One More for the Road

I work in the Chico State Library and we have a long standing tradition (well over 30 years !) of baby quilts, wedding quilts, and now ultimately, retirement quilts. We have had many ways of coming up with the quilts...individual squares (a pain to put together as they usually are all wonky) and signature quilts and recently I offered to do the quilt for a wonderful person, Judy,
who is the administrative secretary. It was funny because I was told she really likes modern styles. I chose Mocha Meringe by Marcus Brothers for the fabric. Fun bold daisies and dupioni silk centers.

The cream fabric is a Robert Kaufmann solid that has beautiful flowers woven into the fabric. The quilting pattern really makes this quilt work. A large daisy that looks alot like the large flowers and the centers nice and round like the fabric stones on the back fabric. The strippy border just sets off the whole thing.

I made a muslin square with a silk heart to have everyone sign, and attached it to the back corner.
She loved it! I was so happy--and relieved. Thanks to dear Lizzie for the binding.

Community Quilts: The Warmth of Giving

Our quilt guild had quite a spectacular display of community quilts last night. Everyone of these quilts will be given away to someone in the local community who needs the warmth of friendship they represent.
I am sure I didn't get them all, but here are some of the dozens from Annie's Star Quilt Guild. Big hearts and busy little hands. Congratulations Gals!

Purse Criteria

Do you have purse criteria? Or pocketbook criteria as my grandmother would say? Well I definitely do. It goes as follows: MUST be able to sit up by itself. (no flopping over if at all possible. This may come from my fear of my children's heads flopping around when infants...scary!) on to number two. MUST have long enough handles to easily be tossed onto a shoulder (no carrying purses by the handles, ewww) The last criteria is an easily accessible reach in. I love the idea of almost a doctor's bag. You can see everything at one glance...no digging around.
And finally, it should be a cool color or fabric. What is fascinating about this criteria to me is that it's a no brainer really. Although I believe some purses are just darn cute or gorgeous in their own right, it makes sense that they also behave like a purse. I don't like "organizer" purses although they are tempting. I would probably put it all in nicely ONCE and then struggle with it for months and have guilty thoughts about not using the key pocket or some such thing. I know, this is not the most important topic of the day, but to me it keeps me happy when my stuff is happy. Most wonderfully, this past Monday when walking through the mall to get to my car, I happened by the Fossil Purses. Green ones, blue ones...nice colors...and there it was the green bag from heaven.
Funny thing was the sales lady said, "oh, don't get THAT color"..."get the blue"...and that's when I knew I wanted THAT color...a lovely shade of apple green. Last springs' markdown. Heaven!