i mailed off my quilt for dqs3.  this is just a peek of it finished. i wanted to wait until my partner got it, to show you, because i wanted it to be somewhat of a surprise.  this one turned out really nice, if i do say so myself. the block was roman stripes. i vaguely followed the directions given by mary johnson. there are a lot of nice tutes over there, you should go check it out. i will wait. while im waiting i will just tell you that i did have a couple changes to her directions. once i had my foundation block, i ironed, then sewed down 1/4" to the right of the ironed line. then i laid my strip on top of the foundation block with the right side of the strip lined up with the sewn line. clear as mud? i also cut my strips 1.25"wide and cut their length after i had sewn them down, im not sure if she says to do this or not, but i find you waste less (same with log cabins, i dont cut until after i have sewn the strip down).

i am thinking this will be my last doll quilt swap, except for maybe an occasional one on one swap. while i was quilting this quilt and the one before it, i realized how much time i was spending on this, not to mention materials. the biggest thing for me was that i was progressing with my quilting/sewing skills but you couldnt tell, because everything i was making was being sent off. tracy and i also started a flickr group for swapping 6" mini quilts. i think this will be much better for me, as it should take less time and materials and it just seems like fun! and to be frightfully honest my quilt wall is starting to get full, so i can start another small wall of little 6" quilts!

i think i am beginning to see a pattern here( ok, i really am not BEGINNING to see, i have known all along!) this week my spendy purchase was....you guessed it! a book!!! this book to be exact. i love it and i think not only will i be able to make oodles of pot holders with it, it will serve as inspiration for my 6" quilts. go, scoot, run and get yourself a copy! while i was at the bookstore spending my evening alone, i decided to pick up one of our favorite childrens books (scroll down for "in the night kitchen") for my great nephew that is getting baptised this weekend. we love any book by maurice sendak, but this was a special favorite. i would pause on certain pages and she would "read" what was on the page. ah memories! all told for the two books i spent $21. not bad....

i stopped off at a great little restaurant owned by a sweet jordanian after hanging out at barnes and noble. i felt the need for falafel. i also got some yolangee (stuffed grape leaves). these are super yummy. you know they are good when they taste just like the ones you make!! these are the first ones i have tasted in ages that actually taste like someones mother made them, not like they used a can opener!! so if youre in vernon hills, il anytime soon, stop off at the pita grill....

Comments

[Jill]

The doll quilts look nice from the peek you've given. I can't wait to see them once your partners have received them. Swaps are fun but they do take a lot of time. For me I stress out about what I'm sending but never have a worry about what I'll get. On the plus side I've met some really nice people doing swaps.

[susan]

that is true about meeting people. but i do still have my 6" quilt swap group...

[barbara]

That potholder book looks pretty tempting. So do the stuffed grape leaves, which I get to have this weekend, with my Greek-Easter celebrating friends. Otherwise I'd have had to drive, what, 500 miles to vernon hills!

[LauraJ]

it's for me right huh huh tell me it's for me??