I was driving around yesterday running errands and I heard Garrison Keillor describe this time of year as “almost spring.” While the end of winter actually felt like spring, now we have been back to just waiting for spring. Which makes it easy to stay indoors and do some quilting. And I remembered to grab the camera a little earlier in the process this time!

This is the first time I have used pins instead of basting. It was much faster, but I had cheap pins and so I really should get some better ones if I do it again. Safety pins around here have always been disposable in a way. You use them for odd things and they rarely make it back into the pin bin. Here are the three layers I was turning into a quilt sandwich.

And here is most of the rest of the quilt. This will be for a twin size bed and I am making two of them.

I really love the fabrics. These were also sent to me by my sister in law to make quilts for her boys. So I can’t take any credit for the fabric choices. I love the mix of colors and textures. And I love the way she threw in a few Michael Miller prints in with the recycling of some old jeans and other leftover bits of fabric. It has been really fun to see them come together into one.

That’s me! It’s the way I work. I get pretty focused and forget to do other things… like take pictures for my blog!

I finished the quilt I have been making for my niece’s bedroom. At least I am trying to decide that I am finished, since I have some great ideas for some hand quilted embroidery. But I have taken my sweet time getting it done, as it is. So I guess I will have to save that inspiration for the days after my kids move out (that is still 12 years away, if we are lucky!)

My sister in law asked me to take pictures of how I sandwiched and quilted it, because she is planning to do a few quilts. Well, like I said, “a horse with blinders”. I have no pictures of the process, but I have seen a few good instructions out in blogland. I know I have seen more, but I can’t remember where. So if you know of (or posted yourself) some instructions on the quilt sandwich process, please post links in the comments!