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January 7, 2006

Finally Getting Started!

I have had this blog set up since September, but I am finally actually going to start posting!! I hope that one day I can join some of the cool blog rings that I've been reading for the last few months, but for now I'll just get started!

I'm an American, 35, living in Ireland with my Irish DH Dave and our two little girls, Aine (onya) age 3, and Aisling (ashling) age 18 months. Those kiddies of mine keep me busy, so I find I quilt mostly in the evening and a few chunks of stolen time while baby naps. My machine quilting has taken a back burner to the hand pieced Dear Jane blocks...they seem to be easier to tackle, as I can generally get one or two done in a night...and each is different so not boring. Plus each is a lovely new Civil War repro fabric to fondle, LOL!!

Here are a few quilts I did finish last year for other folks:


In my heart I am a scrap quilter, but I always seem to be quilting for other people, never for myself, so some of my scrap quilts aren't as truly scrappy as I hope my future ones will be! I plan to start doing more quilts for myself. Someday, when I grow up, I'd like to be Bonnie Hunter, LOL!! She is my hero for scrappy antique looking quilts that I love to look at. OK, so I'd like to be as productive as her as well...but with two small kids, I may have to wait!

My biggest quilt I'm working on happens to be for me: my Dear Jane quilt. I started it last February and hope to have all 225 hand pieced blocks done in the next few weeks!! I've only got 4 tris and one kite left on this quilt, though I have to catch up on my website, as many triangle blocks are still missing. I have done this quilt totally by hand with scraps of Civil War repro fabric that I've traded with around the world. I hope to get wool batting and baste the heck out of this and quilt it myself by hand, a new learning process! I'd say the binding will be the most tedious thing to put on by hand!!

This year I plan on doing scrap quilts only, and all from my huge scrap stash...does anyone have some favorite scrap blocks that go together easily? I don't have a lot of strips, mostly 6 inch squares or less...so a bit more challenging sometimes. I do plan on doing some string squares as well to eventually become a quilt...

Will keep adding more to this as I go along. I hope this will become my quilt journal, as I've never managed to do one on paper yet!

6 comments:

Mary said...

I've also started blogging as a way to journal and so far I'm probably too successful. Luckily creating a blog entry is as easy and quick as sending an email.

Good luck with both your quilting and blogging.

cher said...

good start Cathi ! It is a good way to track your work and goals-how you feel about quilting and get good feedback too. welcome to active blogland! Cher

Evelyn aka Starfishy said...

Welcome to blogging! I love the sharing spirit amongst all the bloggers. I've bookmarked you and will visit often.

Cheers!

Evelyn

The Calico Cat said...

Welcome to blogging.... Can I say "Nickel Quilts" again..... (I know you have the books....)
Amy

Bonnie said...

I'm so happy you have a blog! Can I make a suggestion that you go into your profile and make it so that when you post a comment, your email address is visible to the person you comment to do they can reply to your questions? I didn't have your email address so i had to come here with hopes that you get answers to your questions!

About quilting on the Dear Jane...wool batting might be too thick for blocks with those small pieces and seam allowances. I used quilter's dream cotton in the thinnest size. It quilted wonderfully. I quilted each block individually, whatever struck my mind as to quilt in there. I did alot of outlining, very LITTLE in the ditch..because I wanted the stitching to show, not be hidden.

Bonnie

Patti said...

Just starting to read your blog - welcome to the ring! Like you I've never managed to journal on paper more than three days in a row, but I'm really into the blog thing. I think it's the sharing aspect that I enjoy. Anyway, how about a scrap pattern with half square triangle squares? They make up really easily from 6" squares. Broken dishes is a really good one, or scrappy pinwheels.