Country Roads

The blocks are all together! I simply have to finish the borders - they are cut out and ready to go - just need time to sew them on. I've kind of changed by mind about having it professionally quilted. Orginally, I really wanted it done by someone who would give it justice. Now I am thinking I can do it - I want the blovks to stand out, so they all need to be stitched in the ditch - that isn't hard. I can figure out some kind of fancy work for the outside borders. It would be satisfying to do the entire thing myself. We will see.......

Kittens and Quilts

OMG - I am in LOVE! When I was visiting California this summer I saw a quilt made up with oreiental fabrics call Country Roads. I really liked it and thought what a great way to use up my stash. I've been working on it this weekend. It is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!! There are 6 different blocks depending on where you place the various peices. Every block looks different because you also mix up the fabrics. It is designed for fat quarters.

So far I have all the blocks made and have connected 3 rows. The photo is just a piece of the three rows. The blocks will be outlined with a black border and I've found a lovely chrythanemum (SP?) fabric for the outside borders.

What has made this more fun is that I have a new kitten - his name is Spook, because that what he has been for most of his first 24 hours in the house. He spent the first 12 under a dresser. He has now ventured out to the sewing room, has played with the quilt blocks on the floor (a good sign), and found a "bed" on the orange fleece blanket next to my chair. I have to stop every so often to hug him cause he is still looking for his Mom & 4 sibs.

Sickness and Sewing

Last week I had the plague - OK, maybe not the real plague, but when I miss 4 days of work, it's SICK! When I wasn't asleep or blowing my nose, I managed to sew. When you are trapped at home with near zero energy, sewing is even tough. Thirty minute sessions were about all I could manage.

I had started a Christmas quilt during the summer after my visit to the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach, CA. It's a simple string quilt pattern using up as much of my stash as possible. One nice thing about string quilts is that they fit nicely into 30 minute sessions. You can start and stop anytime without getting messed up. I got all the blocks done! The string strips are all Christmas fabrics. The half square triangles are all white on white scrap fabrics.

Once the blocks were done, I laid them out on the bed and a few more short sessions later, they were all assembled into a top. Borders were added in two more sessions. I'ts queen sized. Fabulous and ready for quilting. More than I've done in the last 2 months. Guess I proved that you can get a lot done in 30 minute chunks of time! No more excuses for saying I don't have time to sew.