Are you Purging?

If you haven't heard yet, you need to head over to Stitched In Color.  Rachel has done a beautiful thing.  You see, realizing that we all have unloved fabrics cluttering up our sewing spaces she has started a purge-a-long to put those unloved fabrics to use, thereby giving us all permission to start new projects.  I don't know about you, but I definitely need a good enabler in my life  ;)

Here are my purge projects, in no particular order:

1.  these formerly abandoned HSTs are nearly a quilt top now {just need borders}



2.  this is a giant star that I made with some seriously unloved fabrics that were given to me.



3.  these unloveds are going to be a donation quilt - I have a few more squares to cut before I start sewing.  but I'm not telling what I'm making just yet :)



4. A charm pack of Amy Butler Dots has been hanging around in my stash for too long unused.  I'm not sure what this project is destined for yet, but the top is nearly done.  More details to follow :)  {yes, I'm being secretive today}



5.  I keep the trimmings from quilt backs after quilting.  this pile has been hanging around waiting for me to separate the fabric from the batting for awhile.  because the batting strips were so skinny, I tossed them.  I have more small bits of batting than I can reasonably expect to use anytime soon.  {Those will need to be sorted out later}

before...


after...


that's it for me for now.  what about you, are you purging?

catching up over patchwork

Hello everybody!

I have  lots of stitchy things to catch you up on, like the quilt retreat I went on {yay!!!}  but took almost no pictures at.  I was a girl on a mission with piles and piles of fabric to sew into quilt tops.

want to see the first one I finished at quilt retreat?

I picked some Timber & Leaf up at my LQS before the retreat along with some other FQs I can't identify.  The background is a fantastic print from Indian Summer.  I knew right away I would be making a giant star with them.

the retreat was beside a beautiful lake, and I thought it would be the perfect place to take pictures, but the clouds, rain, and wind weren't cooperating...

so i tried again by the flowers and had a bit better luck  {btw, that is my mom holding up the quilt top.  thanks mom!}

I love this quilt so much!

and i have no idea how I am going to quilt it, back it, or bind it.  Any suggestions?

p.s. - I cut those flowers from my own garden :)

linking up to crazy mom quilts, Fort Worth Fabric Studio,

split rial fence top finish

Hello!  I finished my split rail fence quilt top!  :)




the weather has been too stormy to get outdoor photos, and at 82" square, indoor photos are challenging.  soon I will be basting and quilting away, and once that is done I'll get a full shot of the quilt for you.  ta ta for now :)

another quilt started....

Hello, my name is Allison



and I suffer from enjoy every minute of an addiction to starting new quilt projects.



new enablers followers are always welcome :)



less than 24 hours from inspiration to a completed top {on the right} & backing {on the left}.  I think this is a new record for me, even if the finished quilt will only be 24 inches square :)

All the fabrics are left over from a Hungry Caterpillar quilt I made for one of my sons.  You can read about that here. 

See the inspiration block at Thread Robin.

This little quilt is going to be donated to  the Barbara Bush Pediatric Intensive Care unit at Maine Medical center through Knight's quilt shop.

I'm linking up to TGIFF over at Sew Hungry today! {because a finished top & back are something to celebrate, right?}

WIP Wednesday

Awhile ago I joined this QAL - The Skill Builder Sampler - see, the button is still over there on my sidebar.  I had alot of fun making each block and learning lots of great quilty stuff, until I fell behind. 

Have you read this post by The Happy Zombie?  It's about sewing what makes you happy.  When I read it, I had one of those 'Ah-ha!' moments.  And I realized it was ok with me not to finish the Skill Builder QAL, even though I had been enjoying it and I still read each new post, because I don't enjoy that behind-the-eight-ball feeling of trying to catch up.  (if you don't mind playing catch up, I do recomend you check it out - you will learn tons!)

So what to do with the blocks I had already made?  Well, I put them together with setting blocks and a small boarder to add some size.

{i'm sorry for the bad rainy day inside pictures, but that sun just refuses to shine}

I needed one more block, so I made this pinwheel.  It is based on one I found in a Thimbleberries book of my Mom's {and can I just say it is awesome to have a Mom who quilts - I get to raid her stash of fabrics & books & thread!}   The block in the book (I can't remember which book) finished 4" too small, so I drafted it the size I needed.

I had just enough of this pretty pink on blue floral to squeek out a boarder, and I'm so glad I did because it makes the top.  Really, I didn't like this top at all until the boarder was put on.

If you want to see more about the other blocks, click on 'skill builder sampler' in the label cloud in my sidebar, and you should be able to see those posts.

This quilt is the one I will be donating for Hands2Help.  Blocks I already had being made into a quilt instead of collecting dust, and that quilt going to a good cause - I think that's a win-win :)
almost forgot - i'm linking up to WIP Wednesday, because who doesn't love a good linky party?