Category — Inspiration

You probably know that I’m a *huge* fan of Anna Maria Horner’s fabrics and patterns. Well it turns out she’s a pretty darn nice person too! Anna Maria is organizing a quilting relief effort for those that have lost everything in the Tennessee floods this year. You can get the details here and join the Flickr group here. I can’t wait to get started on my blocks!

I have a lot of projects going on right now. A lot. I need to stop starting new things and wrap a few up! I thought I’d share a bit of what’s in the pipeline. (And the scary thing is, this isn’t everything!)

The string squares above are not for another string quilt. I remember saying it’d be a LONG time (if ever) before I take a project like that on again. Well, ever since I saw these pillows from Ashely at Film in the Fridge, I knew I needed them for my couch! I’ve had an Arcadia jelly roll sitting here for just this purpose for a few months it seems. Well, I’ve started!

My husband’s cousin asked me to make her son a quilt for his first “big boy” bed. Of course I would! She picked out Riley Blake fabric, mixed in some surfer prints, for an adorable twin quilt. I finished the top this week and am waiting for the backing fabric to come in the mail.

There is a quilt in the book Last Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts that I’ve adored since I purchased the book. Well, I decided since I didn’t have ENOUGH other things going on, that this would be the right time to start it. LOL I’ll be using fabric from Denyse Schmidt’s Katie Jump Rope line. I actually have all the patterned fabric cut, but need to cut the white still.

And today, just for fun and instant gratification, I made my son some new reversible bibs. I just took one of his junky bibs and traced it with about 1/4″ extra on all edges. I put a layer of batting in the middle and poof! Instant adorable bibs!

I still have that second MoMo Wonderland quilt pinned and waiting to be quilted, and have started this tutorial for an advent calendar. (That one has an obvious deadline!) So what are you working on?

I wanted to share some links of some beautiful quilts and pillows that I’ve found online lately.  I love Flickr.  There is an entire world out there of modern quilting and creating.  So here are some of my current favorites…

1. Snowball by One Flew Over… :  This is one of those quilts that makes me want to go out and buy the entire Anna Maria Horner Good Folks line (same line as I’m using for my string quilt).

2. Scrap Quilt by Red Pepper Quilts : I wonder if my scrap bag can create something so beautiful one day?

3. Amelie Horse Quilt by hanies : I’m in awe of the amount of time this must have taken.

4. Summertime Quilt by twinfibers : This is so colorful and happy!

5. String Block Quilted Pillows by filminthefridge : I want to make string pillows for our couch now.

6. Far Far Away Hexagon Quilt by filminthefridge : Proof that you don’t need to make an entire hexagon quilt to get a dramatic effect.

7. Spotted Quilt Top by filminthefridge : Love the dots, love the blocks.

8. Strips and Bricks Quilt by KnittinginPink : Modern, clean and fun.

9. Linen Patchwork Pillows (here and here) by meringuedesigns : How great would these look on your couch?

10. Zig-Zag Quilt by TerryA W : Another reason to by Anna Maria Horner fabric!

I am out of town this weekend, visiting my family in Cincinnati.  My mom is a huge quilter and although we have different styles, she is very talented.  She did give me some great 50′s style fabric scraps though – will post pics when I get home. 

Last night I was looking at her huge stack of quilting magazines.  I randomly pulled one out of the pile and started flipping through it.  It was the American Patchwork & Quilting, August 2006 edition.  I start flipping through, and I find an article about Denyse Schmidt!  This must have been right when Flea Market Fancy came out.  It was a very interesting read about how her background/education and she got started selling quilts commercially.  It was just so odd because I had been asking my mom if she happened to have any Flea Market Fancy (she didn’t) and I had been telling her about how Pottery Barn was selling some of this lady’s quilts.

So, next time you are at the library (or your quilting-mom’s sewing room), check it out!