Blog it!

Miss Millie and I had the pleasure of having my dear friend Linda (sorry I don't remember how to link you) and her husband for the day. We thought we'd have scads of time to visit, but as luck would have it Miss Millie wasn't just off her rocker, she needed her brain examined too!!! I say luck...but luck for me was really having Linda and her handy dandy husband (who happens to know a great deal about APQS maintenance) take charge and whip her into shape. I can't wait to get a quilt loaded and take her for a real spin!

While in the studio Linda was drawn to my cutting table accessory rack and told me I had to blog it! I thought that was funny cause I've had that thing for YEARS and have moved it from house to house, and it is always the first thing hung up in my studio and has kept my gadgets up and off my cutting table for forever. I've always been one for organization, especially in my studio! This little dealy is from Ikea in the kitchen department. When I bought this one it was the only style to choose from but now they have a few different options for rods and hooks and even have little bins that can hang off of it too. I think I should pick up another one with bins to hang behind my cutting table for my millions of bobbins that don't seem to have a home....or maybe get the one that has the shelf attached for more display space....hmmm. Ikea is a dangerous place for those who like to organize!!! Even my sewing table and the cutting table in the picture is from Ikea. I love it because you can customize a table to suit your needs. I chose a glass top for the cutting table so that it can double as a light table for tracing!!! Ahhh yaaa!!! And the saw horse type legs with the built in shelf are awesome too...I am able to make the table whatever height I want for cutting and my scrap baskets fit perfectly on the shelves underneath for quick scrap organization!

Simplicity...

Back in the fall during my trip to Arizona, I picked up a bunch of Simplicity fabric to make a quilt for one of my oldest friends 6 year old daughter. I chose this line of fabric as her favorite color is pink! And as it turned out, before I showed her the fabric she shared with me the paint chips of the colors they had planned for her room makeover. EXACT same colors!!! I selected the courthouse step block and alternated the setting. I had just enough of the outer border fabric to make a 10 inch border, which I really think the quilt needed as the print is so pretty. The photo makes the blocks look very washed out but they aren't that light in person. I quilted it with a darker rose So Fine and used the Wandering Daisies panto which is such a sweet girly pattern with all the daisies and hearts. It covers her queen bed nicely and I'm told it is her favorite part of her room.

Civil War Love Letters...

What some might think as an absolute nightmare....quilting a civil war quilt....I was actually quite inspired by it. I was never one for tons of paper piecing, loved the results, but hated not being able to cut exact pieces for the blocks! I'm not a willy nilly kind of quilter and I hate wasting fabric so I've sort of stuck to my traditional ways of piecing and have found myself modifying new patterns to get the most out of my fabric. Anywho...when my new dear friend came into my life with this absolutely stunning masterpiece I didn't know what hit me! I had seen another version of the Love Letters quilt made up and honestly didn't give it much thought, except that it was lovely, huge and WAY too much work for me. It wasn't until I began quilting this one for my new client that I absolutely fell in love with this entire concept. Instead of fretting over the million itty bitty seams in every itty bitty block, I found myself admiring each and every block, the fabric, the history and the dedication my client gave to this jewel of a quilt....and the quilt just pulled me in. Every time I advanced the quilt, it was like unveiling a new treasure. I adore how she sashed the blocks in tiny strips of mismatched fabrics, I am convinced that it is this setting that makes me love it so much. Somehow, in the weeks that passed, I committed to making the latest Civil War quilt....Civil War Diaries!!! I will post on my progress soon....there is progress!

I couldn't resist snapping a picture with the quilt as it hung in the Heritage Park Festival of Quilts show this past weekend. My only regret is that my new friend isn't standing right there beside me. Congratulations 'D' on your work of art, it was an absolute honor to quilt it for you!