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.

Website Woes

Please forgive my website. It is still mainly functional, but it is limping a little. It badly needed updating. Some of the updating has been made, but there is still work to do. It might take me a little while to finish. I hope it will not cause too much frustration.

Thanks for your understanding and cooperation.

Pattern Being Published

Yesterday I mailed off a quilt that will be published in a book Patchwork Comforters, Throws and Quilts by DRG of which House of White Birches and Quilter's World are a part of.

They approved my design a couple months ago, and I mentioned that I would like to make it in either Moda's "Portugal" fabric line

or "Timber Creek Flannels" also by Moda.

However, I sent along two quilts that I had made of this pattern as Christmas gifts, one was woodland prints and the other was purples.

They liked the purples and asked that I make it that way. Well, I couldn't use the same fabrics because, well, some of them were of lesser quality from my early days quilting when I didn't know the difference, and I knew the recipient would also not know the difference. So I went to one of the local quilt shop and purchased fat quarters of all of their purple, or purple and white fabric. It turned out fun, but I really wanted to make it up in "Portugal." I just might need to make one more! It was a quick one to sew up using fat quarters and, of course, charm packs. There wasn't purple charm squares so I made my own from the fat quarters. If I had done it in "Portugal," the charm squares would've been already cut and I could've started sewing right away. Sigh . . . .

I do forgive them, and I am looking forward to seeing their finished product. I don't have a publishing date for that book, but I will pass along the information when I get it.

Green Batting?

At Fall Market last year, I ordered a roll of "Dream Green" batting from Quilter's Dream Batting. I asked them to ship it in January so I finally got a quilt I wanted to use it on a few weeks ago. The batting actually has a light green tint to it because it is polyester batting made from recycled 2-liter bottles. I really liked the batting! It is just like their regular polyester -- which surprises me somehow. Just in case you were wondering, Quilter's Dream Batting used 200 bottles in the roll of batting they sent to me. Hmmm . . . .

Charming Fat Quarter

Here is a variation of the "Simply Charming Fat Quarter" pattern from my first book Simply Charming. A friend of mine, Roberta, made it and had some charm squares left over so she cut them into hearts and appliqued them onto the top! She and I both loved the results. She made this as a table topper. This is a super fun pattern. It must be because I have made it more than once, and that is saying a lot. You grab a fat quarter, a charm pack, and some yardage, and quick as a wink, you have a quilt. Sometimes we put an extra border on it for a larger baby quilt. So slick. And great for beginners.



If you have a picture of a quilt from one of my patterns, email it to me, kluckau@moosequilts.com. I would love to post it! It is inspiring to see all the variations and how different patterns look with different fabric.

More Progress -- WOW!

I got another quilt quilted today for the new book Simply Charming Circles due out in May. Two days in a row. How did that happen? Only a couple more quilts to go. I have two ladies piecing them and should be done this week. Also, one of the quilts I just quilted (the black and white and bright one), is already bound thanks to a friend who is faster than I am.

This one was made with Moda's Portabello Market fabrics (see below). I quilted it with feathers. I love feathers. The outer border is one of the red fabrics with a small floral design. The quilt is rich and luscious. I can't wait to get it bound and washed!

I love this line! Of course, I can't call it Portabello Market. I always think of it as Portabello Road, from the Disney movie "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" and then I have to start singing: "Portabello Road, Portabello Road, street where the riches of ages are stowed . . . ." That's all I know so it gets a little repetitious, but I still like it. Anyone else singing now?