a link swap and a giveaway!

i have a feeling i am not alone in my fabric-related resolutions this month. i have decided that my stash is getting a little out of control and that i should probably ban myself from buying any new fabric this month. every time a new batch comes into the house, my boyfriend just shakes his head at me. even though i know there are plenty of quilters who have much larger stashes than i do, i still feel like it's a bit overwhelming.

so i decided to do a giveaway! i'm letting go of some of my beloved flea market fancy. i have been hording this fabric like no other. i barely use it for anything, actually! i've never used it to make anything for myself! i use it sparingly in the swaps i participate in, only because i know the love of the fabric may gloss over some of my amateur mistakes! a dirty trick, i know. but you gotta use what you can!

the rules for the giveaway are simple. since this is a fairly new blog, i'd love to build up a readership a bit. so i am going to hold a link swap! all you have to do is reply to this entry with your blog's name and let me know that you added my blog to your links. since it is a swap, i will be adding you to a special link swap page on my blog in return. i will be accepting entries until january 13th at 12pm and will announce the winner on january 14th! good luck!

a quilt challenge

monday was the first la modern quilt guild meeting of the year! at the meeting, we were all given a pack of charm square solids donated to us by the lovely folks at robert kaufman! we were also given the challenge to make a quilt using only these squares, plus one more fabric.

i have so many ideas of what i want to do going through my head... now to just pin it down to one! i'm feeling very inspired by my friend mary's monochromatic sampler that she's working on. it's really going to be great!

speaking of monochromatic quilts, i think i might be making one soon! the modern quilt guild just posted their second project modern challenge and i'm totally ready to take it on. i am really into solids right now and the idea of making a solids quilt all in similar hues is really appealing. i'd love to make one using shot cottons. i think the added texture would be a nice touch!

first quilt of 2011!

one of the reasons why my blog is called "eleven quilts" and not "twelve quilts" is because i started working on this quilt last year and will finish it this month. it was made for two of my boyfriend's good friends who got married in october. they had a crazy and beautiful "alice in wonderland" themed wedding. the quilt block centers are heather ross's alice in wonderland munki munki pajamas. when i first started quilting i used only vintage fabrics and i would have never guessed that i would be buying pajamas online to cut up into blocks! the rest of the blocks are made of bliss, and will be bound and backed with more bliss. i can't wait to get this one finished and give it to them!

welcome!

2011 is finally here! last year was pretty amazing and had some really remarkable milestones. but i am so ready for the new year. i have always loved the idea of a fresh start, but as i'm getting older i'm also learning to love how each year builds on the one before and helps me grow into a more well-rounded person.

above is the last quilt i made in 2010. i gave it away to my friends on new year's eve! they got married in october, and the quilt is inspired by their wedding invites. i am sure it's found a good home and although i miss it, i know i can visit it whenever i want.

here's to a new year, new quilts, new skills and new friends! i am ready for you, 2011!