Mountain Meadows

I have this quilt in mind. In fact, I've had it in mind for a year. We went on our first family hike in the mountains near us. It was a gorgeous day, everyone had fun, and I was completely taken with the mountain meadows. One usually focuses on the view, but I couldn't stop staring at the little bits of colour in the flowers all around us.  And now I hope to capture some of that magic in a quilt.

The inspiration:

Gathering fabrics, courtesy of Modern Quilt Guild members who responded to a plea for solid green scraps. Yes, solids. I'm pushing myself here! Now, let's see where this goes.

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?

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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.

Babes in Arms

Look closely. See the baby? Until today that little guy, carried there by husband was banned from Quilt Market. Just as he was there.

My husband travelled with me to Spring Quilt Market this past May. The baby was two months old so he came as support as a father and as a husband. But he spent his time wandering the streets of Kansas City and our hotel room because the baby was banned from the show floor at Market. So, every time the little guy needed to eat I had to stop what I was doing and head down the escalators at the convention center to feed him on some uncomfortable chairs in the lobby. It was frustrating for all of us.

You see, ALL children under 14 are banned from the show floor at Market. That is, until today. The folks at Quilts Inc. have modified their rules for Market to allow babes in arms/carriers to be allowed on the show floor. Not only that, they will set up a nursing friendly area for mothers to gather and feed their babies, right on the show floor.

As I've said before, being a quilter goes hand in hand with being a mother for me. In that I am not alone. The industry is changing as more and more younger women take up the craft and develop careers and businesses from their love of this textile world. I applaud Quilts Inc. for finally recognizing that with this change in policy.