Mile-a-Minute... or maybe a tad slower.. LOL!

I started working on my Mile-a-Minute quilt again today. I just haven't really been in a sewing mood for the last week or so. I love this quilt and know it will be wonderful when it is done, but I so don't want to finish. Ever feel that way? I love the beginning of a quilt.. the planning.. creating..but often I run out of steam at some point and get a bit bored.

As much as I want to start something new, I won't. I am determined to finish up some ongoing projects. Mile-a-Minute Quilt... 3 simple Quillows.... a String Quilt waiting to be quilted.... a Rag Christmas Quilt for my mom.

That should keep me busy for a while. Belle

Mother / Daughter time.....

My daughter loves crafts. She sews, quilts, knits, scrapbooks, create wonderful bead and wire jewelry, and more! She is known for her knitting. She takes it everywhere. The kids at church think it is cool and several have asked her to teach them to knit. So starting tomorrow afternoon, there will be a knitting class at our church.

She has a tote bag for each girl with some yarn, needles, instructions and other information. Tonight we made the last 2 bags. They are very basic, but turned out cute. In fact, she likes the blue one so much she is keeping it! LOL!

I love the bright colored tote... but then my friends will tell you I love bright colors! But there is more to it with this silly bag. The fabric we used is rather special to me. I have a gorgeous quilt made with it.

My sweet daughter worked around her class schedule and finals and work to make this for me last Christmas. She said I always made quilts for other folks and it was time I had one made just for me. She did an awesome job! The pattern is one she created.....fairly straight forward, like her... she had it quilted by a friend of ours who does long-arm quilting.. the pattern is butterflies. When this precious child was a wee one, she called them Flutter Flies, so that is the name she put on the label.

To have a quilt made just for you is a wonderful gift! I always worry folks will see the imperfections in the quilts I give them, but now I know that isn't true. The Bible says that Love covers a multitude of sins. Well in quilting, love covers all the imperfections! So when I look at Flutter Flies, I see the fun fabrics.. the bright colors... the great quilting.. but most of all I see the look on my daughter's face when she gave it to me.. a look of pure love... what more could a mom want!

"Belle"

Quilt Show

Earlier this month, my husband and I attended the Great Jackson Quilt Celebration. What a blast! This is small show compared to the biggies in Nashville, Houston and Paducah (actually everything is small compared to those 3!), but it was big to the quilters in our area. We loved having a show in our own backyard. The quilt above is one both hubby and I loved. We like bright!

There were also several quilt shops set up and doing a lot of business! Can we every really have enough fabric!? I bought a cute pattern and some terrific fabric. My daughter loves dragonflies. I am collecting dragonfly themed fabric for the dragonfly quilt I will one day make her. Aren't these lovely!?

"Belle"

Lots of Goodies!

I had a birthday a bit earlier this month and some of my online quilting buddies sent me happies to celebrate! I have fat quarters.... a new quilt book... and some really cute embroidered snowmen blocks to create a wall hanging. I am amazed at how I can remember things about fabric. I will see some of these in a quilt one day and say "I got those from my QWHT buddies for my birthday years ago!" I am also amazed at how far a piece of fabric can stretch! I love scrappy quilts, so I use every little bit of fabric I receive.

I've also received some wonderful pink charms this month. My QWHT buddies swap each month and this month's charm theme was Pink.... I assigned the themes to the months this year, so naturally my birthday month had to be PINK! LOL! Can't wait to use all these pink goodies in a quilt!

"Belle"

There's Work to Be Done!

A while back I found this great tutorial on another blog for making what the author called Mile-a-Minute blocks. I love things that are a bit wacky and quick and use up scraps! So these were right up my alley! I create blocks... sewed them together... and now I need to add something more. The quilt isn't quite as big as I would like. I was thinking about a simple border.. actually 2. A small inner border and then a larger outer one. But what fabric? There are so many colors in this quilt already. I have tried different combos with solids and prints.. nothing seems to work for me. Now I am thinking I might make a Mile-a-Minute border. I would frame it between 2 strips of another fabric... probably a solid. Hopefully I will get to work on that soon.

I am also in the midst of my first ever Round Robin with a group of online friends. I have a great RR right now... I just keep changing my mind on what I want to add! Getting it done and off to the next person is my top priority... since it has to be mailed out by next Friday!

And I have quillows to make! I made my first quillow this summer for a friend of my mom's.... and now mom and another of her friends wants one. These ladies are on the go all that time! They are all 71 and older. They travel with their church group (the quillows are for keeping warm on buses).... they eat out or at each other's homes regularly... they volunteer.... play Mexican Train Dominoes at least once a week... and talk on the phone worse than any teenager ever did! They are a hoot and I love it!

So those are my current projects.... hopefully they will all be done by the end of September! Now if I can just find some sewing time!

"Belle"

Giving Blogs a Try....

I have been reading blogs for a while now.. and have played around with the idea of jumping in and starting my own.. so here it goes!

I am a fairly new quilter... began in the spring of 2004. I am self taught and know for being a bit of a rebel and not always following the rules. I am not out to win awards or accolades... just to have fun and share my love through quilts for my friends and family.

"Belle"