August 9, 2008 - Quilt Camp

My friend's daughter came over Thursday morning for a tutorial on bindings. She is just beginning to quilt and nearly ready to bind her first baby quilt.

I put together this Prairie Paisley long place mat or short table runner, whatever, for her to do the binding. It was her first time sewing on a machine. She has been piecing by hand, very impressive! Then we went to the local sewing machine shop to look at machines for her. Now we are both dreaming of a Baby Lock Grace model.

It was lots of fun to spend the morning together and so fun to share my love of quilting : )

August 1, 2008 - Wildflower Serenade

I didn't think I could like a fabric collection any more than I do Prairie Paisley, but now there is Wildflower Serenade.

I bought a layer cake of it (for my non-quilting friends--10" squares of each of the fabrics in the collection) and now I have ordered yardage of the 8 fabrics shown. I am planning to make Opening Day from Miss Rosie's Quilting Co.

Still working on the Ohio Star quilt for my husband. Must.finish.it.soon.

July 22, 2008 - Jewel Box block

I'm working on a Jewel Box quilt at the same time as the Ohio Star quilt. Sometimes I do a little more on the Jewel Box than the Ohio Star ; )

Being a non scrappy kind of person, the quilt will have some scrappiness but symmetry as well.

July 21, 2008 - catching up

I've just had 4 days where I didn't have a lot of places to go. Finally I was able to catch up on folding laundry, filing piles and piles of papers, get income tax papers ready for the accountant for our friends' taxes (yes, I filed an extension!) and filled out a claim form for a faulty furnace we replaced 5 years ago.

In between I have been making scores of quarter-square triangles for my husband's quilt and sneaking in some HST and four patches of my Prairie Paisley fabrics. I was happy to see Minnick & Simpson are coming out in fall with another Moda line in similar colors, American Primer.

I am so grateful to have had the time to deal with the tasks that have been looming over my shoulders for so long. I am so grateful that I have been able to remain unemployed by choice for the last 14 months. May it continue for many more!!

Karen

July 11, 2008 - One more bunny update

It's a little blurry, but here is the little tyke yesterday in my neighbors' yard.

I am in the middle of 5 quilting projects:

Ohio Star quilt for my husband's office
Irish Chain for my son's college graduation
3 more place mats started in my free motion quilting class
a wall hanging, also from the quilting class
Jewel Box leader-ender out of Prairie Paisley

I learned a new word from a friend who is a special ed teacher -- perseveration. It means continuation of something (as repetition of a word) usually to an exceptional degree or beyond a desired point.

I guess that's a good word to describe my quilting these days!!

July 8, 2008 - The bunny is out on his own

Nature took its course during the week and by Saturday the 28th, only one bunny remained. Here it is.

I was out of town for the week and returned yesterday. The bunny was not in the bucket but the spot where it had been living was still indented so I don't think it had left too long ago.

Today I saw it hopping about in our yard. I have put the bucket away so the mom finds a safer place for her next delivery!

one-quarter finished

Here is the first of 4 Prairie Paisley place mats. Each one features a different fabric as the main square. I got the binding hand sewn last night.