Girlie - Next Round

Yesterday I was able to play around with my last round on the Girlie quilt I posted. My original plan was to echo the chopsticks technique of the center block. Here it is.

But it didn't look right to me. Something about that flower applique made this all a bit too traditional in feel and the improv seemed disjointed. I also felt like it needed more pink than anything, not just the white as I'd said.

So I pulled out my pink, black, and white chopsticks blocks. They are now the nice start of another girlie baby quilt.

Then I made these wavy strips. The wave isn't that noticeable from a distance, but it is there, trust me. A small echo of the wavy line of the applique. Now to decide which way to place them. And what I should put in the corners. Any suggestions?

\

Girlie

This was a round robin quilt that languished in the cupboard once it came back to me. I made the center square, then it went around to some other ladies in my guild. Once it came home I wasn't sure what to do with it. I loved the addition of pink, but it made it far more girlie than I'm used to.

But now there is a baby girl in my family and this seems like a rather suitable quilt for her.

I'm going to add another round to bring it up to a more functional size. It's only 27.5'' square. I also think it needs a bit more white. to brighten it up even more.  And definitely a little more pink needs to be added, plus a pink backing.

And now? I love the girlie nature of those pink flowers. Perfect for a precious girl.

TBQ

Finally.

As Hubby and I were walking down the aisle a little over 10 years ago our entire bridal party shouted out FINALLY! Sheesh, we hadn't been dating that long (6 years). Well, that's how I feel now. Finally, I am done with two major deadlines. Finally, I am outside enjoying time with the girls in the summer heat. Finally, I am able to look at my son with clear eyes, just in time to see all that drool. And finally, I am able to quilt. FINALLY!

I've got a stack of quilts just waiting for their pass through my Pfaff. I would love to say that they will all get done this summer, but I'm more realistic than that. There are gin and tonics to be drunk, peach pies to be made, neighbours to hang with, and those kids who need more attention than the slip and slide can provide.

Up top I'm working on a special quilt, but it is intense to work on for both the emotions and the quilting. In the pile TBQ (to be quilted) are our anniversary quilt, a Cosmic Burst baby quilt, and a quilt top I picked up for a song. I'm not sure why, but I really, really want to get all these quilted before I move on to anything else. Do you ever do that? Have quilt stacked up in one part of the process? Or are you a start to finish kind of person?

Updated: I found 3 more quilt tops to be quilted!

100 Things to See

Billed as The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, The Calgary Stampede made its annual mark on our city last month. Until this year we'd kept the knowledge of this spectacle under wraps. Thanks to school friends, however, we were bombarded by the begging. So we succumbed and took the girls for a few hours this year.

The rodeo would have been awesome to go to, but we couldn't get tickets. That means the greatest outdoor show is the parade of fake cowboys and nasty, skanky outfits. Oh, and the midway and the food and the agricultural events.

Then there is the Western Oasis. Walk through the trade show to a different sort of place. Air conditioned, softly lit, water features everywhere, and a gathering of Western themed artisans. Think lots of horse paintings. A lot of them. Tucked in the corner is a quilt show, just a small one. And in the center of that show was the Calgary Stampede Centennial Quilt.

Months ago I helped a neighbour make a block to mark her experience with the Stampede. We put together this righteous rodeo clown. Well, of all the submissions it made it into the quilt. Proudly on display, the quilt marked the 100th anniversary of the Calgary Stampede. And I've got a tiny piece of it.

In other Stampede news we took in some food and some rides. And, of course, checked out the barns with the horses, pigs, and show cows.

(That's my Morgan with a Morgan horse.)