Elegant Knit from Bulgaria

This elegant over-the-shoulders scarf was made by Freja Moon from Sofia, Bulgaria. You can see more details about this item here. See her other creations at Like Freja. She's so creative!

Nice work, Freja!

"15 Minutes Play" book GIVEAWAY tomorrow!

Cute Owl Pillow From Fong Studio

This very cute owl pillow is by Foh Chooi Fong of Fong's Sudio in Malaysia. Doesn't she do a nice job? 

This is part softie toy, and part pillow.

I love the fabrics she uses, especially this pink design above. The eyes look like felt.

And this one has feet! I think these are so cute. 

New book GIVEAWAY coming on Dec. 1. 

Be sure to visit and enter!

Chenille Quilt!

This very charming and feminine chenille quilt was made by Helen in Ormond Beach, Florida.

 Her Etsy store is: Surely Chenille. The squares are 8 1/2". 

The backing is fleece, the batting is high-loft poly, and the quilt is tied at the intersections.

Isn't it beautiful? I never thought of using chenille in a quilt! (And I'm thinking about quilts all the time.) 

Nice work, Helen!!

Kawaii Style

I'm probably the last person to learn what "kawaii" is. In case you don't know, it's a Japanese word that started in the 1970's that means "cute" or "adorable." It embraces a childish style that is very popular with young women. Kawaii images are ubiquitous in Japan. The most popular is Hello Kitty. To read more, click here. Does anyone know how to pronounce it? Does it rhyme with Hawaii?

To read about the bear above, click here. It will make you smile. 

Funky Crochet Art

Look at these hilarious slipper-boots! They're from Funky Crochet Art in New South Wales, Australia. The price is $50. I think the yarn would cost more than that. She also has some pretty amazing hats. 

I love stuff like this. It makes me want to make a quilt!

To see even more, click here.

Pinsies on Sale, Surprise Too

Pinsies are on sale now: $4.99/pkg. Nine in each package.

 Pretty in your pincushion, or on your bulletin board or design wall. 

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Choose your package, or I'll choose one and SURPRISE you!

Many different colors to choose from. (Pincushion not included.)

Spider Web Christmas Tree Skirt

This clever Christmas tree skirt was made by Rachel of Stitched in Color. 

She has a tutorial showing how to make this. Great job, Rachel! 

Also visit the Tutorials page on her blog.

Happy Thanksgiving!

"Home to Thanksgiving" by Currier and Ives. 

I hope you are enjoying the day with your loved ones, and that your heart is full of thankfulness.

We are having our family gathering at our house. I love to cook the Thanksgiving dinner. Then we may go for a walk, play games or sit by the fireplace. Maybe all three. 

Giveaway Winners! Sea Urchin Pincushion and Pinsies

The winner of the sea urchin pincushion is...

QUILT SWISSY!

The winners of the pinsies are:

1. Rebecca Halley

2. Swedish Scrapper

3. Mary Mahoo

4. Michelle

5. Gypsy Quilter

6. Just Call Me Elle

7. White Lily

8. Chiska

9. Kathy Gordon

10. Margie

Please send me your mailing address so I can get your pinsies on their way to you.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

P.S. To see a whole boatload of sea urchin pincushions, click here.

What makes a quilt Amish?

Judith wrote asking what makes this an Amish style quilt. She wanted to know: Is it that the maker is Amish, or the design? Here is my response:

Since I'm not Amish, are my Amish style quilts really Amish? Many Amish quilters make quilts that are indistinguishable from popular mainstream quilts. Are those quilts Amish? I make delicious Italian lasagna, but I'm not Italian. 

This quilt was inspired by one in the book shown below: "Amish Crib Quilts from the Midwest, The Sara Miller Collection"  by Smucker, Crews, and Welters (Good Books, 2003).

We know an Amish style quilt when we see one. They have the classic designs and colors that we recognize as an Amish quilt.  

1.) "Amish quilts" were made in the early 1900's by Amish quilters. 

2.) "Amish style quilts" were made more recently by non-Amish. 

Any thoughts?

Quilt Top Finishes

Here are 2 of my latest quilt top finishes: one shown above, and one shown below. These measure about 47" x 47." The backings are Kaffe Fassett prints. I'm listing them as "wall quilts/baby quilts." The fabrics are a mix of florals and geometrics, not juvenile prints, but I think they'd be pretty for a baby girl. 

When my first son was born, my sister Lynne thought the baby sweaters in the stores were too babyish (duh!) so she knitted a navy and white striped sweater that she thought had a more  masculine look. It did look sharp on the little guy too. Now he's 29, and 6'5" tall. I wonder if she's going to knit him a sweater for Christmas!

Yesterday I finished this scrap quilt (below). It reminds me of the World Quilt that we made earlier this year (see sidebar). It's got everything: retro, modern, florals, dots, novelty prints...even some cute dogs. The quilt measures 45" x 57." The strips were cut 1.25" wide. Binding was made from 5 different prints, in keeping with the "scrap" theme. There are 220 pieces total, in case you were wondering.  :)

The Hairy Leg Quilt!

Carla Barrett of Feathered Fibers is a fabulous machine quilter with a great sense of humor.

She quilted this quilt for a friend and decided to have some fun with it. Surprise!

Carla, you are too much! Hahaha!

New Christmas Sea Urchin Pincushion

I know I'm showing you a lot of these Sea Urchin Pincushions, but I just finished this one and I'm so excited about it I had to show you. The fabric is "Dimples" by Gail Kessler (Ladyfingers Studio, Andover Fabrics) in olive/lime green. The beads are mostly greens, reds, and whites, but there are some other colors sprinkled here and there to make it interesting. 

Like a Christmas tree, or a scrap quilt.

Staircase Slides and More

Don't these look like fun? Here are some quick pics to fuel your creative spirit today.

Staircase in a Paris apartment (below) by Ecole. 

And one more, from the Loft House. These kitchen stairs don't take up much room, but I wouldn't want to carry a basket of laundry up there!

Have a very creative day!

Sea Urchin Pincushion GIVEAWAY!

Have you visited the Sea Urchin Pincushion page yet? You could win one of these colorful decorations for your quilt studio (any color you want), or a package of nine pinsies. There will be one sea urchin and 10 packages of pinsies given away. A total of 11 prizes.

Here's what you do. Post one of these photos someplace on the Internet, or spread the word about sea urchin pincushions in some way. Include this link. Then leave a comment on this post. The winners will be chosen (at random) next Wednesday Nov. 21, Thanksgiving Eve. 

The beaded pins are called pinsies. They make nice little pincushion decorations for you, or favors for your quilting buddies. Aren't they pretty in the sun? 

I make these while watching movies with my DH. Want to see the tutorial? 

Making them is so much fun, it's hard to stop. (Duh!) 

Thanks for helping me spread the word. :)

Namolio's Crocheted Garlands

Namolio in England makes unique crocheted items, including these pretty garlands. Her day job involves photography and graphic design. She also has a website.

Another Finish: Diamond Dish Quilt

You've seen the pattern for Diamond Dish. Now the quilt is finally finished, as a result of my "getting serious" about completing quilt tops. 

 If you are a new quilter, you might be interested to see what a "hanging sleeve" is. (Above) It goes on to the top edge of the quilt before the binding is added. The sleeve puffs out a little so that the quilt hangs nice and flat when the curtain rod (or dowel) is in there. Otherwise you'd see a bulge. I always show a photo like this so Etsy viewers can see how easy it is to hang a quilt on the wall.

Yup, this quilt is now listed in my Etsy store. More photos there.

Happy quilting!

Selvage Quilt by Carolina Squirrell

This selvage quilt called "Lawn Chairs" is the creation of Elena in Texas. You can see more photos here at Carolina Squirrell. Elena has lots more amazing selvage items there too.

Nice job, Elena!

A Finished Quilt!

This is my first finish since I got serious about finishing my quilt tops yesterday. So far, so good.

The African fabrics were collected on my trips to New York City's Garment District. The backing isn't African, but I think it's compatible. (Above) The white is Kona cotton. Details here.

This quilt is one of a series that was inspired by a quilt made in Zambia by a women's collective called "Lazy Lion," below. I haven't looked at this photo in a year. Now that I'm reminded of how pretty it looks, I may try again. But not until I finish more tops!

I Have to Get Serious!

It's so exciting to make a new quilt top! You get an idea and start sewing. You watch it grow on the design wall. Then serendipity happens and you get something you didn't expect. Usually that's a good surprise. Yup, it's all fun and games until the top is finished. 

The journey between that moment and having a finished quilt is more "uphill" for me. I'm trying to get serious about finishing a big pile of quilt tops now. I'm telling you this so I won't give in to the temptation to keep piecing tops. You're my "accountability group." Haha. 

So, as The Little Train that Could said, "I think I can! I think I can!"

Election Day Quilt Update

Here's my Election Day quilt top, displayed on a white design wall. (The binding will touch the little green triangles.) It measures 60" x 74." This quilt was made from Kona white and bits of all the light green/lime/chartreuse scraps in my stash. There are a few solids, but most are prints. This was inspired by the new "modern" quilts. It was going to be more simple, but I got carried away enjoying all the prints, and I love the look of all the little triangles.

Here are 2 scenes from the center of Litchfield, CT where I live. Just as the snowstorm was getting started, I made a quick trip to the post office (white building above). Then I turned around and got a photo of the Historical Society. This was the first snowfall, so I was really enjoying it. We got 6" of snow before it ended. Good quilting weather.

Pine Burr Quilt!

This awesome quilt is the creation of Nifty Quilts. 

Each "pine burr" is made from a 3" square, 

folded twice on the diagonal, and each block has about 144 burrs. 

Follow the link to Nifty's blog to see how to do this. 

I think the floral fabric in the outer border is just perfect!

The sashing is denim. Oh Nifty, you rock!

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The Pine Burr Quilt is the official state quilt of Alabama. 

Gee, I wonder if Connecticut has an official state quilt.