My Cupcakes from . . . Antarctica

Wow. So I dropped off the face of the earth for a while. I am back now, itching and sneezing thanks to the good weather we have been having. I think maybe I went to Antarctica, but I am really not sure where I was. Where ever I was, I came back with a book! My printer is so fast that I hadn't even recovered from getting the files to him before a stack of boxes was on my doorstep. The new book is called Simply Charming Circles, but the rest will have to wait until tomorrow because . . . I am determined to be finished forever with these cupcakes!

Here is the picture of my progress:

Now for the story:

Short story -- my book.

Longer story -- You know how there are some projects that you just get really tired of? This is one of those. I only finished it this far because I knew I had to write this post. I never really liked cupcakes, but I started this quilt because of a design challenge. Now, I am sick of cupcakes. The cupcake fad isn't over yet. I keep seeing cupcakes everywhere. They are haunting me.

Okay, so the burning question, who gets the charm pack, after all, I didn't use anyone's ideas? So no one gets the charm pack -- just kidding. That wouldn't be fair after all the fun ideas I got. My first thought would be to use all of them. There are six cupcakes after all. It would be fun to decorate all of them differently. Then reality hit. Before I went to Antarctica, I was going to put the yo-yo on with a button. Then reality hit again, and (now that the quilt is pressed and taken a picture of) I am going to throw it into the UFO pile, gladly.

So, The Wheeler 5, a friend of mine, you get the charm pack! Thanks for all the fun ideas. Maybe you could make your own cupcake quilt and have fun decorating your own cupcakes!

One last thought, I know that whenever I say that I don't like a quilt, someone always says they love it. I am sure that this quilt isn't as horrid as I think it is. What happens to quilts like this is that one day I will get around to quilting it and donate it to a wonderful charity.

My Cupcake

I got the cupcake blocks done. There are only 6 of them. Here is a partial picture that is a little blurry. Ick. The top of the cupcake has a layer of batting in it making a little puffy. That was my fun idea. Now I can't figure out what to put on top of the cupcakes. My first thought was buttons, but I don't like that idea. Maybe if it was a cute button that you couldn't see the button holes. Hmmm. . . I could make my own fabric covered button. I haven't done that before.



If anyone has suggestions for what to put on top of my cupcake, please let me know! I would love some suggestions. In fact, if I use your suggestion, I will send you a charm pack. I am all about charm packs! Thanks!

Fun Idea!

I just read about a contest at C & T Publishing. (http://www.ctpubblog.com/2009/03/09/march-design-challenge/) I don't usually get into contests because I never win. In fact, if I am sending in a subscription to a magazine or registering for something online I usually make sure to NOT check mark the box to enter the free drawing. Anyway, I will enter a contest if it sounds like fun. This contest sounds like fun. Maybe that's because it isn't really a contest, it's a "design challenge." I'm always up for a good challenge!

So the challenge is to make something cupcake related and post a picture of it. I am pretending it is due the end of the month. The deadline is actually the beginning of April. C & T Publishing is advertising their cupcake board book, but they did say it could be quilted and they didn't say you had to use the board book.

So I came up with a fun (and easy) cupcake quilt. I just happened to have a mini-honeybun of April Cornell's new line Spring Magic that I got at Market last October. Perfect!!!!

I have the cupcake bottoms made and the sashing put together. Yeah!! I hope it turns out as cute and I think it will.

Oh yes, I bound three quilts yesterday for "Simply Charming Circles." Whew. I am hand binding two of them. I have a foot or so left on one and about a yard on the other. Hopefully one of those will be done tonight. Why did I start one and not just finish the other. I have no idea. I figure as long as I am working on something that needs to be done sometime then I am alright. An old roommate of mine told me that. Except she was an English major so I am sure it actually sounded eloquent when she said it, and I am probably missing half of the point. But it suits me that way.

Shopping Day!!

I was out and about this morning and couldn't resist stopping at a few of my favorite quilt shops that I just happened to be driving by. At the first stop, green fabric was 20% off. So I just HAD to bring some Amy Butler home with me. (I did ask if it was green enough for them. When they said yes, I said yes.) I think I will take this with me to visit my sister next week and come up with a fun project.


At the next shop I visited, they had a couple Anna Griffin lines $2.00 off. I made up a project right there. I picked up some of "Hannah" and some black and white fabrics to pair with it. That might sound a little funny, but it is very striking! Haven't decided exactly what I want to do; I just have a general idea of where I am going.

At the third shop, I bought some coordinates. Why can't I sew half as fast as these projects form in my mind?

This evening, I got 6 more blocks done for a round robin. I only have 10 more to make now for Friday. Then I got the binding half sewn on two quilts. Even as I was sewing, the projects were lining up in my mind each thinking they had more importance over the other. Before I knew it, sewing time was over and small progress was made on only three of the million projects trying to come to fruition.