Six Springtime Stars

Springtime Star

Springtime Star Point

When deciding on color layout and order, it is helpful to take some photos and then change them to black and white.  In this way, one can organize pieces by tone, which is an important aspect of coordinating colors on any quilt.  Sometimes colors fool the eye, and what appears dark (or light) isn't so dark (or light) after all, when viewed in black and white.

So these are the trial arrangements -- and the last one is the one I chose:

Fishy Centerpieces

Here's a set of quilted potholders with a strip of fish-printed fabric.  Fabric printed with fish.  Fish fabric.  Fabric fish.  ?

Anyway, something fishy!  And potholdery. 

I started sewing... and it wasn’t long before the potholders began looking more like placemats, or table toppers or centerpieces, and a lot less like potholders.  I didn’t actually intend to do that when I started, but, you see, the strips of fish-printed fabric were 18 inches long, and I hated to cut them, so I simply built quilt blocks around them.  I just can’t keep my projects small and simple!  Those strips with the fish print were leftover from the panel quilt I made Andrew.

A friend ordered them to give her husband, who loves to fish, for his birthday.

Trip Around the World Block

This evening, I sewed a quilt block for a lady who is going to give it to another lady who is collecting blocks from a group of ladies.  Lady #2 will put them all together, quilt it and bind it, and send it to Lady #3 and her husband as a gift.  This pattern is called “Trip Around the World”.

Rainbow Trout and Bass Quilt

This panel quilt and pillow are a birthday gift for Andrew.  The back is Polartec fleece, and sooo soft.  I didn't use batting.

Bird, Butterfly, & Flower Fabric

When we were at Joann's Fabric and Craft Store a couple of weeks ago

to get Victoria's Sizzix Big Shot and the fabric for the Eureka quilt,

Larry spotted this fabric, pulled the bolt from the rack,

and put it in the cart.

"That doesn't match," I said.

"But it's exactly what you need!" he informed me.

I took another look at it.

It's covered with beautiful pictures or paintings of

chickadees, indigo buntings, American goldfinches, Carolina wrens,

monarch butterflies, purple coneflowers, zinnias, morning glories,

fuchsia, yellow coneflowers, lilacs, tall phlox, blue jays, ...

You know, he's right:  It IS exactly what I need!!

I bought the entire bolt.  (But there were only 1 ½ yards.)  It's 100% cotton. 

The question is, What do I need it FOR?

I would welcome any suggestions anybody has to give

as to what in the world to make out of this fabric. 

I might turn my nose up and refuse to follow said suggestions,

but I welcome them, nonetheless!     

    Here's a shot with my rotary cutter on the fabric, for size perspective:

And now a set of close-ups:

Sooo. . . what shall I make out of it???