it took me a long time to cut all of the pieces for this enormous (twenty four by twenty four inches!) quilt block - let's just say that miss frances mae is not the best helper. she very much enjoys sitting her little bum down right in the center of my cutting mat and kicking and twirling and screaming. she also wants nothing more than to sit on my lap while my sewing machine is going. while i love that she wants to watch and occasionally help, it takes a lot of energy to stop those quick little fingers from going under the veryveryvery fast needle.

anyways: after about three hours of work, here's the first swoon block made by my own two hands. and while this one is not destined for a full quilt, i can't wait to get started on more and more!

spiderweb mini quilt: done!
oh how nice it is to both start and finish a project all in one day.
a nice sense of accomplishment on my end, thank you very much.

and now to gather the prettiest shells and stones i can find at the seashore, a good bar of local chocolate, and some other fancy vineyard goodies - wrap it all up in brown paper packaging, and send this baby to its rightful owner! (wink, wink. can you guess who you are!?)

its no secret around here that i love my fabric. vintage pillows and sheets, fat quarter stacks, scraps from my mama's collection - it all finds its way home with me to be used in one way or another. despite this love, i rarely buy myself new (and i mean brand new) yardage. it is just so much easier and more gratifying for me to be a little thrifty. however, this is all going to change very soon. i am in love, big time, with miscellany by julia rothman. this collection is unlike anything i've seen recently - delicate and feminine while remaining neutral and playful. and oh boy, do i have plans for this (as soon as it is available, of course)!

i think that i will snatch up a fat quarter of each print
and some kona medium grey
and set to work on my swoon quilt.

p.s. check out more of julia rothman's work here. she's such a talented illustrator that its no wonder i love her fabric oh so much.

my 'catch me if you can' quilt seems to have stalled for the time being. i'm half way there, but i have to admit that the sheer amount of half square triangles (352!) that i have to trim is a bit daunting, and its just too beautiful outside to fret over!

and this can be a little distracting, too:

i mean, really. could she get any cuter!?