Festival of Half Square Triangles

I'm going to Ohio this week to attend the Cincinnati International Quilt Festival.  And, yes, I am hoping to attend the modern meet-up hosted by the Cincinnati Modern Quilt Guild:

So I had to finish my half square triangles quilt today.

I based my layout on the cover quilt of this book by Tricia Cribbs:

Tricia has lots of ideas for quilts using fat quarters.  The 2004 edition is a classic, and it was updated in 2007 with five new designs.  If you can't find it at your LQS, check here.

I used Robert Kaufman's "Treasures & Tidbits by Piece o' Cake" 10 inch squares.  I only used the bright-colored squares, as I didn't think the ones with a white background would provide enough contrast.  The background is "Surf Circle Dots" from the same collection, which I purchased at Cotton Blossom Farm.  

The blocks finish at 8 1/2", the quilt is 52" X 90", an extra-long twin size.  I really would like to add another row, but I won't have time to order more fabric before the deadline for Festival of HSTs.  I like the wonky layout, the fabrics are so much fun, I thought the layout should be fun also.

Watch this spot, because I will be shopping for something fabulous at the quilt festival.  And when I find it, it will be the giveaway prize when I celebrate my 100th blog post!

From the desk of your

We have a winner!

Who needs the Random Number Generator when you have the Aubry Number Generator?
"Aubry, please pick a number between one and 66."  "OK, 45."  (scroll, scroll,scroll, count, count,count.  Shoulda told her to pick either a high number or a low number.)

And the winner is:  Lori at adventures in fabric.  Here is what Lori said:

Lori Apr 4, 2012 02:47 PM

Congrats on the milestone! It's always exciting to see your blog grow!

Lori is a teacher who has been blogging less than one year, and sewing for less than two years -- and you should see the quilts she has made!  This girlie has a J.O.B. and could give me a run for the money in productivity.  Not only that, but she was featured on GenXQuilters "First Quilts on the First."  

In case you've forgotten, the prize is:

Congratulations, Lori!  Email your mailing address to me at AuntMarti at 52quilts dot com so I can send out your charm pack.  There may be one or two other little goodies I've collected, as well.

Also, because it just isn't a blog post without a photo, here is a picture of my "Backyard Springtime" row quilt.  It was a 2011 UFO that is promised to my BFF Jeannie for her niece's graduation quilt (see, Jeannie, I remember!).  I started it as a BOM from Stitchin' Heaven in Quitman Heaven.

Now I must get to work on my HST challenge triangles.  They won't trim themselves, you know!

Tagged . . . it's all about Me!

I've had fun reading Susan's blog lately and emailing her in Australia.  But still, I was surprised when I saw my blog name on her post this morning:  Susan's Sewing Space: I'm Tagged.

I'm sure you've seen a blog with this game, I answer Susan's questions, then "tag" three other bloggers and hope they will play along.  I chose the bloggers from either side of me on Amanda Jean's Finish it up Friday and one from Lily's Small Blog Meetup.  Won't they be surprised when they get my message "hi, you don't know me, but I just tagged you!"



OK, here are the questions and my answers:


1. Musicals or plays? And what are your favorites?
Hmm -- where does opera fall in this question?  The DH and I used to attend the Colorado Opera Festival every summer, sadly it is no longer.  When we first moved to Colorado (in 1976!) the US Army at Ft. Carson had a theatre company and we both participated in "Sound of Music" and "West Side Story."  DH has a wonderful voice, I did makeup.  There was a woman playing a nun in "Sound of Music" who insisted on wearing green, sparkly eye shadow.

2. Do you have any "hidden" talents that have not made it into your blog?
Oh, yeah.  I can play eight variations of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" on a half-sized violin.  Let's hear it for the Suzuki method!

3. Are you a reader? If so, what are you reading right now?  
Of course!  The boys bought us e-readers for Christmas two years ago and I love my Nook.  I am reading "The Street Sweeper," by Eliot Perlman.  I also enjoy listening to books from Audible, and usually choose them by the length-- if it's not at least 25 hours long, it's not worth the price!  Diana Gabaldon is very good for long road trips.
 
4. What is your favorite time of day? 
I am definitely a "morning person."  I wouldn't say morning is my favorite time of day, but I don't like twilight, that time just before the sun goes down.  It always makes me sad.

5. Do you save the selvages from fabric? Have you ever made anything with them? 
 I do -- although I think making quilts from selvages is a little silly.  I cut them off in 3/4" widths and roll them up into a huge ball, imagining that I will crochet a rug from them.

6. What is your favorite quilt you've ever made?  
The next one!

7. What color comes up most often in your quilts?  
I like the bright, modern fabrics; I believe every quilt should have a little yellow in it.

8. Do you play music while you sew? What songs get you motivated?  
I listen to "Enya Radio" on Pandora, but usually when I sew I am either listening to books on CD or watching BritComs on DVDs.

9. What's the worst injury you've ever suffered?  
I'm crossing my fingers while I type this:  I've never broken a bone!  I did cut my chin when I fell off my bike when I was about 8 and had three stitches.

10. Do you come from a large family or a small family?  
Large family, I am the youngest of 6 children.  My oldest brother had left home before I was born, and my "youngest older brother" left home when I was 8.  So really, I grew up with only one sister.

11. Have you always lived in your current hometown? If not, how far away do you live from the town where you were born?
 I grew up in a small town in Idaho and left home when I was barely 18.  Where I live now in Colorado is about 1000 miles from my hometown.  The furthest I've lived from home was when we were stationed in Brindisi, Italy -- about 6000 miles as the crow flies.


Here are the three bloggers I've tagged:

1. Pat at  Bell Creek Quilts (because I've never been to Wisconsin, and how cool does Oconomowac, Wisconsin sound?)
2. Colette at  Poppy & Poochie (she has a Jacob, too!)
3. Fiona at Finding Fifth  (another Australian!  I really really want to visit Australia!)

Pat, Colette and Fiona, hope you will play along!


 

Finish it Up Friday - #24 in 2012

Whew.  This quilt felt like it took forever -- although if I think about it, I realize I just started it Sunday!

Getting a photo of this quilt was almost as hard as finishing it by my deadline. It's Spring in Colorado, so that means wind.  My quilt-holders are almost too short!  Maybe I need to invest in a quilt display frame.

"Pyramid Triangles," by Pam and Nicky Lintott takes just one Jelly Roll and finishes at 78 by 93 inches, a good Full size quilt.  Pam and Nicky said this quilt was inspired by one of their favorite antique quilts.  Wouldn't it look great in 30s reproduction fabrics?  I used one of my cherished jelly rolls, "Strawberry Fields," by Figtree Quilts for Moda.  I got mine at my bestest etsy shop, freshsqueezedfabrics.  Several people voted for red as the sashing, but I was under a deadline, so I used the yellow that I had in my collection.

I used a few scraps from "Celebrate Spring" by Sandy Gervais, because I also used "Strawberry Fields" for this quilt in February:

"Pyramid Triangles" doesn't have an owner yet, but you know -- the right person always comes along!  Too bad the next 12-year-old great niece wants pink and brown, because I think either of these would be great "girly" quilts!

Got my first pedicure of the season yesterday.  DH likes the "Hello Kitty" slippers:

Tomorrow is Fat Quarter Fun at Ruth's Stitchery.  And then it's time to start packing for my road trip to Ohio for the International Quilt Festival Cincinnati!

Linking up to Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts.  If you came over from Finish It Up Friday, be sure to go here and sign up for my giveaway.

Edited to add linkup to Whoop Whoop Fridays.