Doll Quilts and Roses and Santa, my postman

In quilting, for me, one project often sparks interested in another, especially when it's been a while since any serious quilting--it's like I forget much fun and fulfilling it is when I make/take the time to do creative things.

After I finished the I-Spy play quilt, I couldn't resist finishing up the "lost" doll quilt I found during my hunt for the walking foot ... and christening it with a new name, Lost & Found. I will be mailing it today to Kate, but here's a teasing shot of the back of the quilt.

When I found the quilt in progress, there were some other quilt blocks I intended to send to Kate along with the quilt ... I know she's already made quilts from some of those blocks, so I think I will have to find another home for them, but a little gift I intended to send years ago, will also finally be on it's way. 

Finishing that project led me to pull out another doll quilt project--a second miniature Irish chain, made from blocks left over from Double Trouble, a doll quilt made for Terri and finished at the end of January.  My quilt, Trouble's Twin has wider simplified borders, but will have miniature feather wreaths, just like those that caused me so much trouble almost a year ago.  I guess that even though I haven't quilted much during 2010, I've become more fearless ;-)

Over the past week, my mailman has seemed a little like Santa.  Bringing me a couple packages of things I've won in Blogland (Frieda Anderson's book, Fabric to Dye For from Dragon Threads, and  some great IKEA fabric from One Red Robin).  Even though it was pouring rain on Christmas Eve when both packages arrived and the mailman could have just left a note in my box, he made the trip across the complex, down the stairs and to my door to deliver them.

He's also been delivering these beautiful rose blocks that friends in the Block Lotto group have been making for me.  I have a quilt in mind that will use these plus the word blocks I won in February ... and they are all helping me get a lot closer to "done."

Johnny was "helping" when I put them on my temporary flannel-backed tablecloth-as-design wall by pouncing on my hand from the other side each time I pressed a block into place ... and later, here, coming out from his hiding place to make sure he was in the photo.

These blocks were made by Caroline, Ginny, Janet, Kathie, Laura, Mary Jane and Michelle.  I don't know how they all found the time during this busy season, but they did and I just love the blocks.