WIP Wednesday: Postage Stamp Quilt Along Progress

Hello! I am managing to keep up with the quilt along from psiquilt! *patting self on the back* How about you? I chose a jelly roll of Spirit by Lila Tueller for mine, and although there is not a lot of diversity (and more than a few duplicates) I think it is going to be nice. Really nice. It would be tempting to keep making more blocks so that it ends up queen size, but it is what it is. Perhaps I will find a yard or two to make a border with and that will add some size? It is for my daughter, who loves the colors and size, so I guess I could leave it be...

Ms. Rachel is showing the finished product with no border, which looks good. I am just a BIG quilt lover. We shall see what I finally decide to do in the next few weeks. I will be assembling these blocks into the top this week.

I would like to thank Tracey of traceyjayquilts for mentioning me in her WIP Wednesday posting. It is nice to talk to other quilters, even though you may never meet, and find out that you have the same thoughts, isn't it?

BTW, has anyone else noticed the freakish number of Wendys making quilts and blogging about it? When I was in school there was only one other Wendy in all 12 years. Now they are everywhere. I think the baby name books need to change the definition of Wendy to quilter. Don't you? There also seem to be a LOT of Lauries. My aunt is one of them. She's a quilter, and I have seen many Laurie quilters in my blog reading.

Speaking of my aunt Laurie (only 9 years older than me) she is about to become a grandmother for the first time. I've been one for 2 years! Back at Thanksgiving she and her family visited out here and I presented her daughter with the baby quilt I made from a Moda "Swanky" jelly roll. Its a simple rail fence design which I can't remember the source of. They all like it a lot. Hope to see pics of the baby girl, Evan, wrapped in it next month when she arrives! *hint, hint*

Other news: 
This is my latest music discovery. I was channel surfing in my car and heard this. Liked it so much I bought the cd that night. Usually I don't buy a cd based on one song, but I am not sorry at all. Check it out!

Its pretty cold all over the States, so I hope you are staying warm and healthy. Viruses and infections are taking people out left and right around here and we don't even have snow!

Be safe and keep sewing!

Quilt Apathy, Quilt Frenzy and other things

So, every year around Christmas, I totally lose interest in quilting. I don't know if it is the business of the season, or the fact that (we all know) it is way too late to get anything made present-wise and forget the long-armer having time for you at that point, or that I can just do other stuff with my time. Instead, I really get into reading.It seems that it has to be one or the other. I cannot start a book and not finish it without interruption, unless it is a terrible book. So finally, after a lifetime of wanting to read it and loving the movie version from 2005, I read Pride and Prejudice. Then I wanted more, so I found several *spin offs* if you will on Amazon that were well recommended. First I read half of this and realized it is more of a lusty romance novel of newlyweds Elizabeth and Darcy. Not what Jane Austen would have written, but I guess it is not that bad. Still, I put it aside.

Then I started reading this  and this is exactly what I think Jane would have written to tell Mr. Darcy's side of the Pride and Prejudice story. It is classy, intelligent and true to character. When I was growing up, my grandmother told me that I must read Little Women and Anne of Green Gables. This is why I have a taste for old world literature and outdated vocabulary. Probably why I love period piece films too. Anyway, I totally recommend this book if you are an Austen fan!

Now that the holidays are over and I am whittling down my backlog of blog reading (Reader was up to almost 1000 entries I had not read!!!) I am inspired again to make quilts. On fire! So excited! Having a little extra money on hand for a change, I have ordered some fabrics, books and several Miss Rosie's Quilt Co patterns to start off the new year! I can't wait. I better hurry and finish my book before the packages arrive.

Has anyone made this one? Summer Rental! I think it is gorgeous. I blogged about wanting to make something complicated and a star pattern with the little collection of Fig Tree fabrics I stashed, and this is it. I think. There are about 8 patterns coming my way, so I could change my mind again! I've seen so many beautiful star quilts on other blogs like Cupcakes and Daisies and Sister's Choice, it was hard to decide, but I really love this one.

In the mean time I am cutting pieces for the very simple (and double the size) Keyholes quilt pattern from Anka's Treasures book "On a Roll Again." I have 2 Glace jelly rolls and having never made a Christmas quilt for my own bed maybe this year my bedroom will look more festive!

Also, I will be joining Rachel Griffith's postage stamp quilt along. I found a jelly roll of Spirit by Lila Tueller that will be spectacularly colorful with a white solid cotton. Are you going to join in?