Just some thoughts

I finished another 'Wolf' panel quilt today.
I got out the 5 tops that hadn't been documented with pictures and took photos of them, then went to work on my quilt journal.
The journal contains pictures, fabric swatches, and a few notes on the quilt. There are, of course, duplicates of several patterns, I have made several of the bordered panels, each different, several log cabins, in different sizes and settings. More than one Irish Chain or variation thereof.
I have quite a collection of books and equipment, rulers, mats, cutters, pins, needles, threads, and 2 sewing machines. Not to mention FABRIC, if I love it, I buy a yard or two, you never know when you might want to use it and for some reason the designs are only out for a while and then disappear. And of course there is the large trash bag of scraps, small pieces that are enough to use for something.
I have hand cut, rotary cut, paper pieced, chain pieced, hand pieced, and used about every other technique I have read about. I can draft my own patterns and settings on graph paper and I am learning to use EQ and an embroidery machine.
The finishing ranges from tying, to hand quilting, to a few on my home machine and those I have sent out to machine quilters. I can do a 'quick turn' finish or put on commercial binding or make my own, and if all else fails, yes, I can turn over the back and just hem the quilt.
There are 36 quilts in the journal, and 3 others that never got photos taken. From the early days, when I did not realize that this hob-ssession of mine was really an inroad in a time honored craft. There are also a few other undocumented projects, some 'quillows' and quilted pillows that I have done too.
Long ago, my best friend and I would spend time with her grand mother, who hand quilted for herself and others, Grandma Essie would try to get us to learn to piece and quilt. I don't know how many times she would get us started with a simple block, like a nine patch or snowball. We might stick with it long enough to complete a block. I don't remember completeing more than those 2 patterens and I am sure it was only one block of each. How sorry I am now that I did not pay more attention to that gifted craftwoman.
I used to sew, made most of the dd's school clothes for many years, a homecoming candidate dress, and youngest dd's wedding dress. Made western shirts and bib overalls. Now I hardly ever even sew up a rip or patch 'leaky' jeans. I would rather cut the fabric up and make a quilt!

Now hanging on the 'Design Curtain'

This is my 'storm at sea' wall hanging.

I found that paper piecing the blocks worked better than trying to cut and sew the pieces.

It is another venture in hand quilting. My stitches are getting more uniform and smaller, so improving.

This pattern intrigues me, with its feeling of motion, and the optical illusion of curves in the block.

The colors are still another attempt to use up the trash bag of scraps that I have collected.

The problem is: now I want a larger quilt in this pattern and these colors. One of these days I will get around to it!

UNICORNS on top and Dolphins on the back

A friend of ours wanted a special quilt for his wife for her birthday. She was also recovering from surgery. He specified that she liked unicorns, dolphins, and green and blue.

I used EQ to work on a layout and block size.

I had couple of yards of fabric with unicorns in the stash, so fussy cut some blocks from it. Made a trip to the quilt shops and of course there is no more of that fabric in the area, so opted to make some blocks with unicorn heads embroidered on them.

I finished the top and with only a couple of days to spare before the birthday, pieced a back for it with dolphin and tropical fish fabrics.

It really met all of his specifics!

This is a 'quick turn' quilt and it is tied, rather than quilted.

Using the quick turn technique also eliminated having to make binding for the finish.

As anyone who has seen this blog can tell, I am a fan of Eleanor Burns. The picture is when I got to meet her in Paducah, 2006.
I have 16 of her books and have made something from most of them! So many quilts, so little time!
I have other books too, but just like her easy methods and the great looking projects.
I recommend them to anyone beginning to quilt and even to seasoned quilters, because the instructions are easy to follow and there are many ideas to work from.
There you have it, my future goal - to be a pattern tester for Quilt in a Day!

Fat Quarter Quick Trip

Yes, it's another Eleanor Burns top! I won our guilds fat quarters for May 2007.
DD, beginner quilter, suggested that I make a top from the book she was using for her first quilt, Quick Trip Quilts.
She helped me pick the quarters to use and this is the result.
It was quick and easy!

Design wall? OK it's my design curtain. I tend to hang blocks and small sections of quilt tops here to see what I have going on. The big block is a design for a friend who wanted a "deer quilt". It is from Eleanor Burns book Quilts through the Seasons. The "Pink Lemonade" block. :)
I liked the block pattern and these fabrics give it a whole different feel.

Winter Wolves

This is Granddaughters quilt. I had already made the top and she and her mother called from NH to tell me she had found the wolf panel at a fabric shop. She wanted a wolf quilt. I told her I would trade the quilt for the panel!

I have made two more on the same idea, one for grandson's eighteenth birthday coming up and one for a friend I worked with.

The wolves seem to be pretty popular!