Remember those pillows that I made a while back?  

.  Encouraged by Melody, I am trying to stretch and flex a bit more.  I have been playing around with my hand dyed fabrics and commercial solids.  I can not be so presumptuous as to compare myself with such a artist as Mel.  But then, coming from the age old mindset of waste not, want not",  what shall I do with these bits of flexations?

hand dyed blues, plums, and chartreuse, shot cotton and grey cotton

light grey & black cotton and white sateen cotton

hand dyed Dijon and white sateen cotton

It would seem that they are just the right size for pillows.  So why not?

It is just another obsession of mine.  I call it cuddle art.  

plays well with others

pillow front

pillow back

Have any of you been flexing and stretching lately?

Phases

Not to be redundant, but does anyone else encounter this dilemma
when working on a quilt of your own design?

Phase 1:  Brilliant inspirational visions

Phase 2:  Fascinating fabric choices

Phase 3:  What the heck was I thinking

Phase 4:  Oh, yeah, this might work

Phase 5:  What the heck was I thinking

Phase 6:  Oh yeah! It's coming together just like I planned

Phase 7:  What the heck was I thinking

Phase  8:  Whew!  This might work after all

Phase 9:  How in the world am I going to quilt this thing

Phase 10:  To be determined

closing in

 


All of the little pieces are sewn together.  Now to join the larger sections and she'll be ready to quilt.   I  may let her hang for a few more days to see if I need to make any last minute changes that my eyes haven't yet caught.   

Hope every one has a wonderful weekend.  

The Real Deal

My friend Laura and her hubby enjoy auctions.  

They always finds the BEST DEALS ever.  

Check out this beauty.  I feel certain that it is of African American origin from Tennessee.  Or at least one of  our bordering states.  It is made from ginghams, chambrays, corduroy, twills, wool tweeds & plaids, florals to mention a few.  I was immediately in love with this quilt ~ wonderful soft colors and great graphics.  

The backing is a ticking stripe and it is quilted, quite nicely,

in the traditional Baptist Fan pattern.  

Although it has been patched here and there, it is none the worse for wear, considering that it must have been a utilitarian quilt used every night. Laura and Steve graciously allowed me to share this beauty.  I hope that everyone enjoys it as much as I.  And of course, it is on my list to reproduce.  

And while I am on the topic, I wanted to share another local African American quilt which was shown in the local museum quilt show a couple of years ago.   This one, also, is on my list to reproduce.  Isn't it lovely?

Hope y'all have a wonderful week, full of great deals.

Cover Girl

Thistles is a cover girl! 

The wedding weekend

It was a wonderful weekend.  I could not have captured it more delightfully than my daughter, Casey.  If you would like to see why I haven't had a lot of time to blog or stitch recently, jump over to

www.thekidcollective.com 

for the weekend update

And click here as well. 

for a look at her new favorite old quilt.

I suspect that she will have more to show in the coming days.  I know that she took tons of photos, so I am anxiously awaiting what she might have for us.  Casey is an interior designer working in Portland, OR.  She also works a full/time part/time job her with partners at 

Tanner Goods 

creating lovely items. Their flagship shop just opened, 

and guess who designed the interior as well as designed 

and built a creative chandelier for lighting this new shop?  

Needless to say, Mom and Dad are very proud of her many accomplishments.

And I would like to shamelessly suggest to anyone in her area in need of an interior designer, you couldn't find anyone more talented than my daughter.