M I A

Sometimes I bite off more than I can chew. I have great ideas and then after a while, I realize that it's not working out, other things crowd my life, just not possible. This blog was full of great intent but life happens and this got shelved for a while.

I'm not ending it, but I am slowing down. I've always been more of a jack-of-all-trades rather than a master of one. So, I got busy with other things. I still will always be making quilts, but I can't plan every project around pictures, cameras, lighting, posting, and self-imposed deadlines. So, please feel free to continue visiting and I will post when I can.

Please don't expect too much from me. My whole life is not quilting, although a lot of it is. Caitlin's quilt has made it to the quilter's who promises 2-3 months on the return. We'll see about that. Maybe I'll start the nagging phone calls ("Is it done yet?") now. I'll post the end of the piecing soon.

Please continue to ask questions, visit to review a how-to, and keep making beautiful quilts!

M's Show and Tell

This quilt belongs to my husband's nephew's wife! Funny how quilting can bring distant relations together! M is an awesome quilter and has a great sense of style! I love this spring quilt and I love how she was persistent until she got it how she wanted it! Wow! What a difference good quilting makes! Here's her story:

This is a quilt I made from a kit sold in a nearby store which I fell in love with. I love the reds in a spring quilt! It's unexpected - but so cute! I also loved that it has a little bit of everything in it - it has pieced blocks, appliqued blocks, even one paper-piecing block (the basket). All of them have embroidery on them which really adds to the sparkle (and learning) - and when I saw it, I just knew I had to make it.
I spent a couple of months putting the top together and was thrilled with it - it was my best work yet and I love it so much. I knew that I didn't want to quilt it myself because I am not experienced enough at that and did NOT want to ruin my favorite quilt, so I took it to a lady who has done several quilt for me "edge to edge" and has done a beautiful job. I asked her if she could customize this one - do special stuff inside the blocks (a shadow effect on the applique blocks, and some fun stuff on the shoefly blocks) - she said she'd done it before and could do that for me but it would cost extra. I was okay with that because this quilt was special to me (for some reason) and I really wanted it done well.

Anyway, here are some pics of the work she did. I was pretty bummed when I got it back (after paying $96.00 for the quilt work!!) - and it was pretty much a horrible quilting job. I don't know much about quilting, but even I could see that this wasn't a good job. I was really depressed for a couple of days, then, I got myself together and got my unpicker out. I unpicked the whole entire thing and then, took it to a "professional quilter" to try again.

Here are more pics of the finished job. It was absolutely beautiful and exactly what I'd hoped for!! (and I only got charged $24.00 for the whole thing!) - I think she felt bad for me.
So, anyway - just finished binding it last week (and I did the curvy edge this time - for extra perfection) - and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it.

It was worth every unpicking moment because I wouldn't have ever been as happy looking at it on the wall if I'd left it like it was.
I guess the moral of this story is be careful who quilts your precious quilts!! Make sure they know what they're doing - pictures would be good as evidence!

Bunny from the first quilter.

Bunny after the second quilter.
First quilter

Second quilter.
Love the yo-yo's and the basket!

Here's the back of the quilt. Well done M!!! Love it!

Unfinished Projects

Confession time.
I have a few unfinished projects.
And this is the biggest, most unfinished one.

I first purchased yards and yards of red and blue flannels probably 5 years ago. I wanted to make a nice snuggly quilt for my hubby. And, somehow, I wanted it to be a surprise.

I had no pattern in mind and was making this up as I went.
So, it took a while to actually start. I started by cutting squares. Lots of squares.

Then I decided to add some regular cotton fabric in between the squares to help square up the flimsy flannel. Enter the creamy, brown paisley. Sewing the top together didn't take too long once I started. In the meantime, I had made another flannel quilt and quilted it on my machine and didn't like how that had gone. The flannel had a mind of its own and there was lots of frustrated unpicking. So, I decided to hand quilt it.

Hand quilting's nicer, anyway, right? More time, sacrifice, and love involved, right?

I couldn't hide the surprise anymore because my hubby was going to see it on the frames. So I gave him an unfinished quilt top one year for Valentine's day. Two years ago.

It's still on the frames, leaning against the wall in the sunroom. On those rare days when I get out there to work on it, I have to dust it off. Pretty pathetic.

OK--I know I'm not the only one. Please tell me about your biggest unfinished project.