Decorating with Quilts

I started this quilt in 2010 and only work on it while at the cabin.

At Home in the Woods,

by McKenna Ryan.

It will occupy a large, blank wall at the cabin.  

The only problem with working on a quilt over a period of 4 years is you do not have access to the original fabrics anymore.  I have one more long block to fuse and a few accents and it will be ready for the border.  What I like about her patterns is how the shapes spill into the border.  The star of this quilt, in my opinion, is the Aspen Tree in the upper left border.  You can only see the beginnings of it right now. Perhaps it will be a flimsy by Summer 2015.

In order to finish this project, I visited the Durango Quilt Shop. Our local little shop here in Pagosa Springs closed in March...boohoo! The Durango shop has a fabulous collection of batiks! The best thing I came home with though was a new fusible...Soft Fuse Premium.  I am impressed, but have not tried it on wool yet. It is, however, extremely superior for a fusible applique project like this one. Very light weight and strong.

The cabin is the perfect place for decorating with quilts.

 A flannel quilt draped over the chair with a Kim Diehl design on the wall.

 A Kathleen Tracy quilt draped over the staircase railing. See that big blank wall...that is where the McKenna Ryan quilt will hang.

 Bear in the Woods, by Liberty Homestead alongside some of my photography. I am a wanna be wildlife photographer. LOL! The quilt hanger is by Summer Sky Creations. They do a great job at custom hangers!

Seasonal small quilts.

Small quilts on the dining table, designed by Miss Rosies Quilt Co.

A log cabin quilt on our bed, designed by Kim Diehl.

The guest bedroom with another Kim Diehl quilt on the bed and a Jo Morton design on the wall.

Hope you have enjoyed the quilt tour.

How do you decorate with quilts?

Saltbox Sampler

I knew when I saw the delicious, vibrant reds in Judie Rothermel's fabric line,

Party of Twelve, they would be perfect in...

Saltbox Sampler
by Kim Diehl

Of course, the bubble gum pink and poison greens were the icing on the cake!

(I hope I got those hue descriptions right.  I am still learning the reproduction lingo.)

And I cannot resist a 'house' quilt, especially if it has a scrappy pieced border.

Those of you with good eyes can see that there is a border missing...

waiting for a perfect toasty piece of Jo Morton to arrive at TOWQS.

We spent last week celebrating my granddaughter's 1st birthday...

jeez how time flies,

especially when you are having so much fun!

Now to resume working on a few projects on my WIP list...

the first being a quilt for my granddaughter!

SSQSG meeting for July

One of the reasons I came back to AZ early was to have the opportunity to meet with my SSQSG.  What started out as a sewing bee has become a warm, enjoyable meeting of friends to talk about life and share our individual works.  Since we met at TOWQS this month, it was also time to get in a little retail therapy!

I will direct you to Merumo's blog to catch up on all her projects...

 and then I would love to share

 Lin's (no blog) work for the month.  

Loved this scrappy double 4-patch and must add some of that red border fabric to my stash!

A Quilter Lives Here by Liberty Homestead

I should have taken a close up pic of the fabulous machine quilting.

Made using Jo Morton fabrics and the hand-dyed, sueded cottons from Liberty Homestead.

Her full sized version of Grandpap's Cards.

The setting fabric is from Bonnie Blue Basics...it reads grey, but is a small pattern of blue and brown.  I'm thinking it would  be a good choice of setting fabric for my Farmer's Wife blocks.

Just love her version!  Do you think she will trade...her's is quilted and bound!!!

I brought home a few pieces of Jo Morton's new Sweet Emilie line.

Perfect nuetrals for the HST units in my Pinwheels for Caroline.

Mother Nature has blessed us with a marvelous, drenching rain this morning...

a good day to sew.  My goal will be to make a few R&W blocks first and then play with my new pretties.  What will you play at today?

1st new project of 2011

Phew! I succeeded in repacking all the Christmas decorations this weekend and cleaning up all the remnants of the holidays, including the dust! However, it left my home looking drab and dreary!

One of the things I miss most is the little quilt I made using Kathie's recipe, so I decided to make a replacement that I can leave out year round!

I had previously made two quilts using this border fabric from Jo Morton and had just the right amount leftover to whip up this little mat. 

This is the coordinating table topper that rests on top of my dining table year round.  The little mat will be on my antique sideboard.

Then there is this Kathleen Tracy designed quilt from Remembering Adelia that will hang on the wall when I retrieve it from display at TOWQS.

It is challenging to incorporate my quilts in my southwest, territorial home!

I don't particularly like southwest fabrics nor quilt designs, but love to display quilts.

However, my home is so eclectic! I have a mix of French and American oak antiques mixed in with carved Spanish Colonial pieces and wrought iron. 

After all it is a home, not a decorator's showcase.

Today, my challenge, after I have the dreaded mammogram, is to find a threesome to create a nice vignette on top of the new addition.  I am thinking wrought iron candlesticks or the like.

Joined a doll quilt exchange over at Christine's blog.

I just love to visit her just to see the quilts in her header photo!

Found someone who adores doll quilts and makes them faster than I do!

Visit Monique over at Only Doll Quilts.

She is planning to make her own version of the 'Welcome Wagon' small quilt.

My goal for this week is to finish my Kim Diehl applique quilt!

Then you will not have to hear about it anymore!

Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative and more Maple Leaf blocks

My donation is about ready to mail, but I wanted to encourage you to visit Lori at Humble Quilts. Her recent post is about this very worthwhile fundraiser. 

Quilters Newsletter magazine and Electric Quilt have paired up for a contest.  The deadline is quickly approaching, so visit them here.

Pieced more of my maple leaf blocks together. Blocks in this one come from Australia, Canada, Idaho and Wisconsin. Don't know which direction I will take with this.  I may wait for other block exchanges in the future to continue to add on to it.

I selected the fabrics for my follower appreciation gifts yesterday.

Each cut is a 1/3 yd of fabric. 

Because I love reproduction fabrics, these are from Jo Morton's Annadale collection.  

And these are from the French General by Moda.  Red and aqua blue are becoming two of my favorite color combinations. Check back on Saturday morning to see if your name was drawn.

Another quick show and tell!

I just couldn't wait to share this little darling. I have to finish the embroidery and then hand quilt it, but that will take forever and I just couldn't wait for you all to see it.
As usual I have 4 projects that I am working on all at the same time. I get a little done on each one every day. Have to reach the finish line eventually. I am cloistered in my sewing room watching 10 solid hours of the US Open coverage on TV. The last American man lost the other day, but Venus is still standing. I must say though, "What was she thinking with that dress!"

Look what came in the mail!

I recently decided to join Jo Morton's Yahoo Group just in time to take part in the 2010 Pincushion Exchange. At first I was hesitant, but boy am I glad I participated. It has been so fun viewing the parade of pincushion photos and then today...mine came in the mail from my secret sister in Liberty, NY. She hand pieced the precious little darling in my favorite Jo colorway. Click on the image to enlarge it so you can see the detail of the basket. It matches the sewing pouch that Tamami made for me and fits nicely in the little pocket so I can take it everywhere with me. Her gift to me also included a pair of my favorite applique scissors with a charm that says 'Friendship.' She threw in some betweens for hand quilting and needle threaders. Now I am set!

O.K., I'm shameless...

The caption reads, "I love Bunny Hill Designs. Postcard Cuties was my Xmas present from Grandma." The caption for the next one reads, "Hi, Anne. I agree. Fairfield plush polyfill is the best!" If you follow Anne's blog, she recently did a piece on the difference in polyfill stuffings.

In an act of desperation, I staged my daughter's dog, Daphne, in the first photo in an attempt to persuade Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill Designs to select me as the winner of a very pink, very hoppy gift basket full of her fabric and other goodies. The second photo Daphne posed for all by herself. She was having such fun ripping into the package! That look on her face says, "Busted."

If I really wanted to win, I wouldn't tell you that it is 'pet month' at Bunny Hill. The parade of proud pet owners has been a grand one! The sugar-sliders from Australia are definitely sweet. The truth is, Daphne needs no prodding. She loves to roll and snuggle on all the quilts that Kiri and I are working on. I possess 3 of Anne's patterns. One is complete (and Daphne is shamelessly posing on it-Postcard Cuties); another one has one block done; and my favorite, Autumn Houses, has a stash collection. This week I added to that stash with some rich, pumpkin colored fabrics from Kansas Troubles Summer's End collection (which can be found at the shoppe.) After adding them to the collection, it took great willpower (something I have very little of) not to start on it immediately. Yes, finishing my Kim Diehl applique quilt has priority.

A new blog made it's debut last night, Heirlooms by Ashton House. It is worth a look to see pictures of her butter yellow Victorian home and her handcrafted dolls. I personally want her pattern for her pincushions! The Jo Morton Yahoo group is doing a pincushion exchange and mine just might be made from her pattern!

I know I promised a Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. trunk show, but I forgot to take my camera to the shop on Sat. Look for it next time!
Thanks again for taking an interest...Cheryl, now languishing in the dry heat of AZ