Another win at Quilting Gallery

I won a prize at Quilting Gallery's Miniatures Quilt Contest.  I'd really like to thank EVERYONE who voted for my quilt!   I got a $20 gift certificate and ordered a set of ruler extensions at http://www.guidelines4quilting.com/ .  I will try them out and let you know how they work.  They are supposed to make it math-free to cut squares for HST and QST.  We'll see.  I can always remember the +3/8 for HST, but I never seem to be able to remember what to add for QST.  (is it 7/8 or 1 1/8?... anyway if the extensions work as claimed, I won't have to remember anymore).

The quilt I won for is the one I use as my avatar, which was one of my most favorite quilts to make.  It was hard work doing it in miniature, but I loved the outcome.  Knowing what I know now, I probably wouldn't attempt anything like this again in the future, but who knows?

I am almost done with my quilt run (3 more shops to go this coming weekend).  I'm glad the So. Calif. run gives you two weekends to complete the run in... I was dead tired on Sunday and hadn't even finished.  I'm sure there were people who finished the whole thing in two or three days.  I don't think I have that much energy, and I like to actually spend a little time in some of the shops yanno?

I bought way too much on the run, but way less than I used to buy, thanks to Stashbusters.  I (mostly) only bought essentials: fabric for backs, backgrounds and bindings (for existing WIPs only), plus cat fabrics (which will never be on my no-buy list... gotta have cat fabrics!).   It took me until today to unpack what I bought last weekend, but now that's done and I'm ready to start fresh on Thursday to finish the run.

Now it's time to get down to work and piece those backs, and put away the rest til I'm ready to use them.   Backs made, I'll be able to start quilting.  If only I could get to work on my longarm, I'd be a happy camper.  Anyone else out there intimidated by their own sewing machine and afraid to use it?  I keep telling my husband to learn how to use it - after all, that's his new car sitting in our family room (snicker).