I have allowed myself a few distractions, around four - first was the 12 Days of Christmas by Temecula Quilt Co, - flimsy completed! http://temeculaquiltco.blogspot.com/ You can see it on a prevous post!
Then Lori's QAL, just couldn't pass that one up! Sat up late last night and completed the top, I'm pretty pleased with how it looks!! Here are the details: http://humblequilts.blogspot.com/2012/01/quilt-longs-part-1.html
I will be taking this to my local longarm quilter, can't wait to have it hanging on my wall, I love the colours!!!!
My third distraction is Kathy Tracy's 'Crosses Mourning Quilt' from her book "Prairie Children and Their Quilts". Kathy is challenging us to make one small quilt per month, this is the first one for 2012. So far I have completed the nine blocks, next I have to sort out sashing, and already have the border fabric!!!
You can visit her here: http://sentimentalquilter.blogspot.com/
I only had a couple of black reproduction fabrics in my stash, but I soon sorted that out when I went to Brisbane recently and bought some more for this quilt!! Not the greatest photo, it shows a little darker than they actually are, hopefully when the top is completed the next time I post, it will look a little better!
My fourth distraction was actually my first LOL, those tiny teeny little house blocks that Jeanneke has encouraged us all to make! I decided to use the Foundation Paper pieced method and drew it up on EQ, this was my first effort! You can find out about them here: http://www.jeanneke.com/#home
I sent this one to Kaaren, from The Painted Quilt, (http://thepaintedquilt.blogspot.com/) as she is new to FPP and is a visual learner so what better way to try and figure it out than to have it in your hands to see how things go together!!! I will definitely be making more of these, but not 365 LOL, probably enough for a small quilt to hang on the wall or as a table-topper!!! I have a little box of odd small scraps which will be perfect to use for these tiny lovelies!!!
I don't know what you all listen to/watch when you are in the sewing room as a background. I usually listen to the radio, ABC Radio National (news, current affairs, arts etc) or ABC Classic FM. I love to read generally, but when it comes to what gets my spare time it is usually my sewing that wins out, so books don't get read.
I decided to give audio-books a try, I mean to say, we girls can do two things at once right!!!? I am on to my second audio-book now and it is working out wonderfully. The quality of the audio is excellent these days, and it's amazing what you take in even when you are concentrating on cutting, stitching etc.
I'm currently listening to a Geraldine Brooks' historical novel called 'Caleb's Crossing'. It is 12 1/4 hrs listening time (10 discs), so you can imagine the size of the book, it would have taken me forever, this way it is easy peasy!
I use a small portable DVD/CD player which doesn't take up too much room! I now have a list of books I want to (read) - listen to LOL!!!! What do you listen to/watch when you are in your sewing room?
This past week I received an email from Barbara Brackman (http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com/). She wants to feature 3 of my blocks from her CW BOW project in her new upcoming book! I must say I was quite amazed that any of my blocks would warrant that sort of attention!!!
From what I can gather she has asked a few contributors to the flickr group (http://flickr.com/groups/civilwarquilts.2011/) if they would mind if she used their blocks as examples. So here are the blocks she wants to feature!
#41 Red, White & Blue Pieced Star
# 42 H for Hospital
#48 West Virginia
It's amazing what other people see when they look at your work! I wouldn't have thought these blocks were particularly interesting at all, but I guess we all see different things!!! I'm just pleased to have been asked, it is quite an honour to feature in her book, I'm actually quite chuffed!!!!
Hope you are all having a safe and productive weekend.
Take it easy,
Merilyn
37 comments:
Your distractions all look pretty wonderful! I'll have to look for that book. I love historical fiction! And congratulations on having your blocks included in a book! How very exciting! :0)
Merilyn, your version of Lori's quilt is lovely. You always put so much thought into the selection of your fabrics. I love your choices. The mourning quilt is progressing well. Mine is a bit darker than I would have liked but black is black! I love sewing and listing to audio books. My local library has the ebooks available through their service but the titles are limited.
Wonderful news about your blocks chosen for BB's book. Congratulations.
Your Pink Lemonade is quite cheerful, Merilyn. Finished my quilt top too yesterday. Lori has the nicest easy paced QAL.
Can't wait to see the border fabric you've chosen for Crosses Mourning Quilt! As you said before it will surely make or break the quilt!
I suppose I should get on with some paper piecing of the little house blocks, now that I've dabbled with FPP. It's really quite interesting ... once you get the hang of it! ;)
I listen to the audio books when I stitch all the time. Since I'm a cheapskate I listen to books in the public domain i.e. free!
What an honour to your workmanship for your blocks to be chosen by BB! You must be over the moon. Does this mean you're going to be famous?
I don't know where to start. Your post is filled with wonderful projects and inspiration.
I've gotten behind on my Pink Lemonade and I HAVE to catch up. I've done all of Lori's quiltalong projects so far. I like the plaids you used in the outer partial blocks.
I read Kathy Tracy's challenge to make one small quilt per month, and I'm hoping to do that. What is tempting me the most is that she will be conducting classes in a couple weeks in a city only 90 minutes away. If it wasn't winter here, with the possibility of bad roads, I would have signed up for something already. I may just have to drive there and ask her to autograph the copies of her books that I own.
Hearty congratulations on B.Brackman asking to publish your blocks in her book. You kept up and made pretty, pretty blocks. Well deserved!
Congratulations Merilyn, well deserved indeed!!! Barbara Brackman said she was looking for a variety of color and styles so I can see why she picked these blocks of yours. West Virginia is perfect, the colours, fabrics and perfect Y seams.
Love your distractions! How you placed the plaids along the borders in your Pink Lemonade and the dark corners are a nice surprise. So many great projects to take in!
For me its music most of the time. Classical or the Blues, NPR radio, PBS or football on the tube. Variety is the spice of life :0)
Your distractions all look lovely...my kind of distractions..
Congratulations Merilyn...wow to be in Barbara Brackman's book is amazing..
Julia ♥
First, congratulations on having blocks selected for Barbara's book! What an honor. You deserve it though with such great fabric choices and precision piecing.
Of course, all your other projects are eye candy as well, especially Pink Lemonade.
Congrats on being included in the book - I can't wait to see it, I'm usre it will be wonderful. I love all of your other little projects too. I have been trying to refrain from Lori's QAL, but I might give in and join - Pink Lemondad is so cute!
What a lovely lot of projects you have been involved with. I just love the little houses too and I am sure I wont' get around to 365. Your Civil War blocks are fabulous and congratulations on having them selected by Barbara Brackman for her book - it will be a real buzz seeing them in print. I have been listening to audio books for many years and enjoy them while I am machine quilting and also hand piecing and not many books actually get read these days. I have nearly exhausted our local libraries but they have assured me more are on the way. Take care.
Congratulations! You certainly deserve the recognition from Barbara! and so modest - waiting till the end of your post to tell us the good news. So exciting!
You have been busy! You are a master at picking out fabulous fabrics.
I'm reading the hard copy of Caleb's Crossing and it's going very slowly. I, too, tend to spend my free time stitching rather than reading. I recently tried listening to a book while I'm in my sewing room. I'm not sure I could do it with all books, but I did enjoy feeling very productive.
You have been busy sewing. I wanted so much to do Kathy's mourning quilt but knew I already had four projects going - two of them bed size quilts - that I didn't need to take up a fifth. The CW quilt blocks Barbara B. chose are very pretty, and worthy. Glad you are enjoying the audio books.
I've been ALL SORTS of distracted! I got 8 small quilt tops finished, sandwiched, and ready for quilting! WOW! And now I'm quilting #3! Love all your projects and the house is darling! Great work!
Hello Marilyn, I have almost completed my Pink Lemonade and yours looks wonderful! I love the blue piece on the bottom...really pops out the other colors. Congrats on BB picking your blocks! I too have joined the little house blocks sew along and have considered the Mourning Quilt. I have so much enthusiasm to sew and it makes it fun when others are so encouraging like Lori and Jeanneke and Kathy. I watched House Hunters International today while sewing and now have been to Slovenia, Belgium and France today!
Congratulations on BB choosing your blocks - quite an honor!!! I love all your little quilts and your house blocks. You're really getting a lot done.
I LOVE to listen to audiobooks when I am sewing. It particularly makes the cutting much more interesting. Like you, when I have time to play quilting nearly always wins the battle for my attention.
With your beautiful color/fabric selections I am not surprised Barbara will be using your blocks in her book ;-)
Loved many of the same diversions you selected...
Sometimes I just love the quiet hum of my machine while sewing, sometimes music.
Thank you for sharing.
Sewing while listening to a book is so relaxing and you tend to get more done.
Love your post. I had said no new projects in 2012 or at least until I finished a few, but like you I'm doing a few of Jeanneke's houses and I had forgotten about making one quilt a month from Prairie Children. Your projects are wonderful!
Hello Merilyn,congratulations for being chosen for BB book, quite an honour....looking forward to seeing how you sash and border your quilt....enjoyed seeing your distraction projects...Hugs O'faigh
I must say that you have alot of fun distractions....
Your distractions are wonderful Merilyn. Again I have been tempted, but then I read another friends blog and she has almost finished something else I have started, so that gave me the boost I needed to get back to it.
Well Done you on having 3 blocks in the book. Isn't it exciting - it will be when we see our names in print for ever more.
It's certainly an honour.:-)
Some great looking quilts folks, and i admire all of the work that goes into making them. Richard
That is so exciting that you will be a published quilter!
Love your blocks!
You have so many wonderful distractions going on!
OMG you have accomplished so much and did beautiful work ( as always). I have fallen in love though with the little house block. You SHOULD be very proud 3 of your blocks were chosen for the upcoming book. I keep telling you how amazing your piecing is. Well done and how exciting x
what a productive week! Love your mourning quilt wow, great fabric choices...
Lori's quilt along came out great too, love those colors too! congrats for being included in BB book!
Kathie
Love both the little quilts - black isn't something we buy much of, is it? Exciting to receive an email from Barbara Brackman!
That's wonderful that BB has chosen some of your blocks! Wow! I love your pink lemonade quilt. I just posted mine.
How I missed this post I don't know!!! But it is wonderful. Love all your projects!!! I can believe that Barbara would use your blocks!!! I always looked at yours to help me with mine!!!
Have a wonderful day!!!
I got distracted with one of your links & I almost forgot to come back and comment!
Your Pink Lemonade quilt...I like all of your fabric choices. Will be fun to see what your LA quilter does with it.
I like the Crosses quilt...thinking about doing that monthly little quilt thing....not sure. Tempting though.
Glad you are enjoying the audio book. I have been doing that for years....have "read" hundreds of books that way. Love it.
Congrats on the Civil War blocks!
Your blocks are beautiful, I can see why Barbara would like them in her book. I love everything you do!
Quilter's ADD has led to many beautiful blocks and a darling Pink Lemonade. Congratulations :)
Your pink lemonade quilt is so very cute. I like to play audio books when I am driving the car. But I can only do it when I am by myself, because the husband refuses to listen.
Whew! You are getting a lot of things done and listening to a book.... way to go.... quilters are great multi-taskers!!
Wow you have been busy and all the projects look great. Very big congrats on being included in Barbara Brackman's next book. That's very exciting news.
Hugs, Jan Mac
Hi, Merilyn. I'm thinking that I'd like to be distracted like you! I especially like the mourning quilt because of the high contrast between the darks and lights.
best, nadia
I look forward to following the progress of all your little quilts. As soon as you mentioned audio books, I thought to recommend Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks. It's a fascinating read/listen.
How wonderful that Barbara chose some of your blocks for her book!
They are all beautiful and deserving of recognition!
Your pink lemonade quilt turned out so lovely! I like your Crosses Mourning quilt and that little house block is just darling!
Congratulations on all of your accomplishments of late!
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