Happy as a Pig in Mud

Hello my quilty friends... 

Now and then some simple thing has the power to make you feel really happy...

Well, today I got a sample book in the mail - samples of Dupioni Silk from a company in Malibu, CA called Plumridge.  They are a company that makes fabric for upholstery and drapery... not a traditional fabric store.  But they have wonderful, wonderful silks in the most gorgeous colors... and they say they are made in an environmentally friendly way... (I don't really know much about that issue, but it is nice). 

I could just sit and pet this book and these samples for a long long time... 

Buy some, you say????  oh, you bet...   where's that Visa card???

Feast your eyes on these colors... 

Happy, Happy...  the little things that make me happy.  Like a pig in mud. 

Kate

Your opinion, please, please!!!!

My Friends, my friends...  I'd love to have your feedback....

I am putting together a new and very exciting linen quilt...  It is "built" on a very unusual tablecloth of Madeira linen.  In this photo you can see the exquisite embroidery work.  Pardon the wrinkles - I didn't iron before taking these photos. 

 One of the first decisions to make is what color "underlayment" , or background, to use.  In these first two photos, the piece is laying on a white Dupioni silk.   I think it makes the colors really beautiful - but the white is too white - an ivory color would be better...

Now, here is the piece laying on a color called "Green Tea", a very lovely delicate green... but not too green... 

and a detail shot...

OK - imagine it nicely pressed, and then beautifully quilted... which one do you like better for underlayment - WHITE, or GREEN.   Do tell me what you think, because I am really stumped....

Thanks much,

Kate


UPDATE:  SUNDAY EVENING:  THE GREEN WINS !!!!  BY A LANDSLIDE... STAY TUNED AND WE'LL SEE HOW WE CAN MAKE THIS PROJECT MOVE FORWARD!  THANKS EVERYONE WHO GAVE FEEDBACK!  kATE

Speed Round

Hi - it's a Speed Round Blog Post... sort of like those speed chess players...

Are you ready?   Here we go....

1.  Miss Bit got a hoody, pink of course... she's a girlie girl, and yes, she likes it!

2.   I decided to machine quilt the Great Hexagon Quilt.   Just wasn't going to ever get done by hand.  Here it is all pinned.

3.  Charity quilts all finished up and ready for donation - for the Wrap-A-Smile Foundation.  I am hooked on striped bindings, as you see here.

4.  Since Wrap-A Smile is connected with Rotary, a Rotarian DONATED this roll of batting for me!!!! Yippee  (please select out the rest of that mess)...

5.  Starting a new linen piece with this Madeira pillowcase.

Well, that's the current "state of things" in my quilting world....  I need to put the "finish"  on some things!!!!

take care,

Kate

My Quilt is Going to the East Coast !!!!

YIPPEEEE..................

My linen wholecloth quilt, names "Elizabeth's Legacy", was juried into the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival !!!!   woohooo... I am so excited.   I know I have shown it before, but pardon me while I do it one more time.... 

 Typically, I did not put a hanging sleeve on this yet - so, I guess that is what I will do this evening while I watch Olympics!!!!  Better go get started. 

Kate

Workshop Fun !!!!

Hi everyone:   Feast your eyes on these lovelies:

Aren't they just yummy?   They are pieces by Cindy Needham (cindyneedham.com) .  I just spent five days at a workshop by Cindy, a wonderful workshop on Designing quilting, both for quilting pieced tops and for wholecloth quilts, or, for me, for linen wholecloth quilts. 

It was fabulous.  Quilt, eat, shop, learn, eat, shop, quilt.  Laugh often.  Make new friends.

 That's Dorothy - great, great lady.  And a new friend from Florida. 

 Here's some design work in progress - that's Cindy in the purple jacket - I think I caught her in a rare moment without a smile on her face!

Cindy again - at work.  We learned a lot, but she still knows a lot more - shucks!!

I'm so glad to have had this opportunity - great, great fun.  I learned so much - my skills got better, my inspiration was raised...

And I did a couple of small pieces that I will share soon, after I unpack, which will take a while, I fear!

Take care everyone.

Kate

Flowers and Flimsies !!!

Good Saturday morning to all...

To all who are deep in the grips of snow and ice, I offer one pleasant photo of the camellias blooming in my back yard here in California....  and a wish that spring will come to you all soon:

Kittens are playing outside today - but it is a bit chilly, so Miss Bit wore her pink hoodie... and Mystic hid the the cardboard "kitty house".  They are inside a tent, since they do not roam free outside, but they do enjoy seeing the birdies... especially the little hummingbirds!

And Mama finished a flimsy !!!!  Yep, Celtic Soltice, Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Quilt for this year, is now a flimsy!   yippee to get this finished. 

I'm working hard on basting the Gigantic Hexagon quilt - hand basting it in preparation for hand quilting!   Hoping to finish the basting today - I want my tables back for other things... 

Have a great Saturday!

Kathleen