a white world revealed

bright cleanliness; a clean start

cold revelations

i woke up this morning to a fresh fall of snow. it's beautiful but i'm tired of winter . . .

i went outside (briefly) and got a quick shot of my freshly glittered garden and then felt like i could write a haiku to go with my minimalistic photo. i've been recently inspired to explore the world of haiku by a chance encounter in flickr and a couple of internet acquaintances so you may be seeing more of it within my blog as time goes on.

one good thing about winter is that i'm happy to be doing a little more quilting and have finished another doll (carrot) quilt. this one was made using some vintage star blocks that were given to me. i did a bit of reconstruction and added some of my own fabrics. it has a finished measurement of 16 and 1/2" x 21 and 1/2". i backed it with the lavender printed white fabric that you see used around the outer edges and bound it with a dark green print that i thought suited it. i can't say that it is one of my favorites but it will be a nice one to have within my doll quilt collection.

there is something about traditional antique quilts that i find particularly appealing lately . . . maybe it is that warmth of character that they seem to exude through their (often) hand stitched fibers. i see them and imagine the makers and their various circumstances and am amazed at how these quilts were frequently made using a minimum of resources, time and even good light to see by! i have such respect for both the beautiful finished quilts and their hardworking creators. i have recently discovered a few blogs that are fueling my current need for traditional and scrap quilts and the inner warmth that they spark up in me. if you are interested in doll quilts in particular go see Persnickety Quilts at http://www.persnicketyquilts.blogspot.com/ and click on her "doll quilts" label. she has a fantastically varied collection that i frequently drool over. for a bit of history with your doll quilt there is nothing like a visit to quilt author Kathleen Tracy's blog: A Sentimental Quilter at http://www.sentimentalquilter.blogspot.com/ . she's written three books on doll quilts with a fourth one in the works and has done a lot of research into the ladies (many of them young ladies) who made these gems. i recommend her books as well as her blog.

i recently discovered a delightful series for making a doll quilt called "Cheddar Cheese and Crackers" at Humble Quilts: http://www.humblequilts.blogspot.com/ . this blogger has many beautiful quilts, both large and small, within her blog. after reading this well done three part tutorial i've been inspired to add this pattern to my (long) "must make that(~!~) list". i do love that "cheddar" color used in many older quilts~!~

for further gorgeous fabrics and color choices you must see Inspired By Antique Quilts at http://www.inspiredbyantiquequilts.blogspot.com/. this blogger is a magician at the art of "getting it done" and i also love the many links she provides within her space.

and last but not least i must share this final blogspot not only for her fabulous use of scraps (which i so admire) but also for her humorous choice in blog names: What a Load a Scrap at http://www.whataloadascrap.blogspot.com/ . as you can imagine, this spot is full of ideas for using up one's final bits of fabric as well as a healthy dose of humor~!~

in addition to visiting tempting blogs i've been going through my own collection of vintage and antique quilt blocks in an effort to decide what to do as my next carrot quilt (# five~!~) and have turned up this cute embroidered "Hickory Dickory Dock" nursery rhyme block.

as well as these antique broken dishes blocks . . .

sometimes i think i just have too many choices~!~

maybe i'll think of some way to "marry" the two together . . .

i've decided to sit down with a cup of cocoa, some homemade shortbread cookies, and a few good quilting books and see how cozy i can make myself feel on this cold winter day.

won't you join me?