Sherbet, Stars, and softbooks

Today was a crafty day. While listening to Masterpiece Theater's renditions of Jane Austen's Sense & Sensibility and then Pride & Prejudice I have been making soft books and working on some quilt projects.

Upon looking at my pictures uploaded, I was unsure if I was able to share the background fabric that I chose for my Sherbet Quilt, so I have a picture here to present. This fabric was picked out with the guidance of Melisa from her fabulous shop Sweet Home Quilt Co. and I could not be more pleased with it!

First projects of the day were the softbooks. You buy these anywhere they sell fabric as panels and the full instructions are on the panel. All you have to add is low loft batting and if you are game piping for the book cover (I have yet to experiment with that...). I had some of these books when I was a child and loved them! Now I seek them out and buy several panels when I can find them at a decent price. The problem is these days they seem to be rare, and not many people know of them. Alas.



Yet, what could be more perfect for a child of a book junkie? Start them early right? These books can stay in the bed after hours of reading and work quite well as a pillow. Or on a car ride they are fabulous, because even if dropped there will be no page ripage. *grin* If you ever see a good one in store, let me know will you?

The next project, is the never ending BOM (Block of the Month) from Quilts & Fixins, the Star Batik Quilt. It is still in need of a name. Thoughts? I'm waiting (very impatiently, I might add) for the last two blocks to arrive and then I can get to putting it all together. It was the 2008 BOM so each month I received one block in the mail (a very exciting day each one was as well!) and was able to stitch it together. The quilt itself is 13 blocks, so from December (meant to arrive any day now!) I have two blocks coming!



I had to cut what seemed a million squares that will be later used for sashing... I still have yet to cut the sashing, now that I think of it...
The furry helpers, were very helpful of course...



And the there were the triangles. Do you know how absolutely delightful (insert extreme sarcasium and frustration here) it is to cut 18 1/4" squares out of a FQ (Fat Quarter = a piece of fabric that is ~ 18x 22"). Not sure they thought that through on the directions... I was able to make it work, because obviously if you look above, you did not need both halves of the triangle. But, um? Confusion much?!

So now the cornerstones are cut and ready. Now the two missing blocks and sashing, and the missing border... And I'm good to go!

Go back to this post and this one to see pictures of the individual star blocks and the final ideal.