This-is-so-COOL: Blogger's Quilt Festival

I know this is a little last-minute, but several of the blogs I follow have been linking up to this and I have been so inspired by both the stories they share and the amazing quilts they link up. I know I can't compete with years of experience, but I am especially proud of this finish from just a couple of weeks ago.

I'm following along with the It's A Mini Quilt-Along at Moose on the Porch Quilts. This was the first mini that we did. I made it from Kona Coal and scraps from my stash. I wasn't terribly excited about the design because it seemed plain to me and I wasn't sure where to focus or how to track my eyes. The simple row construction makes me want to quilt straight lines. When I finished the top, I mulled for several days wondering how I could really make mine unique.

One morning, in the twilight zone, I saw my finished mini. I knew the geometric echo quilting would not only complement the design, but add a whole new dimension. I chose a light grey thread that would contrast with the dark background and emphasize the quilting even more.  I *love* this finish. I was going to turn it into a pillow or table topper, but I love it so much that it is tacked to the wall next to my bed so it can make me smile first thing each morning.

Here are the Bloggers Quilt Festival Stats:
Finished quilt measurements: 12-3/4" square

Special Techniques:  None, really--pieced and quilted with my home machine

Quilted by: Heather Karr (me)

Best Category:  Doll/Mini Quilt, Home Machine Quilted,

This-is-so-Cool: Wonky Blocks

          

These are my two quilt blocks for Stash Bee this month. I've seen these done on other sites and thought, those are cool, but too much effort ...  THIS is one of the big reasons I wanted to do the Bee thing:  it forces me to do what I otherwise put off as being too difficult, too time-intensive, too fussy, too elaborate ... You get the picture :)  There are lots of other reasons, but that's a biggie.  Both months, so far, have been blocks I've looked at and put on my far-off future to-do list.  Now I can check them off.  And you know what else?  They were FUN to play with.

Mosaic Mini

I know its been a while, but I haven't fallen off the face of the earth yet!  With school starting again, another trip to SF and working again, I'm still re-working my routines.

A couple of weeks ago, the folks over at Moose on the Porch Quilts started a Mini Quilt Along in conjunction with their new book Simply Charming Minis.  I already had the book and am excited to sew along.  

The first is this one entitled, "Mosiac".  I went totally scrappy with this one and am in LOVE with the finish!  I used light gray thread over the Kona Coal background and it really makes the quilting pop.  The echo design emphasizes the tile pattern and the binding even feels like it echos the overall pattern to me.

I'm really glad I decided to push myself to finish it with their deadlines.  It's great to have a finish amid the chaos of my sewing table right now.