Do you have a favorite?

Park City Girl is hosting a virtual Quilt Festival, asking folks to post a photo and the story behind their favorite quilts.   My Kowabunga quilt has to be in the top 5 of my favorites - you can see I even turned it into my blog banner!

In 2006, I gathered some terrific orange fabrics which were so completely out of my comfort zone.  I started searching for the perfect pattern to use with them, and decided on a pattern called Zuzu's Petals, designed by Carrie Nelson of Miss Rosie's Quilt Co.  Putting the scrappy orange and white blocks together was so much fun, and the colors just made me smile the entire time I worked on it.  There are some really sparkly orange fabrics in it too, and I really love the added pizazz (like an orange quilt needs extra pizazz!!).

I found a wild surfboard fabric for the border.  In retrospect, I think it detracts a little from the orange and I wish I had stayed with something more subdued, but I tend to overthink these things.

When I finished the quilt in early 2007, I emailed a picture of it to Carrie Nelson.  Later that summer, I was lucky enough to take 2 classes from Carrie at the Buggy Barn in Reardan, WA.   One of the participants asked her how she felt about different interpretations of her pattern designs, and she began to tell a story about a wonderful quilt she had seen made from her Zuzu's Petals pattern in wild oranges and pinks.   It took me a few minutes to realize it was my quilt she was talking about, and I've never been so flattered.

She shoots, she scores!

I think I might win the prize for the most boring quilt blog ever!   It's not that I am not sewing, but I am working on another TOP SECRET quilt that I cannot blog about.

So how about I distract you with pictures of my adorable daughter?  She had her first basketball practice last night.   She did very well for never having played before - about half the girls on the team haven't, so she is not alone, but she seemed to be having fun and even made a few baskets.  If nothing else, she is the cutest player ever (not that Mom is biased or anything)!

How did this happen?

It seems like I blinked and the next thing I knew, my baby boys turned 12!  I remember when we brought them home from the hospital - it took their dad, my mom and me about a week before we could tell them apart - they look so different, there's not a chance of that happening now!  Happy Birthday to 2 of the sweetest boys a mom could ask for - they are smart, funny and talented as all get out, and next year they'll be TEENAGERS!   Happy Birthday Boys!

Construction halted!

My 2nd Story Beach House project is on hold while I stop to do a little sewing favor for a certain Quilting Rock Star that I just so happen to have the good fortune to be friends with.   Here is a beautiful little pile left over from my cutting - I'm bursting to show someone, but for now, I am sworn to secrecy....

Quilt Show

I put in almost twice as many hours this week as I usually work at the quilt store - this week was the Quilter's Anonymous quilt show in Monroe and the only show where our shop participates as a vendor (and I can see why - it's a LOT of work and I'm exhausted!!!)

Thursday and Friday I worked in the shop, but Sunday I got a chance to work out at the show, connect with some guild friends, see the beautiful quilts on display, and even meet a blog buddy!   This is me with Candace, from Squash House Quilts, who is just as nice as can be and isn't she cute as a button?!  It was fun to finally connect with another blogger - I hope you enjoyed the show, Candace - it was really nice to meet you!

I haven't spent much time in the ol' sewing room this month.  Hopefully after the honors concert tomorrow, I will be able to return to my trusty Pfaff.  I really miss him!

Top o' the mornin' to ya!

Last weekend a customer at the quilt shop asked if we had any St. Patrick's Day fabric.  Sadly, we do not, but it reminded me that I had stashed away some adorable Alexander Henry fabric and it was high time to put my fabric to good use.

Miraculously - given the current disastrous state of my sewing room - I was able to find this fabric with the adorable leprechauns.  This is vintage Alexander Henry, dated 2002 - no one does novelty prints like they do!  The pattern is Toast Points from the Atkinson Designs book, Let's Do Lunch.  A very fast and easy tablerunner.  Now we're all set at my house for the Wearin' of the Green.

2nd Story Beach House

No, I didn't win the lottery, but I did buy a beach house!  This lovely fat quarter bundle of Blackbird Designs' new collection - Beach House - had to be mine.  I think it wants to be Miss Rosie's 2nd Story when it grows up.

Sadly, my quilt time is extremely limited this month as we are involved in a flurry of concerts and practices with the boys.  I'm off to my sewing room to steal a few moments with my Pfaff before the orchestra concert tonight!