Desktop Medallion Quilt & Other Points of Interest

I was shocked when I checked my Instagram feed tonight and saw that I started working on this quilt almost exactly a year ago. Has it really been that long? I originally intended this Desktop Medallion Quilt to have at least two more rows around it, but life happened, as it so often does. There were other projects and holidays and responsibilities, and these blocks were stuffed in a drawer and forgotten. Several weeks ago I pulled them out and decided that it was time for this little quilt to have a life. I still owed my niece a quilt for her toddler bed, so I added borders to the top and bottom and finished it off. Though a large medallion quilt would have been fun, I haven't one shred of regret for turning this into a gift for my niece as it is. As Angela Walters says, "A finished quilt is better than a perfect quilt top." (For more of her wisdom, by the way, you must check out this wonderful post.)

This quilt uses pencil and envelope blocks from my friend Ayumi's brilliant book Patchwork, Please! which I adjusted slightly for the purpose of the medallion format. It also features an extensive amount of fabric from my precious Heather Ross stash. I backed the quilt in a favorite floral print in warm shades from Jeni Baker's Dreamin' Vintage collection, and I kept the quilting very simple since the top was so busy, just stitching around each row of blocks. The quilt is bound with a green floral print from the A is For... collection. As you can see below, my assistant Miss Bunny was not quite ready to part with it at the end of our photo session.

I'm linking this up with Sew the Library over at Tales of Cloth, where you must read Jodi's beautiful post for this month. It brought tears to my eyes. Remember that you have till the end of the month to link up a project you've made from a book or magazine!

A few other points of interest before I leave you today...

1. My book has just started to ship out from C&T Publishing and Amazon. I've gotten some wonderful messages from a few of you who have read the book, and I can't tell you how much they mean to me. Thank you, my friends! I wrote this book for you, and I really hope that you'll find it helpful. If you have the time or desire, I would love for any of you who have read it to leave a review on Amazon. Reviews always help me decide if a sewing book is right for me, so I know your thoughts would be useful to others!

2. If you would like an autographed bookplate for your copy of Sew Organized for the Busy Girl, send me an email at hjstaples@gmail.com with your full name and mailing address, and I'll be happy to send you one!

3. The winner of the Just for You giveaway is hart44. I've sent you an email!

4. And finally, if you live in the Southern California area, I'll be having a book signing and trunk show at The Quilt Loft in Upland on Wednesday, April 8th from 5 to 7pm. I would absolutely love to see you there!

Happy sewing!