Stunning

 After spending a  long weekend earlier this month in Minneapolis puppy sitting for Fern, (my daughter and son-in-law's lively wonderful Golden Doodle), then a week in Mexico Beach, Florida, I'm back to reality and my quilt world.  


What a great thrill to hear that "Woods and Wildflowers" was quilted and ready to be picked up.  I had to race to the Quilt Cottage in Hazelhurst this morning because I couldn't wait to see it.  Lisa Arndt, Creative Quilting has done an outstanding job with her machine quilting.  I chose the feather design, but from there she was on her own, adding wonderful applique outline and detail stitching, micro stippling and pebbling in the backgrounds.  The photo is just a sampling.  When seen as a whole it is stunning.  As they always say:  "quilting makes the quilt."


I will apply the binding and take photos this weekend.  My plan is to enter it immediately in the National Quilting Association's show in Columbus Ohio.  Deadline for entry:  April 29.  Get to work!

I did love the colors of these Florida shore birds:  black and gray with dark red beaks.  I thought there could be a quilt here with other beautiful colors of the sand,sea shells and the gulf waters..... 

Shore birds (photo courtesy of Katy Zillmer)

Flower Power to go to Paducah show

Flower Power has been accepted into the 2011 American Quilter's Society quilt show in Paducah, Kentucky.  The show is April 27 through 30 and it is my favorite show to attend.  It's always a surprise and an honor to  have one of my quilts shown among all the beauties from all over the world.  I don't aspire to win, but then again of course I do or I wouldn't enter. 

It's especially fun to attend the show each year with my sister Ellen who lives about 80 miles from Paducah.  I spend that week at her house each year.  This year, I'm also taking a machine quilting class, something I've always wanted to do, but just never got around to signing up.  Can't wait!!

Pizza Quilt?

The other day, Steve told me that every time he saw this quilt on my machine, he thought it was a pizza.  You can tell who loves pizza.  

He said: "Why don't you make a pizza quilt?"  I replied, OK, what would you like on it?  "Cheese, sausage, mushrooms and onions!  And... pepperoni!"  

What size would you like?   "King size" ... of course.

Well, my little camellia wall hanging is finished.  I machine quilted it and I like my finished results!  It's no pizza, but then, what is?

Spring air

Hello from the Northwoods!

I went out for my morning walk pretty early today.  The sky was still gray;  it was misty and quiet and very mild.   I realized how nice my footsteps sounded in the soft snow.  And if I stopped and listened, except for a few birds chirping it was totally still.  Lovely.  

This time of year, everyone has either fled the northwoods for somewhere warmer or is desparately seeking spring in one way or another.  But, I love a day like this for what it is.  Why think about another day or season or what else might be?  


I've started a new quilt with a sample block shown.  There will be nine different blocks with golden bugs, beetles and dragonflies set on a black background:    My design is based a traditional applique wreath block using the bugs as flowers.  The rest of the block will be built around the bugs;  more flowers, leaves, stems etc but will look whimsical and not really  traditional at all.

  I guess maybe I am thinking of spring after all, creating another bug quilt....

Camellias in bloom again

Celebrating an anniversary of sorts.  A year ago today, in fact right about now we were arriving at our vacation rental home in Ocean Springs, Mississippi a unique coastal city near Biloxi.  


It had been the coldest winter there that anyone could remember, but the camellias were in bloom even though there were few other signs of spring.  And they were just beautiful.  Memorable.


Once back home, I designed and appliqued this camellia quilt block.  It was to be the start of a mandala quilt I had in mind, but this block was left behind when that quilt took a different direction.  


I pulled out this block the other day, decided to machine quilt it and it will become a wall hanging.  I don't do machine quilting - but I've been inspired by our applique group members who do their own machine quilting and I decided it was time to "just do it!"

Flower Power Gains Steam

It's finally finished;  a first printing of my pattern for Flower Power.  A little scary as "well, now what?"  I don't exactly know.  If I had thought that far, I never would have started it!  I have self published this first round and only a dozen copies to begin with. 

My Applique Group "pattern testers" are working on their test samples of this quilt and are quite diligent.  I really appreciate their input.  There is still room to make changes and additions.  

I really enjoyed putting this together, with a lot of help from my sister Ellen.  I can make a quilt and do applique in my sleep, but trying to write exactly how to do it is another story; it is at best very time consuming and I was constantly changing things.  At least now I have an idea of what it takes to create a quilt pattern - or any pattern.  Even writing a recipe would be a challenge when you think about it. 

I was surprised and pleased to see that The National Quilting Association is using a photo of Flower Power's border as their website header.  Flower Power was shown at the NQA quilt show last June and won Honorable Mention.    

Check out their website:  www.nqaquilts.org