January 10, 2010

Late to the party

Toulouse1 My blogging friends Nicole and Thelma have already blogged about the Toulouse quilt that all 3 of us are making, but I wanted to wait until I had some actual progress to show before I wrote about it.   I do have all my block components finished, and now I can set to work to build the blocks for this quilt.  Don't you love them?  I am using Maison de Noel fabrics designed by 3 Sisters several years ago.   If I had known back then how much I would love this fabric, I would have bought bolts of it.  Toulouse has oodles of 9-patches and is surrounded by a flying geese border.


Toulouse2 I really love these corner stars that appear in the border.   Like all Miss Rosie quilts, there are a lot of different design elements in this quilt, and it makes it interesting and fun to make.  I often talk to customers in the quilt store who are intimidated by Carrie Nelson's patterns.   If you are one of them - please don't be!   She takes simple quilt shapes like stars, 9-patches and flying geese and turns them into something fabulously complex looking, but easy to assemble.  I promise - Carrie walks you through every block, every step of the way with a great sense of humor, too.  No wonder so many of us love her patterns!


I am not one to make resolutions - either for some behavior I need to change in my life or for the year's quilting accomplishments.  I'm more of a "magpie" type of quilter - I work on whatever beautiful fabric or pattern catches my eye at the moment.  So for me to plan out my projects a whole year in advance would be setting myself up for failure.


Still, I do have a goal for 2010, and that is to make Christmas quilts to display in my home during the holidays.   I made this decision in November, during day 11 of the Cross County Blog Hop - a day that featured Christmas quilts.   I have none!   I need some!  I've been searching for Christmas quilt patterns ever since.


Oct This weekend I was at a quilt store that I seldom visit, and found this great pattern, called O' Christmas Tree designed by Nancy Murty of Bee Creative Studio.  If you visit my friend Thelma's blog, she just finished a quilt - also called Oh Christmas Tree - also a tree made of squares - 1" finished squares that is.  Her quilt is beautiful, but no, I don't see myself strip piecing 4,950 squares to make that quilt, although it is very pretty.


The pattern I chose is a very interesting design.  It's comprised of 6 rows, each row containing 5 blocks with various combinations of 9-patches, flying geese, half-square triangles and squares, and you end up with a fabulous tree that measures 60x69.   It looks like it will be very interesting to collect fabrics for, and also very fun and interesting to piece.



4 comments:

  1. Love your Toulouse blocks! That Christmas Tree pattern is great!

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  2. Great post! Your Toulouse quilt is going to be beautiful and I like that Christmas tree quilt too, the construction will make it a fun project. I laughed at your term "magpie quilter;" I think I am a bit of one as well.

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  3. I'm going to go write down my 2010 goals right now! Love your Toulouse blocks, your green background looks great, my red is a little strong. I'm thinking I may have to make that tree, not soon, maybe not this year, but in my lifetime. Depends on your experience with the pattern I suppose.

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  4. Gosh friend this was a nice post to read. Well written and comfy and filled with good things. Stuff a girl could get into. Sorta like good article material actually. I was thinking that as I read it. You put to words the feeling of doing one of Carrie's patterns - perfectly! I never could have expressed it.
    I think having some quilts around during the Season is a happy and highly virtuous goal. You've opened my mind to a different way of thinking. That's cool, Lisa!

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