My Favorite Quilt Magazine

It seems I've been showing lots of fabric the past couple of months.  It's time to throw in a little paper.

My very favorite quilt magazine (for many years) is the American Patchwork and Quilting by Better Homes and Gardens.  I've had a subscription for many years.  Many of my finished projects were inspired by this magazine.  They include patterns and great directions.  I find three or four magazines from each issue that "I must make".  This month's is no exception.

I love this quilt pictured on the cover and will have to make it from scraps.

I will make it more of a "planned" scrappy quilt.  It should not be overly difficult.  It's a Shoofly variation inside a Sawtooth block.  The 59 X 69" size isn't overwhelming.  Maybe I could even machine quilt it myself!  The pattern is part of an article about two sisters that design quilt and rug patterns and fabric.  I'm using one of their lines for my 2010 club quilt, Sylvia's Bridal Sampler.

There are two more quilts in this issue I just love and "have to make".

They are both traditional blocks (Churndash and schoolhouse) and I'm usually a traditional kind of quilter.  These are quilts I need to add to my body of work.  Do any of these appeal to you?  It's really fun to take a traditional pattern and use trendy fabrics -- it really makes a fun quilt.

Check out this magazine -- it's on sale at most quilt and craft stores.  You won't be sorry!  It will give you many hours of quilt dreams.

April UFO done

Last week was busy.  We were able to get away to Zion National Park for 5 days.  We had a wonderful time, with some beautiful weather mixed in with snow and rain.  I had some time to work on sewing the binding on this UFO.  It's made from leftover scraps from my 2009 Club quilt, Back Home Again.  It's a nice size, 61 X 85".  I started it in November, when my quilting friends and I went to Lake Tahoe for a sew-in.
This is the pattern:

 It was fun and easy to make.  I highly recommend the pattern.  I would use it to make another scrappy quilt.

Here is a picture of a group of blocks.

I think this will be a fall and winter quilt for our family room.  We all love to sit on the couches, cover up with a quilt, and watch prime time TV.

March UFO done

This is a little wall hanging I finished that was started in my Featherweight Club.  The pattern is called "Brrrrr".  I know many of you are ready for your Brrrr weather to make way for sunshine and flowers.  We have it here and it is so lovely.  But we also get the wind with our spring temperatures. 

We don't actually see snowmen too often here in the desert.  He was fun and easy to make!

Happy Easter and Happy Spring!

Quilt Entry #4

My last quilt entry was my first blog entry.  It's my precious Double Wedding Ring - 30's style.  You can go back to my first post to see it.  I don't know how to make those fancy links yet -- I will practice soon.

Our quilt show was lovely.  It was exciting to see my wonderful quilts in the show.  There weren't any ribbons in the picture for me this year but I learned a lot from the judges' feedback.

Quilt Show 2010 Entries -- #3

This is another of my FAVORITE quilts.  It has special sentimental value and my husband said it will never leave our home.  Our daughter, Laurie, loves to abscond with quilts.  This quilt is "Pretty Dresses".  I used to make pretty dresses for Emily and Laurie until they went into first grade.  I saved fabric scraps to make a quilt out of them one day.  Well, one day finally came in 2008 when I found this pattern.  It's from the book, Quilting with my Sister by Barbara Brandenburg and Teri Christopherson.  I've made several of their patterns and they are well written and designed.  Here is a close up of a couple of the dresses.

This fabric was used in a blouse Emily wore with a red courderoy jumper she wore for her kindergarten school picture.  She looked adorable in it!

This daisy fabric was used in a sundress I made Laurie.  The border daisy fabric is one of my favorite fabrics ever.  I used it to make Laurie a dress that had a big daisy on the waist and ties in back.

Here is the label.  It's amazing after all these years I remembered what I used every  one of these fabrics to make.  So, it's on the label!

I hope this is a quilt my girls "fight over" someday and will always be filled with cherished

memories for my family.

Quilt Show 2010 Entries -- #2

This is another of my most amazing accomplishments in the world of quilting -- a Lonestar!

This was made using Jan Krentz's book, Lonestar Quilts and Beyond.  Her method is fabulous!  By blocking each point, almost all my seams matched up.  I want to make another LoneStar one day, but a much larger quilt.  It is extremely challenging, but I think it is a lovely quilt.  And I will do it again someday.

Quilt Show 2010 Entries -- #1

Our quilt show was fabulous this weekend.  There were over 300 entries and it was so much fun seeing all the "eye candy".  The vendors were great too but I was a good girl.  I only bought one pattern.  After all, I have over 25 projects to finish right now.  I am really trying hard to get them done and not start more new things!

This was one of my entries.  I made it during Jan Krentz's Hunters Star class at Empty Spools Seminars in Asilomar.  I was the only student that decided to make a watercolor Hunters Star.   I made it for my husband and its inspiration was a photograph he took while out hiking one day.  It's on my label.

Here's another photo of the label.

I did the quilting myself and really need to add to it.  This hangs in his office under the framed photograph.  It does get a lot of attention in his office building.  There are frequent visitors to see the quilt!