This blog has a new home

When I started blogging, it was to drum up interest in a quilting business I was starting. But over time I've scaled back on the quilts I make to sell, mostly because it takes a lot of time to make something really special and most people just don't understand that and think they can get a hand-made quilt for $50 like they're picking up a bed-in-a-bag at a big box store.

So I'm turning my focus to selling a few, well-crafted items in a high end artisan shop, taking custom orders and making more quilts for myself and my friends and family. But I don't want to stop blogging. Quilting has a reputation for being a hobby old women have and that's not true at all. There's a growing number of young quilters and there are many of us who create works of art, not just bed coverings. I'd like to help change the perception of quilting through this blog.

To that end, I've moved the blog to http://quiltaddictsanonymous.com/. You can follow along there to see what I'm working on, attend virtual shop hops, get quilting tutorials and join a quilting challenge (I've got a good one planned for 2012).

Thanks for following and I hope to see you all at the new location.

Baby quilt number one is done

 The first quilt I'm making for babies that are due next month is done. The shower is Sunday, so I'll post more photos that show more detail later, but here's a sneak peak at the finished quilt.

Gender-neutral baby quilts are not easy

  
It seems like everyone I know is having a baby in October, which means I have three baby quilts to make this month.

I already shared one preview, now it's time for a second. This mom isn't going to find out the sex of the baby until the little one arrives, that means I need to make a gender-neutral baby quilt.

I've started one in pastel oranges, blues and browns from a charm pack and matching jelly roll I had in my stash, but now I'm not so sure it's going to work. Although the colors could work for a boy or girl, I'm worried the flower prints put it in the girl category. 

 

What do you think? Could this quilt work for a boy or a girl or should I go back to the drawing board?

Quilting with the Donnas

I spent the weekend volunteering at the Fall Festival at Walnut Grove Pioneer Village. It was a cross roads settlement in Scott County, Iowa, in the 1860s and 18 period buildings have been preserved on the site so visitors can get an up close look at history.

A couple of times each summer the Mississippi Valley Quilters Guild volunteers at Walnut Grove events to demonstrate hand sewing techniques that were essential parts of everyday living in the not so distant past. We also dress up in period costumes. Yes, that is me in the above photo.

But my favorite part of the weekend was sewing and chatting with Donna Lanman, my quilting mentor, and Donna Furrow, who knows quite a bit about sewing history. Plus they're fun to spend time with. 

I always learn something new from Donna Lanman every time I see her. This weekend it was about a simple, but stunning border quilting pattern. And I love watching Donna Furrow explain how the treadle sewing machine works to the kids who pass by, getting them interested in sewing.

Who inspires you to quilt?

Baby quilt preview

I've got a nephew due to arrive in October so I started a quilt for him. His parents are big Illini fans so it will be made of blue, orange and white solids. 

I can't share too many photos just in case my sister-in-law looks at this post, but I can tell you that it's made of 1 1/2-inch squares and I'm going to need a design wall to put it together.