CQ Magazine

The newest issue of CQ Magazine Online is out.  Go to http://cqmagonline.com/ and see a great (and free) online resource for CQ.  I found this ezine when I first got interested in CQ and got totally hooked.  You can search through their past issues as well.  Check it out.

Stitchmap CQ Class

I got good news this weekend.  A space became available in the beginning crazy quilt class on the STITCHMAP group.  I will get my first lessons this week.  I'm really excited about this because it was the main reason I joined the group.  I thought I would have to wait until the next round of lessons came up.

I finally finished my advent quilt

Well, it wasn't in time for Christmas, but I finally finished it.  It's rather fun - and I do love using all those bright and shiny fabrics.  The flames are removeable, so next year I start 4 weeks before Christmas and put up one flame each week.  Then the final flame on Christmas day.  I've got a little pocket on the back to hold the flames.  I'm still not very good at taking pictures of quilts - this looks a little skewed- but I keep working at it.  They are better when I can take the pictures outdoors - but that kind of hard right now with all this snow.

New Giveaway

Lady Shuttle Maker has a new giveaway on her blog.  Click on the button on the bottom right of this blog to get there.

Finally - my first CQ block

Members of the Stitchmap group are making a CQ wedding quilt to replace a quilt lost in a fire.  I kicked myself when I first volunteered - I didn't think I could even begin to produce a block that would live up to the other members of the group.  However, as usual, they encouraged me to try. 

It didn't start well as I wrecked the first block they sent me by using an iron that was too hot (I'm not used to working with those fancy fabrics).  Lyn kindly made me another block and sent it to me.  By then I was afraid to touch it.  However I finally got myself to do it - and found it was a lot of fun.

Now that I've gotten past the first one, I'm going to try to do more.

Another picture

When I was in Maryland visiting my mother, I brought some of my WIPs to show her what I was working on.  She used to be a wonderful quilter until she lost most of her vision to macular degeneration, and she is very pleased that I have followed in her footsteps. 

She loved the applique project I was working on, so I doubled my efforts to finish it and sent it to her for Mother's Day.  She displays it proudly in her living room

I had always wanted to make a quilt for her, but it was like taking coals to Newcastle.  Now I could finally give her something she liked.

Finding some pictures

Since I haven't done much "fancy needlework" yet, I thought I'd post some pictures of quilts I finishd this year.

This is the first (and probably only) full sized bed quilt I've made.  It is a trip around the world.  There was an interesting history to this.  I had wanted to make my mother-in-law a quilt but couldn't decide on a pattern.  She visited Amelia Airhardt's home on a vacation and saw the type of quilt she wanted.  She tried to describe it to me, but I just didn't understand.  I called the museum to ask about their quilts and they were kind enough to take pictures of the 2 quilts they had and send them to me.  Of course, as soon as I saw the picture I knew Mom wanted a trip around the world.  I was a little disappointed because I wanted to do something fancier (like a lone star), but I also want to do what she would like.  I took her to all the fabric stores in our area and let her pick out the fabrics she liked.  My husband, Ken is the color artist in the family so he helped me lay everything out.  Then came many hours (days, months) of sewing and ripping and sewing and ripping until I got the top done.  Then we had to decide on a backing.  We were on a vacation in Maryland and stopped at a quilt stor in Annapolis.  Our dog, Corda, came in with us.  After we wandered the store looking for the right fabric, Corda pulled us into a side room and that's where we found exactly what we wanted.