One quilt top revealed

Well this is silly, but I just took several pictures of one of my baby quilt tops and went to download into the computer, only to find out that I had removed the SD card. Meanwhile, I had already packed up the quilts to ship off to be quilted, so no retakes for now. I usually don't report on the stupid things I do daily. Better to forget. Last post I showed the middle sections of two quilts with the promise to show them completed. 

 So here is one of them. I love checkered borders, even tho they take a while, still, they are worth it. The second quilt now sports a sawtooth border, which is another favorite. They are packed up and ready to fly away to Mary at Quilt Hollow so she can do her magic on them.

Mary is a long-arm quilter, and she has quite a talent, as you can see from the photo above. Lately my Fish Creek Cabin pattern has been flying off the shelf thanks to her showing it on her blog with her magnificent quilting on it. She turned a humble little log cabin quilt into a stunner. My own Fish Creek Cabin quilt was quilted in straight, stitch in the ditch quilting. Sad, isn't it? But I love mine very much. I do what I can, and when I reach a point where I can't, then I call in the experts!

Be sure and check out Mary's Quilt Hollow blog, to see how she quilted Fish Creek Cabin, and lots of others!

If you are interested in purchasing the pattern, go to my website on THIS PAGE!

Back to the sewing room. Can you believe I still have more to do in there?

Two much fun!

After completing the big queen size Celebration Stars, shown in my last post, I hopped to and began making scrappy baby quilts. I don't make the traditional cute and cuddly teddy bears and lambs. I make baby quilts like I make everything else, scrappy and happy. That is my style, so deal. I may have mentioned that my granddaughter, Becky, is pregnant with, not one, but two babies! Both boys, and yes, identical twins. She is thru the moon with happiness and I am grateful that she is young and healthy! So here are portions of the quilts I am creating for this double bundle of joy. Becky, if you are reading this close your eyes NOW!

 So far the center measures 30 inches. There is more to come. Such a little boy quilt, don't you think?

 

Here is number two baby quilt, again 30 inches in the center. Both will have pieced borders. I am having such fun with these little quilts! You may notice a few fabrics from my Celebration Stars in these quilts. Well, the fabric was sitting right there saying "me-me-me"! It is hard to say no to fabric. The other sweet thing about making these quilts is that I have my boxes of pre-cut scraps standing by waiting for the chance to go on stage. In this case I used pre-cut two inch squares. I stayed with the same blue in both quilts for uniformity, and the same light background gives the scraps a chance to sparkle. 

OK Becky, you can open your eyes now. (I sure hope she like them!)

Stitchin' Time

The most difficult thing about pattern  making for me is getting a good photo of my quilt for the pattern cover. Seriously, it is a pain! I have spent the evening uploading photos and nothing is coming together for me. DPI? What the heck is that? I have Photoshop, an inexpensive version, and I am constantly struggling with how to use it. This is definitely not my area of expertise. Give me a pile of scraps and watch me go! I can even write pattern directions! I just have a big problem when it comes to the covers. I would love to have someone else take over the production of the pattern covers. OK, enough whining.

 This one actually came out pretty good. I just got  it back from the printers and feel good about it. I still have to put it on my website, but for those of you who were interested in this pattern, it is now ready!

Here is what became of all the stars in the previous post.I made this one big enough for a queen size bed so I can sleep with it someday! The fabric line is Civil War Chronicles, from Marcus Fabrics. I LOVE the line! And Pati at Marcus Fabrics very generously sent it to me to play with. I loved making all those stars. They were so much fun! And I really think the sawtooth border gives it a great finish. I love pieced borders! I also love RED. Can you tell? I am naming this one Celebration Stars to honor Marcus Brothers Fabrics as they celebrate their 100th birthday!!! I for one am really glad they are still here to keep providing us with great fabric! And it just keeps getting better and better!

Celebration Stars

I don't always post this often, but since I have a few things to show, and I thought I would do it before I am knee deep again.I showed a few stars a couple posts back that I am making with Marcus Fabrics. They are mostly from the Civil War Chronicles line, by Judie Rothermel. I began assembling block units before I actually assembled the stars because I had to order additional red for the corners, as I wanted them all to be the same. Doesn't that look nice and neat? One would draw the conclusion that I am very organized in my sewing room. Don't assume. It became necessary in this case, which I guess means I am capable of organization, but it just doesn't happen all that often!

That box of block units turned into this. It  is pretty set like that, don't you think? But I have other plans, and they are almost completed. Come back next time to see the completed top!

Your local quilt shop may carry this line, and you can find some of these fabrics at Sew Unique Creations. Check it out! Tara carries all my favorites!

Catch you later!

Catch Me Too!

I have really enjoyed seeing all these blocks pop up around blogland. I had to hurry and catch up! So here is mine. Catch Me if You Can!

I am so excited that Barbara Brackman is offering this sew-a-long. If you are unaware, please note that she has created a new blog to devote to this, and will share directions for a new block each Saturday.  Both of these are great blogs! I'm a fan!

To simplify:

Barbara Brackman's current blog, Material Culture

Barbara's post explaining her new blog

Her new blog Civil War Quilts

What I Read Last Year

In 2010 I decided to write down each book as I read it so I could keep a record. As you can see, I have some favorite authors whose books I read whenever I find a new one, or one that is old that I haven't read. Harlan Coben is a favorite and so is Lisa Scottoline. They both write good mysteries and each has an enjoyable sense of humor, which goes a long way when fictitious people are getting murdered. Michael Connelly also writes good mysteries with interesting characters. Maeve Binchey and Jacqueline Winspear are wonderful, with characters and places that you really warm up to. I highly recommend them both.

 I also really enjoy historical fiction and this year I have had some really good books recommended, or loaned to me, and I would also recommend these to you. I "bolded" the best ones in the list below. I am not sure they all fall under historical fiction, but they were out of the ordinary and very good!

• New York by Edward Rutherford
• 9 Dragons by Michael Connelly
• The Other Side of the Sky -Farah Ahmedi
• The Reversal-Michael Connelly
• Sarah's Key-Tatiana de Rosnay
• Play Dead-Harlen Coben
• The Burning Wire-Jeffery Deaver
• Bad Things Happen-Harry Dolan
• Mistaken Identity-Lisa Scottoline
• I Capture the Castle-Dodie Smith
• 1000 White Women-Jim Fergus
• Daddy's Girl-Lisa Scottoline
• Among the Mad-J. Winspear
• The Faithful Spy-Alex Berenson
• What Matters Most-Luanne Rice
• An Incomplete Revenge-J. Winspear
• The Forgotten Garden-Kate Morton
• The Scarecrow-Michael Connelly
• Heart and Soul-Maeve Binchy
• Caught-Harlan Coben
• The Second Opinion-Michael Palmer
• The First Family-David Baldacci
• Suite Francaise-Irene Nemirovsky
• Messenger of Truth-Jacqueline Winspear
• The Boleyn Inheritance-Philippa Gregory
• True Blue-David Baldacci
• The Help-Kathryn Stockett
• The Lincoln Lawyer-Michael Connelly
• Bone By Bone-Carole O'Connell
• Water for Elepants-Sara Gruen
• Shanghai Girls-Lisa See
• The Lost Symbol-Dan Brown
• Pursuit of Honor-Vince Flynn

I am currently reading Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill. It is a gripping story about a young girl captured and taken on a slave ship to America. It is very well written and extremely interesting, not to mention heartbreaking and touching. If you are looking for a good book, don't miss this  one!

So what have you been reading and what recommendations do you have to share?