My entry to the SAQA Foot Square Auction has been posted on the SAQA site. You can see it here along with the others so far. Check back often as many more will be added. The auction is always exciting and will take place in the fall.

I see from Vicki’s post that the April issue of Quilting Arts Magazine with my article “Painting With Fabric” is out! I have not yet received my copy. If you are interested, you can see posts and photos dealing with the making of “Spring Encounter” by clicking on “fawn” in the side bar.

This is the third year I have re-bloomed this Amaryllis and it gets better every time!

I just went out to photograph my new Lenten Rose, Helleborus “White Lady” which was in full bloom, but something has bitten them all off along with some of the leaves. I’ll have to do some research and see what likes them. Deer? Packrats? Gardening in KS is certainly a challenge.

OK! I’m home and nearly back to normal after being on the road for two days and two lectures. I had a great trip and enjoyed my time at each of the guilds.The two guilds each wanted different lectures so this means much juggling of quilts to get them in the sequence needed for the next presentation. I was up til after midnight doing that in order to get a good start in the morning to the next venue. I may be getting too old for this!! Most of the quilts are put away, though I still need to deliver some back to the stores that display them for me and package some for shipping to their next destinations. The paper work is done, the thank-you’s written and I may take a short break.

I took my camera with me in hopes of taking some photos for the blog, but I didn’t take any at all. I do so admire folks who have such nice shots to share, but I always seem to be in too much of a hurry. I got a late start so there wasn’t time to stop and coming home it was the same story as I tried to get back before dark. Spring had arrived to the south and it was great to see blooming trees, shrubs and flowers, but here it is still quite brown. There was a lovely sunset that cast pink reflections in the water. I missed my turn to the highway so my Garmin directed me home through two lane country roads which was a bit disconcerting, but the compass said I was going north so I went along with it and had a little adventure. I love my Garmin!

In the morning I will leave for a two day trip. Monday evening a lecture in Pittsburg, Ks and Tuesday afternoon a lecture in Joplin, MO. I bring lots of quilts and patterns if I am driving, so today will be spent getting those organized; it’s always more difficult packing for two different lectures!

Yesterday I taught a machine quilting class in Topeka, followed by trip prep errands. Fill the gas tank, get money, go to the library and find books on CD, yada, yada. The day before, which was Friday the 13th, (no problems here!) I needed to go to Sarah’s in Lawrence to pick up some quilts for my programs. Sarah’s is my favorite fabric shop in the area so it’s always fun to go there. My husband decided to go with me so we had lunch out and went on to Olathe near KC where I had just heard of a “Homegoods” store I wanted to check out. Cool stuff, I’m sure to go back.

All in all, a busy few days so I haven’t done any sewing other than binding “Grasslands” which was well received at the class yesterday.

Living as I do, at the edge of the Kansas Flinthills grasslands, it seemed like a good idea to feature them in my entry to the Kansas Art Quilters next exhibit, “My World”. I have been enmeshed these last few cold and rainy days in creating this small piece and this photo shows only a portion of it.

I have a plethora of grass fabrics to choose from for my nature quilts, but eventually the favorites run out. I had to piece some together in order to use this one as it is down to the dregs!

This is all I have left and I plan to get some binding out of it right now and finish up this piece.

Thanks, everyone for the comments!

Del, the Judge’s Choice Award for “Lazy Afternoon” was from Christine Porter. In “The Merchant’s House”, the bricks and the stone wall were both print fabrics, but the odd shaped stones were cut from other fabrics.

Yesterday’s mail brought my acceptance letter from AQS, so I will be sending them “Chicory”soon.

We got much needed rain last night so I am particularly happy that I got to spend three lovely afternoons weeding the perennial beds so it will soak in and do some good. It was SO dry, the grass greened up during the night! The daffodils will be blooming soon.Today it is still rainy and cold so I will be inside sewing.

“Lazy Afternoon” is safely back from Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival with a lovely pink Judge’s Choice ribbon!!

The two in progress pieces are finally finished! “Yellow Headed Blackbird”, 12″ x 12″, will go to the SAQA Foot Square Auction. We actually do have these birds in Kansas though they must not be common in this area. I have only seen one and heard of another.

Vivien asked about the eye. To avoid the intricate piecing, I used a bit of the green with black spots batik that is in the bottom right edge. I isolated a spot that was the right size to be an eye, then with black Pigma pen I blacked out the remaining spots, leaving just a rim of lighter color to define the lower eyelid.Two little white embroidered stitches give it life and also to avoid itty bitty piecing, I embroidered two of the toes.

“The Merchant’s House” 39.5 X 37″ was made for Tactile Architecture but not finished in time. I’m sure there will be another venue for it and it will be ready for next year’s entry.

To see the original photo, scroll back a few entries, or click on the appropriate tag.

I got quite a few nice architectural shots while in the UK so perhaps there is fodder for more quilts there!

Due to the way I work, ruled as I am by deadlines, I almost always finish the current work before starting a new one. That is not to say that I have no UFOs (unfinished objects for those of you who are not quilters) I do have some old ones that are traditional pieces that have been bumped out of the way by the newer stuff with deadlines. I can see how they could quickly get out of hand though. Since I set the Merchant’s House aside to start the Yellow Headed Blackbird and have fabric laid out for the next piece, I guess you could say I already, in the span of a week or so, have three new UFOs to finish! I prefer to call them WIPs (works in progress).

I started quilting the 12″square for the SAQA auction yesterday and hope to finish it today. This closeup was taken after the piecing was completed. The top background fabric is a piece that I have had in the stash for years. It is hand dyed cotton damask. I’ve never found just the right place for it, but I love it here.