Along with Spring Comes……..

Spring has arrived along with the yucky yellow pollen and strings from the trees that has everyone complaining.  Also the damp weather makes for a visit from arthritis.   But all in all it is a beautiful time of the year.  On to more pleasant things.

Recently I have finished up a project that has been hanging around for a long time.  It is a small Courthouse Steps.  I think I will hand quilt this one.

I have also finished this quilt top.  It was done as a “Mystery Quilt” at a local quilt shop.  I have had the top done for quite awhile, but the borders created some problems for me.  But now I can check it off the “works in progress” list. Yeah!

After finishing up those two I looked in my collection of projects to be started and decided that I would start working on this Philadelphia Pavement. The original quilt was made in 1895 by a Mother for her daughter in Lancaster County Pennsylvania. When finished it will have 2401  1-1/5 inch squares.   This picture represents half of a quarter.  Assembly  is like putting a puzzle together, but it has been  fun to see it all unfold!

Mr. Quilt and I planned a get-a-way to Fayetteville, Arkansas, but the weather forecast was not promising so it has been put off until May.  I have two quilting retreats coming up, later this month and early next month, which I am looking forward to.

While working on projects I listen to audio books and right now I am listening to “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett.  It is a very good and thought provoking.   I would highly recommend it.

Guess that is about all that is new here in Texas.

Until later.

Pat

Loose Ends

I finished this quilt top the other day

  and then I was at loose ends as to what to start working on next.  So I dug this out of my projects to finish

but decided that I did not want to work on it until fall.  Then I pulled this out

and decided that it look bright and cherry and more like Spring.  So I have been working on it along with this

which I have been stitching on for my grand daughter.  It has been a nice change of pace. 

I attended the Dallas Quilt show last week but was not too inspired, of course, that was probably a good thing, considering all of the projects I already have.  I did purchase this book

which will be interesting to read and the quilt is very appealing for those of us that like mid 19th century quilts. 

I guess that is it ……

Until next time.

Pat

Just Returned

It has been a long time since I have posted.  I just returned from East Texas where I attended my first quilting retreat of 2010.  It was snowy but we had a great time sewing. 

Just outside the retreat center there is a magnificent tree and it was picture perfect covered with snow.

While there I finally finished this quilt designed by Blackbird Designs.

At the bottom I will add the year or my initials.  I am still debating – what do you think I should add?

Another highlight of the retreat was the reveal of our round robin quilts that we have been working on for two years.  There were 6 of us doing these and we had not seen them since we passed our centers to the first person.  This is my quilt

 

The others can be seen in this album.  I thought that each one was beautiful and showed the creativity of all of the ladies.

View Full Album

 

Some of us are also working on “Border Robins” where we do our own sewing/designing and reveal them at each retreat.  I will show those at a later time.

I guess that is it for today.

Until next time

Pat

Today

Today I sewed.  I haven’t sat down at the machine since Thanksgiving.  For me that is pure torture, as I am in the habit of sewing every day! 

One of my goals for 2010 was to quilt some of the many quilt tops I have hanging in the closet.  So today I dug this little quilt out and finished it up.  It was so much fun.  The 9 patch blocks measure 1-1/2 inches.  I purposely used a different fabric for the binding as I wanted it to look like an antique where the quilt makers used up what they had on hand.  I am very pleased with how it turned out.

Tonight the temperature is to drop way down and here in North Central Texas we are not used to these temperatures.  They say it will feel like zero with the wind chill factor.  It will be good weather to stay in and sew and have a cup of hot tea!

Until next time.

Pat