As soon as the book, Quilts and Rugs by Polly Minick and Laurie Simpson  I ordered arrived I had to start pulling fabric for this quilt..  Christmas Flowers... I LOVE this quilt. Still trying to decide what fabrics to use for this quilt, like my choices here?  Its inspired by an antique quilt I first saw here on Jan's blog, Be*Mused, of course I saved this link !  I knew someday I had to make this quilt.

Another wonderful book published by Quiltmania, Quilts and Rugs, the photography always amazes me.  I will let you know that 1/2 the patterns in the book are for hooked rugs and 1/2 are quilts. For me the quilts in the book was worth the price as I really wanted to make the quilt above Christmas Flowers, I love this quilt below as well.  There are a few others I may make some day as well.  The book actually costs less then most Quiltmania books too.  

 This is such a graphic quilt , you can see these pictures of the real quilts on Linda's blog Quilts in the Barn  and on Laurie and Polly's blog  Minnick and Simpson.  DON"T be distracted by the beautiful red and white quilt she is hand quilting now, OH MY  another must have!
Check out their Etsy page too she has a pattern for the flower of the quilt above in a kit for a pillow.  There is also a kit for the quilt on the etsy page as well.

A recent fabric purchase , Dressing Gowns, 1800 prints by Judie Rothermel,  these are just so cute and add a lot to my scrap quilts.

Do you live in Massachusetts????  If so is the quilting community active?  What are your favorite quilt shops?  Are there a lot of quilt shows each year?  I have a friend moving to Mass. and I told her I would ask my readers.  Of course she is interested in antique quilts as well , do you see a lot of quilts with reproduction fabrics at the shows?  Thanks!

Decided it was time to work on this quilt again,  Flower Garden by Kim Mclean  after seeing this one on Simple Bird Applique blog.  If you haven't seen this blog yet , go make a cup of coffee/tea and enjoy!  AMAZING work .  I am admiring her  Ladies of the Sea quilt blocks , this is an incredible quilt I have seen one at a quilt show completed and just fell in love with the quilt.

 I went with red!  It was a hard choice but this was the one I thought looked best .   Thank you  so much for all your comments and suggestions.  I will do a scrappy binding but on a bigger quilt, I just felt the scrappy binding was overbearing on such a little quilt.
I was happy to get 2 bindings done on Sunday and last night laid out another one to do today.
I can't wait to say I am all caught up with bindings....  I know you must be tired of hearing about them!
have you noticed I haven't made another little quilt in a long time I may just have to go on a little quilt making spree as soon as the bindings are done!

 Its not the same blue star fabric but its really close and I think it will work.  I tried a few reds and keep coming back to this blue. This was a fun little quilt to make, the nine patches are 3" finished.

 Whats on the sewing table this am, I am still working on postage stamp blocks  Judy wanted to see the back of one of my blocks.  I really do sew each block individually and just press opposite direction..

 When I saw this notebook I just had to buy it at Barnes and Noble, isn't it fun!  I am a big list maker and am always writing notes and little drawings for quilt ideas, this one just made me smile and its red. simple things in life that make me happy!

ok here was ( and still is!) cutting table on Sunday some of my favorite things out!  I need to clean the sewing room today....  just love those binding clips, makes the job of binding so much easier for me.

 I am still working on bindings I hate to admit!  I had a lot of fun making this quilt from left over strips from one of my rail fence quilts, I even sewed little tiny cuttings so I could use these in this little quilt, I love that blue and the gold fabric next too it, I needed to save them :)

 Here is my binding box, I just put in all the extra binding I make for quilts in it and thought someday maybe I will do a scrappy binding.  someday...

 I laid these yesterday thinking  maybe this should be the little quilt I do a scrappy binding on.
not sure I am that brave!  Have you made a scrappy binding for one of your quilts?  Are you still happy with it?  

 Maybe I should just use the brown and play it safe?

 Oh I like this gold makes the colors pop in the quilt, agree???? Or should I take the challenge and go scrappy?

the winner of the fat quarters in the giveaway from Fridays post is Gayle of The Middle Sister blog.

Gayle send me your address I will mail them to you this week.

When I saw these fabrics in the molly B's Harvest Palette line I had to order them.  I knew they would be great for my scrap quilts.  They are the first oranges in a long time we can add to our stash that have the reproduction look to them.  Love that mustard gold one too.  These 4 fabrics are just amazing I had to order more of them!   I like these so much I am going to have a giveaway a fat quarter of each of the 4 fabrics above, let me know what you will use them for!

 I forgot to take a picture of the whole fat quarter bundle I just loved the line a lot I started cutting it up for a project I am working on!  these are the ones I hadn't cut up yet. I had ordered an extra 1/2 yard of the 4 fabrics , I was counting on loving them!

 see I am always cutting 1.5" squares to add to my postage stamp quilt!

 I love using this Quilt ART  calendar every year, its nice to have a weekly calendar with a quilt picture on the page to look at too!!!!  This is hand appliquéd by Carolyn H. Stine from a pattern by Susan Garman and machine quilted by Terry McMillan.  Amazing quilt...

 This mug rug  (how cute is this?) the fabrics and the fun cat scissors was a gift from Nancy from Philadelphia , I was so thrilled to received these gifts, it was such a fun package to open  Thanks Nancy.  I am already using the mug rug!  The fabrics will be added to quilts soon :)

The mail lately just has been fun, fun, fun  Have a few more things to share soon!
Have a great weekend and hope you find lots of time in the sewing room....

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED!  WINNER ANNOUNCED IN NEXT POST!

Ok so I admit it , I went on a shopping spree lately , bought a few books and lots of new fabrics!  (stay tuned for those!)  this was one of the books I bought hand quilted with love by Sarah Fielke  its finally available for sale here in the USA Amazon.   I like her style and love the way she uses the utility stitch to quilt most of her quilts.  She is braver then I using colors or variegated pearle cotton to quilt with, I love the look but well  I think I will stick with tan quilting thread it blends...
here is Sarah's blog The Last Piece 

 This quilt is why I wanted this book, I love this quilt, besides nine patches I love star quilts!
of course this quilt will be amazing in reproduction fabrics, don't you agree?????  I can look at quilts and imagine them in my color palate  and fabrics of choice...

this quilt was so fun I love the coffee cups and LOOK they will be easy to make with my favorite crumbler template, how great is that, I am always looking for alternate uses of rulers and tools...
I have to make this quilt or a variation of it.
I have my favorite coffee cup that looks like this silhouette every day forget the saucer though!
just made me smile when I realized that ....simple things in life just makes me happy.  and yes I am sewing with the strings from those baskets a few posts back!

hope you find time to have a cup of coffee/tea and a few hours in your sewing room today!

 Yesterday I drove up to the Katonah Museum of Art  in New York to see the quilt exhibit.  There is an exhibit catalog/book , no photography was allowed.  So here are a few pictures from the book...

 This was the quilt I was awed by.  It is so graphic in person and to be able to stand across the room and look at it as well as 2" away was amazing.

 This quilt was beautiful, you know I like cheddar  but I am not sure I could use it as the background!

 This quilt was in the modern quilt gallery and all I can say was WOW  I was so awed by this quilt.

 Luke Hayes quilt had me intrigued.  I really enjoyed seeing this quilt in person.

I have seen this quilt before but never tire of it.  Cynthia England work always amazed me.
website is Katonah Museum of Art.   you can order the catalog I asked if they would mail order and they said yes. You  have to call them or email them to order the book.  I paid $20.00  It is a small museum, quilts were well displayed, personally wished there were more antique quilts. The exhibit was a good mix of antique and art/modern style quilts . The quilts were on loan from the Shelburne, Packwood, personal collectors or the artist etc.
The Major Ringwood Album quilt was on display as well that was incredible and nice to have a full page picture of it in the book.  The Calico Garden quilt by Florence Peto  I was so happy to see that quilt in person again.
If your anywhere in the area its worth the trip to see the quilts.  GO!
support your local museums and especially ones that display antique quilts :)

note to LONA  a no reply blogger
mho  means  my humble opinion.