Some Finished Projects

This quilt was made for my niece's daughter Lilly. I made this from start to finish during Hurricane Gustave, thanks to my husband who hooked my sewing machine and iron up to a generator! We didn't have electric power for five days, but I got to sew!




This one was made for my grandson's little friend Alexis. It was my first "crumb" quilt.

I made this "tipsy squares" quilt for my cousin Eileen's daughter, Aubin. It was fun and easy to make, and I loved working with the bright colors.

I had a blast making this pinwheel quilt for my cousin Rebecca's baby boy. I put it together quickly using leftover triangles from a sailboat quilt I had made for my cousin Emily's baby, Sam.

This "jigsaw puzzle" quilt was made for my cousin Emily's daughter, Grace. It was as challenging as a real jigsaw puzzle!

I guess you have figured out by now that I am my family's designated baby quilt maker!

The True Confessions of Carolscrapquilter

1. I buy too much fabric.

2. Call me old-fashioned, but I love florals, especially tiny rosebud prints in muted shades of pink, green, and off-white.

3. I have a vast collection of quilt magazines, and I can't bear to part with even one of them.

4. I spend more time dreaming about making quilts than actually making them.

5. I have too many unfinished projects. I intend to do an inventory and post my list of unfinished quilts soon.

6. I just gave away three unfinished quilt tops to reduce my list of unfinished projects.

7. Every time I actually finish a project, I start two or three more.

8. It took me over 26 years to finish a quilt for my daughter. I will never ever attempt another Grandmother's Flower Garden!

9. I prefer to make small quilts...bed-size quilts are overwhelming and rarely get finished.

10. My fabric and notions are not well organized. I tend to throw things everywhere, but I'm trying to reform.

11. When I'm not making a quilt, I'm thinking about making a quilt.

12. I'm obsessed with buying remnants and scrap bags, and believe it or not, when I get home I wash, dry, and iron every single little scrap of fabric. That's why I call myself "carolscrapquilter."

Witty Quilt Sayings...Well, I Think So!

When I come across witty quilt-related sayings, I usually jot them down on little scraps of paper. The New Year seems an appropriate time to gather my collection in one place. Here's a few I've managed to find stashed in various places in my sewing room...

"Life is a stitch."

"Any day spent quilting is a good day."

"To quilt is human...to finish divine."

"Give a quilter an inch...she'll think she's a ruler."

"May your bobbin always be full."

Quilters aren't greedy...they're just materialistic!"

364 More Days to Go

Well, I made it through January 1, 2009, without purchasing any new fabric, not even a fat eighth! I could scarcely bear to look as we drove by Hancock Fabric with its large, bold yellow banner flapping in the breeze announcing in large, bold black letters, "Half-Price Sale!" I almost said to my husband, "Let's make a fabric stop. Hancock's is having its year-end clearance sale!" But, then (almost too late) I remembered my resolution. I can't mess up on January 1! I've been down that self-defeating road too many times when my resolution was to lose weight! So far, so good, carolscrapquilter!

A New Year Dawns--Do I Have Enough Fabric???

It's the last day of 2008, and my New Year's resolution not to buy any new fabric takes effect tomorrow. Should I make a last minute dash to the nearest fabric store and stock up? Would that be cheating? Please advise!

Greatgrandma's Double Wedding Ring Quilt

One of my most precious possessions is a Double Wedding Ring quilt made by Greatgrandma Rollins. She made it for my mother, who treasured it. Mama kept her quilt in a plastic bag on the top shelf of a closet, taking it out occasionally to look at it, to touch the tiny perfect stitches, to admire the bright colors and patterns of the small pieces of feedsack scraps. It was a treat for me to get a closeup look. I loved the combination of the yellow background and lavender backing, and thought that the scalloped border was beautiful. This quilt was a masterpiece, created with love by a skilled seamstress. Even I knew that, as young as I was. I often asked Mama if she would take the quilt out so I could get another look. One day I boldly asked if I could have the quilt for my own. Mama thought about it, and agreed to my request, but said I would have to wait until I grew up and was responsible enough to take care of something so valuable. From then on, I considered it my quilt too, and I couldn't wait to grow up.

Several years later we were moving from Florida back home to Louisiana. My mother, sister, and I went on ahead with the basic necessities. My stepfather was to stay and pack up the rest of our belongings then join us at our home in Louisiana. Imagine our shock and horror when he drove up a couple of days later with our treasured keepsake tied over the top of a load of furniture in the back of his pickup truck! Our beautiful Double Wedding Ring quilt with its delicately scalloped border had been used as a tarpaulin, exposed to the elements across the entire southern United States, and was now sodden, windblown, and filthy. To say that Mama and I were as furious as the thunderstorm our poor bedraggled quilt had been subjected to would be an understatement.

I became the sole owner of the quilt sooner than I had expected. Though tattered and frayed, there has never been a quilt more loved and treasured, more looked at and touched and used, than Greatgrandma's Double Wedding Ring quilt, which was never meant to be stored in a plastic bag on the top shelf of a closet, taken out only occasionally to be admired, anyway.

My New Year's Resolutions

I've been giving a lot of thought to this for the past few weeks, and this is what I've decided...my New Year's resolutions are as follows, along with a couple of loopholes in case I get desperate:

Resolution #1: I will not buy any new fabric in 2009. I will use what I have already amassed to create as many beautiful quilts as possible. However, I will allow myself the option to barter, beg, or even steal fabric if necessary. It will be okay to accept fat quarters if I am a winner in my quilt guild's monthly fat quarter lotto. My friends and family may buy fabric (please make sure it's 100% cotton) and give to me as a birthday gift. By the time my birthday rolls around in May, I will probably be experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms or in jail for attempting to shoplift bolts of fabric at Hancock's.

Resolution #2: I will not buy any new quilt magazines. I have enough of these to last a lifetime---so why do I keep buying more???? If I'm feeling desperate, I'll just read the new issues right there in the store, replacing them on the rack after I have perused them from cover to cover.

Resolution #3: I would like to make at least four donation quilts in 2009 for homeless children. With all the scraps I've got stashed away in baskets, bins, and Rubbermaid boxes, there's no reason why I shouldn't combine my fabric with my time and talent to provide warmth and comfort to a child who really needs it.

I'll keep you posted on how well I stick to my resolutions. Please send me an encouraging comment now and then. Thanks for taking the time to read. And if you're not already a quilter, you should get started immediately.