California Midstate Fair 2009 Quilt Challenge

Here is my 2009 Challenge Quilt. I had lots of fun making this one using Sharon Malec's “free standing applique” technique. I named it "Jane's Horse" because of the Dear Jane blocks I added surrounding the horse in the border.

"Jane's Horse" made by Amy Otsu

Close-up of quilting and hand embroidered eyes.

2009 California Mid State Fair Quilt challenge wall.

Another Top Done!

I just finished this top this weekend! It was a free pattern called "Chelsea Manor" by Bunny Hill Designs that I found here at Henry Glass Fabrics. There is a brown and a red version of this quilt pattern available for free download. It was a lot of fun to make and I am so please with how it turned out. It took me about a month of casual sewing while waiting for the kids at sports practices etc. There is a little bit of everything...applique, redwork embroidery and piecing. I used the exact Chelsea Manor fabrics that the pattern called for and for the cream background I used 5573--7-Eggshell Fusions by Robert Kaufman. The only thing I did note about the pattern was I came up a little short on the fabric for the outer borders. I would recommend buying a full yard instead of 3/4 yd as per the pattern just to be safe. I don't think the pattern took into account that the borders might be pieced on the diagonal ( as I usually do it) as opposed to straight across.

Autumn Houses BOM Progress

Here is the another Bunny Hill Designs project I am also working on this year as a BOM. The pattern is called "Autumn Houses". Here are my completed blocks #1 and #2...

12 Months of Baskets #3

Done! Here's my block #3!

12 Months of Baskets #2

So far so good! I am keeping up with these blocks. Here is my completed block #2! You can join in on this free BOM by clicking the logo in my right sidebar.

New Life for Old Chairs and Boo-Boo Blocks

I needed new chairs for my sewing room desperately. The old office chair no longer rolled from years of thread getting caught up in the wheels. Seemed no matter how often I cut the thread out of the wheels they would be choked up again in no time. Finally, I decided I needed a chair without wheels in my sewing room. I had these old mission style dining chairs in my garage. They were dirty and the cushions were dingy so I thought I would clean them up and cover them with my favorite fabric...when suddenly I noticed that a couple of my rejected boo-boo blocks fit the seats perfectly! Now, there is nothing really wrong with these blocks...they just came out to be 14" instead of the intended 12" because I printed off the wrong page from my Triangulations patterns so off to the boo-boo pile they went (yes, I did say pile). Anyhow, I cleaned up those old chairs and I grabbed my new second favorite quilting tool (a staple gun) and got to work. I finished them off with some clear plastic covering to protect them from my cats fur. I am really pleased with how they turned out.

A tisket, a tasket...

... 12 Months of Baskets is a block of the month project that I decided to make this year. This BOM is offered free from Bunny Hill Designs. You can join in on this project by clicking the image in my right sidebar. Below is my completed January Block #1. The pattern also calls for button embellishments, but I will add those after the quilting is completed at the end of the project.

Coloring Book Therapy

I found these neat coloring books at Michael's yesterday in the $1.00 bin! I have heard that coloring is one of the best forms of relaxation (besides quilting, of course), that I just could not resist buying these fun quilt themed books. Maybe they will spark some creative ideas for some quilt projects in the new year.