It's June Already!

Ok, so who switched the calendar on me? How did it become June already? I have way too much to do and can't figure out how to stay on top of it all. I am working on the graduation quilt for Mattie. The top should be completed over the next two-three days and then on to the frame it goes lickety-split! I have the choosen the panto I want to use on it. Dare I say that the quilt I ended up making for her is design idea #3? I've used some of the pieces I cut for #2 so some of the fabrics stayed but I had to change the overall look. I guess the wind was trying to tell me something....I had the whole thing up on my design wall one beautiful afternoon, window wide open enjoying the breeze when it kicked up quite a bit and blew off the pieces I hadn't yet pinned in place. Whooosh! Well, I wasn't in love with it anyway. So, back to the drawing board or, in my case, I peruse lots of magazines as well as they come through the shop...and this picture popped out at me. I didn't need a pattern for it. I just sketched out what I wanted to do for it and put together some numbers so I could make it the right size and voila! Design #3. I'll post a picture soon. Hopefully I'll get some pics of it before I give it away.

The Unofficial Stash Report: I know I used up a couple more yards in the process of making the above blocks but I had bought a couple yards for it while in Paducah in April. And, I haven't used some of the other fabulous stuff I bought there. That was supposed to be something I could dive into right away.....But, I have resisted bringing stuff home from work every day. I only bring stuff home every OTHER day!!! Hee, hee, hee. Oh well, I am trying to be more mindful even if I'm probably still bringing in more than I use up.

I also went to the Machine Quilter's Showcase in Kansas City last month. Fab-u-lous!! Loved my classes (most of them), loved the quilts (of course), loved getting away for a few days with S, even though we just spent the evenings together. And, we saw some very dear friends of ours as well. Kansas City also has some wonderful old architecture which we captured in photographs for me to use in machine quilting. I think I've found a new hobby!!

Happy quilting, y'all. And, happy summer, ready or not!

Starters and Stash Report

Hi everyone!

I don't know what got in to me but as I enjoy cooking, most of the time, I had been looking into making some good pizza dough. While on that little quest, I became interested in the cookbooks by the King Arthur Flour company. Reading recipes about this and that I decided to get my starter out of the freezer and spent some of my free time this week renewing my sourdough starter. With several of my groups meeting this week, I ended up "saving" each division of dough making more and more starter with plastic containers taking over the countertop! And, what's more, I gave away every one of them, except my original container of it. If you've never used or made starter before, check out King Arthur Flour's website and you might just want to start some of your own! BTW, I haven't made that pizza dough yet but I did make a wonderful sourdough carrot cake.

I haven't reported on my stash for ages but, I haven't done a ton of sewing lately either. I haven't worked on the mystery quilt for at least a month. I changed ideas for the graduation quilt I'm doing and that's all cut out. I bought a few small pieces of fabric to add to what I had in my stash for that project. Buy some, save some, cut some. My current standing for the 2010 is 55 3/4 yards IN, and 47 yards OUT. That's fairly close, but I'd like to do better; however, there's way too much FUN fabric out there these days.

It's almost time for the Paducah show and I'm going again! I'm not supposed to bring home another long-arm quilting machine....hmmm. Hope I can live up to that! If I bring home a machine it doesn't count under my stash report does it....

New Quilt Pattern Published!

My second pattern as quilt designer has been printed and bagged and is ready for sale! It will be for sale at the Indiana Heritage Quilt Show along with the first one I wrote. I'm quite happy with it except it cost an arm and a leg to make color copies of several of the pages. There's a really great technique in it along with an extra page of things you can do with it. My company is called Lucky Star Quilts and they are carried by Quilts Plus in Indianapolis.

Although I brought more fabric home from work this week I also used some up so I'm running about even in the stash. I brought home some 1/4 yard cuts of the cutest shirtings to replace some of what I had used in the mystery quilt since I still have more to cut for that. And, I bought some fabric that had written on it the whole verse of 'Twas the night before Christmas. I love that story and I thought it would make the cutest pillowcases to have on every bed on...you guessed it...the night before Christmas. I had to get it NOW because everyone knows if you wait it will be GONE when you do want it. To use fabric I completed the two pillowcases I mentioned last time and cut up 4 more yards of strips for the crocheted rug I'm working on and a little bit cut for the mystery quilt.

Today I finished clue #2 of the mystery quilt. (I'm making it, not writing it.) It really feels good to stay on top of that. The clues are really well written and, so far, I like the way it has been broken down. I made 180 4-patches today and they are so cute!! Love them! The pattern was written by Debbie Caffrey.

I've been watching the Olympics also which is when I've been working on my crocheted rug. You can't hurt yourself with the big crochet hook I'm using either!