Finishes and Gifts

My project to finish for the Charming Girls' Quilt Club for the month of July was "Your Home or Mine" by Lynette Anderson Designs. When I chose this project I wasn't worried about finishing, but within a week I was having doubts. I've done a lot of stitching over the last couple of weeks, and I finished the last block this morning and got it all put together.

It's kind of cloudy here today (yay...chance of rain!), so the pictures aren't turning out so well, but this close up of the Beehive Home shows the Portabello Market fabric at the botton that I decided on for the border. I never intended to use this fabric for a border, but it picked up the colors and the threads in the stitchery blocks perfectly, so on it went. It's funny how that happens sometimes in quilting--it's always a lot of fun when the fabrics surprise you.

Thanks so much Kelly for starting the Charming Girls' Quilt Club and motivating me to finish this project a lot earlier than I thought I would! I'm definitely going to start brainstorming about which "work in progress" to choose for my August goal.

Yes, here is another of Nanette's Mixed Bag to Quilt bags! I made this one for my Mom--it was a belated Mother's Day Gift...I had her pick out the fabric when she was here in June, and I took it up to her last weekend. This versatile pattern makes up wonderfully in any style of fabrics--traditional or modern...I've got a couple more planned when the new fabrics come out!

This fun fabric and candy arrived in the mail from Jessie. She recently took a trip to New York and offered a prize for the first person to guess her first stop. I guessed the place I'd love to go first...Purl Soho...and she sent me these little treats! Thanks Jessie!

This week a wonderful gift came from my friend Dawn. Dawn is one of those people who is great at gift-giving...she always comes up with the perfect present. This adorable bag is an iron tote! I'm sure Dawn was inspired to make this after our last quilt retreat trip...my iron seemed to be the hardest thing to pack! Inside the bag are two pockets--one for the Best Press, and one for distilled water. The cardboard insert for the bottom is even covered in heat-resistant fabric...this will be perfect for toting my iron to quilting retreats and classes--thanks Dawn!

Well, I'm off to clean the sewing room (I think I say that a lot...but it gets messy so fast)! Then I'll be ready to start something new...a finish always means you can start a new project, right?!