Quilting? At Christmas time.

Once again I have fallen behind on my goal to blog daily, or even weekly. But I have a GOOD reason right now. I don't have time! Whew....I said it. I mean really? Christmas time....the tree, the decorations, the (LATE)cards, the cookies, the shopping, the wrapping, and in my case, the SECRET keeping!!! No wonder I need naps.

If you know me, you know I can keep a life altering secret. I can keep those things told in confidence to myself. But presents? OMG.....I blab like a kid on santas lap. And not because I can't shut up. Just because I'm so excited to see how excited the recipient will be.

So I have this project I started. Another WIP that I couldn't tell you exactly when it began. I was inspired by a beautiful quilt at this summers big quilt fair. Purples and bright lime greens. And nestled in black trimming to bring it all together. Then I saw this pattern. Only problem was it was made with Civil War reproductions. Nice, but not my thing. So, one idea messed with another, and I came up with this:

It's going to be big. It's up on the design wall. 

So of the prints are a bit loud, but as it comes together, the quiet ones call down the hyper ones.

One thing I like about this quilt is that after an initial burst of crazy cut,sew,press,repeat it's now going together in rows. I lay out an entire row, sew, press, and attach.

oh, I almost forgot......My "new" year started a little earlier than expected this month when I left my job of 2 1/2 years to start focusing on what I really love....Quilting and Fabric. I am currently building my website, and hope to be ready to launch My Quilt Corner store in late January 2012.  I will keep my blog as a way to reach out to family,. friends, and new clients. So keep coming back for updates.

On that note, I wish everyone a happy Holiday Season. I hope that 2012 brings good health and many memorable moments.

Becca's Quilt

I decided that in the spirit of the Holiday's, and the end of the year quickly approaching, it was a good incentive to get some more WIP's knocked off the list.

Some time back, I mentioned that I am the lucky recipient to my mother's "cast offs". I get all her scraps and oops fabrics. After making a deliciously gorgeous stained glass quilt in batiks, she gave me all her drops. They sat in my draw teasing me, and just begging for a quilt of their own. I found a lovely little pattern in one of my strip books and thought, well, that will work. So with a little tweaking, poof! A quilt for Becca was born. And since I decided to hand quilt the silly thing, it got bumped to  the bottom of the to do list.

 But now it is in her room, or on the living room floor, or the roof of the latest couch fort. The quillting is a concentric circles pattern that helps to make the blocks almost look warbled.

 Made with multiple batik scraps, hand quilted with a high volume cotton thread, backed in snuggley flannel, and bound with my left overs from other quilts, it's perfect for a 6yo! And it only took a year and multiple other projects to finish it.....sigh.

Thoughts on EQ 7?

I know this seems like a filler blog post, but I am genuinely curious what other quilters think of EQ 7 and it's companion softwares.

Years ago when I started really getting into quilting, I got EQ4 and the Stash companion. I am computer savvy, but the combination of new quilter/new to design software, I crashed and burned. I was overwhelmed, and confused.

Jump ahead 15 years and I am curious again. And braver. I see so many patterns in the magazines and on other beautiful blogs, and I obsess over fabric enough, doodling ideas, etc.

So my simple question is: Is it worth the investment? Is it user friendly?  The two must haves I seek is a yardage tool, and a cutting guide. I HATE to waste fabric with bad drops and poorly planned cuts. HATE IT!!!!

Please please please pipe up! I want to know what other quilters think!!!!