Old made new again.

I am venturing into a new passion. I'm doing a great deal of hand piecing of quilts. I'm starting to understand why. It's very similar to the feeling I get when I knit and I think that is the appeal
Let me count the ways....

• It's therapeutic. 
• It's calming. 
• It gives me something to do while watching a movie. 
• My cat loves it as she gets to lay on my lap with fabric all around me.
• It's transportable. 
• If I have even 1 minute free I can do something productive with that 1 minute.
• It's a great way to use up all that old thread that I have accumulated from auctions and garage sales, plus all those threads you aren't supposed to use with a Bernina machine....
• And best of all, it uses up every single scrap of fabric one can find.

So that brings me to my latest interest. English Paper Piecing. I started making some hexagons and began cutting and piecing like a woman possessed. It really is a fun thing to do because you are not glued to your sewing machine and your iron. It's all about the needle and the thread and scissors. There are countless resources on the web for  English Paper Piecing and they all work. I find the freezer paper method the easiest and fastest. I'm making great strides and I'm making a Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt; my own version.

This picture shows the beginning stages, but already the quilt is twice the size as shown and is growing daily. It is a pleasure to create and never boring.
And this brings me to my next quilt....

Bouckville Antique Find! An unfinished hand pieced quilt!

This past week was the Bouckville Antiques Festival in Bouckville, NY. A week long of 1000's of antique displays covering a acres of land. I try to make it every year and usually give my self something specific to hunt for. This year I zoned in on the vintage fabric displays. I found a real treasure. I came upon this wonderful unfinished hand pieced quilt. The card that came with it says it all. (Click on the photo so it enlarges and then you read the card). It even included all the remaining pieces marked and ready to sew. The workmanship on this quilt is exquisite and an inspiration. So, when can I retire?

Quilt like crazy II

Road to Ireland Quilt.
Inspired by Fat Quarter Quilts by M'liss Rae Hawley.
I wanted a quilt to place over my bedroom headboard.

This is a very easy quilt to piece and satisfying to create. I am pleased with the color combos and again made from my fabric stash. This would also look nice hung vertically on a long narrow wall or staircase, I think.

The other quilt I have finished is an UFO. It has been on the back burner for over a year or two. It is a completely hand pieced and hand quilted little lap quilt or baby quilt. I LOVE it. I pieced most of this on long car rides. The piecing goes very quickly if you are comfortable doing it. A great way to use up tiny little scraps. This quilt just makes me happy.
It is called Jack's Chain and the Marcia Hohn's website http://www.quilterscache.com/J/JacksChainBlock.html 
has the directions for making this fun and travel friendly project.

Quilting like crazy.

I think I am possessed!  I really am!
I have been so busy enjoying quilting and I am addicted. It may have to do with the fact that it is a creative outlet for me and if I'm not teaching, well why not play with needles, thread and fabric.
I have made more quilts and I think my focus has been using all of the fabric that I have on hand. I tend to admire and enjoy quilts that are more random rather than planned in terms of fabric selections.
My latest one was so much fun to do. It had it's challenges, but it was never boring!
It was inspired by a quilt book:
Radiant New York Beauties by Valori Wells.
I can't take credit for the inspiration of this pattern. It is from the book called Vintage Beauty, however they are my own fabrics from my huge stash. No fabric piece was used twice in the quilt blocks. A couple of the fabrics were duplicated in the leaf appliques. Once again, the Bernina Stitch Regulator made the machine quilting so satisfying.
It makes a beautiful wall hanging. It is about 40" x 40".

The freehand leaf quilt pattern I used throughout.