This is the time of year when I start thinking about what will we do NEXT year and I would love some input from you. Earlier this year, I asked for some input on colors and I hope you’ve noticed some of your suggestions in the blocks this year.   But before I start thinking about color, I start with the block patterns themselves.  I think about block sizes and overall themes for the year. A lot of my block ideas start with a, “What...

Linda suggested this idea and I liked it … probably because I’ve been planning to make a star block for this project for almost a year and have never gotten around to it. Maybe you’ve already made a block for Astronaut Karen Nyberg’s Star Block Challenge … or, like me, you meant to, but never got around to it?  The deadline is August 1, which makes it a great challenge for July.     You can download the...

As a woman of a certain age, I can remember when handmade items were not generally valued and the term home made mostly had a bad connotation.  A couple decades ago, I remember a (dress) designer friend telling me how she avoided anything that suggested, “loving hands at home.” Times have changed and along with a renewed interest in knitting, quilting and sewing by a younger generation, handmade items have become valued in our...

It doesn’t really feel like spring lately in Northern New Mexico, but I know that when it returns, I will feel inspired by the blue skies and blooms. How about you?  Are you inspired by nature?  Do color ideas sometimes come from the clothes you are wearing?  Do you go to a guild meeting, quilt show or retreat and come home full of inspiration and ideas for new quilts you want to make?  Do you look for quilt design ideas between the...

Lately, I’ve been thinking about my fabric stash and how little fabric I’ve had to purchase lately because I can almost always find what I need in my own fabric collection. I know some quilters that buy fabrics for a specific project and toss or give away the left-overs … but I suppose I am closer to the ladies in the cartoon. How about you?  Do you have a fabric stash?  When you start a new project, do you turn to your stash,...

As soon as I see March on the horizon, I start thinking about the arrival of Spring. And Spring makes me think about wildflowers blooming, fresh asparagus, packing away my wool sweaters and unpacking linen and silk clothing, gardening and new inspiration for quilts. I put together this mosaic of images from Flickr of some of the things I think of, when I think Spring. 1. Spring Fantasy, 2. Sure sign of Spring – Robin – Bird, 3....

  I noticed this quilt on the blog, Fist Full of Fabric, and thought the combination of greens, pinks and purples was interesting.  Look closely and you’ll see a range of light to medium greens, medium and dark pinks and dark purples.   I think it has potential for a future lotto block … what do you think? When we talk about color palettes, sometimes a photo really is worth more than a simple text description. Last month, as...

‘Tis the season for eating, so let’s blog about food in December.  Enter the link to your food-related blog post in the Linky Tool below. Some ideas for topics: Share a favorite cookie (or other) recipe Write about food you love (or hate) Blog about a family or regional food tradition Review a local restaurant Share a cooking disaster story … or a near-disaster with a happy ending Share your special occasion (or every day...

This photo, from a quilt show in Grants, NM,  is from Andra’s blog, Simplify and Quilt.  I know that you know that I loved seeing a quilt made from our Tic-Tac-Toe blocks among her quilts on display in this booth. As quilters, we may enter quilts in shows, help organize and hang them, participate as a vendor, attend and enjoy, or enjoy the eye candy from shows around the world shared by others. In November, please share your quilt show...

I recently took a pair of scissors, along with some kitchen knives, to the knife-sharpener at the Farmer’s market. While I waited for him to sharpen my tools, I started thinking about how long I’ve owned that little pair of Dovo scissors and how they have become one of the tried-and-true quilting tools. Here’s a photo of some of the things I couldn’t imagine quilting without … and one gadget that seemed like a good...

The Weekend Update is CHANGING … beginning today, there will be a month-long linky party on a specific topic. In September, blog about color and share a link below. Possible color topics could include: Colors you love or hate … or are just tired of seeing everywhere What’s your “neutral?” I there a color that you can make go with anything? Challenge yourself with colors that are out of the box for you in a project...

The sunflowers outside my house are finally blooming … so the end of summer must be near. I don’t know if they were ever consciously planted here, I have volunteers everywhere along the path to my studio door.   They are so cheerful, I don’t want to pull any of them out … even this little guy that is clearly not growing where the sunflowers were meant to be. Are you wrapping up summer–or winter, for those south of the...