the big orange wall quilt

The big orange wall quilt is done!

I actually finished this up late Sunday night, but a trip out to our cabin kept me from hanging it on the wall until last night. I got some amazing feedback about how to do the final layout (rectangular, dyptich, darker strips to add some assymetry). But in the end, I decided to keep it square and simple as was my original plan.

This quilt was a collaborative effort. 15 of the blocks were made by members of my Bee Liberated group on flickr. Even though the blocks are all very simple in their design and contain mostly the same fabrics, the fact that they were made by so many different people makes each one unique. It also turns out that one of my bee member's additions really made this quilt sing. Heidi sent me this center block made with teal and grey fabrics that I hadn't included in my packets.

Honestly, my first though was, "Oh, no! How are these going to work in the quilt?" But she also included extra pieces of that teal that I ended up using in many more of the blocks I made. Those spots of teal ended up creating movement in the quilt that I don't think I would have acheived had I kept only the original fabrics I had chosen. So thank you Heidi!

I still think the wall needs a few more things. But I think that can wait a bit. My other cushions will have to wait too. I've got things planned with the kids today and a fun weekend ahead of wedding and friends.  But please make sure to check back on Monday-- I'll be giving away a GO! Baby to a lucky someone!

a spring finish in time for fall

Remember Jacquie's Spring to Finish Challenge? I did okay, busting out 6 of my 9 projects. I rediscovered those unfinished projects the other night and realized that at least one could get finished pretty quickly. So I after the kids went to bed I got to sandwiching, quilting, and binding my liberated log cabin quilt. All was complete in less than 2 hours. And once again I asked myself why I put it off for so long!!!

I used a no-binding binding since it is a wallhanging. I'm sort of nervous to wash it up and have it get all wonky with the shrinkage, but since I love the texture that a good wash brings, I'm going to go for it.

Speaking of Jacquie and her challenges, I signed up for her Improv(e) Your Butt Challenge a few weeks ago. Although we've backpacked and walked with the dogs, I haven't logged a single mile on the treadmill since. Shameful. I'm hard to motivate. Back in college, I ran the Dublin Marathon with Team in Training, and I've been thinking about doing a race like that again. Having a local training group to run with and a lot of financial backers expecting you to race leaves little room for excuses. Plus my aunt battled lymphoma a few years ago, so I feel even more connected to the cause. Anyone up for a marathon next spring or summer? Even the Mayor's Marathon here in Anchorage is a Team in Training race. Something to think about.

Claire wasn't so thrilled to be my quilt model before we left for school. But she's so stinking cute hiding behind it. And I did make muffins for breakfast, so she owed me. Right? At least that's what I told her.

why I LOVE liberated quiltmaking

I whipped up this quilt top in just under an hour, while Cooper has been napping (he's still asleep. woo hoo!). I had the shot cottons in a basket, ripped into strips from a bout with making shot cotton scarves for Christmas gifts that I never gifted. It's about 2 feet by 2.5 feet, and I love it! I'm taking part in a quilt bee on Flickr called Bee Liberated, and this is really getting me in the mood.