Thank You Westalee Design

2 weeks ago, Bill from Westalee Design delivered my prize to my home. Obviously, I'm thrilled and can't wait to get started using these great products.

I had been meaning to purchase quite a few of these items prior to winning this award for Sunshine & Shadow, so it was great timing.

Thank you to Bill and Leonie from Westalee Design for generously supporting the Original Design category. I am brimming with new ideas...

For those of you who follow my blog, you won't be suprised that it took me 2 weeks to get around to posting this quilting update. And you'll notice that the items above are still in their original wrapping - that's because I have decided that I will not use them, or start playing around with them until there is room enough on my design table. I know that if I unwrap them, I will have to try them and that will lead to starting a new project... and I am in 'finishing mode' at the moment so I've had to get strict with myself.

Yes, serious. UFO is going to become a past tense in my studio.

Cherry Basket is launched

Block 11, Cherry Basket, is launched

What does a quilter do with her evenings?

You have to love mondays!

My organisation skills are SECOND TO NONE!

Well, if you're anything like me, after giving the house a quick tidy and lovingly serving up dinner for your DH and two adult DD's, you settle down with your obedient mewing cat and enjoy some light reading...

OR

you realise that it's the 14th of the month....and that favourite block you've been talking about isn't done...and you grab your most unglamerous cosy cardy and sit down and get working in your still (slightly less so, but nonetheless) messy sewing room. As you can see, I've resorted to completed this block on my sewing machine because my extra large studio design table is otherwise 'engaged' with all those great ideas I was blogging about last week. To add a touch of elegance to this scene, you may opt to throw on your favourite strand of pearls...

it's all in an evening's work....

Sorting Through Inspirations ...update

Having read the comments to the post below has got me thinking two things....1, that I need an assistant as it just isn't likely I'll get through all my ideas in my quilting lifespan...and 2, why do we quilters always have so many projects on the go? I would love to be a quilter who starts a project, buys just enough fabric to complete it and doesn't start anything new until the quilt is finished. Are there ANY quilters out there who actually do this? if yes, PLEASE ADVISE on the secret! Until then, I'm still sorting and re-sorting my quilting and stash busting priorities.

Sorting Through Inspirations

The year is not yet over (although I do keep asking myself, where is it racing to so quickly??)...and that means my New Year's Resolution to quilt my way through my stash is also not over.

I have made some headway through my mountains of fabric and I have been very good (except for the very odd occassion!) and tried not to add anything AT ALL to the shelf...my rule has been - it can be purchased if it is going to be used immediately - which is not the same as the 'immediate' or 'near immediate' future. I have had to get quite tough on myself as I really do have a weakness for collecting beautiful fabric and convincing myself that I am going to use it....and then convincing my husband to install another shelf.

As stash busting years go, I think I've done OK so far, but I could definitely improve. So with just a few months left of the year, another round of birthdays coming up (have I completed last years birthday batch of quilts? No they are all still UFOs!) I took out this years batch of journals ( I have filled 8 so far) crammed with ideas and have spent the morning writing up a list of what has to be done and picking over my designs and opting for ideas that would best suit my stash shelf.

Naturally, I was attracted to the designs that required lots of lovely new fabrics but they will have to go on the backburner. I am still commited to seeing my shelf lighten to 4 rows of neatly folded fabric and 1 or 2 tubs of colour assorted fat quarters. This is my goal and I am still working towards it.

At the moment my shelves are groaning with fabric - just going through it is an event as you have to remove so many layers to get to what you want. When I feel like some fabric shopping would be 'just the thing' to kickstart a quilting session, I only need go through a single shelf - every time I do, I find fabric I forgot I had, it's really quite amazing how much a quilter can collect.

Another afternoon of organising ahead, I'm hoping this will be one of the last as it's really time I got into some serious near year's end busting.

Civil War Bride Quilt

I’ve been an admirer of the Bird of Paradise quilt which was made during the American Civil War in 1858-1863 and have always wanted to create a replica of this amazing quilt.

However, Corliss from Threadbear has beaten me to it and this year at Showcase I found her beautiful pattern. It is not an identical replica, it is her interpretation of the piece which is just as lovely and I am sitting in awe of this quilt, thinking about how to go about deciding on fabrics. Vintage? Hand dyes? Or my all time favourite….reds. I am tempted.

My stash hasn’t diminished to a single shelf yet and I have a lot of beautiful reds that need a good home and should see the light of day. When this pattern arrived in the post, I rushed out and bought two suitable backgrounds…

although now I’m not so sure anymore. I really don’t know what way I will go with this quilt. I do have an instinctive feeling for red and making it different in this way…however print are so charming….dilemma!!!

I have sent in my request to join in the fun of this quilt with like minded people at The Civil War Bride Quilt Blog.

There are some great examples up there….so I will make a decision (or maybe just flip a coin) and get into it.

If you’re interested in seeing the original, you can do so at the American Folk Art Museum Textile Page http://www.folkartmuseum.org/default.asp?id=1523