New Books! New Fabric! New Jo Morton Club!

Two new books arrived this week that are screaming "Make me!  No, Make Me!"

Edyta Sitar has outdone herself with "Little Handfuls of Scraps" containing "A Sprinkling of Vintage Finds" and 32 patterns for small quilts, using  wonderful assortments of antique reproduction fabrics for authentic inspiration!   Kathleen Tracy's new book "Small and Scrappy" has sixteen patterns for pint-sized quilts as well as  hints about building your fabric collection to make the small quilts!  The quilts in both books use lots of reproductions, both old and new, that I have in stock!!

Pam Buda's "Old Plums" arrived!!  11 bolts of various purples, accompanied by  6 bolts of lights!  And, a great thing about some of the purples is that they reverse to Great Solids!  Especially useful for Variety!  Have a little quilt from a Carol Hopkins pattern started from some scraps Pam so graciously sent to me that I now will finish!  

Another book I've recently enjoyed reading is Gwen Marston's "Free Range Triangle Quilts".  She also relies on antique quilts for inspiration and who knew so much could happen with Triangles!  A "must-read" for those as interested in creating quilts with triangles as I am.  That reminds me of yet another little quilt I've been working on......All half-square triangles of mostly darks .......a little doll quilt I saw online (ebay, I think)....Another couple rows and it will be done (tho I am thinking of making it larger!...Can't I just leave well enough alone!)  It's been fun going thru fabrics to find the old, dark and "dirty" fabrics!   Oh, and I finally got my newer Jo fabrics that had been stacked on the floor onto one of my antique shoe factory racks......that displaced my homespuns but they are neatly packed into boxes for pretty quick access (love those boxes I save from my Moda shipments for stackable storage!) in a re-organized (and very slightly purged!) walk-in closet that was thoughtfully built by someone years ago at the top of the back stairs.........these old houses are notorious for not having enough closet space!  

The month of December is usually slow in the shop, but that's okay........I love having free time to read, sew, cut out for projects, daydream, spend too much time on Pinterest, peruse blogs, etc, etc!

Then, there is also the quandary I have when I can spend time in my sewing room and can't decide what to do first!  I have way too many WIP's in progress that I can choose.......what to do?  Of course, start something New!  I often have this idea about something that I think I can whip up in one setting or at least during the off days!  Rarely happens tho!  I had a Lori Smith pattern staring at me so I decided to whip up a Courthouse Step small (11" x 14") quilt.  Managed to get all but the last 4 strips on during a Sunday afternoon (listening to audiobook by Ken Follet, "On Wings of Eagles".)

Now it is done and will join the pile of tops to be quilted Someday!

Jo Morton's Little Women Club #16 patterns will arrive after the first of the year!  Love all the projects and have started the Tumbler!   Let me know if you want to sign up (either in person or by mail order) so I will know how many pattern sets to order.  Club Requirements remain the same.......purchase of 25 Jo Morton fat quarters and $5 per pattern. 

Lots of  Jo fabrics to choose from!  Using Miss Rosie's small Crumbler.

Also in some of this month's "spare time" I've been adding to Wendy's (and my box also---everything cut in two's------one for Wendy, one for me!)  1-1/2" square box.....I think there are about 1200 more ready!   That makes about 2400 so far with another 1000 or so to go!

Will leave you with a photo of a Christmas present to myself to replace one I lost years ago....... 

Merry Christmas to all who choose to celebrate it.......in whatever manner you choose to do so!  Grateful that I will be sharing it with family at my grandson's house (and father of the new baby here in Maine!), and will be thinking of two granddaughters and their precious, darling babies who live in FL and AZ.

Maybe next year will be a year for all to be Together at Christmas!