museum quilts

Yesterday I had the most exciting morning. I went with some friends on a "behind the scenes" tour at the museum and we got to see a good number of incredible antique quilts up close. I was disappointed that they would not allow photos - how am I going to remember all that I saw? All I can share with you is this postcard picture of one of the quilts we saw.
The quilt in the picture was so much more vibrant in real life. For me that was the best part about this tour. To see these quilts in books - photographed well - is wonderful, but to see them in person where you can ask questions, see the backside, and scrutinize the fabrics and the beautiful hand quilting is SO much better. It was a marvelous experience - and I hope to go again because there were many more quilts rolled up and wrapped in muslin that we didn't see.Here is a peek at my new leader and ender project. Next will come some hst's. :0)

And I whipped up a little pocket for my new cell phone. I resisted as long as I could but pay phones are disappearing and sometimes emergencies do happen.

Happy Quilting!!

new project

I had a really great time at my guild retreat. Good friends, good food and lots and lots of sewing!

I was so pleased to finish all 12 of these blocks for my ufo. I don't think I'd ever have finished them at home. Retreat was the perfect place to work on them. However, it was a bit distracting...

and I made a cutting mistake which led to running out of background fabric - and so I had to piece a few squares to use for hst's. I don't think it will be too noticeable once it's quilted.

So on the last day with my ufo blocks all finished I just had to start something new. I just love the Crowfoot block from the cover of Betsy Chutchian's "Gone to Texas" book. I've seen this block dozens of times before but done in the lovely scrappy colors Betsy chose I couldn't resist.

My version turned out a little bit too busy I think - but I'm having too much fun to tone it down now. :0)
Happy Quilting!!

new books!

I'm getting ready to go on a quilting retreat and I'm just itching to start something new. I bought these 2 great books at Temecula Quilt Co and my head is full of new project ideas.
But I am resolved to be good and so I dug out a ufo I haven't done anything with in a long, long time. I posted about it here. I made a test block last night to see if I still remembered how to make this block. Only 11 more to go... :0)

I really have gone in a much scrappier direction since I started this quilt but I still love the fabric and I would like to finish it to use on my bed. A retreat ought to be just the place to work on it - with lots of lively conversation with friends to keep me from getting bored of making the same block in the same fabrics 11 more times. :0)

Happy Quilting!!

successful starching

We've been away on a holiday to San Diego. We had a marvelous time - there's so much to do and see. We did have one rainy day and I knew just what to do with it :0)
A drive out to Temecula! I'd seen this shop in the 2009 APQ Quilt Sampler magazine and I knew I would love it.

There was just loads of inspiration everywhere I looked and I loved it all. We enjoyed driving around the countryside as well.

In the evenings I did some applique stitching. I am very happy with how my starch prepped leaves turned out. I was worried that they would look and feel stiff but they don't - not one bit. I starched the wing too - should I have attempted the bird shape? I just appliqued it my usual way.

I'm very excited to be going on a quilting retreat next weekend. I'm looking forward to all the time to sew with no interruptions.

Happy Quilting!!