Now all you do is fill in the blanks and you've got a baby quilt!

Here is a baby quilt that needs to fill in the blanks.  Quilts are generally built by blocks then by rows, then sew the rows together and your done.

Besides the Dr Seuss panel I bought the fat quarters for the collection plus enough for a border and binding.

I'll load the pictures later.

Happy Quilting!

Baby Quilts and Dr Seuss

Well, you know who needs a pattern.  I've got a baby nephew on the way any day and the quick way to make a quilt is to use a panel.  This is a chopped up Dr Seuss panel.  I've decided to make it a sort of wonky medallion quilt .

I like to use stripes in a quilt.  It makes it look like you've done a lot of work sewing strips together, thus giving more visual texture.

These stripes are great for mitering as they are a little wonky to begin.  I'm not a perfectionist quilter, unless I'm entering a quilt in a competition.

cut your stripes and sew them to the ends.  Then on the sides. Last, fold under one of the stripes in a pleasing way that continues the stripe around the corners.  Use you ironed crease as your guide.

So we all have our favorite LQS, but what is your other favorite?

I'm assuming everyone knows LQS is Little Quilt Shop.  You know the one where they know your name and practically bend over backwards to make you satisfied.  There are 3 in our town, or I guess the Louisville area that come to my mine.  First, before all the rest, there is Happy Heart Quilt Shop.  I say, before the rest, because literally, she has been in business in Louisville longer than any of these other two. Yvonne is a favorite in the quilt community here and has long been a supporter of the events for quilting in the area.  One thing everyone in the area should do is attend one of her twice yearly retreats.  You learn so much from the other 20 to 30 quilters.  Call the shop for information.

 Forget Me Knot Quilt Shop, has a couple of owners that greet me with a kind smile and want to help pick fabric.  They really know my style and taste, or at least they seem to.  Describing color is an almost impossible thing to do, one person's blue is another's teal, you know what I mean.  But, Carol and Darlene are both very helpful when I come in and describe my project I'm working on.  They seem to know exactly where just the right color is.  In Louisville, they are probably best at having a wide variety of color gradations and helping with your selection.

The Gathering Room is in Lagrange, Kentucky, just a short drive out of Louisville.  It's well worth checking out.  The main room, where the cutting table is located has some very interesting samples on the walls and they often have really good Blocks of the Month to join.  If you are fan of civil war prints or like a warmer pallet, then you will feel right at home here.

Now, besides the quilt shops in the area, there are a couple of cute places to shop for unique items.  The Dot Fox is a clothing and accessory as well as shoe store that carries some of the coolest things for young and old.  If you don't know just what your teenager might want, this is the place to buy a gift card.  The Dot Fox is for daughter and mom to shop at.

Clay and Cotton is another unique store for items for the home and apparel.  This is for mom and daughter to shop at.

Tis the season, hopes this helps some locals with last minute gift ideas!

Merry Christmas!
Happy Quilting New Year!!

...So you won't be USING this quilt...hmmmm

That was a line said to me by one of our newer quilters in the Northeast Quilting Friends group of which I am a part.

Quilts are "used" in so many ways.  First and to me foremost as a work of art.  Whether it adorns a bed or a wall.  Tradition and function collide in the quilt world in that way.  A quilt is to be used for warmth and snuggling is probably the traditional thinking of quilts.  To me an art quilt is also functional in that it is used to warm the heart just by it's "mere" existence on the wall.

So there, quilts are great, no matter what they are used for.  This one, may be for either purpose, it can hang on a wall or to snuggle.  I don't think the embroidery will be any worse for the wear.

Here is what you see when you walk in my house at Christmas time.  I like kitchie things...smile.