Offstage Progress

It's been an exciting month here, and though I've kept composing posts in my head, I haven't gotten my act together to post.  Here's a little catchup on the sewing progress I've been making: 

I finished this shirt (I believe my first ever completed garment!) a few weeks ago, and have so far worn it out in public twice (and once to work).  I think it's a success!  I used a pretty cheap, plain fabric so that if I botched something I wouldn't have wasted pretty fabric, but I think I'm brave enough to try it again in something prettier.  

Speaking of pretty fabric - look at my haul!   Last Saturday I went to a "Text and Textiles" fundraiser for the New England Quilt Museum - around twenty bucks for all-you can fit in a bag!  As you can see, I was pretty good at the making it fit part.  Pretty much all of Sunday was devoted to pre-washing and ironing (so. much. ironing.). 

This was one of the treasures I picked up - there were a couple baskets of blocks and cut pieces.  This is a vintage top - er, three-quarters of the top at least.  I need to spend some time thinking about what I want to do to finish it.  I don't think I want to piece new units, but I need to do something about that gap in the corner.  

Another set of goodies were these itty-bitty HSTs, which I whipped together into a scrappy barn raising setting.  Eric says it would make a good potholder - we'll see.

And my last treasure of the day - Quilting Modern by Jacquie (Tallgrass Prairie Studio) and Katie (Sew Katie Did).  This is a beautiful book, and I love that they wrote it with the same voice that makes their blogs so wonderful to read.  I guess it helps that they're talking about improvisation, which makes it easier to talk about the process and to admit that mistakes happen.  And the pictures!  I'm loving this book, and actually reading it straight through. 

That's all for now!

Fabric Finds!

I did not get much quilting done this last week - I have hit a block in my current project and I'm mulling and auditioning fabrics for it.  Plus my little sister came out to visit me, so I was busy doing other things.  I did get to play show and tell with quilt tops she hasn't seen.  We also went to Goodwill looking for picture frames (and totally struck out), but did come home with about 17 yards of cotton quilting fabrics for $5!!

A sample of the approximately 17 yards!

We actually found four curtains homemade from the light green pattern, so that is slated to go up in our office.  My sister took home about two yards, and I got to keep the selection you see above.  Some really neat patterns (that orange batik! those adorable bears!) and some things that round out my stash - I have next to no pink, and certainly no bright pink.  But now I do!