When it has been eight (!) years since your last post, you have a little bit of catching up to do.  Since my last post, I have moved across the country from Northern California to the Space Coast of Florida to move in with my gigolo, Bob Godwin.  We travel a great deal so my quilting has slowed down considerably, but I have found that doing applique blocks allows me to create while on the move.  I joined a small quilting group in my community, which keeps me in touch with fellow fabric artists.  We make small "cuddle quilts" for children who are sponsored by a local charity.  Here are a few I have done recently, using the same basic design:  one in black/silver/white, one in brights/white, and one in blue/silver/white.

Joseph's Coats

I've accumulated quite a stack of nickel (5") squares, mostly textures, but a lot of metallics and balis mixed in.  I decided to make some lap quilts for Christmas presents, and started divvying up the squares in three groups:  1) harvest colors in browns/yellows/oranges,  2) light/medium/dark for a shaded effect, and 3) brights, for a stained glass look.  At 12 x 12 (a 55" square quilt) that used up 432 squares, but I still have an amazing amount left!  And each quilt is a charm quilt--all the squares are different.

Doxies

I don't usually do commissioned quilts, as between what I do for friends and family and my guild work, I have more than enough to keep me busy, but a close friend asked me to do a quilt for her relative's birthday.  She wanted to feature her cousin's dachshunds, and a little questioning revealed that they were long-haired doxies at that.  Fortunately, there is a website that has fabric featuring every breed you've ever heard of (and many that you haven't!), so I checked Hot Diggity Dog and found not one, but two pen-and-ink depictions of what I wanted.  I did the star points in paw prints and dog bones, and Joanna Collins did her usual fine job of long-arm quilting--she always makes me look good.

Two at Once

I recently had a friend visit me who was expecting TWO great-grand babies at just about the same time.  So while she was here, we produced two baby quilts for the new little ones.  One request for for a monkey-themed nursery, and the other said it didn't matter.  Here's the results, and both young mothers seemed pleased.

2011 Just Like New Boutique Quilt

Every year I make a quilt from the scraps leftover from cutting the squares to make the catnip pillows.  Somehow, there are always just enough scraps to make one quilt.  I added some solid blue and red scraps to make a Roman Stripe pattern this year.  It will be raffled off to benefit the JLN fund.

California Quilt

In an unusual move, made to keep!  It is in one of my guest rooms.  I used a whole bunch of food oriented fabric, mostly healthy, but added some ice cream and frosted donuts.  I call it the California Quilt--land of the fruits and nuts!

Baby Quilt/Stepping Stones

Yet one more in the Little Feet series.  I used the same stepping stones block that I did on Alex's dorm quilt.