Amy's Creative Side: Blogger's Quilt Festival - Spring 2010

So here I am, sitting back and relaxing while I check out all the beautiful quilts and stories on line at the new Blogger's Quilt Fest. I like to get comfortable and have a snack nearby while I am browsing.

I've visited close to 90 blogs so far this weekend, but the viewing will continue on for a long time. Currently there are over 450 quilts and stories to check out at the Spring Blogger's Quilt Festival. Amy's Creative Side: Blogger's Quilt Festival - Spring 2010

Amy of Park City, Utah has organized such a wonderful showing of quilts. Join up if you have something to share and have fun browsing to so many delightful blogs. I can guess you'll be at it all week. I know I will be tied to the computer for quite some time in the coming days.

If you'd have a quilt and a story to share about it, I hope you will link up. Just follow the directions on Amy's blog. For those readers that have a flickr account, you may also go to the group pool of Blogger's Quilt Festival to preview some of the photos.

Blogger's Quilt Festival ~ Spring 2010

Peacock Sampler Quilt

Some time ago I designed and sewed this sampler quilt for a college course. The purpose was to learn many different techniques in dyeing fabrics and piecing. It was the first time that I had done the quilting in panels and then joined the sections as they were finished. It turned out to be a generous twin sized quilt that is usable on a bed, couch or as a wall hanging. For many years it sat in a box rolled up on a curtain rod over at my Mom's house. That preserved its condition and the colors are as bright and strong as they were when I last displayed it.

It's interesting that I did keep all of my notes and drawings for the planning of my project and I ran across them the other day when I needed to look up notes on doing tie-dye. I'm happy to say we learned about Seminole patchwork, trapunto, applique, batik, and lots of other quilting techniques. It was a wonderful class and so full of information.



To see other quilts in the Blogger's Quilt Festival jump on over to Amy's Creative Side and start clicking on the links. The quilt photos and stories will keep you hooked up to your computer for hours!

National Wear Your Apron Day

A post this morning by Sandi at Legacy of Stitches reminded me about National Wear Your Apron Day on Monday May 10th.

Each Monday Sandi has some quilterly piece hanging on her clothesline and writes a wonderful memory about the quilt or stitchery. Because it happens to be National Apron Day the post today was about her mother's aprons.

Sandi's post prompted me to want to make a post of my own. I have made 6 aprons in a patchwork style or with the "4 corners" pattern. I have 2 of my own and I gifted the others to my mom, sister, friend, aunt, and my school principal. Each apron, except for my sister's was also quilted with a meandering machine quilt stitch.

Shown here in my photos are the 2 aprons that I call my own. I usually do wear them when I am cooking or baking. I like to keep a second one available for when friends or family cook with me.

Thimbleberries 3's Company Club Quilt 2009

My blocks have been sewn for a while now, but I recently got down to business and sewed the blocks together for the center panel of this quilt.

It will have multiple borders. One fun detail is that one of the borders will have additional pieced blocks set into it. I have the widest border pieces cut. My next move will be to cut some narrow cream strips for the first border. I plan to use a wool batting for the quilting.

Super Nice Giveaway!

Nikki of Nicki Lee RavioLee Dreams is having her 100th post celebration.


She has always been interested in beautiful things and for this celebration she has made a small chest of drawers covered with a beautiful mosaic design. Not only is the outside of the chest lovely, she has filled the drawers with wonderful crazy quilt trims and treasures. There are laces, silks, and motifs for making and embellishing some lovely art. I want to enter her give away and thought you might want to check it out for yourself! Please mention that I sent you there! Both the mosaic drawers and the crazy quilt supplies are going to be the prize!

Vintage Doll Repair

Recently I was working on some minor repairs to a pair of cute little flip skirt dolls. They were in some boxes with belongings from my husband's grandmother. One has clearly seen some hard use!

I was able to stitch up the skirt of the one that had the big gap. First I re-gathered that section and then I was able to tack it to the waistband.

One of the faces could still use some repair. I may try to stick some stitch witchery tape inside the rip and see if the fusible web might hold the rip together. The other doll's face seems to be more preserved.

Shown here is the flip side of the dolls with the skirts reversed.

They are quite a pair. I am debating on keeping them or selling them on e-bay. I did see a funny flip doll for sale recently that has little red riding hood, grandma, and the wolf all in one doll. That one seemed interesting to me.

A Quilter's Garden

A Quilter's Garden
Originally uploaded by quilterinagarden

I've been wanting to try making one of these photo mosaics. It was really easy over at bighugelabs.com! I'll have to keep collecting more of my garden photos for this purpose. It would be fun to have one for each season. Wouldn't the design be great on some fabric?

My Recent Block Finish

12 inch Block for the Large Quilt

I got the fifth blocks done for Shelly's Quilt Along. Shelly P has been posting entries from her mother's high school diary (written in 1951) as she posts the directions to make 2 sizes of quilts. It's a lot of fun to make the blocks along with other quilters.

6 inch block for the smaller quilt