3/29/11

Spring Sewing and Cleaning...

"Redwork Rhymes" that I am doing in Bluework!
Well, Spring is here! Seems like we had a long winter, so I am glad that spring is here...even though it is a chilly 54 degrees and rainy today, it will be back in the 80s by the weekend!

What projects do you have going for spring? I mean...besides cleaning? Yep...I have started spring cleaning around here too. The other day I started cleaning out my closet...trying to get rid of things that don't fit anymore or are just worn out. I set aside things to go to Goodwill and things that would make good quilt fabric. Then I sat and watched movies while I took the potential quilt fabric clothes and took off buttons, cut out seams, cut off sleeves and collars and made stacks of good usable quilt fabric...now that is sewing green! You don't realize just how many clothes in your closet you can reuse and recycle into quilt fabric!! I have to admit...it was pretty exhilarating! I now have a button jar going and some zippers to reuse also! Oh...and I had several blouses that had embroidery on them, so I cut out the embroidery to incorporate into other clothing that I will make for summer!!

Right now, I am working on a double nine patch wedding quilt...the colors are sage green, black and white. I didn't realize when I chose this pattern just how tedious it would be to put the nine patch blocks together...plus, the pieces are 1 1/2" x 1 1/2"...pretty darn small! I have 10 larger blocks put together now and need 25 in all...so I have a way to go, but am making good progress!

And suddenly, I had the urge to embroider! So, now I am also working on an embroidery quilt project. The pattern is called "Redwork Rhymes", but I am doing Bluework instead...just because I like bluework better than redwork! There are 3 panels with 4 blocks each (for a total of 12 embroidered blocks)...I am nearly done with 1 panel. It is going pretty quickly and I try to work on it every evening during our TV watching. I will post photos as I get the panels done. Although, I am not sure what fabric I will use in the quilt...I know it will be mostly blue!!

Another baby quilt will be in the works just as soon as I can find some motorcycle fabric for a baby!! Some friends of ours are having their second son and he will be born on April 8...so I am hoping to find motorcycle fabric very soon and get that quilt made...in a hurry!!

Well, that's it for now! Time to head back to the sewing room!! Let me know what your spring projects are...and share your sewing green ideas here!!

Happy Sewing and Quilting!

3/13/11

Dallas Quilt Show 2011

Yesterday hubby and I went to the Dallas Quilt Show and saw some beautiful quilts! Please view my photos at the link above or in the upper left corner of this blog. They are loaded into Snapfish, so if you don't have an account, just register for free and then view the photos. Especially check out the Best of Show quilt...it was all hand pieced, embroidered and quilted!! Now that was a truly amazing quilt!!

I always get excited to go to quilt shows, because that is where I get inspired and my quilting urge gets renewed! I especially enjoy the Junior category for quilters 18 and under...very inspiring to know that our younger generations will carry on the quilting tradition!!

One quilt stood out for me, only because they were truly sewing green...check out the quilt made out of Lay's potato chip bags!! Now that is re-purposing at its finest!! Also, it made me laugh! :)

Off to my sewing room! Enjoy the photos of the Dallas Quilt Show!!

Happy Sewing and Quilting! :)