And some more .....

The lady pictured here with her wonderful Dear Jane had just been informed that her quilt has been chosen to be shown in Bennington, Vt.    I believe it is Rebecca Hoffmann.

More Feather Princess photos ....

 I loved this little mouse on the cat quilt !

Blogger stopped me loading pictures on the last post, so here are some more ....

Fabulous Feather Princesses !

Yesterday I went to the Feather Princesses Applique quilt show in Tampa.  This is a show I always look forward to because of the wonderful organization, fabulous applique quilts, and just overall very high quality show.  I really enjoyed it and took a lot of pictures.  The group currently has about 170 members, and I was a member myself for several years,starting on the group's 1st anniversary.  However, they meet during the day and I could not attend meetings.  Dorothy and Laura have been co-presidents since the start, and have consistently had an ambitious and quality program.

No, this is not bad lighting - the quilt is made in neutrals !

Judge for yourselves !

Applique Projects and Fabric Quality

Energized by spending time with stitching friends yesterday, I went home ready to start on a new applique quilt I saw in the July/August Quiltmania - a new project by Minick and Simpson called Rambling Rose.  I loved the colors and thought this could be a good challenge to make using only fabrics from stash.  This is the first block - I am not entirely happy with all the fabrics, but as I said, it is a challenge to use what I already have (and due to some unforeseen work in my house, I can't get at everything right now !)

 So here it is pinned and ready to go - the blocks are large and the applique pieces simple, so it's a perfect relaxing project for the evening.

Up next are the three blocks I have finished of the Flower Garden quilt.  The next two are pinned - the second one is not entirely cut out yet, so the flower looks bulky, but you get the idea.

Playing with our fabrics old and new yesterday brought up the topic of recent changes in fabric quality.  Since we had boxes of our stash fabrics in front of us, together with new pieces just purchased, we could really see how the quality has changed recently.  Our older fabrics are smooth, sturdy and do not distort;  our new fabrics are thinner and stretchier.  Bearing in mind that fabric has also increased in price, we don't like to see that the fabric is poorer quality as well.  I hope that this subject has been brought up to the manufacturers, because I have heard other stitchers complain of the same problem.  We are starting to wonder how our projects will hold up over time.  I have always only purchased "quilt shop quality" fabrics, believing that this will result in a better quilt for the time I am investing.  For now, I am shopping in my stash, until I see an improvement !

Tulips

A version of this quilt was patterned in Quiltmania some time ago, a reproduction quilt made by Lucy of an old quilt she had seen.  I adapted it a little, and made it from stash fabrics, except of course for the School Bus Orange (yes, it is really called that !) Kona cotton used for the sashings.  It is really not my color, but I thoroughly enjoyed making this quilt, I feel happy when I look at it, and maybe if I call the color cheddar ......  I could learn to love it !  Marlene did a nice job on the quilting, and it  has turned into one of my favorites.

A Start, a Finish, and a Gift !

I picked up my Houses from the quilter this week, and was SO pleased with the design !  It really enhances the quilt.  I have bound it now and so here are some photos - unfortunately it is rainy here today so the light isn't very good:

The quilt pattern is in Edyta Sitar's book, the figs are an addition of my own.

If  I finish something, I can start something else, right ?  Last Sunday I traced the lovely boutis pattern from France Boutis 1st Salon which I attended in May.  It is on the linen gifted by Isabelle, and I ordered linen thread this week.  I will have to redo the basting, I put plain cotton on the back and I don't like it, it is too heavy and not white enough.  A good Swiss batiste is going to be taking its place:

And last but not least ..... my husband was recently in Germany, and much to my surprise, brought home these three absolutely lovely thimbles for me.  They are very old silver, I haven't even cleaned them yet, and the best part of all - all three fit me to sew with !  I love old silver thimbles to work with, they seem soft and comfortable to me, and as Sharon says ... they already know how to sew !