New Logo and New Legislation

I spent today on the computer, updating my various sites and memberships. Mainly I needed to get my new logo posted everywhere I maintain a presence. You can find links to these sites in the column on the right, if you want to visit.

So, that's the good news. The bad news is that I may have to stop selling baby quilts. In mid-February new standards go into effect for testing lead levels in all baby products. The law is meant to protect consumers from the lax testing standards in some of the countries the U.S. imports from. I'm all in favor of that! But the way the law is written, every part in every product must be tested for lead, or it cannot be sold in the U.S.

Independent small businesses, including makers of handmade articles, will almost certainly be unable to afford the required testing. I've joined other quilters in researching the new requirements. If you have ever tried to read a legal document you will understand when I say: "Huh?" But we will do what we can. My understanding is that U.S. fabric manufacturers have not used lead dyes for years now, so I'm hoping that as long as we use U.S. fabric we will be exempt from testing. I'll let you know what we find out.

First Quilt of 2009

This is a special order baby quilt, and one of my all-time favorites.
My husband says I say that about every quilt, but this time I REALLY
mean it!

Baltimore Album, Block 2

I feel like such a slacker --- I haven't posted to the blog in such a long time that I forgot my password! More importantly, one of the reasons I didn't post is that I hadn't finished another Album block, which means I'm now officially behind schedule for the 2010 Ann Arbor quilt show. So much for my resolution to stop procrastinating. The good news is that I'm so happy with the new block that I might use it to design a new logo. Also, I'm about half- finished with block three, which is the same pattern, in shades of purple. Who knows, I might even make a Valentine throw using variations of this pattern!

Simplicity

This special order baby quilt is about as simple as they come, per the Mom-to-be's request. The baby's gender is not yet known, and the nursery is being prepared in various pastels. I lobbied unsuccessfully for a more complex block pattern, something more "special," but in the end I dove into my pastel polka dot fabric collection and made this simple one-patch. I used a pastel plaid flannel for the backing, and the result is extra soft and cuddly --- made even more cuddly with the added stuffed koala and matching mini quilt. I guess simplicity can be special, too!

Super-sized Ozzy

I got to puppysit again last night, and if you've seen my previous posts about "Grandpup" Ozzy you'll note right off that he's grown just a tad! When Lisa got him in mid-August he was about 9 weeks old and weighed 12 pounds; now he weighs almost 45 and is still growing. He loves his new back yard, with all it's mature shrubs and trees --- and all the squirrels who live in them. Well, maybe he doesn't love the squirrels, but he sure loves chasing them! The squirrels, for their part, tease and taunt him unmercifully, using the utility wires to travel from tree to tree. And there's poor Oz, literally barking up the wrong tree. He's going to Puppy School now, so hopefully he'll learn more productive ways to expend his energy!

Aqua and Brown???

This is another special order quilt that stretched my comfort zone, color-wise. I was told that the baby's nursery was going to be aqua, with brown accents. I liked the color combination well enough, but it didn't say "baby" to me. My era (late Stone Age) favored the standard pink for girls and blue for boys, but it's a new world out there, people!

Fortunately, I was also told that the Mom-To-Be liked polka dots and stripes. I love polka dots, so we shared common ground there. And though I find striped fabric difficult to work with (because the stripes are often at odds with the grain of the fabric) it's easy to create a striped look by choosing the right block pattern. So now I had a plan.

After piecing the top I thought it looked too "boxy," so I quilted freehand spirals in the center of each block. This softened the squares and added a kind of funky look that seemed, to me, to compliment the color scheme. Anyway, I love the final product, and hope the baby will too! I like to think each baby quilt will become a child's beloved "blankee," a tiny scrap of which eventually goes off to college with it's owner.

Orange & Purple???

A few months ago, Customer Brenda sent me fabric she wanted me to use in a Halloween throw for her. Individually, each fabric was cute. But they didn't add up to a color combination pleasing to my eye, and I dragged my feet for several weeks, waiting for a visit from the Quilting Muse. (Yes, we have our own Muse, and she's extremely helpful in cases of quilter's block. Pun intended!)

Eventually I settled on a design, and went fabric shopping in my stash (which you may recall is one of my favorite things to do!) I needed some medium values of orange and purple, to coordinate with the intense colors Brenda had sent. I also needed to just jump in and START the project ----- overthinking ideas is not at all productive. At some point you have pick up the rotary cutter, take a deep breath, and make that first slice. The neat thing about quilting is that there really are no mistakes; there are only design modifications!

The other neat thing: sometimes you get to surprise yourself by stretching your comfort zone. I ended up really liking Brenda's Halloween quilt, despite the fabric choice I would not have made on my own. Happy Halloween, Brenda!

Fall in Vermont

We just returned from a train trip to New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire, to see the Fall colors. The colors were gorgeous, the weather was sunny and cool, and our sleeper compartment was teeny-tiny-tight! I'd like to meet the person who designed it. I can just imagine him/her getting the assignment: "Into this 6'6"x3'6" space you must install two seats that convert to a bottom berth, a folding table, a suitcase rack, a pull-down upper berth, a toilet and fold-up sink that double as steps to the upper berth, a covered trash bin that doubles as a side table." The entire roomette was dual purpose!

I was able to visit only one quilt exhibit, but I made up for it at numerous Ben & Jerry's! We also visited a castle, the Von Trapp Lodge, and rode a cog train to the top Mt. Washington, where it was snowing. I loved the ride back down; it was so neat being in the snow and seeing the red and orange and yellow trees spread out below.

It was a great vacation, but it's good to get home, too. So, tomorrow I start cutting a new baby quilt, and real life resumes.