Crazy Woman or Happy Quilter?

Well, maybe a little of both!

This is my sewing desk. I sew in our bedroom. It works really well. I used to have a much smaller desk with only enough room for my machine. When I decided to get out of the rubber stamping/card making hobby and devote all my craft time to quilting, I moved this huge white desk into our room. I bought this at our church festival's white elephant sale years ago for $35. There is another side piece on wheels that we actually use for school right now, but I would like it back upstairs. It is a great desk and has served me well. Since I started sewing here, I have room for everything. I used to cut on my cutting mat on the island in the kitchen downstairs, sew in my bedroom and use my little ironing board on the piece of counter between the sinks in our master bath. I got lots of exercise. Now I can do it all here.

I decided to create this post because the other day I walked by my desk and laughed at how full it is right now. It is the mark of a very happy quilter.

So here's what the piles are, working from the right to the left.

* The pastels in the bottom left: I bought this fabric (Moda charm pack) a year or two ago. Right away I turned it into 12 squares - 6 pinwheels and 6 diamonds. I loved the fabrics! I have had the quilt squares done for a long time and just now, with a little encouragement from Robin, decided to go back and piece them together. It still needs a border. Those are the strips laying on top.

* Above the pastels is a little stack of vintage reds and blues. I bought these at the quilt shop on Saturday with a little bit of gift certificate. These are marked for pillows for the sofas.

* Next to the vintage reds and blues is a stack of quilt squares made from some Moda brushed cotton charms. Robin gave me one charm pack of this Monkey n Round fabric for Christmas because she thought Nicole would love it. I bought two more charm packs online for a discount. I made about 50 double sided squares (they have x's sewn across them) to make a small doll size rag quilt for Nicole's birthday. Time to start sewing them in rows.

* The large blue and white piece is a finished quilt top. It has been finished for quite a number of years (4 or 5?). It was the third quilt I ever put together. The first was a large rag quilt that is in our den on the big comfy chair. The second quilt was a Noah's Ark baby quilt from this pattern from this pattern. Then from the same pattern I made a larger lap-ish size quilt in my favorite colors. I have never quilted it myself because I wasn't sure I could do so much bulk on my machine and still do a nice job. Besides I can only do simple quilting and this quilt is really special to me. What I have really always wanted is to have it professionally quilted. A couple of birthdays ago my mom and mother-in-law gave me money to have something quilted. I tucked it away. This past Saturday I met a lovely lady at the quilt shop who quilts for a living with her big long-arm machine. She was so nice and does very good work. She even had a Scripture on her business card. So, within the next week or so, I would like to take it to her and get ti done! Yeah!!! I have waited so long to get to enjoy it.

* Underneath the little ironing board are some bibs I need to finish. I made 6 for Michael and these are the other 6 I need to finish.

* On top of the ironing board next to the iron is a stack of machine embroidered redwork squares that Brian's mom made and gave me for Christmas. I pulled some reds out of my stash and I am cutting strips to make borders around each one. Some are ready to sew! They are precious little sunbonnet children and each scene is different. Thanks Mom!

* The front stack on the ironing board is several things. Ont he bottom are some vintage reproduction napkins that will either become a kitchen curtain or stay napkins. On top of those is a real vintage tablecloth that is going to get cut apart and made into sofa pillows! On top of that are the red binding strips for the finished quilt standing next to the desk on the floor. That quilt is the one you see in my header. It is completely quilted. I just need to clip the threads and attach the binding. It is going on the wall above the sofa!

Whew! I hope you have enjoyed this little tour of my insanity!

I love to quilt. Quilting is a joy! It doesn't require a lot of forethought or concentration on my part. It is beautiful in that I can sit down and just start sewing and actually accomplish a good bit in 15 minutes. I enjoy having multiple things to work on - all in different stages. Then if I feel like cutting or pieceing I have somehting to work on. Or if I feel like actually quilting, I can! I love the fabrics, the colors, the patterns and watching it all come together. I look forward to teaching Nicole someday!

Well, I guess I should go quilt!