Knock Knock, it’s Judie B saying hello. How are things at your place I wonder? I do hope all is well and that you’re getting a bit of time to spend on yourself. One of my favourite quotes about making time for yourself is attributed to John Dryden, an English poet born in the 1600’s. Boy, did he ever have an insight way ahead of his time.

He said, “Time is the most valuable coin in your life. You and you alone will determine how that coin will be spent. Be careful that you don't let other people spend it for you.” Nothing more to say, me thinks.

I am in a “pondering my navel” kind of mood today. I think it’s because I’ve hit a lull in my quilt making. I have finished the hand quilted appliquéd quilt, and I’m very pleased with the outcome. I need to take it with me to a retreat I’m teaching at in June.

My hexagon quilt is almost completely hand quilted (I’m quilting them individually), so it will soon be time for me to work out how I’m going to put the jolly things together. Now, that’s going to be a challenge.

And I’ve stopped working on my blue and white quilt for the moment. I found that if I didn’t keep working on it, my stitching wasn’t as neat. So I’m saving that up for when I have completed the others and I can focus solely on reverse appliqué. (hopefully soon, as I’m itching to get back to it).

Last Sunday I wrote an article about Storing your Fabric Stash. I do get asked a lot about the optimum ways of storing our precious stashes. So here’s the link to that article if you’re interested: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art176103.asp

Keep the forum in mind, if you want to contribute to a subject. Here’s the link to the forum: http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php/forums/43/1/Quilting

So onto my goodies for this week. Have fun!

http://www.incrediblethings.com/art-design/no-diving-dumpster-pools/ not quilty but interesting just the same

http://laurathoughts81.blogspot.com/2011/03/make-up-magnet-board.html not quilting, but if you’ve got the space in your bathroom or wardrobe, this is brilliant

http://www.farbstoff-bridge.blogspot.com/p/quilt-along.html a simple quilt tutorial

http://carterquilter.wordpress.com/ here’s a very nice quilt site and lots of free downloads

http://www.stampington.com/shoppe/POTW/projects/2012-01-13.html yep another one, this one comes courtesy of Meredith. (You see, I have lovely readers who “enable” my pincushion fetish!!).

http://www.the-red-kitchen.com/2012/01/eye-mask-free-pattern-tutorial.html a simple eye mask that is simple to make and lovely to give

http://www.littlebluebell.com/2012/02/no-template-double-hourglass-block.html double hour glass block tutorial

Well, I must away. I’ll pop in again next week, until then,

Cheerio for now

Judie Bellingham, Quilting Editor
http://Quilting.bellaonline.com

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