There's always a chicken quilt

But I have to say that I just don't get this one. Why oh why? And where do you hang it? Maybe I don't want to know! It's quilt show season in SW Idaho! Let's start with Emmett. And a chicken quilt that is a little more "normal". I chose this little chick because she looks like me and Mr THQ as we wore our tie dye shirts to the show. Doesn't she look tie dyed?

So, let's get started because we have lots of quilts to see. First up. I didn't think I liked this one so much when I was close to it but from a distance it looked really good so I had to give it a second look. What do you think?

Here's a close up. Yeah, better than I originally thought.

I guess there is always a snoman quilt, too. Here you go. Cute.

This one was unlike anything I have seen before. Don't you like how expressive simple half square triangles can be?

This one was a block of the month from a local quilt shop. I really like the colours. I like the way this basket was done also. A little different, don't you think?

Here is the whole thing.

I think this is my favourite block. Love the stripey fabric in the pail. Don't you? I will have to call the shop and see if I can get the pattern. Or at least learn more about it. I like it even though it's pastelly and has blue in it.

I am sure you recognize this one as a Kim Diehl pattern. The quilter used a mix of plaids and prints, not just plaids like in Kim's book. Looks good.

Americana, always a favourite of mine. I didn't notice until I was looking at the picture that there is one block that slmost looks like rank stripes on a sleeve. Do you see it?

Cute little wall hanging. Hmm, pail and watering can. Got kind of a theme going here now, don't I?

Another Kim Diehl pattern. You know she is from Idaho, don't you? Eastern, but still Idaho. She came to our guild a few years ago. I love her stuff although I have not made many of her quilts. She does so much applique.....

Here is a little wool piece. I love the background. It really sets off the red I think. I have been collecting wool. I really need to start using it.

I am not sure why I took pics of this one.

Here is a close up of the center section.

Okay, I am absolutely in love with this one. I have the book this one is in. I bought it a few years ago after seeing this quilt made with a dark tan background and murky primitive colours. Now I love this one even more -- here we go again with those deep pastels. And more blue!

Doesn't it just look terrific? It's those deeper pastels that get me I guess. Really warm and mellow feeling.

And the best part of this one is that it was all done by machine -- machine blanket stitch. You can hardly tell because the thread colour was carefully matched to the applique pieces. OMG, this just has to get made.

As they would say on Monty Python, now for something completely different. I thought as I approached this that it was paper pieced. But it is a folded log cabin. Apparently it was a class at a local shop. And a kit. The kit was available at the show because the shop had a booth there. I love the colours. The black really is a great accent, don't you think?

So are you thinking I bought the kit? No, I did not. After careful consideration I just decided it didn't look like fun to make. Love the border too, though. Look at all those nice parallel lines.

This one is pretty simple but I like the old fashioned look to it.

Here is another pic I have that I am wondering about.

This one was an absolute labour of love I think. It is a Crabapple Hill pattern. You would have recognized it I am sure. The work was exquisite. the colours are great. Oh, my.

Here is an up close of one of the blocks.

And another.

Wow. Well, that's all for today. I know I have been gone, but aren't all these great quilts a super return -- worth waiting for I hope.

I still have photos of the Council show and the Boise show to share, so be on the lookout!

I would have been back sooner but

we have had trouble with our internet lately and of course on Sunday when I usually post. Add to the internet woes a huge work project with a tight deadline and whoa, another week has almost gone by.

I know I promised to take pics if I made it to The Country Loft. Well, I did make it, but my camera was left behind in my computer bag. So you will have to make do with pics of what I bought. I have to say, I was pretty reserved in my purchasing. Perhaps that was because my ride was a non quilter so I didn't have as much time as I would have had I been by myself or with a quilter.

Anyway, on with the show. Here is my first purchase. Star twill tape. Don't you love it? I do.
Except, ahem, I loved these twill tapes, too. They came from Gooseberry Patch a few years ago and I love them, indeed I do, just haven't figured out what to do with them.

I didn't buy any fabric. Remember I was short on time. And my suitcase was already pretty full because I was teaching my class and my props are kind of bulky. Here is the first pattern. How can one resist Buggy Barn? One can't.

How about this one? The model was so so cute. Hand appliqued. Well, you know I won't be hand appliquing this now don't you? But it will be cute with blanket stitch applique too, I think. It is pretty small -- table topper size.

I have always loved Country Threads, too. They were some of the first patterns I used when I really got into quilting in the early 1990's. You might notice that there is a theme in most of these patterns -- houses. Always a favourite.

The pattern on the right might not look like too much in the picture but they had a sample made hanging over the door of a cabinet and boy oh boy it was cute.

And now I finally have one of those plain brown envelopes from Cheri of my own. They had two versions of this made up. One of them had only one heart. That was the one that really drew me.

Once I got back from San Diego I got back to work on the stashlets. I don't usually show you things twice, but some of these are just so cute I had to share. Because of all the little scrappy squares this one looked a little raggedy when it was just a top. Now it looks really sharp I think.

And this one. For some reason the light sherbet-y orange check binding looks really good with the brights. Well, at least I think it does.

And you already know I love this one. And it is even cuter quilted and bound. I am going to have to get that Cricut out again and make some more circles.

You remember I told you I used to cross stitch all the time, don't you? Well I have been subscribing to this magazine for quite some time. When this issue arrived I fell absolutely positively I love with the cover pattern. Don't you love it?!!?? Time to pull out the floss and the frame. I even love the frame it is shown in. Even though it is blue!

How about that!

Well, quilt show season has arrived in Idaho. Emmett this week, then Boise and Council. Then Mr THQ and I are loading up the bikes and heading to Bend, Oregon for some riding and then to Sisters! Woo hoo. I am really looking forward to it.

Anyway, stay tuned for quilt show pics coming soon.

Almost too clean and organized

I know you want to see it all finished. So there are lots of pictures. The first day I went up to sew I couldn't figure out what to do. It was just TOO neat I guess. But yesterday and today I finally figured it out and got about half my stashlets quilted and bound. I will share them once they are washed and ready to go. Meanwhile, I will share the whole room.

This cabinet is the "Philco". It is an old stereo cabinet. It is one of my favourite things and we have had it for ages and ages. I made that Santa on top of it. My only doll to date although I have plans for more. I shared my chicken coops last week. They are full now. Don't you love that green laundry basket? Too good for laundry so it holds flannel quilts waiting to be quilted. This is on the far side of my sewing machine. Look down there -- a permanent spot for my serger! That little chest was rescued from the trash. It is now the new home of my scrapbooking tools -- cutter, and that die cut machine. That little baby is hard to store. It's a little too tall and a little too wide for everywhere I wanted to stash it. Finally it fit in here.

A farther away shot of that side. And a better view of the serger spot. That's my button collection in the jars on top of the skinny shelf. Mr THQ built that years ago. It and the coops come apart and hold lots of stuff when moving. Can you tell we used to move ourselves OFTEN? We have been in Boise 20 years but before that we never lived anywhere more than a year or two.

Here is the other side of the room. It's wider since it holds my ironing board. Look at all that empty countertop. Well, compared to before it's empty anyway.

This is my comfortable seat from where I can watch TV or look through books and patterns. Hey, it's another rescued item from the trash. It was originally a bus seat from Cleveland. Or Akron. Somewhere in Ohio according to the neighbours who let us take it away. Of course it has been recovered under that little quilt. That funky looking green thing is actually a piece that is getting ready to be a pillow back. I didn't want to lose it in all my cleaning up!

Look how full the decorating and sewing and cross stitch side is. So organized it's almost scary. There is some completed cross stitch ready for finishing. There is just ever enough time is there!

One problem was my Christmas sleigh until I realized it would fit on top of this rack. It's holding seasonal quilts and pillows. I know, I know, Easter bunnies in a sleigh is a mixed metaphor.

I use the top of the other rack for Christmas tree storage. And those hat boxes hold my yarn. I used to knit all the time. I think I told you about my famous too tight sweater necks. I always think I am going to knit again. Funny how quilting has displaced so man of the other things I used to do.

More up high storage. Some holiday stuff is just too awkward to go anywhere. Hmm, that's an interesting nose shot isn't it! I love that little backpack. Not only is it cute; it's really soft.

Assorted items. Even my plastic containers fit in. And right now at least I know what is in them.

This little cart used to hold my TV. I took away that 3rd table. I really only needed it when I was quilting a really big quilt and it took up too much of my design floor. It has wheels so I can move it around and it will work to hold the end of a really big quilt. It's the first thing you see when you come up the stairs.

Oh, and back in the corner is the perfect spot for my snowmen. Yeah, I do like Christmas don't I. Way too much.

I may have shared this shelf before. I collect way too many jars. Lots of potpourri in these. I used to make my own. Another craft from the past. In the last neighbourhood we lived in in OKC there was a craft group that met once a month and we learned to make potpourri at one of the meetings.

Even though I haven't been sewing so much I have been, ahem, shopping. I found a new website that I just love. Modern fabric and something new on sale just about every week. www.hawthornethreads.com. I know not all this goes together. It's actually from two different orders. The light one on the end is little flowers and birds. Really really cute. The fourth one in that is kind of olive coloured -- next to the solid, is little hedgehogs. I took Russian in high school and college and one of the first little poems we learned was about hedgehogs and I have favoured them ever since. I think this is the first time I ever saw hedgehog fabric.

And look at this! Umbrellas from the side and from the top. I am not sure what any of this is going to be but it's fun, don't you think?

I have one more thing to show you. Friday night was an annual fundraiser we like to go to. Just look at my balloon bee. My clown apologized because she made purple wings instead of black by mistake. But no apology necessary. She is the cutest bee. She was the envy of everyone who saw her.

You know, it's hard to take a picture of a balloon bee!

I am off to a conference in San Diego this week and I am afraid she will be completely deflated by the time I return. I have read so much about The Country Loft I am hoping to figure out a way to get over there. I promise to take pictures if I make it.