds a distributor for their books here in the USA, I hear there will be a lot of new books coming out next year from designers I really admire.

This fabric was given to me by a friend, Tara, Sew Unique Creations blog, last year isn't it just beautiful, Blessings by jan patek and linda brannock for MODA, its calling out to be made into a quilt next....doesn't the fabrics in your closets talk to you too?
thanks friends!

2011-09-28T03:49:00.003-04:00

decided to make a few more postage stamp blocks this week, thanks again to everyone who sent me squares, strips for this project do you see your special squares in this block? if not this block I bet in the next few I make soon.

Now its time to start my next 2 color quilt...red and white I think will be the next one!
maybe it should be scrappy reds?

2011-09-22T04:59:00.002-04:00

inspired by these two fabrics together and my goal of making a few two color quilts this year I just started cutting and sewing on Tuesday and now can't decide....
my go to block, the nine patch! Sometimes I think the simple blocks are best.

on point or straight, which do you like?
there certainly is something comforting about hearing that sewing machine humming away, don't you agree?

2011-09-19T03:39:00.002-04:00

The other day I pulled these three fabrics from the closets started cutting and sewing and yesterday finished making the blocks!
Once you get a system going with these blocks they go quickly. I hope to have the top sewn together this week.
Another goal for the year crossed off, a quilt to use during the month of December.

2011-09-16T11:25:00.003-04:00

I have been doing a lot of hand applique this week but just had to stop and whip up these little quilts.
Cheri has a free pattern a month on her blog, check it out!
quilts by Cheri
you all know how much I love making little quilts and with names like this I just had to buy a few of her patterns too!
Live Simply doesn't that say it all?
hopefully in the next few months I will make them all! I have been a huge fan of hers for years. Her style is a bit more primitive then what I like so I think my little quilts are going to be a bit more upscale folk art :)

2011-09-13T05:09:00.002-04:00

a little inspiration from The American Folk Art Museum when I visited just before it closed in July....
now can you see why I am so intrigued with solids????

I just love these blocks.....

Making an Hawaiian applique quilt is on my list of quilts to make someday!

how cute is this pillow???

2011-09-09T03:59:00.003-04:00

I waited to start stars and sprigs until my bolt of Primitive Gathering pie crust muslin arrived, I just love this fabric. I hope Moda carries this forever! It gives me that aged look I am always looking for and its just so soft and easy to needle important when doing applique as well as hand quilting in mho.
Working small again was a bit of a challenge again after the large flower garden blocks! But the results are worth it. I am hooked!
Dawn emailed me and asked if I bought the Dear Jane 11 fabric line, I said no. Well she said I needed it! Its bright happy fabrics would be great in my flower garden quilt and the stars and sprigs, so I quickly ordered a fat quarter bundle! She was right just look at these happy fabrics! very fun and they will look great in my flower garden quilt especially. That quilt has been fun to work on, my type of gardening! so if your looking for a few bright repro's I would recommend these. I am glad I bought them for this project and to add some zip to a few of my future reproduction quilts.

2011-09-05T12:23:00.003-04:00

What a week! losing power from Sunday 4 am to Saturday 330 pm and no internet till Sunday afternoon all thanks to Hurricane Irene. no use complaining our loses were minor compared to so many others, We are so thankful. I was able to finish two more Flower Garden blocks, I still have the stems to put on another block here are all the blocks together

here are the fabrics for my next block.

not sure if I will start this one or now that I can actually use my sewing machine again I may just start Stars and Sprigs!
I hope to catch up with blog reading over the next few days....One of the books I read this week was Nancy Crows work in transition surprised????
I found the book fascinating, it was fun to read how she works. I have been interested in working with solids for awhile now and spent a lot of time this week looking at amish quilt books, Nancy Crow books and other quilters like Gwen Marston that have published book using solids. do you have any suggestions of quilt books using solids I would love to hear about them. I am always looking for quilt book suggestions!
I also spent a lot of time looking Japanese sashiko quilting style books. Love those indigos the Japanese are famous for. For me its all about these indigo's and using the threads to create the texture and in some cases the patterns in the quilts. A dream of mine is to go to Japan , the Tokyo quilt show that Jan from Bemused has gone to , how I would love to go there and study their quilt making...
have you seen Nat's post about her last trip to Japan. I found this trip so interesting and I wish I could go on the Japanese Textile Study Tour, don't you?????

2011-08-26T05:06:00.006-04:00

When I saw scrap bags of Kaffe and Kaffe style fabrics for sale on Glorious Color I just had to buy them! I don't have a fabric collection of these type fabrics , wish I did sometimes! so its nice when I can purchase scrap bags like this. I was hoping for lots of bright fabrics and this time around there are mostly darker fabrics. Hopefully they will have more in the very near future.
I thought I could use them to whip up another donation quilt.
Oh so why was I on the Glorious Color website???? When I saw Taryn's post about her ordering the Stars and Sprigs quilt pattern I knew I had to finally order it as well.
I have loved this quilt from the first time I saw it. And the fact that it was inspired by an antique quilt I knew someday I would have to make it! I vowed not to buy it till I had one of her quilts finished I had the patterns for already. Oh well a year is long enough right? After seeing Janet's blocks and then her finished quilt top I knew I was getting closer to buying that pattern ! Now having a friend to challenge and a little friendly competition to making blocks each week I will be starting this quilt soon. The pattern arrived yesterday!

A new book I bought recently. oh my what wonderful quilt pictures in here, full page color pictures, just beautiful.
One that I am happy is now in my library. If you love antique quilts this is a book that you should consider buying.
The book is available thru the DAR museum shop

I have only 4 more rows to go for the donation quilt I am making, I am very happy with the way its coming out and not having any problems sewing at the machine. My foot is healing and I have been given the go ahead to sit and sew "legally" LOL
I learned how to use the other foot on the pedal! thanks for all your get well wishes...
stay tuned I feel a few sewing marathon sessions on my machine coming on!

2011-08-24T05:18:00.003-04:00

this is how I audition fabrics for applique leaves, I cut squares or rectangles and then fold up and pin to where they will be...
do you have a method you use to audition fabrics? I am always interested in how others work...
When I find the ones I like I trace the pattern with my generals chalk pencils, love these ! nice big line I can SEE to turn under and needle turn applique using my favorite straw needles. Jeana Kimball's size 11 straw needles.

Flower Garden quilt pattern by Kim McLean , since I don't have a flower garden per se I thought this would be a fun quilt to make and make it my own....I am enjoying choosing my fabrics for each and every block. A bit more challenging then using Kaffe style fabrics but hey I am a reproduction fabric type girl!
I think it will be a bright and happy quilt by the time I get done, don't you? here is a picture of all my blocks on this post.

2011-08-22T12:21:00.003-04:00

when I saw that Victoria was asking for more quilts to be donated to the homeless in the Bronx again I knew I just had to whip up a quilt for her.
Decided it had to be a happy and bright quilt, hmmm considering 99% of my fabric collection is reproduction fabrics, hmmm how do I accomplish this???? Lucky for me I just happen to have a few Summer in the City by Urban Chiks for Moda charm packs. Add white squares to it and look I have a nice big quilt that will be sewn up and quilted to donate !
I really enjoy making quilts to donate just wish I had more bright charm packs I just might whip up another one or two to donate. I watch those sales at Fat Quarter Shop for charm packs they really come in handy! I used 4 charm packs for this quilt and will add one row of white to the top and bottom the quilt will then be 72 x 81
don't you think some teenage girl will love this quilt? I will have it heavily machine quilted so it can be washed easily.
I truly think its important to make quilts to donate that you would be happy giving a gift to one of your own friends or relatives...
I was given the ok by my dd's today they would love this quilt and were a bit disappointed when I told them no its not for you!
When I told them who was getting it they said oh some lucky girl will love this quilt.. just the response I wanted to hear!

2011-08-16T04:17:00.002-04:00

surprised???? purple binding, it works for me! gives the quilt the aged, antiquey looking I am always trying to accomplish.

The little tumbler quilt that was suppose to be donated to the The Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI) Its too big so trying to decide where to donate it instead. I will make another one and will make it smaller and make sure I check the size before I put the binding on! They are strict about the size requirements and I understand that, I just kept going and forgot to trim the quilt back by 1/2"

Here is the quilt I am hand quilting now, I made this awhile ago and posted about then. Again trying to play with the hand quilting , I am thinking the 2" grid on the outside border may not be enough quilting. I will probably go back and quilt in between each line again...my theory is there can never be enough quilting in this case more is better!

and yes did you see the next quilt underneath thats the next one to be hand quilted, YES another red and green quilt!

2011-08-12T04:11:00.004-04:00

adding texture to my little quilts with the hand quilting is always a goal of mine. I love the way the alternate block looks. Instead of just doing a grid on this quilt I decided to hand quilt the blocks differently. I chose to just do an X in the nine patch blocks and then in the alternate block where you will really see the quilting I repeated the nine patch block. I am happy with the results, when the quilt is on the wall and mattering which way you look at it you will be able to see the texture the hand quilting gives the quilt. I tried to capture that for you in this picture. Can you see it?

now to decide how to quilt the setting triangles
Do you give your hand quilting designs a lot of thought before you start quilting the quilt?
Do you have a favorite quilting design you find you use over and over again? if so what is it?
so happy I had a good variety of pinks to use in this quilt, they make it in mho!

2011-08-10T04:55:00.003-04:00

here are the bowties I made so far after seeing Juliann's little quilt I may be reconsidering my dream of making a queen size quilt in these cheddar bowties!
or maybe I just need to make a little quilt AND a queen size quilt, I just love these bowties!!!! I am so glad Bonnie and Juliann both posted about this antique quilt at Sisters Quilt Show this summer.

of course even if I am not sewing up a storm on my sewing machine right now I am still pushing those buttons adding new fabrics to my collection, have to keep it fresh you know :) Thanks Tara for sending them right out to me! I can't wait to the yardage comes in!
Oh how I love these two new lines and LOOK how well they play together....
collection for a cause COMFORT and LATELY ARRIVED FROM LONDON
by Barbara Brackman. Just beautiful fabric line I have one of the fabrics pulled out of the bundle and will need a bolt of this one.

the Collection for a Cause bundle I still haven't opened up yet still savoring the stack of colors ;)
I KNOW there will be a few in there I would love bolts of for now I would be happy with a 1/2 yard bundle of the fabric line to whip up a quilt or two, a fat quarter bundle is just not enough of these beautiful lines of fabric
don't you agree????

2011-08-08T19:38:00.002-04:00

Look what arrived today! My very own Go! Baby fabric cutter. I can't tell you how excited I am!!!!
Thank you so much Darlene and the Accuquilt Company.
I still can't believe I won this, I have wanted one for a long time. I can't wait to play with it and whip up a little quilt :)
stay tuned !

2011-08-05T04:35:00.003-04:00

The wall above my cutting station is going to be filled with my little quilts. What you see here is about 1/2 the wall next time I will show the whole wall space. I decided they have to be hand quilted before I hang them up, I need to have the pink, yellow and green one taken down so it can be quilted! Lucky for me this is right across from my sewing machine so I can view these quilts all the time! I am now inspired to hand quilt a few more of them and to hang up a few more that I have hand quilted. Hopefully I can get some help to do that in the next few days! Getting on a ladder right now is probably not a good idea! My plan is to be able to rotate them thru the year some will come down and be used in the house others will stay on the wall all year round.
You know I have enough to fill the wall but trust me that is not going to stop me from making more! I find these little quilts fun to make and well its nice to have a finish inbetween a few of the LONG term projects I have started.....

A little quilt I had made using a pattern free from Kathy Tracy's website, going thru the pile of little quilts yesterday trying to get inspired to quilt one of them, maybe this cute little quilt needs to be next! I loved making the nine patches a bit scrappy . A little more work to piece but worth it in mho.
My favorite quilt book to be inspired by for my little quilts...

Funny how I never remember seeing this little quilt guess I am always ready to jump into the book and never read the dedication page. So many of you emailed me to say this little quilt was in this book! Thanks , now the book is back out and a few more sticky notes attached for future reference! My quilt I showed in the last post looks so similar! Guess thats where Andrea was inspired for her version.

thought this was interesting , look at the selvage on this fabric! I bought a bundle of fat eights of OLDER reproduction fabrics off ebay and was cutting it up for different projects There were a few selvages that are just so different then what we see today I decided I needed to share them with you over the next few posts!

So what is your favorite quilt book to be inspired by???? I would love to know and why?
What makes a quilt book a good one in your opinion????

2011-08-03T04:30:00.003-04:00

small wonders
doll quilts by Andrea Balosky
friends of Latimer Quilt and Textile Center Tillamook, Oregon
looking for inspiration for little quilts?
this is a great little book. I first heard about it from Bills Blog. Wonkyworld! on this post.

thanks for the inspiration Andrea! I just loved this color combo and was happy to find these fabrics in my closet a few weeks ago when I made this quilt.
Yes its nice to always say where your inspiration came from for a quilt I think. give credit where credit is due don't you agree?

today I hope to start hand quilting it after I decide which direction the hst should go and oh how to quilt it.
Do you need a tutorial on how to make this little quilt?
Thanks for all the well wishes...sitting at the sewing machine is just not happening so its time to get excited about hand work.
I have to admit to just dreaming up new quilts since last week and maybe pushing a few buttons to buy fabric for future projects...

2011-07-28T06:20:00.002-04:00

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....

2011-07-26T06:15:00.004-04:00

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????

2011-07-24T04:57:00.003-04:00

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....

2011-07-22T04:59:00.005-04:00

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.

2011-07-21T07:07:00.004-04:00

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.

2011-07-17T04:25:00.003-04:00

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 :)

2011-07-14T04:55:00.002-04:00

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!

2011-07-08T04:42:00.005-04:00

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!

2011-07-02T03:40:00.004-04:00

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!!!!.....

2011-06-30T14:24:00.005-04:00

As soon as I saw Dawn's little quilt like this I knew I had to make one too! I am so happy to add this to my collection of little quilts now, Its a reproduction from the Childhood Treasures book by Merikay Waldvogel . Lucky for me Dawn (collector with a needle blog) offered to send me a kit. thanks Dawn

I decided I really needed to start hand quilting these little quilts on Monday. I am on my third one today! These two are now quilted and ready for use! I was on a mission to finish the patriotic one before July 1st!

my goal now is to hand quilt one a week after I pulled out the pile of unquilted tops. I have to admit I was shocked at how many I do have! I am hoping that after quilting a few more my hand quilting will improve! These are fun to practice on!

I hope to add to my pile of little log cabin blocks this week too....what is it about little blocks that I just love?
These are fun to make too! Whats your favorite little block to make????

I will announce the winner of the fabric giveaway on Saturday July 2nd's post, go here to enter!

2011-06-27T04:42:00.004-04:00

Crossroads to Texas, I feel like I have been waiting forever for this fabric line!!!! One of the best reproduction fabric lines to come out in a long time in mho. I love the madders and these greens are to die for, two of them are just so unique I need yards of them! The two pinks in this line are a must have in my collection, yes a few yards of those two as well...The cheater cloth of course I want a bolt, won't that be a great backing? I plan on making a little quilt from it and have another Idea I have wanted to play with too, for that you will have to stay tuned to see what I do with it!

As soon as I saw this antique quilts of Betsy's I new I would want to reproduce it I was so happy when she told me she was writing a book and the pattern would be in the book Gone to Texas. A must have book if you like reproducing antique quilts and /or just making old looking quilts!

I have been collecting madders ever since! Now having the madders that are in the original quilt will make this quilt even more special to me. This fabric line is mostly reproduced from this antique quilt she owns you can see pictures of it in her book. The cheater cloth was made using parts of that antique quilt. (or maybe its all from this antique quilt I will ask her again)
I love stripes like this for bindings cut on the bias , that way you get the diagonal look on the binding don't you?
So tell me what do you think of this fabric line????
What would you make with this fabric line????
A GIVEAWAY!!!!!
I will send a 6 1/2" charm pack to one of you who tell me what they like about the fabric line and how they would use it
Yes it is now available finally.
I preordered it of course here and you can also get it now at the shop where Betsy works. or hopefully your local quilt shop!
I know I need to order more of it now that I have seen it in person.
I was lucky enough for Betsy to send me a fat quarter bundle of this line, Thanks Betsy! I just couldn't cut into until I knew I could get more, I know, I know how silly is that? This week I will whip up a little quilt or two with these fabrics, can you tell how excited I am about this fabric line?????

2011-06-22T07:58:00.003-04:00

what is it about 2 color quilts that just inspires me?
when I saw this pink and black (mourning prints) I just had to reproduce it.
I made it very close to the size said in the book, Childhood Treasures by Merikay Waldvogel

Decided since I am in such a small block/quilt phase I had to make it again smaller! I like both of them, now to decide which one I will keep!

Here is another little quilt I made last year I took out last night when I decided I wanted to make it again but in another color combination. The antique quilt is in this book as well for this little quilt.
this is a great book, NO PATTERNS in the book but so many little quilts for inspiration.
I really enjoyed reading this book as well.

2011-06-20T05:02:00.002-04:00

Here is a little quilt I whipped up yesterday . Auditioned a few greens and this one I just kept coming back to, guess it was just meant to be used! I will bind it with red or maybe a brown/cheddar!

My finished little quilt very happy with the way it came out, I think the purple border was the perfect choice for me.

Info about the pattern for this quilt here.

2011-06-18T06:02:00.002-04:00

sometimes I pick little quilts to make just because I like the color combination. this little quilt is an example, these are not colors I would have chosen to make a little quilt with but I just loved it. Yesterday I pulled out some fabrics and cut, cut , cut till I found the right combinations to make my little quilt very similar to Kathy Tracy's One Patch Doll quilt in her latest book
The Civil War Sewing Circle. I am choosing to add just one border and yes its PURPLE a color I rarely use and if I do its sparingly. I find though that these purples add an instant aged look to a quilt. Always my goal!

see what's next on the cutting table....ah turkey red and chrome yellow, hmmm wheres the poison green???

2011-06-16T06:30:00.002-04:00

decided to make nine patches with the Minick and Simpson Fabrics, the jelly rolls are perfect for just cutting and sewing these blocks. I can really see the benefit to jelly rolls for this type of project. Its so nice that their fabric lines all play so nice together!
I can't wait to add more blocks to this quilt, its going to be perfect to use during the summer months.

fell in love with this little quilt Cyndi made! Isn't it wonderful??? again its all about the fabrics! Lucky her she owns Busy thimble quilt shop in Maine and from what I hear has an incredible selection of reproduction fabrics. Someday I will get there and get to shop in person for now I shop thru emails with her! Looking for an older fabric email her I bet she just may have some!

2011-06-12T05:04:00.003-04:00

Here is another quilt I made yesterday from the same book. Have to make this one again in Turkey red and a shirting perhaps or maybe a primitive muslin.
See what happens when the family goes out for the day, I had a day to myself! I love this checkerboard quilt so made one for a friend and one to donate . May have to try that in another color too!

I really like Minick and Simpson's fabric lines, its the colors I really love!, and was sorry I didn't collect them when they were available. Lucky me Vicky wished she collected more civil war, reproduction prints, we agreed to a swap! I sent her civil war fabrics and she sent me M and S fabrics!
look whats on my cutting table this morning I think its going to be a red white and blue week!

Did you see the pictures from Sarah's blog???? she is showing sneak peaks of the quilts in her new book!
Why oh why do we have to wait so long for the books to become available here in the USA????? Don't they know I need it NOW?

2011-06-11T11:31:00.005-04:00

does this happen to you? I was reading Dawn's blog yesterday and she mentioned a book Great Little quilts by Eleanor Levie
I knew I had the book . I opened it up and this was the first quilt I saw, I had to make it! I used 3 of my favorite reproduction fabrics. I chose green for the border as I just made the little quilt with the lancaster blue and decided I wanted to do something different.

here is a picture of the book, you will want this if you like making little quilts!

2011-06-10T06:09:00.004-04:00

I have been a huge fan of Gwen Marston's for many years. My quilts may not reflect her liberated style in the past few years but I think that may be about to change!
This started as a bom many years ago I found the blocks a few weeks ago and can't find the pattern I decided these 9 units will become little quilts.
I have been thinking about sending a unit to different "blog" friends and local friends and see what they come up with for borders, wouldn't that be fun? Do you like to make challenge quilts? I decided I want to try and do challenge quilts so what better way then start one of my own.
I love basket quilts and have been waiting for a certain new fabric line to come out to make a pink and green basket quilt....
I hear its only a few more days till Crossroads to Texas starts hitting the quilt shops :)

edited: I have a list of people already for this challenge but from the response I am getting from this post already via email and comments. I will be hosting another challenge quilt in the very near future! stay tuned. Thank you.
I would love to hear from you though if you like doing challenge quilts with "some rules" and if you would be interested in doing another one? Also if you have done them what did you like and what did you not like about them.
thanks....

2011-06-07T05:04:00.004-04:00

it was fun to make these two little quilts. One is for me and one will be a gift. It was a great exercise for me to use "themed" charm packs to make a quilt in my style but yet reflects the theme subtly, agree?

I made a bar quilt style for the backing of one and will do the same with for the other.

The quilt is 13 x 15.75
nothing on the cutting board this morning, so guess its time to make some more nine patches OR maybe start a new quilt?

2011-06-05T04:47:00.005-04:00

I tried all three layouts and couldn't decide which one. Decided to make all 3, I will use one as a gift , one for my guilds little quilt raffle at their show and one for me. Now the big decision which one should I keep?
I know which one will be the gift! So which one do you like best?
I did NOT make the little quilt like the pattern called for but it surely was inspired by her color choices and the block, 4 patch, to me its still the quilt from this club just pieced a bit differently!

This is what's on the wall for me to sew together today hopefully.

Vicky from LA Quilter blog sent me a few charm packs of the patriotic fabric and some strips of patriotic fabric from Judie Rothermel. I had to whip something up. I love tumbler quilts, thimble quilts whatever you want to call this size. I have an idea for the rest of the charm packs! thanks Vicky for Swapping fabric with me!
I just may have to send her a kit so she can make one too!

2011-06-02T07:31:00.003-04:00

this is what was waiting for me this morning on my cutting table
I will make another little quilt and think I will make two of them, one to donate to the quilt guilds little quilt raffle. I am considering just using one shirting and one blue fabric and of course all these different pink, who knew I had this many pinks! Prairie Women's Sewing Circle club

I made the 3 postage stamp blocks now this will get put away for awhile.
many of you emailed me and asked why I just don't keep making the blocks? Well for me its all about the variety of the fabrics.
I don't want the blocks to look the same. I wait until I know there is enough of a new variety of squares in my box to make a few more blocks. If any of you are interesting in sending me 1 1/2" squares or strips of 1 1/2" x 10 inches or so I would be happy to add them to my quilt! of course they have to be reproduction fabrics and I don't care if they have been washed or not. *thanks*

looking thru one of my antique history quilt books (as I call them) I found this tumbler quilt look how its set, I just may have to make one like this can't you see it done in all plaids? Carolyn sent me a pattern of hers I would love to make and in it was a template for a tumbler I am going to use for this quilt.

the quilt next too it has me thinking about how quilts don't always need borders. Its about fabric placement and color on the outside rows...stay tuned I will be discussing this in a blog post soon.

2011-05-30T20:20:00.005-04:00

Of course a holiday weekend has to be remembered by a little quilt, I made this little quilt today. These are 3" nine patches , the quilt will finished at 15 1/2" square. Any chance I had over this long weekend I made nine patches!

While I was cutting and making nine patches I cut extra 1 1/2 inch squares, those 1 1/2 in squares are for my postage stamp blocks, I hope to make 3 this week and then I will put it away again for a month or two while I collect more squares. The key is variety for this quilt in mho. I am repeating fabrics but not in the same block.

On the wall now is 1,000 squares! Yes 100 squares per block.
Here is the block I will sew together tomorrow! hopefully some day this quilt will be 10 blocks x 10 rows, yes thats 10,000 squares right? I try not to think about that!

If you decide to make a little quilt like mine
I would love to see a picture.
I love making little quilts like this to use during a holiday and be able to use it anytime during the year. What's better then a red, white and blue quilt for Memorial Day remembrance?
I plan on binding it in red.
Thank you so much for all the nice comments about my quilt on the cover of AP and Q magazine. It truly is an honor.

2011-05-26T12:00:00.005-04:00

What an honor! I was so surprised when I was told that my scrappy quilt, Weaving the Rails, would be on the cover of American Patchwork and Quilting August 2011 issue. This issue is now arriving in mailboxes , quilt shops and your favorite book stores!

There are a lot of nice quilts in this issue, a few little quilts too that I know I will be making! Love the hexagon tote bag in this issue as well...please check it out! let me know what you think.
don't you love the trip down memory lane looking at these fabrics?
some of my favorite fabrics are in this quilt from the past few years....as I always say its all about the fabrics!!!

2011-05-24T03:48:00.005-04:00

I love making nine patches! these are 3" finished.I started making these over the weekend, guess this is my next quilt to make! Nine patches seem to be the go to block for me. I have always wanted to make a queen size quilt with 3" nine patches, just think of all the fabrics I can use in one quilt! I will be using 2 of the primitive gathering muslins, maybe 3. This will give my quilt that instant aged look I like.

I decided to use the utility stitch on this little quilt I plan on donating. ( have to admit I put this in the closet and forgot about it till I found it the other day, I feel so bad its taken me this long to finish it,) I bought this ruler because I knew I wanted to use it more like a stencil to mark the wavy lines to hand quilt some of my quilts. My plan is to quilt it going vertical as well, lucky for me it has those lines on the ruler that line up nicely with my seams I keep moving the ruler so the hills and valleys don't line up.
After trying to keep my stitches 5" to an inch I decided next quilt I will try 7 stitches to an inch, its the pearle cotton look that I like the bigger stitches not so much!

I just wanted to let you know that my quilt is not the quilt pattern that is in the book Gone to Texas, Betsy quilt in the book is based on an antique quilt her great great grandmother Lizzie could have made as described thru her journals. Betsy's quilt pattern is very creative and now it looks like I am going to have to make it again using Betsy's pattern!

check out Sew Unique Creations blog post (note her new blog address!) and you can see Betsy's new fabric line!
Check out Pam's blog for wonderful pictures from Spring Market in Salt Lake City Utah this year.
oh my so many quilts I would love to make!!!!

2011-05-20T04:14:00.004-04:00

As you can see I listened to the quilt it needed the cornerstones! Plus it gave me an excuse to use even more fabric!!!
It was fun to make the quilt using different sashing fabrics. One quilt looks fresh and more modern to me and the other is aged and antiquey! which look do you like better? Pattern information here.

I am utitilty stitching one of my quilts and it was the perfect one to start with. Preprinted lines just makes it so easy!
Hopefully it will be done this weekend then one of these will be next! If you click on the pictures you can just about see the stitches it was hard to change from little stitches to big stitches even with this bigger needle that is needed for the Valdani threads! I am getting better and enjoying the process.

2011-05-16T04:26:00.006-04:00

TA DA!!! 9 days later all the blocks are made and it will be a quilt top this week. Next time you will see this quilt ( I figure you must be tired of seeing it already!) it will be bound and ready for use! For some reason I felt like I was on a mission to make this quilt, I couldn't wait to come in here and sew every minute I had! I started this quilt with the pattern from Betsy Chutchian's pattern in her book Gone to Texas. Now back to my multiple projects and my passion for little quilts! So I wanted to share with you what's on my cutting board this morning a little quilt from the new book by Kathleen Tracy The Civil War Sewing Circle. If you like little quilts you will love this book like I do.
When I bought this book earlier in the week this was the first quilt I said oh I have to make that! I cut for it while I was cutting for my blocks.

I can't decide if I like it without the little cornerstones or with. Maybe I need to make them both!
Lucky for me I have a box full of little squares so I can play a little bit more and find just the right ones for this little quilt if I decide I want them in there. Which do you like better?

I cut squares from every fabric I take out for my postage stamp quilt, now that I have a lot in my storage box I will make a few more. Hopefully later in the week and I will share them with you.

Here's Kathy's quilt in the book...as you know I hardly ever make a quilt from a pattern just the way it is, I tend to use it for inspiration and make it fit my needs or likes :) Yes I changed the size of the blocks too! I wanted smaller for my wall! Yet it still LOOKS like her quilt that I just really liked!

2011-05-15T04:45:00.005-04:00

Hard to believe a little over a week and I only need 27 more blocks and this quilt top will done! I decided on a 13 x 13 setting, 169 blocks! gives me the size I want. I like that it starts and stops with nine patches (probably my favorite block!) So many of you have asked about this pattern, here is the info again...I started this quilt with the pattern from Betsy Chutchian's pattern in her book Gone to Texas.

my blocks all ready to just sew when I start sewing this am...a great way to just get started next time you can sew.
I love taking out some of my older books and looking thru them for inspiration. This is one of my favorite books its the state documentation books of quilts from New York. New York Beauties Quilts from the Empire State by Jacqueline M.Atkins and Phyllis A. Tepper. Just look at that Log Cabin quilt on the cover, isn't it amazing the designs you can make with a simple block like the log cabin, its all about the fabric choices....

I was thrilled to find this quilt in the book....

remember my blocks inspired by Lori, I think this may be the next quilt to make....

I also love the quilt Sue Garman made and Liz from quilterie blog made! OH make sure you take the time to look around Liz's blog, wow!

2011-05-11T18:34:00.005-04:00

making progress!!! I am more than 1/2 way done with making the blocks I would say another week and this quilt will be done!

Yes I prepped some drunkards path blocks after seeing how many Vicky made the past few days! I have to keep up with her now!

Hope your all having a productive sewing week as well!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

2011-05-08T07:23:00.005-04:00

making progress on my quilt, having fun matching fabrics for the blocks. Isn't that what its all about the fabric? speaking of fabric

I fell in love with this fabric as soon as I saw it, I knew I needed a bolt of it, I have plans! It arrived on Friday just in time to say Happy Mother's Day to me! I think we are all entitled to buy ourselves a little present for Mother's Day don't you? The fabric is from Barbara Brackman's Civil War Reunion line by Moda. Barbara writes a blog called Material Culture. I learn something new almost every time I read her blog, she is a wealth of information about textiles and quilt history.

If you like antique quilts this book is for you! YES it has patterns for some of the quilts too. This book is a treasure trove of wonderful quilts inspired by antique quilts. If you go to KCS and click on the book you can see a preview of some of the quilts.

2011-05-06T07:22:00.004-04:00

Here is my little quilt I whipped up yesterday from the fabrics I showed the other day. I wanted to play with utility quilting using valdani pearle cotton I have heard so much about. These are the ones I bought at the Lancaster quilt show , luckily one of them works ! Carolyn is writing a book on utility quilting, you can bet I will be first in line to buy one! I am fascinated with this type of quilting now. I have seen it used in so many antique quilts.

This is my friend Patty's Nine Patch and Crossroads quilt.
She made this quilt using a pattern from Betsy's book, Gone To Texas.
Patty was able to go shopping where Betsy works, Lone Star House of Quilts . She offered to send me her left over fabrics when I said oh now I have to make this quilt too! I am thrilled to start this quilt as it is one I have wanted to make from the book! How lucky am I??? Thanks Patty!

oh and yes I am still working on the drunkard path blocks, its nice to have a piecing project on the go now too!
too bad I didn't have two design walls though.

2011-05-03T07:23:00.004-04:00

I gave in and have decided to start collecting wool! what wonderful colors and textures...looking forward to having a nice collection someday of assorted wools. now to find a place to store them!
I picked out a little quilt project I will start with soon that has a bit of wool in it.

I found these Robert Kaufman fabrics from the Marbleous line, oh Victoria you will love these! they look like silk but they are cotton! I am going to add them to a few of my applique projects, can't you see them as leaves and rose buds? a bit bold for me don't you think? I thought so, I only bought fat quarters a little of these will go a long way in my quilts!

120 drunkards path and still counting! ok, I will stop showing these after today for a while you must be getting tired of seeing them. I love looking at other quilters fabric choices so I happen to like pictures like this! don't you????

Turned the American Patchwork and Quilting 2011 calendar and there was one of my favorite little quilt designers quilts!
Kathleen Tracy's Scrap Box quilt, so glad the pattern is included in the calendar, I am going to have to whip this one up soon!

I was folding fabric this past weekend and these 3 fabrics just looked great together in mho! I will have to whip up a little quilt using them have to come up with a great block to highlight the red and green, any suggestions?

2011-04-27T04:40:00.002-04:00

progress, have to admit they are addictive. This has been a great project for me this week, between the allergies then what feels like a full blown cold it was nice to have something to applique without thinking. This is not the way they will be laid out I just keep adding each one to the design wall. Having them up there inspires me. Since I love scrappy for me I will use lots and lots of colors, prints, nothing is off limits in a quilt like this. I try and mix up my blocks some match, some don't , some blend, all in the attempt to get that aged "antiquey" look I am always after!

I have a layer cake of this fabric line Northern cardinal by Holly Taylor with Moda and WOW fell in love with this fabric with the words on it. I know a lot of you like fabrics with words on it, this is great, I can see this as a background fabric for applique or a pieced quilt, its a great color in mho...folk art/prim/country ah yes fits in with my repros too, don't you agree??? Great new line of fabric that will be available in May/ June :) fits right in with my repros scrappy quilts too!

my next set of blocks to baste and applique, yes I always leave the sewing room with blocks ready to sew or baste/applique in the morning, a great way to jump in and start the day, after the coffee and blog reading of course!

this was a cheater cloth fabric from Judie Rothermel last year or so , doesn't it now look like a game board? I am going to do a utility stitch on this following the triangles by hand with pearle cotton.
Have you hand quilted a quilt with pearle cotton? If so any tips? whats your favorite brand? what needles do you use???
thanks!

check out Vicky's blog she decided to make the blocks too!
let me know if you decide you need to delve in your scrap baskets, charm packs, layer cakes are perfect for this type of project and start making them too!

Wishing I was in Paducah , I loved seeing the winners. have to admit to being a bit biased was really hoping that Nancy Kerns
Mary Simon quilt would have one best hand quilted , hand appliqued quilt, it is a masterpiece. She drafted all the patterns herself. She won the Founders Award in Houston 2010, let me see if I can find a picture of the quilt.

ok one more thing! Did you see Stephanies post about this antique quilt, oh my how I wish I would have seen this summer coverlet in person! makes me want to drive to Pittsburgh! Isn't it amazing how we find quilts when we least expect it!

2011-04-23T19:04:00.004-04:00

a few things to share....a little quilt I just made, it was suppose to be brown and beige for my 2 color quilt collection!. Ok, how come I seem to have to add RED to all my quilts lately????
I am really happy with my little quilt! Can't wait to quilt it and use it!

Have you seen the new issue of Quilts and More Summer 2011 yet? oh there are quite a few great projects in here ...
love that rail fence on the cover, doesn't that say spring/summer to you???
there is a new column in the magazine, Scrap Lab, how fun does that sound! you can read about it here on Joanna's blog! Cute little projects you need for a road trip this summer, love that little case for your iphone! Oh I could go on and on this is an issue I think you will want!
and then there is one of my quilts in here! Baby Steps, This is one of my favorite patterns to use for baby quilts, quick and easy and use up that scrap basket!
Hope you check it out!

2011-04-21T05:44:00.005-04:00

As I was looking thru a "new" quilt book to me, published in 1991, Abstract Design in American Quilts: A biography of an Exhibit by Jonathan Holstein look what I found!

looks like my Tribute to Joanna S. Rose quilt!

here is the quilt from the exhibit

this is a great book! full page pictures of antique quilts...I am so happy I bought it

progress on the drunkard path blocks
so many of you emailed and asked me how I was making these...HAND APPLIQUED! just easier for me then curved piecing :)

not much else going on...suffering terribly with seasonal allergies, the worst year ever! must be all this rain we are having and then too much blooming at once.

2011-04-18T04:13:00.004-04:00

Added to my 3' nine patch collection this week, some day I hope I have enough for a queen size quilt! These are just fun to make and one of my favorite blocks. Why? you get to use LOTS of fabrics in one quilt, I make them as I am making other blocks with left over pieces. for each block you see here I made another block and it wasn't a nine patch :)

I fell in love with this quilt from my V and A Diary 2011 so instead of working on finishing another quilt, I started another quilt this weekend! (Tell me does this ever happen to you too?) I think this is how I get in trouble with my ufo's I am cutting fabric for one quilt and think oh these would look great in drunkard path blocks just look at those combo's and before I know I have 5 blocks made! This will be an ongoing project even though I then made another 7 blocks last night! What is fun about this block there is so many ways to lay them out. I love playing on my design wall with blocks like this. When I have a few more made I will show you what I mean.

Do you read Nedra's blog???? Cactus Needle is the name of the blog.She shares so much and I just love visiting her I hope you will to. I loved these 3 posts on how to read a quilt. beautiful antique quilts to see!
If your looking for Chintz panels check out Margo's Reproduction Fabrics Store, she just had some printed!
Margo has a blog too! Cottonopia check it out and you can learn about the chintz panels.

2011-04-13T07:32:00.007-04:00

A great new book if you love antique quilts like I do! I love that the book has quilt history as well as diary entries, very fun to read! AND yes of course it has great quilt patterns in it!
Home on the Plains:Quilts and the Sod House Experience by Kathleen L Moore and Stephanie Grace Whitson

just a sneak peak...one of my favorite quilts, don't you just LOVE this border????? and of course that green fabric I need to track down some of that color!

check this book out I am sure you will want to add this to your library.

I finished the binding on my little quilt from the Simply Charming book, I am thrilled with it, i am pleased with how my friend Lorre quilted it for me, the clamshells add so much texture to this little quilt.

I was inspired by Lori's quilt to start my own, I played around with the size of the blocks and decided I liked this size the best,
this will be made from my scrap basket and as I cut for other quilts. Long term project I think!

one more thing A new blogger that I am really enjoying reading Dawn , she loves reproduction fabrics and antique quilts like I do! I look forward to her posts! I hope you will enjoy visiting her too. Collector with a needle is the name of her blog.

My Tribute to Joanna S. Rose

2011-04-11T03:29:00.003-04:00

My first quilt inspired by one of the quilts I saw at the Red and White exhibit ,
Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts and you know it won't be my last!
I used the moda belle country red solid I bought the other day, I love this red. I just may need to buy a bolt of it!

2011-04-07T04:49:00.002-04:00

How lucky am I? I opened up the mail box and there was a package from Lori of Humble Quilts.
She made me a little quilt, how beautiful is this? I was so sorry that our schedules for viewing the Red and White quilt show didn't match up in NYC. One day we will meet in person!
this little quilt is a treasure to me, thank you! It will definitely go on my wall of little quilts one day but for now it will reside in my sewing room so I can enjoy it everyday!

have you checked out Linda's photos of the Red and White Exhibit? These are the best photos I have seen from the show in mho. Please leave her a comment thanking her for sharing these with us.
as soon as I opened it up I felt like I was standing right back in the Armory.
Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts was the quilt show of the century I doubt one will ever top this one.

2011-04-05T06:57:00.005-04:00

so what do you do when you come home from seeing a quilt show with so many red and white quilts????
order red and white fabric of course! It arrived yesterday
I ordered Christmas red and Country Red and then a bolt of a white 9900-60, Moda Belle Solids! the piece in the middle is Betty's Red, nice bright color, I think my favorite is on the left Country Red or maybe the Christmas Red!
now to decide which quilt to make I am inspired by so many of them, yes there will be a few made this year!

Here is what I started 2 weeks ago...delectable mtn blocks...oh not sure this will be the setting yet! Yes there were a few of them at the Red and White exhibit, one had a star in the center, I can't find a picture of it at the moment but I liked that idea!
When I showed this to my friend she showed me an antique one she owned and I thought wow! maybe mine will be just like that one!!! Isn't it great to have options?
EDIT found a picture of the delectable mtn quilt with the star in the center!!!! on Minick and Simpson blog and look theres that rick rack quilt, ah yes, on my list just LOVED that quilt!!!! and the quilting was to die for.
I will continue to make blocks and see where it leads me...yes these are prints not solids, there were a few quilts with printed fabric, very few Less than 5 out of the 650 if I had to guess.

I have wanted to do this 15 minutes of play with this group, I started and then stopped.
Last week I decided I need to do this a few days a week, I will use my scrap basket and I had to join the simply sixteenths club, this will allow me to add fabrics I didn't pick out and just the right size to cut up into fun shapes and pieces! I may have to add a few more of these bundles to my project!
think Gwen Marston and liberated quilting and of course adding to my little log cabin blocks!

I also ordered a Faith quilt kit from the Collection for a cause by Howard Marcus of Moda
Brown and pink quilts just speak to me and this fabric line I just love it, yes I had already ordered a fat quarter bundle of the line a few weeks ago....so can you tell I love this line???? I also appreciate that they chose a charity for each of these fabric lines in the Collection for a cause and donate money to that charity from the sales The charity for this line is The Coalition to Salute American's Heros. Read about it here, very interesting... The Moda Cutting table newsletter.
Its going to be fun making this quilt that was reproduced from his antique quilt collection.
The lunch box tin the kit came in is going to be turned into a travel sewing kit for me!

hope you find something to inspire you to sew this week!

2011-03-31T05:44:00.004-04:00

One of the few with a print fabric in the exhibit, just beautiful.

a few more pictures from the Infinite Variety : Three Centuries of REd and White Quilts I am sure there will be so many pictures posted from this exhibit I don't think I will continue to post pictures of it. I will keep you posted though as to when the book will be out and as soon as I hear where some of the quilts will be exhibited next. She will be lending them to museums all over the world I read. How exciting is that!
See my original post here and my thank you to Joanna Semel Rose for an incredible opportunity to see her quilts in person.

this quilt was just beautiful, I loved the design as well as the quilting.

this quilt just spoke to me! Loved the quilting. simple yet graphic.

you can see right next to the quilt above was this quilt. It was a signature quilt BUT with typed names rather then signatures, you really had to look to see them! I thought this was fun and creative!

I saw a few goose in the pond quilts, different settings , I will have to make another one in red and white now.
I gave away my blue one to a friend.

now the winner of the red fabrics for my giveaway is Pinkadot quilts. I loved that she wanted to make a quilt for herself finally and its going to be interesting to see reproduction fabrics used in one of her quilts now! Just email me and give me your address and I will mail the fabrics out to you this week.

2011-03-30T03:19:00.006-04:00

Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts
Having the opportunity to go in and see this exhibit twice was just amazing. I spent two days in a daze just totally amazed at all the quilts I saw. From the way they were display that everywhere you looked you saw quilts and if you moved two steps to your left or to your right you saw many new quilts ! I tried to capture that in my pictures as well as taking individual pictures of quilts . I was very skeptical at the way they were hung but as soon as I walked into that Armory I was so overcome with emotion it was a sight I will never forget. Thinc Design did an amazing job hanging the quilts in such an artistic way . You were able to see all the quilts perfectly as well as the quilting in all the quilts for the most part, not the top row as well as the bottom row obviously but you could see it. The lighting was incredible and allowed you to view those upper quilts as if they were right in front of you.
I am very grateful to Joanna S. Rose for sharing her red and white quilts for me to view them as well as to her husband for giving her this gift of displaying them in one location for her 80th birthday. Happy Happy Birthday Joanna!
What a wonderful gift to New York City as well. To all that was involved in bringing this show to life THANK YOU! It was incredible.

Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts was a once in a lifetime experience. It was so fun meeting up with other bloggers as well as quilt friends I haven't seen in a while.
Spending my first day in the city with Linda from Australia , Quilts in the Barn and Randi from Norway (no blog ) was very special. Meeting up for lunch with Bev (no blog)and her daughter Claire was wonderful. I have emailed with Bev and Linda for years and it was so nice to meet them in person. Felt as if we all have known each other for years! My friend, Lorre was there too and she couldn't believe that Linda , Randi and I had never met in person before she thought we were all long time friends!
Nice to meet Vicki and Jan from What a Load of Scrap was fun, not enough time to sit and chat with them in mho.
Sue from I Sew Quilts and her friend Sue , no blog!
having lunch yesterday with Linda, Randi, Chris and Sandra (friends of Linda's from Australia) and my friend Mary ann was just so much fun! it was like a meeting of quiltaholics!
oh I could go on and on with all the women we met up with and bloggers! but I have to go look at my pictures to start my day!

2011-03-25T04:00:00.006-04:00

a few of the red fabrics from my fabric collection....8 fat quarters!
So are you looking for red fabrics like I am????
I tried to chose older favorites that maybe you don't have in your collection
In honor of the Red and White Quilt Exhibit
I decided to have A GIVEAWAY....
I am thrilled that these quilts will be shown and that the exhibit is actually free to the public.
So tell me what you would do with these fat quarters if your the lucky winner?
Leave me a comment and the winner will be chosen in a few days.
I will ship anywhere in the world.
Have you seen this preview of the exhibit on flicker?

I continue to make and still trimming those hst!

thank you for all your comments on my blog posts, I really do try and answer everyone of them, sometimes I do and sometimes time is against me, I am sure you can relate......again THANK YOU! if I haven't thanked you personally I do appreciate them and I will try harder.

2011-03-24T06:23:00.004-04:00

I am really looking forward to the Red and White Exhibit in New York City this weekend.
My original plan was to wait and find a quilt (ok who am I kidding here? LOTS of quilts) to be inspired by to make a few quilts.
I came up with an idea and just had to start yesterday after I got a little help from my friend Cherie on how to tackle the block! Isn't it great to have a friend that helps you out with the math?????
I sewed, I trimmed and I sewed some more....

Lots of HST (did I say LOTS and LOTS?) and can't wait to make the next parts of blocks I need for this quilt :)
isn't it fun to start a new quilt???

Here is a blog I have read for years and am always inspired by her. Her love of antique quilts and quilting is amazing.
Scraps and Threadtales, go visit her and enjoy all her posts, well worth reading.
I wish her all the best on her upcoming exam for AQS quilt appraiser certification this April. Something I have always thought about pursuing as well.

Don't you wish you could be at this event?
I know I do. anyone in and around Sydney you must go! The Antique Quilt Big Day Out...
just the name of it makes me want to be there!

2011-03-21T04:07:00.007-04:00

Grace
by 3 sisters for Moda has me planning a few quilts :)
oh just look at those prints...

I know I need a bolt of this background fabric I have been staring at it for a week and wish I had it right now!
It isn't due out to May, can I really wait that long, I have plans for it, NOW!

Then look at these fabrics together...you know I love red and brown together! and how about that stripe for binding? This brown is just the perfect brown, I have an antique quilt I have wanted to reproduce for a long time but waiting for the right brown to come along, I finally found it!
so are you as excited about this new line as I am????

Update on my flower garden quilt....5th block done, my goal is one a week.

few more pictures of Grace by 3 sisters....
are you drooling yet?

2011-03-18T07:46:00.004-04:00

My friend, Lorre, just quilted this quilt for me
I just love these feathers, I was surprised when I looked closely and found that each block had its own feathered wreath.
its just beautiful, I am so pleased, now to bind this quilt and hang it up!
See I can make smaller quilts!!! not every one has to be queen size (can you tell I am trying to convince myself here!) normally i just keep making blocks to my design wall is full of blocks!
I had a hard time deciding whether or not to border this quilt or not...as you can see I decided it didn't need a border!
Its all about the fabrics :)

another red and white quilt for Taryns cyper quilt show!
I made this a few years ago for a foyer table top, I wish I would have hand quilted it still to this day!
maybe I need to make another one.

I think with all the excitement of the Red and White Exhibit in NYC I have a great excuse to have to shop for more fabrics
look at these Moda French General fabrics I just bought! aren't they beautiful????
ok so its red and tan (thats red and white to me!!!!)
can't you see a little quilt being whipped up this week in these fabrics????

and another red and white combo that will be made into a quilt soon, waiting on a few more yards of the shirting fabric!

I have always loved red , its fun now having an excuse to make a few red and white quilts this year, I know I will be very inspired after seeing the Red and White Exhibit next weekend!
I am really hoping a lot of red reproduction fabrics are coming out in the next few months!
If you like red quilts go visit Nifty quilts blog!
lee ann is amazing with her use of red in her quilts.

can we talk leaves?

2011-03-15T05:32:00.005-04:00

Since I am making my Flower Garden quilt with repros I have to work a bit harder to let the fabrics do the work for me
I don't have the collection of big bright bold prints that you find in the Amy Butler, Kaffe, Brandon Mabley, Philip Jacobs so many of the Free Spirit designers..
but I do have WONDERFUL REPRODUCTION FABRICS!
just look at these two....

no I didn't want one leaf of each...hmm what to do?
lets sew the fabrics together

are you wondering why didn't I just place the leaf right down the middle of the seam???
well think of that seam allowance I don't want that under that little stem AND are leaves perfect in nature? No!

So do you like my leaves now????

I have a feeling I will be making my own fabric pieces for quite a few things on this quilt, won't that be fun?
Off to the Lancaster quilt show tomorrow in search for bright reproduction fabrics and getting to visit with again....
Sujata from The Root Connection blog! Looking forward to it AND seeing her quilt in the show.

2011-03-11T06:24:00.004-05:00

I pulled out a medallion quilt I started probably 2 years ago!
its time to finish this quilt!
I was really stuck on what to do for the next round or two...
any suggestions????

a few days ago I put the courthouse step blocks back up on the design wall I am determined to have this quilt done this month.
I changed the layout....
not sure which one I like better...
isn't it great we have so many choices in quilting?

2011-03-08T09:48:00.005-05:00

Imagine my surprise when I went to the mailbox and found a package in the mail. I was so thrilled when I opened it up and there was this beautiful little quilt in it.
I just love it , thank you BARB I will treasure it and you know it will have a home on my wall of little quilts!
go visit Barb at her blog Fun with Barb and congratulate her for winning a ribbon, Judges choice from Pepper Cory, at the quilt show this weekend for "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" What an honor.
this quilt is amazing, I never get tired of looking at it.
I love that she added so many things to this quilt of her designs, things that mean something to her. Isn't that great?
She made this quilt back in 2007. Isn't she just so creative I never would have thought to do that, I would have just made the quilt just like the antique quilt! Her friend Mary made this quilt too and she also put her own touch on her quilt.
Yes its on my list , some day !!!!

I love red and brown together and couldn't wait to get this little quilt together...
I am really happy with the way it came out.
Thanks Tara, great little quilt from your new book! Simply Charming.

flower garden progress...

2011-03-04T08:32:00.009-05:00

Finally a productive week in the sewing room!
how cute is this little quilt? I just love it. Yes I chose the shirting but decided I will make it with the primitive muslin as well.
I am convinced it will have a different look and feel to the quilt, stay tuned! I will post a picture next week with the two of them for you to decide!

Second block done from the Flower Garden quilt! don't you just love that pink leaf!

here are my two blocks together!
Went with the blue binding, I am happy with my choice.
almost done sewing it down Information about this quilt is in this post.

Pulled this book out last night and have always loved this Copp Quilt
the pattern is in this book, this is a great book

Quilts an American Legacy by Mimi Dietrich, antique quilts reproduced from the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC
Here you can see the antique quilt and Helen Johnston's version of it.
I think this has just moved up on my list to make soon.

last but not least I started cutting out and laid out a little quilt from Simply Charming new little quilt book! I added a bit of my
own twist to the Hopscotch pattern hope to get it sewn together this weekend. Don't you love reds and browns together?

Hope you all had a productive week too!

2011-03-01T06:57:00.004-05:00

A new month a few new journeys!
I just couldn't resist any more I had to join the Prairie Women's Sewing Circle! You know I love making these little quilts and well I just fell in love with a few of these!
now to decide the fabrics for the little star quilt...don't you just love the way she rounded the corners, I may just have to try that! Mine will be red and white (ok tan/beige!) to go along with the Red and White quilt exhibit in NYC the end of the month! I have a feeling I will be making quite a few red and white quilts this year after seeing this exhibit!
so do you like the shirting fabric or do you like that primitive muslin???? hard decision! which do you like?

My next new journey for the month is Kim McLeans Flower Garden quilt.
after I saw the pictures of the quilt and Kim on Janets's blog I had to order the pattern, can you imagine I did not order it the day it came out! I tried to convince myself wait till you finish roseville album (see one of my blocks on my header picture right hand corner!) and stars and sprigs (which I never even started yet!...
well I broke down ordered it last week it arrived on Friday and I whipped up a block this weekend! See reproduction fabrics can be bright! yes mine will be in reproduction fabrics, should be interesting don't you think!!!!

the blocks are big, this would be a great beginner applique project in mho! easy to do!
by the time you finish the blocks you would be able to handle the border!
so are you starting any new journeys/projects this month too????? tell me!

2011-02-27T04:12:00.004-05:00

MY little quilt I just made to be used during the month of March! I like making little quilts to decorate my home. I decided to try and make a few for different holidays and keep with the 2 color quilt theme. This one will be great to use in March for St. Patrick's Day! and of course can be used at Christmas time too! Actually this one maybe used all year round but see how I can be holiday festive without having to use themed fabric sometimes.

I had to order more of the Primitive Gathering Muslin, these look so good with reproduction fabrics, it gives the quilt instant age in my opinion. I bought my two favorite colors pie crust and time worn. ( I think I may need to order a few yards of the paper bag color too) I sure hope Moda keeps this line available for years to come.
Did you see that Primitive Gatherings is doing a shirting line??? Now you know how much I LOVE shirtings! From the preview picture on Lisa's blog I am THRILLED! a darker shirting line I can not wait to see this line in person and of course start using it in a quilt, I already have plans!

The blocks are 3" finished
the quilt is 14 1/2" square
If you make one I would love to see it!
so do you like my new blog header picture???? Thanks Lucy for all your help with my new look for my blog.