More quilts but not my cat

I started 4 courthouse steps blocks over the weekend.  First they were going to be 4 small quilts, then they were going to be one "large" quilt.  I finally finished last night with one small quilt and one runner.  I used antique fabrics which date to around 1880.  The small quilt with red and green outer borders is is 10 inches square and will make a nice candle mat.

The runner is 11" x 23".  I may use pink for the binding.  By the way, this is not my cat!  It is my neighbor's cat who sneaks in when I get home from work.  He visits everyone in the neighborhood and as you can see makes himself right at home.  I just sent him home for dinner.

Stars are done, what now?

I finished the little star quilt top. I won't quilt it for a while as I am in the piecing mood. When I get out of the piecing mood, then Iwill set up and start quilting a whole bunch of little tops I have been accumulating. I am now working a couple double nine-patch quilts that were inspired by this antique quilt on the quilt rack. The mini hanging on the wall was made a couple years ago. It was easy and I needed some easy things to make for my spring craft show.

And so here are two more double nine-patches. I find is that the colors take over the design and tell me where to go, so nothing turns out the same or as planned.

Little Quilt Published!

One of my little quilts has just appeared in the current edition of Fons and Porter Spring 2010 Easy Quilts. It is called "Colorwheel". My quilt is made from antique fabrics (ca. 1880) but you can find nice reproduction fabrics if you want to make it. I haven't seen the actual magazine yet, but did find this photo on the Fons and Porter website. The magazine should be on the newstand any day, if not already. They do offer a kit for the quilt (the magazine does this, I am not involved in the kit at all).

Ann

Stars Everywhere

Here is an update on one project I was working on during my pink day. This is my design "Little Sawtooth Stars" from APQ last year. I felt like making something familiar. Here are the 9 star blocks with a neutral border that I am pondering.

I looked around the house and found more stars. Red stars in an antique quilt and green stars in an antique PA pillow case. I love those two rows of flying geese. The red and white quilt is tough to date--could be late 19th century or early 20th century. The green and white piece dates between 1830-1860, based on the green fabrics.

Creative Day

The quilt lab is a mess right now, which means I am in a creative mood. Fabrics are piled everywhere. How can there be so many shades of pink and how can none of them be right?

I am always amazed how much a block "shrinks" after all those 1/4 in seams are done. Chemistry and quilting really do mix in the quilt lab.

Playing around with photos

Just trying to see how to add photos in this new blog...It's easy!

Here is an antique quilt called a Bowmansville Star. This style was made only in and around the town of Bowmansville in Lancaster county. These quilts are amazing to see in person, made completely of small squares, approx. 1.5 inches in this case. Even the white areas in the photo, are made up of individual squares. This one is mine, but if you look on ebay right now, there is an even more fabulous one for sale. Search "Pennsylvania quilts" and you will find the auction.

Calendar and Magazines

I have plenty of book ideas but no time--too busy with working the day job, teenage sons, husband, mid-life crisis--you know the usual stuff...but one of my quilts will be in the 2011 APQ calendar. Two more quilts will be coming out this summer (I think) in two different quilt magazines. I'll let you know when and where later.

Moving Day!

Just moved over to this blog with many of my friends from APQ. Glad to be here!