Scene from my sewing room

for my niece: expected to arrive later this summer
(I couldn't help starting this new project. I'm so excited!)

Thank you, Vickie!

I'm so so so so so so lucky to have won a gift certificate to Fat Quarter Shop from Vickie over at Spun Sugar Quilts. She's got a great blog and is really fun to follow. Her tutorials are awesome too. I think I had permagrin for a week after winning. Fabric!!!! Thanks!!!!!!!!!!

I had a dream cart with fabrics to make new pillows for our living room. We are living in beige-land and need some color. After much deliberation and consulting with my husband, I came up with these two designs.  I've really been into teal lately and can't wait to incorporate some of it into our space.

Here is the fabric, in real life. I think it will be fun and can't wait to put them together. That one on the top is a cotton/linen blend from French General. The texture will add some dimension to pillows.

Coming up empty handed

I'm a little bummed that my fabric design wasn't in the top 75 for the Project Selvage contest. There are some prints that I liked that didn't make the cut either, so in some sense I'm in good company. Oh well. At least I put it out there and it was a good exercise. My background is not in illustration or surface/pattern design, but I am a graphic designer. I would like to pursue fabric design still. OK... enough of my pity party.

Go vote for your favorite out the terrific designs here! There really are some fantastic choices.

Naptime Quilt

I've finished this for my daughter the week after Valentine's, but what can I say... things have been hectic. We've had one illness after another, after another, around here. I'm looking forward to spring! These colors are definitely a spring-y combination. The best is that my daughter loves it.

This sews up super quick. I added an extra fabric strip row to each side of the quilt so it will last my daughter a while. The green gingham on the back has some significance for me. When I was little, I had a favorite pillow that was green gingham satin. I couldn't sleep without that and my blankie.

Perfect for a two year old who loves pink

Quilted row by row, by me

Pattern: modified from For Ella's Sister from Jacquelynne Steves of The Noble Wife. Note that this pattern is better if you don't pre-wash. I did and mine had enough shrinkage that I had to piece the long strips and the sashing strips. I didn't pay attention to the 42" width. Ooops!

Fabrics: primarily Quite Contrary by My Mind's Eye for Riley Blake, Nicey Jane, a pink print I bought while in Australia by A Day in the Country, Flutterby, Sweet, Meadowsweet, Tracy Porter, and old pink print from Possibilities, plus some random scraps. The backing is a small lime gingham, which I think might be Moondance.

Project Selvage

Mod Monkeys

I just got an email thanking me for participating in Project Selvage. I'm crossing my fingers to make the top 75. There is some excellent competition! There are 1,092 entries, making the odds of being selected for the next round 6.8%, or less than 1 in 14. Many of the designs are just fantastic, so it will be interesting to see which ones Michael Miller selects.

I've never met a quilter I didn't like.

Life is too short to not have fun. When I think of quilting, I don't think serious. I think fun! It seems like some people are taking things too seriously lately. Live, and let live. What technique, fabric line, fabric style, quilt style, etc. that another quilter is using is cool with me. All of it will be created by a friend in quilting, someone who shares the same passion for a craft I love.

I've created this button to declare my attitude toward the art form. Feel free to put it on your blog too!

Starting a new kind of diet

1 yard in allowed for every 10 yards out. Starting..... NOW. :)