Most of the quilts I make are with a person in mind or perhaps for a class I am taking. I do have a goal to one day make a perfect enough quilt to enter it in a show in our area that only takes the best of the best. So with most of the quilts I make I am trying to improve my skills enough to be able to make one good enough for that show.

My goal when I start a quilt is to finish it... COMPLETE I have many pieces started, and it all depends on what my mood for the day is. I buy fabric because I like the look, the COLOR and the feel. Just recently I found a pattern that SCREAMED at me. The voices in my head kept saying: "Hey that is a perfect pattern for him, you can do it and just shop in your stash... You don't need to go out and buy more fabric "... what a great Christmas gift that would be , so here I am just finishing it up because it needs to be done by Wed. lol, the others can wait. Its a passion and a desire to sew, if I am not feeling it, it shows in my piece so hence why I have so many projects going at once. I just have fun and use different techniques so I do not become bored. Sometimes cost enters into a piece but I usually do not think of that aspect.

So as CKCOWL said: "i browse magazines, books, galleries for inspiration- i see things i would like to try- then set out to make it---me it doesn't matter if it takes a week or 5 years- i do not stress over time- and i do not rush through- i take my time and enjoy the process of creating something useful and hopefully beautiful (at least in my eyes)"

Have fun and enjoy!

It's the joy of starting something new and the challenge to complete it that drives me. I rarely go out to buy fabric for a specific quilt. I usually come accross a pattern which just seems to match up with what is around or something I spied in the shop. Whether it is a totally new block/pattern or the therapy of making the same block again and again - I remain curious as to how it will turn out. DH says if I sat back less to admire every new piece falling into place, I would finish quicker, but even the admiration sessions are part of the wonderful process.

My only goal is to make me happy. That it makes other people happy in the process is a bonus. I love color and pattern and I discovered I'm very good at making them work together. Friends and relatives are excited to get one of my creations. That makes me happy.

Right now I want window quilts for my home. To improve energy efficiency and complete my decorating. Most of the decorating has already been done in the rooms so some color choice has already occurred. And I know that I am more drawn to applique rather than patchwork. In my bedroom I choose a stained glass butterfly pattern. One because I love butterflies and two because it is a beautiful pattern. For the second window a friend is making a stained glass garden pattern for me. It will continue the outdoors indoor theme and stay in the color palette I have already choosen for the room.

The craft room has three windows and I plan window quilts that are a series of sampler applique blocks. The quilts will all carry the same background and block layout so they will appear to be a matching set although the actual blocks will be different.

The livingroom has an asian flare and I hope to continue that in the window quilts that will cover the bay windows.

The office is done in the black, white and gold neutral color palette and the focal piece in the room is a cork sohi screen depicting water birds. I'd like the window quilt to reflect that with a multimedia quilt utilizing gold lame and embroidered asian caligraphy.

So How fast I can finish it doesn't come into my thinking. And of course since these are large pieces of my decor I want to do it as well as possible so lots of ripping out and redoing until I have exactly what I picture. And yes the samplers will be as much about learning new techniques as it will be about covering in windows in the craft room. Those will really make the craftroom both because they will be showing off some of my skills and help make the room an inspiration for the work that goes on in there. Cost isn't something I consider, I'd rather save up for a year to get the perfect fabric than settle for something that is cheaper. I don't keep a stash I buy fabric for specific projects and only do one project at a time.

My goal is to have something that I love and will enjoy looking at for the rest of my life. And hopefully something my daughter will enjoy and have as a momento of me after I'm gone.

I am thinking of making a 'sort of' sampler block quilt -

Because so little of my life is 'orderly' - I would want all the blocks to be drawn on the same grid and to be from the same color family - so that 'something' would be kind of orderly.

I pick a pattern or project first, unless I found some can't resist fabric. I don't care about speed. I love piecing and watching it come to life.

Generally first is I need to make something for someone.
Then sometimes I find fabric I just can not pass up.

Not me. I'm not a careful sewer!

I do big, easy blocks. I could never repeat a quilt using the same colors and patterns. I can repeat a pattern such as TURNING TWENTY time and time again because it's easy and surprisingly, looks so much different with fabric changes.

This year I've done a bunch of WOF strips rag quilts-------well personal sized quilts----------becasue I've been doing them for ailing members of my parish. They are easy, quick and the completed looks are so much different.