A Giveaway and Nomination #3

Today's the third day for participating in the blog challenge that Terry nominated me for. Drop over to www.terryknott.blogspot.com to see what she's been up to. 

The rules:

1) Thank the person that nominated you. 

Terry, you know how much I've enjoyed this, Thanks!

2) Post a quote each day, for three days. 

You can't use up creativity.  The more you use, the more you have.   Maya Angelou

3) Nominate a new blogger each of the three days. 

My nomination today is Lynda. You can invest some time reading about her various activities on her blog. www.Lynda@BloomBakeCreate.com

So this finishes my part of a fun little blog challenge. It's been fun gathering the quotes. It was very difficult deciding on which three bloggers I would nominate. There are so many talented folks out there that I enjoy following. 

Now, on to my own challenge! I have a quilt back that I was preparing for my Desert Sky quilt. I wrote about it yesterday. In case you missed yesterday, here is how far the quilt top has gotten. I think it needs a border. Yes, definitely!

Next is a picture of how the back started coming together. I wanted to use some of the same fabrics as the front,for a focus row. I had two units left over from the front and chose to include them also. 

My thought was to put another strip of the aqua on the top and bottom. Then flank both sides with some coordinating larger pieces. Then add a final oversized border that would get trimmed down after the quilting was done. Well, that was the original plan. I realized I still had several of strips left in my basket. I wanted to utilize the fabric that I had already cut into. So, I made two more strips and attached them to each side. And that's when it happened!

Here came the 'challenge'. I'm beginning to look at this as a quilt top, not a backing!  I've made reversible quilts before. They are usually for kids. This one has a lot of piecing hours into it. I have already got an idea of where I want to display it. It just seems like a waste to put this backing together and have it look at a wall for the rest of its life!   

And I can always come up with a couple of backings, or at least I can try.  I'm sure you're chuckling a little about that comment, considering what just happened. 

So today, I'm really hoping to get some feedback from all of you. Please give me your thoughts on whether I continue to make this a backing, or do I 'grow' it into a quilt?  If you are an anonymous commenter, please sign your name at the end of the post. 

I haven't had a giveaway in quite some time, so I think this will be a great time to do one! Everyone that leaves a comment, on this post, will have their name put in the drawing. I will notify the winner(s) in April. PS. Do you remember the drawing last summer? The one where EVERYONE, got a gift package.  That could happen again,,, just saying, you never know!

Let's Create Today, Luann 

Paper Piecing Workshop and Nomination #2

Today is the second post for the blog challenge that Terry nominated me for. You can catch all of her interesting project news over at www.terryknott.blogspot.com

The rules:

1) Thank the person that nominated you. Thanks Terry!

2) Post a quote each day.  "Fall in love with the process, and the results will come." Eric Thomas, smokewithmirrors.tumblr

3) Nominate a different blogger each day to participate. 

I'm nominating Diane, an online friend. She can be found at www.yarngoddess.wordpress.com

We both participated in a surface design group for a few years. I've been very interested in so many of her adventures, especially when she has done eco dyeing. Do check her site out, it is so interesting. 

Back to my quote. Falling in love with the process isn't always so easy. Recently I took a paper piecing class with Carol Ann Jaynes, a Judy Niemeyer Certified Instructor. I struggled a bit in the first steps, but her patience and thoroughness got me through two intense days. We all worked on the Desert Sky pattern, each with our own fabric choices. Here's a picture of the pattern and my stack of fabrics. 

Here are units on my design wall in the first layout that I tried. 

I liked it, but,, something just didn't click for me. Ahhhh, it's those gold and royal blue units! They are just hogging the camera's eye. So out they came, and I started to play with the remaining units. This is the final layout I came up with. I want a border on it, just haven't made my final decisions yet. 

I'm pondering on the name for this quilt, but that needs to wait until the binding is done. 

My next post will be my third quote and nomination day. It will also tell you about this quilt's backing and how it is taking on a life of its own! 

Until then, let's create today! -Luann

Tumbler Quilt Progress and Nomination #1

I've been nominated by Terry Knott to take part in a blog challenge. You can find her, and all of her On Going  Projects at  www.terryknott.blogspot.com

The rules:

1) Thank the person who nominated you.  Terry, thanks for the opportunity. 

2) Post a quote each day for 3 days. 

3) Nominate a blogger each day. 

Day #1: 

To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. -Joseph Chilton Pearce

I nominate Rachel over at www.stitchedincolor.com  

She has been an inspiration to me. I've taken 2 of her online classes that were awesome. She gives so much information to help you through any difficult step. She is very talented, her quilt designs are so interesting. Please stop over and check things out. 

During March I have intended to make progress on my projects. 

First up is my tumbler quilt, started in February. I love a gentle meandering stitch design.

And the backing was pieced. A few larger pieces and two rows of tumbler pieces. 

I need to attach the binding on this queen sized quilt.  Next time, my tumbler quilt is going to be scrappier and not have a  symmetrical  layout! As you can see below, I couldn't get the entire quilt up on my design wall, so I had to play the game of mirror images! Not something I want repeat any time soon. But then again, now would be the best time, because I can still remember how I did it. 

Above, left, are quilt pieces that I have cut from the remaining smaller pieces and scraps. I used my new Accuquilt Go, and some basic dies. They're on a shelf waiting for their turn under the needle! 

May God bless the work of your hands-Luann