Beginning my Baltimore

I finally started a "true" Baltimore Album quilt. I have been doing a lot of reading since attending Baltimore on the Prairie. Although I have always loved the album quilts, listening to Jan Carlson's presentation really got me hooked. The more I learned, the more excited I became! So I was particularly excited when Katie and I decided to revive the TAS group with a Baltimore slant...which leads me to starting my first Baltimore Album quilt. The process of getting started was a slow one - prepping the background (Moda's Bella Solid in bleached white), choosing the pattern to start with, tracing the overlay, and selecting fabrics for the first flowers. I originally had planned to do 12" blocks, but after learning that true BA blocks were much larger, I decided to go big. The background fabric looks ridiculously huge at 22" square. I think the finished block will be around 18". I didn't get as far as actually sewing anything today. That will have to wait until tomorrow.

I have managed to keep up with My Garden Album yet again. I finished block four yesterday. I had stopped by Homestead Hearth on my way home from the lake on Monday and was told that the next one had shipped, so I was very anxious to get it done before the mail arrived!

I'm also continuing to work on my baskets. I have six completed, I believe. Only 285 left to go! They are fun to work on and are pretty simple, so they make a good "on-the-go" project.

It's back to the rug for the rest of the night - I'd really rather applique, but I'll never make my self-imposed deadline if I don't get on it!

Need a vacation...

I'm sorry to say that I don't have anything to show for the last couple of weeks... I've been busy dabbling in lots of things, but haven't had time to finish a single one. I recieved block four of My Garden Album shortly after posting block three. I've got a pretty good start on it, but will really have to buckle down over the next week or so if I hope to finish before the next package arrives in the mail.

I did have a bit of a break-through yesterday. I decided how I would do the bottom of the "Basketful" rug and found a "close enough" match to the wool I ran short on, so everything is now in place for me to finish that one off. I just need to wash the new wool, pull a few strips from the completed leaves, and mix things up so it looks like I planned it that way. I'll be SOOOO glad to have this rug finished! I'm dying to get back to some of the other projects I started this year.

I'm really looking forward to our upcoming Baltimore album TAS group and can't wait to get going on my first block. I think we are going to go with a wreath to get started, and I have found a wonderful wreath in a pattern I recently received from the Maryland Historical Society. Now I just need to decide whether to go with the Moda Bleached White or Kona Snow for background. I'm leaning toward the Moda. Perhaps I should order another bolt...

I'm also very excited about Nola's plans for next year's wool club. It sounds like she has lots of ideas to really get our creative juices flowing. I am already thinking about a couple of things I would like to do. Oh no - more projects!

I'm very much looking forward to being off work next week. The stress of not knowing what the future holds is starting to get to me. It's tough to stay motivated. I'm really itching to fly the coop! I'd love to head down to the lake for a quiet, no errands required mini-retreat. Perhaps I can get away for a day or two next week before the holiday madness begins...

Keeping Up!

I managed to finish block three of My Garden Album before receiving block four...so far I am keeping up with this one! Who knows how long it can last...I have so many new projects I am aching to start that I am bound to get distracted and lose the race.

I need to choose a 2010 project for my Primitives Yahoo group. I am really interested in beginning an album quilt, and I would also dearly love to reproduce an antique applique project. I also have a burning desire to start at least one of the Nancy Page quilts - I just can't decide whether to start with the leaves, the birds, or the laurel wreath. Of course, none of those are very primitive (although the "rules" don't specify that the project has to be prim), so I am considering a few others that fit the bill a little better. I'd love to get started on Wedding March, and also would like to do the taupe quilt from Homestead Hearth. I also purchased all the fabric to make a log cabin with applique - again, not very primitive, but I'd like to get it done. Decisions, decisions! Thankfully I have a few more weeks to mull it over...

Wishin' I could be in Houston

Watching all of the exciting posts from Market and Festival makes me wish I had followed through on my plan to go to Houston this year. It turns out it's a good thing that I decided not to go, as my assistance is needed here, but I sure feel like I am missing out on all the fun! This is the toughest time of year from a quilting and rug hooking perspective - nothing of any magnitude planned until rug camp in February and the quilt shows in April. It'll be a long winter!

Once again, I have gone off the deep end and started yet another new project. It's so hard to resist when you see all the wonderful patterns and fabrics out there! This one is the basket quilt from "When the Wind Blows", another book I picked up during the shop hop last weekend. I am using Brannock & Patek's Blessings fabric, a new Moda line that just hit the shops. I started with a layer cake (also picked up during the hop), but now need to order lots more. I finished the first basket last night - only 290 left to go!

Shop Hopping

I've managed to make it to five of the Country Shop Hop shops, although my plans had to be changed a bit last night due to the torrential rains that hit Missouri. I was only able to visit one shop on my way down - Love to Sew Boutique in Osage Beach, MO. There I found a wonderful rendition of a Smith Street Designs pattern. The shop owner is making the pattern in blue-teals and yellow greens instead of the Thimbleberries-looking sample on the pattern cover. It was gorgeous! I also snagged a cute free pattern for a Dresden plate table runner and the new Dresden book that I have been wanting to pick up for a while.

I headed up to Versailles, MO to Linda's Cotton Patch this afternoon. I love Linda's shop, especially all the wonderful Japanese taupes. I left there with a few more pieces that I couldn't live without as well as a couple other odds and ends I needed. I then headed to Stover to visit the three quit shops there. I found the "When the Wind Blows" book I had been looking for - spent more than I would have on Amazon, but I really wanted it now... I also picked up a few of the new "nutmeg" Hoffman batiks. I'm starting to collect for the Falling Leaves pattern. I decided it calls for autumn colors instead of the brights I was thinking about. I then ofcused on collecting a bunch of Civil War repros for the basket quilt I am so in love with. The prices were certainly right! I will need some shirtings or other old-looking neutrals for the background. I'm toying with the idea of heading up to Mexico on my way home tomorrow. I know they would have them there.

Tomorrow I will definitely visit the shops in Greenview and Camdenton. I won't be able to make it to the shops that are further out west, but may stop at another shop or two as I make my way home.

In between all the shopping and driving, I did manage to finish block six of my Summer's End project. I'm hoping that block three of My Garden Album is waiting for me at home. I'm ready to switch back to cotton for at least a few days!

Inspiration Overload!

I didn't exactly end up starting the new quilt last weekend, but I did buy the fabric. I actually did start one of the quilts I was thinking about - Dutch Treat - but for some reason it just didn't "grab" me. I really struggled to find a block that I was interested in starting with, and then half way through appliqueing it I decided that I just wasn't all that excited about pursuing the project. I threw the block away and removed the project from my mental "to do" list, clearing the way for things I really am excited about, like "Everything But the Kitchen Sink". I started that one this weekend, using the background fabric I purchased for the Dutch Treat quilt. I haven't made a lot of progress, but like my colors so far. I've decided to do brights rather than 30s. I have enough 30s quilts either in progress or on my "wanna" list. Here's a peek at the colors so far:
I am planning to make my way down to the Ozarks this weekend to participate in the Country Shop Hop. I won't be able to make it to all the participating shops, but will be able to get to about half of them and might stop by a couple others along the way. I don't need a thing - definitely no new projects - but I haven't done a hop in a while so it sounds like fun.

I have made an effort to get back to my Basketful rug this week. My goal is to have it completed by Oct. 24. Perhaps if I take it (and no applique) with me to the lake I can make some progress!

Back from Runaway

Well, I started out with the best of intentions, but completely changed my mind once I finally sat down at the sewing machine! I began working on some of my UFO projects on Tuesday and just couldn't talk myself into moving my machine up to the Mexican Star classroom. So instead I spent the entire retreat in sit & sew and ended up knocking out four of my Sweet Annie's BOM blocks and 26 pages of half-square triangle paper for another project that's been sitting in a pile in the sewing room for longer than I can remember. I didn't end up getting nearly as much handwork done as I had hoped, but I'm not at all surprised. In the end, the Mexican Star pieces came home in a bag in the same state as when they left here. Another UFO, but one I can tackle in the convenience of my sewing room.

Here's the latest Summer's End block:

















I finished my second My Garden Album BOM block before leaving for Runaway but didn't get a chance to post it:















Between BOP, a new Yahoo group I found, Runaway, and a stop at the Cotton Patch quilt shop in Woodlawn, IL, I have been inspired to start numerous new projects. I plan to start at least one new one tomorrow. Now I just have to decide which one!