Thursday, March 1, 2012

A new month...

Ah, a new month with new goals and no finishes--yet.  After Judy drew #8 for the March UFO, I had to make a trip to the fabric store yesterday to find coordinating fabric--there goes my stash-busting report for the second month in a row!  I had all the golds (and have had some for a lot of years!) I will be using but no brown to go with the golds.  So, I bought two browns and will preview each today to see if I like them.  I may substitute black for one of the browns when I see how it looks.  I bought the pattern sometime in the last two years and this will be the first time I use it.  One of the definite advantages of doing the UFO Challenge is finally using some of those patterns that I couldn't live without!!  And one of the disadvantages is my growing bucket list--I look at all the beautiful quilts and think "I want to make that one!"--and the bucket list grows and grows.  I love Judy's leaf quilt--I think I just have to make one soon.  (Maybe I'll add it to my C-list!)  I think I'll start on my ShadowBox quilt today--and maybe dig through my Christmas fabrics to make one block of Nancy Barrett's "Nicholas' New Friends"--I don't think I can wait!!  And here's the story of how Nancy's funky characters call my name...

When we moved to our mountain after retiring, my quilting friend and I decided we would make a quilt each year, our long-distance attempt to continue inspiring each other.  Sandi would choose the pattern one year and then I would choose the next year; Sandi usually chose applique and I usually chose traditional pieced quilts.  Our quilts looked so different because our visions were different--fabrics, colors, how we put them together, etc.  One of the first quilts we did was the Northwoods quilt--I was not too enthused about the applique and Sandi wasn't too enthused about the pieced sashings--and we both loved it when it was finished!  Then on one of her year's we made a MOY quilt--we both have Viking Designer sewing machines and used a lot of decorative stitching on the blocks--and again they looked totally different--I complained every inch of the way--and turned out loving it.  (I just took it off the guest bed yesterday!)  Anyway, I chose Nancy Barrett's Elepinks--they are such funky elephants and pink is my favorite color--and Sandi hated it from the first stitch!  But when it was finished and she took it for show & tell to her quilting group, they absolutely loved it and there were lots of oohs and aahs.  And that always makes us take a more positive look!!  I absolutely love my Elepinks, which I put together in blocks (not according to pattern directions)--and, again, they look so different!  We did Noah & Company and I did Tea for Twenty (Sandi declined on that one!)  And I have the patterns for In Santa's Workshop and Nicholas' New Friends--did I say I love Nancy's funky characterizations?!  (http://withneedleandthread.com)  And I don't even want to do another applique quilt--but it is calling my name!  And I have the patterns just waiting to be used!! 

Anyway, I think I'd better spend time in my sewing/quilting room today!  It is snowing lightly again today, but we didn't get the 6-8 inches expected.  We really need more snow!

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