I also dyed my hair blonde and realized it’s been a long time since I checked in on my 101 list.

My 1001 Days may be over or at least rapidly coming to a close but I’m going to see what’s on my list, what can be done and how I’ve changed since I started this little ol’ experiment.

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Word.

I think I’ve lived through all of these – either on the receiving end of the faux-pas, or sadly, as the culprit.

- k

I started quilting three years ago. Well, that’s when I first learned how to do a nine-patch and since then I’ve progressed quite a bit both in terms of my skill level and my taste. I do love the traditional patterns but over the last year I’ve really started to gravitate more towards modern quilting. I think it’s the wonderful influence of all the blogs I read!! My eyes have been opened to a whole new way of looking at quilting.

In anycase, my mom is a more traditional gal, and after she and my father came together (they’re divorced) to buy me a Pfaff ClassicStyle Quilt sewing machine three years ago, I knew the first quilt I wanted to sew would be for her as thanks for the amazing sewing machine (dad, poor dad, was 2nd on the list).

I did a little photo shoot when I was at her place over Thanksgiving, and here is her quilt.

The only problem? It still doesn’t have a name! I feel so bad about it being nameless. It’s almost as bad as a quilt being homeless.

Any and all suggestions welcome!

- k

Okay, so I’m a little late posting but here is some adorable fabric I bought this weekend. Well, I think it’s pretty darn sweet.

I am in love with the David Walker “Oh Boy!” print! I’m going to make a baby quilt from this using the Cowboy baby pattern in Material Obsession. I love the cowboy prints used in the book but I’m going to a baby shower at the end of the month and I suspect my friend will like the zoo theme better (cowboy might be too edgy for her), plus … this is what they had in stock at my LQS.

And here it is up close… Aren’t those animals cute?! I could stare at the print for hours. I know. I have a problem. I wish I could get paid for staring at fabric and admiring it.

In any case… usually I get scared about cutting into my fabric as if somehow the act of slicing it up takes away some of its magic. But in this instance, I’m looking forward to it! Cannot wait to get cracking on this baby quilt.

- k

I can’t describe how rewarding it is to have an idea then bring it to life. If you’re a fellow quilter, crafter, baker, or anyone creative, then you know what I mean! And I’m not going to lie, I DO love the wonderful exclamation “You made that?!! WOW!!”

So… onwards. Here are some photos from my latest adventure in sewing. Jacquie from Tall Grass Prairie Studio has some wonderful tutorials, and I loved her kitchen set tutorial. I thought this would make a great gift set for a few of my friends. Since not all of my friends go made with decorating for the holidays, I thought I’d make the set in fabrics that can be in the kitchen year ’round. I made a trip to The Workroom to pick up “just one fat quarter” to round out my stash. Ahem.

I walked out of the shop with these:

There’s something about the mix of brown, aqua, grey and linen that just calls to me right now. But then I realized I didn’t really have a focal fabric. Not like the adorable Michael Miller “Holiday Hostess” print Jacquie used in her tutorial.

I decided to improvise and broke out my embroidery floss, grabbed some white Kona cotton scraps, Jenny Hart embroidery iron-on designs and le voila…

I made a couple of wonky log cabin blocks using the embroidered squares as my focal point, and cut a 10×10″ square of the Robert Kaufman beater print for the back…

Then I sandwiched using warm and natural cotton batting and insulate — a special batting for oven mitts and that type of thing.

My quilting… it needs work! I don’t know how the fabric went wonky in that one place, but I am getting better with practice.

Here is the complete set — two potholders and a coordinating tea towel.

I just need to put a grommet in each pot holder and this set is done.

-k

Lots going on and nothing going on.  In other words, as the Thai would put it, my life is “same same but different.”

Work is busy.

Men have come and gone.

I’ve lost and found the same five pounds over and over again.

I’ve been quilting.

And saving.

And spending.

And reading.

And writing.

But not nearly enough writing.

My life feels like it’s in a free-fall and I don’t even know if I care enough to freak out.  I wish I did.  It’s the ambivalence that I’m feeling that I detest the most and yet, for all that I hate it, I can’t seem to change it.  I just accept.

Accept that I feel meh about my career, my personal life, my friendships… everything.

I want to have a wild bush burning in my life.  I want to burn down everything that’s not working, slam doors in people’s faces and open windows to something… more fulfilling.

I still have LOTS left on my 101 list to complete.  Maybe hitting a few of those goals hard will shake things up for me, and help to purge what really needs to go and attract more of what needs to stay.

-e

Now that I’m done my Scrappy Christmas Hedgerow blocks, I can get back to work on this.

-k

This week, I took advantage of having an extra day off and finished the candy cane blocks. Then, as you know, one thing lead to another and I started – and finished – sashing the blocks too.

This is one of my favourite blocks:

It brings back memories of playing with Barbies and colouring in “Gibson Girls” colouring books on family trips to Florida. I so love this quilt top and can’t wait to get on with the next steps! Now the *only* thing I need to do is the backing, quilting and binding.

I certainly don’t want to hurry winter along, but I am going to enjoy cuddling under this quilt come Christmas time.

- k

I wasn’t thrilled with the blocks I made and then I came across some fantastic inspiration! Michael Miller’s “Holiday Hostess”. I made three of each for the block exchange and then, yes, a few more for me. I cannot wait to see how this quilt comes together!

More photos to come!

- k