I think I have "Start-itis"!

I'm not sure if it is the time of year, or just because I've been handling so much fabric in my stash. I just want to start some new things . . . maybe its because I've been so good recently and moving PIP's into my quilt top collection. By the way, I found another euphemism for quilt top collection - flimsies, meaning a quilt top which needs batting, backing and quilting. I have many of those. I should start taking pictures of those, and perhaps it will inspire me to do more quilting.

I have been surfing around the Sew Many Block webring, and I just love the blocks being made from the Civil War Diary and Civil War Love Letter books. In cleaning up the stash, I realize I have two full tubs of 1800's reproductions, as well as a container with 6" squares left over from making the blocks for my Millenium Quilt . . . I swear I will finish that one before the next Millenium! I couldn't stand it any longer, so I ordered the two books and CD's for printing out the patterns.

Was looking through my Australian Patchwork Quilting Magazines, and always find lots of fun things there to make. I managed not to select any fabrics, mostly because I can't make up my mind on color palette. I limited myself to making applique templates for a quilt published last year titled, "Peaches and Cream". I'm leaning toward bright and whimsical . . . I have four tubs full of bright fabrics.

Judy Martin has a nice Quilt of the Moment on her site called Bluebonnet --- . . . can't remember the rest of the name. I love her patterns. They are so precise, and easy to make. One of the tubs I need to go through has lots of small pieces of blues in it that might work well for this one.

After I think about starting something new, I think of my PIP's, and feel guilty. I've been pretty good in that regard. Saturday, DH worked at an auction, and I set together the blocks from a November 2005 quilt shop hop in the Tampa, Florida, area. Most of the girls who "played" have their quilts together, and some are even quilted. We all admired a setting by Keep Me In Stitches on Dale Mabry Boulevard in Tampa. Several of them used the same set, so I wanted mine to be different. I worked with Sharyn Craig's "Setting Solutions", and made good progress. Now, I need to put on a plain border to frame it. I'm considering a row of smaller stars to add some length . . . like I need another bed-sized quilt top in the stash!

I just have 15 blocks to make in my scrappy purple London Square blocks, and again, cleaning up the stash yielded a suitable fabric for the border . . . at least it looks to be a likely candidate at the moment. I may change my mind, once the blocks are assembled, and I can take it for a "test drive".

I've been quilting steadily on the borders of a piece called, "Peppermint Pinwheels" that I have entered in our Guild's show in 2 1/2 weeks. I had to put it aside a few days when the callous on my index finger of my left hand cracked . . . boy, was it sore. I usually rub in a little Bag Balm or antibiotic ointment at bedtime to get past the soreness in general, but this called for a "glob" and wrapping in a bandage. Happy I was able to keep the Featherweight going on the other piecing projects as it heals. I think I can probably go back to quilting tomorrow.

P.S. Couldn't get my camera to cooperate and load my picture. So, this has been laying around in drafts for a bit!