This picture is of the very first quilt I ever made. I took a class in 2001 along with several friends in the home of my very best friend in all the wide world (Hi Claudia!). Her sister, June, taught the class. The quilt is completely hand pieced and hand quilted. It hangs in my sewing room (which is really the formal dining room at my house. I'll show you more of the sewing room another day.)

I have since moved to the sewing machine for most of my piecing but am still hand quilting all of my quilts. I have sent off my registration for the National Quilt Association's 2008 Quilt show in Columbus, OH and have signed up for a machine quilting class on that Saturday. I haven't gotten my confirmation letter yet so I'm hoping I get into the class. I would really like to learn machine quilting for my smaller pieces. I also registered for a hand quilting class for Thursday. Right now I quilt without a hoop. I think it will be much easier on my hands if I use a hoop so I'm hoping for that class as well. And, lastly, I have signed up for a Pat Sloan wool penny rug class on Friday. I LOVE Pat Sloan's work. I'm really excited about going to the quilt show. Since it is the weekend before my birthday it is my present for this year. (Thanks Sweetie!!)

Look what came in the mail yesterday. Don't you just love getting mail like this?? I have been seeing these and other Australian patchwork magazines all over the internet for some time now and really wanted to see them. I found them here and ordered a couple of back issues. There were so many choices. It was really hard to choose! I might have to do that again soon. So much inspiration packed in those pages. You might be asking yourself if I found any future projects in them. OF COURSE!!!

Off to my machine. Thanks for stopping by.