Finished! Rain or Shine

Last weekend I finished the binding on my Rain or Shine quilt!

This time I used a local quilt shop for my long arm needs.  The thread color is Dolphin in a Pansy pattern.  I love how the quilting does not overpower the quilt.  It can still shine!  (And yes, I realize that I am being cheesy in my reference to the pattern name - hehe). 

This is one of the first quilts that I have used gray as the neutral and  I must say that it is still growing on me.  I have always loved the use of white as my neutral (a feeling similar to the emotional tie of comfort food!).  Anyone else feel this way? 

Linking over at Richard and Tayna's Link a Finish Friday :)

Shelburne Falls: Rain or Shine Contest Entry

When I first saw Rachel's post announcing this contest, I was giddy with excitement.

The contest gave me the push to try a new pattern and technique.  The angles in this pattern intimidated me, but I tried and love the results.  I am so grateful for the inspiration to try a new pattern with this wonderful fabric.  It was as easy to work with as it is easy on the eyes.

The pattern from Elizabeth Hartman's The Practical Guide to Patchwork is full of great patterns, tips and advice.  I loved her pattern Rain or Shine.  Isn't it lovely?

 

But how to quilt it????

Hope you'll join me in the contest!  Special thanks to Rachel for the opportunity!

Beginning: Shelburne Falls Rain or Shine

Do you ever get in a rut with your projects and need a fresh start?  Luckily, Stitched in Color saved me from the blahs.  Rachel is hosting a contest on her blog (see link here) for projects featuring the new line, Shelburne Falls from Denyse Schmidt.  The lure of pretty fabric plus a deadline was like codeine in cough syrup: awesome. 

(Side note: Don't do drugs! I've only had cough syrup with codeine once when I had a terrible case of bronchitis, pneumonia, cold, etc all at once and hadn't slept for days.  It was during my freshmen year of college and finals were fast approaching. Needless to say a few hours of sleep were a miracle.  Now I am starting to re-think using that analogy above...) 

Additional inspiration came from Elizabeth Hartman's The Practical Guide to Patchwork (she's also known for her blog Oh Fransson).  Her Rain or Shine block appealed to me especially.

I chose three prints and a coordinating yellow solid to create a few blocks.

Now that you've got a peek at what I'm working on, are you going to join the fun?  I'm not afraid of a little competition, right? Well...er...