Better Photos of HOW MANY

 As promised, I was finally able to take some better photos of HOW MANY.  On a - rare - overcast day I borrowed a quilt stand, enlisted DH's help, and took photos. 

Turns out, this quilt is very hard to photograph well. To get any detail in the black, the light portion is blown out, and to see the colors in the light part, the black loses any detail. This is the best photo of the bunch. 

I'm entering HOW MANY into the AQS Paducah show in the Group category. They require a full on shot and a detail shot. My detail shot turned out pretty well. Custom quilting by my friend Sandy. 

For entries into the group category AQS requires a photo of the group of participants as well. Here we are, proudly showing off the finished top, after our group worked on hand piecing it for several years. 

I need to get my AQS Paducah show entry in this week. Wish me luck! 

Link ups: My Quilt Infatuation, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Alycia Quilts, Wendy's Quilts and More

Not in progress...

...can mean "lack of progress," or can mean "done," and I have both to share today.

Lack of progress:

Bad tension

 

This pile of block parts was chain pieced. Half a quilt's worth of blocks. When I started cutting them apart, I realized there was a tension problem. So, lack of progress, time out to unstitch and pull out the threads, and fiddle with the tension on my machine. Yeesh!

I'm using my travel machine (my Bernina is at the spa) and it really likes Connecting Threads 100% cotton 50 weight thread. It doesn't like finer Aurifil 50 wt. thread so much, as you can see, without a major tightening of the upper tension. So, several sample seams later and about an hour wasted with no progress to show for it, I finally got to the point where I could begin chain sewing these seams again with good tension.


Done:

My book Cut and Shuffle Quilts is finally published!

Cut and Shuffle Quilts is now available from AQS or from Amazon. I haven't seen it in print yet - I'll get my copies next week - but I'm excited it's finally published!

Start with a simple square called the Block Mama. Cut it into pieces, shuffle the parts, and reassemble them nine-patch style. Create easy, unique blocks with endless creative possibilities! Cut and Shuffle Quilts features the Block Mama, four blocks, and six quilts made from them. Complete instructions are given for the blocks and the quilts. For added creative inspiration, all the quilts are illustrated in additional fabrics and colorways. Cut and shuffle your way to creatively satisfying quilts using the easy Block Mama method.

So even though these projects aren't technically "in progress," I'm linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced and Let's Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts.

It's published!

One of my readers, Libby from Life on the Hill, visited the AQS Chattanooga show and saw my book Cut and Shuffle Quilts in the booth. Libby sent me this photo; there it is, front and center:

Cut and Shuffle Quilts at AQS Chattanooga,

photo courtesy of Libby from Life on the Hill

I haven't actually seen the book in print yet (my copies are scheduled to arrive next week) but it's so exciting to see that it's finally published.

Thanks, Libby!