Beautiful Fabric

Just bought this beautiful fabric today.  The line is called "French Journal Collection".   Isn't it gorgeous?   I have no idea what I'll do with it cuz I don't want to cut it up!

What would you do with it?

Butterfly Garden block

I finished block 3 (out of 9) of "Butterfly Garden".  A soft and romantic quilt by designer Leanne Beasley of Australia.  It's quilt that includes simple patchwork, applique and embroidery.   Each 18 inch big block is made up of nine 6 inch blocks.  

Here's a couple of close-ups of some of the embroidery.

This one is on one of the 6 inch blocks:

And this one is just in that little square in the upper left hand corner of the four patch....so cute:

I bought this as a block of the month a couple of years ago.  Unfortunately I've been a bit crazy buying appliqued block of the months.....currently have 3 going!   And doing bits and pieces on all 3 means I'm not finishing any one of them.  So I'm putting Butterfly Garden away till I finish a different one that I want to finish first.   

Bottled Rainbows - Block Two

I finished my second Bottled Rainbow block yesterday on my new sewing machine.   Perfect way to try out the  new girl!   I also got the third block all cut out and glued and ready to sew.  Hopefully I'll get it done in the next day or two cuz we are on week three and I don't want to be too far behind.

Here's a picture of a finished Bottled Rainbow quilt:

Crystal made this one.   She is a quick finisher!     You can read more about how she finished it on her blog, Sonnet of the Moon.

Red Bottled Rainbow

I finished my first "Bottled Rainbow" block yesterday.   Once decisions are made on which scraps to use and where to put them and what shape/size they should be.....it sews up really fast.....just a zig zag around each scrap.   :)     Hoping the decision process goes faster with each new block.

Bottled Rainbows

 Isn't that a lovely stack of color?    It's my fabric for a new project I'm doing called "Bottled Rainbows".   I read about it on the blog Stitched in Color.    Rachel is doing it as a sew-along......one block a week....and I thought it'd be fun to participate.   I've gotten a slow start cuz I just got my fabrics from work (we were out of stock of so many due to the new Solids Club).  I washed and ironed it all last night and will try to get my first block done this weekend.

This is an example of the blocks we are making.  Rachel made this one.  It is done in the "Ticker Tape" style of quilt making....which is sewing small scraps down on a background....they are not pieced.  And often it is done with batting so that the sewing down of the scraps is also the quilting.    This is all new to me but apparently very popular in the Modern Quilt movement.

Hopefully I'll have one of my own blocks to show you soon.

Design Wall Monday - Lucky Stars

I can't believe I actually have a new project on my design wall so soon after the last one!

I've had the blocks done for quite some time and the sashing rectangles cut out too.  All I needed was to put them up and try to balance color.   It shouldn't take too long to sew it all together. 

The pattern is called "Lucky Stars", by Atkinsons Designs.   Another super easy quilt.

See other designs walls here.  

Belated Quilt Show

One good thing about procrastinating about showing you some pictures from the Kitsap Quilters show last month is that now I know who won ribbons and I can tell you!   Enjoy the mini show.   :)

"Kaffee's Quilt" made by Carol Olsen.  This won Viewers Choice!

So colorful....and so many blocks.

I took this close-up so you could see the itty-bitty blocks....they are only 1.5 inches....and there are 272 of them in the quilt.

"Hawaiian Honeymoon" by Barbara Thomason.   This took second place in the Viewers Choice.  Plus first for Best Hand Quilting and second in the Large Bed Quilt category.  Over 2000 hours of work to complete this.  Wow.

"Cabbage Patch" by Jetty Morton.   This won second place in the Medium Bed Quilt category.

What I loved about this quilt was the use of Kaffe type fabrics.  I used to have the pattern book for this quilt and it was done in 1930's reproduction fabrics.....this is a wonderful update to that, I think.  I love it and want to make it.  To bad I gave away the book!

"Batik Baby Jane" by Ann Trujillo. 

 Never seen a Dear Jane quilt done in Batiks.  Beautiful.

"Christmas Eye Candy" by Mary Polensky.   This one won Honorable Mention in the Medium Bed Quilt category.  This is a Piece-o-cake pattern and I love anything they design!

"Christmas at Grandmother's House" by Geri Vondersmith.  

I like how Geri used the "Over the River & Through the Woods" pattern by Crab-Apple Hill for the embroidery and lay-out but substituted swapped blocks for the rest.  

"Locally Grown" by Barbara Schultz.   

I collected food fabrics for years and wish this pattern (original pattern by Barbara) was around then.  Its so cute!    I'm glad Barb is selling the pattern now.  Maybe another food quilt is in my future.    :)

 There ya go!   Hope you enjoyed the show.