I got most of the small doll top quilted hand quilted today. I’m thinking about adding just a little more stitching but I had a lovely afternoon sitting by my window and stitching. I started out listening to music but switched over to my audiobook. No photo yet but I should finish it up including the binding next week. I also managed to wash and dry 9 quilts for donation. It’s way past time for me to get some of these donated but the holdup has been getting them all washed and dried. I probably have another 10 here I’ll wash before getting them donated through the guild here. I’m not a member but last year they happily accepted my donations.

I was looking at eBay last night for inspiration when I couldn’t sleep and came across this Irish Chain. I don’t like donating quilts with large areas of white or light fabric because I think they’re too easily stained but something like this would work.

I have an Irish Chain that Mom pieced for me and I quilted but I’ve never made one myself. I’m tempted to pull 3 fabrics and give it a go! Here’s mine. Isn’t it gorgeous?!

I don’t normally use a lot of white backgrounds in my quilts because I’m afraid of doing a lot of work and the quilt getting stained but I’ve been looking at vintage quilts on eBay again and this quilt appeals to me.

This quilt is in bad shape … but I like how the blocks come together.

I’ve only used my Kite die once and I sashed those blocks. Maybe it’s time to try another quilt with it?!

There are several quilts on my immediate radar PLUS a list of quilts I want to make one day … and I still can’t stop looking for inspiration for new quilts. I’ve said before that one of the places I look for inspiration is eBay. I search for antique or vintage quilts and have created many quilts over the years inspired by those old quilts. I couldn’t sleep the other night and was browsing ….

I’ve got the Accuquilt GO Fan die and I’ve only made one quilt using it. I also cut a quilt for Mom to make so it has been used twice but I love fan quilts and I saved this one the other day.

I’ve also got the 6 inch Bow Tie die … a more recent purchase that I’ve also used once. I want to make a couple more using this die. Here’s one I found the other night … plus I already have another vintage one saved that has a plain alternate block that I also want to make.

And how simple is this? A RWB pinwheel. This one looks “newer” to me but it did come up under a search for vintage quilts.

Before I can even think about these … I have my September precut top to piece (Layer Cake), two more Rainbow HeartStrings tops to assemble, my RWB Rail Fence and Friendship Star … and when I get home, the 9 patch and friendship star and the snowball and 9 patch quilts.

I create these posts and label them Inspiration ( see the sidebar on the right) so I can find them when I’m ready to start something new!

And what did I sew today? A few more masks. I might have been talking to someone who mentioned how much she love unicorns … I snapped this photo before adding the elastic band. I have to admit this is my favorite combination now, this mask made with the templates my sister created with her friend and the thin, rounded elastic that is fed through the side casings and goes around the head, not the ears! I also made 3 more for me that I didn’t photograph … for someone who doesn’t go out that much, I seem to have a lot of masks but that’s OK because we’re going to be wearing them for a while!

I just said there was too little time to make all quilts I want to make but here I am at 1:30 am looking for inspiration on eBay!

I love these Churn Dash blocks

I’ve never made a Bear Paw quilt but I’ve got one on my list and I really like this scrappy one. The blocks are big and you know I like that!

Here’s a great setting for 9 patch blocks. This one is kind of ugly beautiful… you probably really have to like scrap quilts to appreciate it!

I’ve shown this square in a square before but I came across it again tonight and want to make sure I remember it!

I’m always so inspired by my time here in Maine and anxious to get home and sew HeartStrings blocks!! We’ve decided on a couple projects for the coming year which I’ll announce in a few days but I wanted to share a couple other HeartStrings variations that I love and want to make again too. You can’t go wrong with one of our standard red or blue centered HeartStrings quilts.

But variations are fun too! Several Sharon inspired HeartStrings quilts were being worked on at the sew-in. These are more planned quilts using just 8 fabrics and a standard strip size. I’ve made 4 of these in the past and I’m ready to make another one too and I’m almost positive that I’ve got fabric set aside from one of my GA trips still waiting to become one!

I shared one of my HeartStrings quilts inspired by Ann during the Quilter’s Meet and Greet and Ann had another one to donate at this year’s sew-in.

I made mine with the black centers and corners also but I was looking back through the photos of previous sew-ins and found this version she made during our black and bright project.

And this RWB version she made … I’m thinking I need to make a RWB one too and I think I have the perfect center fabric in my stash.

I’m posting this while it’s all fresh in my mind but I won’t be able to start any for a couple months. I’m only going to be home a week before I go to visit Mom in VA and she’ll be coming home with me for a visit. We’ve got lots of projects planned already … and you know I have that brand spanking new longarm waiting for me too! It’s so true what they say … so many quilts, so little time!

I love this vintage Trip around the World quilt but I know it’s not something I would make. Too many long strip sets!

However, one of Eleanor Burns Quick Trips is a more realistic possibility. I need to find my book … it’s around here somewhere!

When I’m not sewing, I’m looking for inspiration or shopping and we all know that I don’t need to do any more shopping!!! I have a saved search for Vintage Quilts on eBay and get emails with results of the search daily … I find so much inspiration in vintage quilts.

Today before heading out I spent some time looking. Did I mention my bow tie die arrived before I left on my trip?! Of course I’ll have to finish up the Kite top before starting anything else but I’m anxious to make a bow tie quilt from that same blue/green/purple bin of fabric I’ve pulled out for the Kites.

I like both these settings for bow tie blocks and will probably eventually do two quilts, one with each setting.

I love scrappy rail fence quilts and love how that one black rail ties all these blocks together. Do you think those are stitches or basting stitches?!! I’m thinking basting. I might use my string bin for one of these rather than cutting strips.

Another snowball quilt is on my list, next time to be paired with a nine patch block and I love the color arrangement in this vintage quilt.

Speaking of nine patches, I don’t enjoy sashing quilts but I love this homespun 9 patch with this wide sashing!

Seeing this one, made me run to the Accuquilt site to see if my 8 inch Qube set included a square on point die … I’ve said I’m not a big fan of the Qubes because they are smaller dies and cut fewer shapes per pass than many of the other dies but in this case my set does include an on point square … and I’m saving this idea and putting it on my to do list. It’s a very easy quilt but I love it!

I hope you’ve found some inspiration from today’s batch of vintage quilts too.