A NEW WEEK, A NEW PROJECT

The urge to start something new did not pass.

Back in THE day when I was very busy writing a couple of books which required lots of designing and making of quilts, I was always pressed for time.  Consequently, I was unable to explore further the possibilities of some of my favorite designs.

This is one of the quilts from my book, "Keepsake Signature Quilts", that I had wanted to try with different colors, fabrics, and without signatures.

KEEPSAKE STAR

Now is the time!!!

I have been wanting to make a small table topper to use for both patriotic and Christmas holidays.  So I went to my stash of scraps.  Pulled out the boxes with blues and teals shaded to green.  I found enough scraps to make each of the 25 stars in a different fabric.

 Added some red and some background beiges.

And got started.

Boy!  Was I in for a surprise?  This quilt looks so different from my original 'Keepsake Star' even though it is the same pattern.  

It's always amazing to me how different a quilt can look by using different fabrics and shifting the lights and darks.

Where have my stars gone?  The emphasis is now on an "X-factor" in the center instead of the stars. 

I was a little disappointed as I do love those stars.  Even after all my years of making quilts, I still can be surprised -- guess that's what keeps me at it.

The top is finished, and now ready for basting and some hand quilting.  It's growing on me even without its galaxy of stars!

I'm joining the following:
Love Laugh Quilt for Monday Making
Cooking Up Quilts for Main Crush Monday
Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday
Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop Friday
Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish it up Friday
Quilting Readers Garden for WIPS Be Gone Friday

A WEEK OF RANDOMNESS

I've had another week of busyness, but not much accomplished.

1.  I did manage to get my 'bright' quilt basted for quilting.  I worked on it last night for a little while, but couldn't get into a rhythm -- that happens to me sometimes when I haven't hand-quilted for a couple of months.  I'll try again tonight.

It has been suggested that I name this quilt 'Fireworks' or 'Fireworks through a Window'.  I like the idea.

2.  Lists and more lists -- I will hang my quilt show in three weeks.  So there are piles of quilts, etc. all over the house.  I'm NOT a procrastinator, which can be a detriment sometimes.  I'm always ready toooooooo early, so we live with piles and lists!

 3.  I can't help myself -- I'm thinking about a new project.  Starting to pull out fabrics from the scrap stash to determine a color plan.

Hopefully, this urge to start something new will pass.

Is anybody else spinning their wheels, too?

I'm joining the following:

Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop Friday
Quilting Readers Garden for WIPS Be Gone Friday
Love Laugh Quilt for Monday Making
Cooking Up Quilts for Main Crush Monday

A LOOK INTO THE PAST!

Do you have those weeks when life happens and you just can't get into the sewing room to quilt?  That happened this week, so there is nothing new quilt-wise to report.  When that occurs, I can always pull out a quilt from the closet to show you.

 This is a little wall quilt, called Fandango, that I made in 1992.  It is machine pieced, hand quilted, and is 24" square.

It is made up of three different block patterns to produce secondary designs.

At the time, I was exploring and designing quilts that combined different blocks in one quilt.  This quilt and the pattern is published in the book, "Quilt Blocks X 9" by Bobbie Aug and Sharon Newman.

It's fun to look back and see all of the wonderful fabrics that were just exploding on the quilt scene at the time.  Among my favorites were all of the Jinny Beyer border prints.  To this day, they are still wonderful to use to frame a quilt.

Thanks for taking a look into my quilting past!

I'm joining the following:
Love Laugh Quilt for Monday Making
Cooking up Quilts for Main Crush Monday
What a Hoot Quilts for BOMS Away Monday

WEEK'S PROGRESS

 The top of my "bright" quilt is finished.  I must think of another name for it -- "bright" is certainly descriptive, but not very original!!

I hope to get it basted and ready to hand quilt in the next day or so.

My grandson commented that those were some 'weird' fabrics.  My family is used to my very traditional, muted quilts.  Guess this one shocked him.  My granddaughter, who has Bohemian tastes, liked it and is laying claim to it!

(I took these photos outside, and the colors are much truer than the pictures I took for the post a couple of weeks ago -- they were horrible!)

I'm joining the following:
Love Laugh Quilt for Monday Making
Cooking Up Quilts for Main Crush Monday
Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I get a Whoop Whoop Friday
Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish It Up Friday
Quilt Shop Gal for Creative Goodness Party Friday
Quilter In The Closet for TGIF Friday