1 down, 9 to go

...weeks of summer vacation, that is!

With the first official day of summer here, finally it feels like summer.  It has been a dreary, slow-to-come spring in Maine.  Today, however, it is high 80's here.  The kids have been out nearly 1 week, and are happily not bored yet.  Now, I am a slightly different story <> as I really would like to be quilting.  I finished my last large custom quilt on Friday.  I won't have another one until the first week of August (all 3 kids will be at Nana camp or soccer camp).  Until then, I am doing smaller projects -- instant gratifications, as I call them.  Provided I can get 3 kids in a known place for 1-2 hours a day, I can make that work.  Easier said than done, sadly.

First thing, here's a look at my first magazine cover and feature story!  I was so tickled when MQU mag contacted me about doing the article and cover.  Zen Garden is like my favorite quilt.  It's also taken more Honorable mentions than any other of my quilts (maybe more than all combined!).  I am happy to announce that last week at the Minnesota Quilt Show, it brought in a 1st!!  My other quilt entered, Rainbow Nouveau, also took a 1st....pretty good showing :-)  Anyhow, this is a great 8 page article.  Ignore the fact that I still write like an engineer.  There are pictures of 5 of my other quilts -- oldies and newer ones.  They didn't want to publish ones that they have already published, so there are some older ones in the article.

...And my HandiQuilter ad is on the back of the magazine. Talk about sweet!

In the evenings, I am finishing off the center part of this new quilt.  I am adding the leaf veins in silk embroidery thread. It needs to be finished before I begin adding the last border and all that applique.

With the kids out of school, I haven't done much but applique preparations.  I have many leaves and flowers all with edges turned under/starched.  About half of the tiny berries are prepped -- still 36 to go.  I haven't done any of the darker toned leaves, but the brighter ones are ready.  Today I decided to lay what is finished out on the actual fabrics to see how the tones will look.  The serpentine vine isn't there, which will help you to visualize this.  The darker leaves and silk ribbon will help it to look better too.

 I like the variety of small flowers.  I will probably assemble the flowers off of the quilt before they are added so that I can better get their shapes correct.

 This one is sideways for some reason, but it'll be fine.  Only 5 of the 15 dogwood blooms are done, but all of the large flowers are in their respective prepped parts.  I will have over 200 pieces to hand attach to the quilt - Yikes!! I was hoping to have this one ready to quilt by the early winter.  Maybe I am crazy?!

 Time to sign off and go check on my munchkin playing in the sprinkler.  Have a hot week!