Nothing but blue skies do I see...

I've gotten some more quilting done on "All Around the Town" (Sue Garmon).  I was trying to think of some quilting motif to fill the whale weather vane with, then it hit me...FISH!  There are probably some fish in a whale, even if only by accident (I didn't know how to quilt krill).

After quilting the sun's center and the sun rays, I started filling the sky with swirls and movement.

Here's my flag...I only quilted one star on the field of blue (we were one state, even if only for a minute, before we were 50 states, right?!?).

This twirly stuff in the sky is pretty fun, especially now that I've started to relax a bit.  It does not do for me to free-form quilt when I am uptight.

I'm listening to the fabric of the cat to tell me how to quilt it.  Oops...I now see two circles I missed...

I received more of my 30's UFO blocks back from some Bee Balm quilters Vivian and Sue (thanks for the pattern, Sue - I love Country Threads projects, especially using log cabin blocks!).

Thank you for the bonus blocks - your fabrics blend PERFECTLY with mine!

Thank you to everyone who jumped in on the post-before-last with an opinion on commercial block-of-the-month (BOM) programs.  I've been administering one (with Ola and Mary J.) at my LQS for the past 12 months.  I've tried to be organized and have worked very hard to provide the original fabrics with no substitutions, which customers were pleased with.  I've been at odds with the shop owner, though, in general, concerning BOMs - LOL.

Call me crazy, but when I get lured into buying something, I want the thing in the form that lured me in the first place.  I also want to have enough material to make the object of my desire.  I was saddened by all the comments talking about being displeased/dropping out or buying/never making...or worse...comments and emails talking about never going back to a certain store due to the hard feelings.  Wow.  It's hard to build up a loyal following at a quilt store with that going on.

The BOM I was just involved with was one by Marti Michell, called American Beauty.  It looked like this (sample made by Mary Jones of Manchester, MI and machine quilted by Rhonda Loy of Dexter, MI - no blogs).

We offered it with either a black or white setting (the blocks and fabrics were the same for either).  Participants had the option of using Marti's template set, which made the blocks go together beautifully or making their own templates from the patterns each month.  Blocks were ordered from easiest to hardest so that even someone with not very much experience could achieve success.  Mary Jones, who made the samples, taught the block and basic quilting techniques each month.  This program was written for a specific fabric line (Wild roses by Maywood).  I think people expected to get what they saw, and rightly so. 

I'm not likely to do a block of the month myself...I tend to want to change things too much.  Besides, I have a stash and should be putting quilts together from that.  I've been known to buy old BOMs (patterns only) in a grouping.  I also wash my fabric before I cut it (due to sensitive skin), and there is usually not enough fabric to do that in BOM kits.  I think they are a great idea for someone who doesn't have much of a stash or when both pattern and fabric are simply irresistible.  Also, since we taught the block each month it was an excellent way to learn new skills.

Wow...there's enough on this subject to debate forever...

In stitches,

Teresa  :o)