Is It Spring Yet??

I know, I know, it is still February- be it the end of February - but I am so tired of cold, ice and snow. Yesterday we got the latest round of snowy weather. Bad news was the roads were horrid. Good news was I got to close the shop just after 3pm. The ride home was white knuckle- with very poor visibility, but I got there and am more than happy that today is a day off for me.
The back yard doesn't look too bad from this angle, and if I was a younger, more adventurous person I'd be out there making snow-people. It is perfect white stuff for that. That wet, heavy, gloppy snow-person making snow. I'll pass and spend the day sewing and getting ahead on some shop sample ideas.
This is the little ditty I finished Monday night. All quilted and bound and happily taking up residence in the shop with the other springy fabrics. I will be holding a class to make this cutie come March. It is all done in raw-edge applique. Simple, primitive- child-like. I do love it.

Please excuse the less than stellar photos! I do think you get the idea, however! The pattern is called Playing Dress Up and is by one of my favorite designers: Renee Plains. Below are dresses one and three:

these are two and four:

and again, another less than stellar photo, but Hoffman has caught the charm square fever. But look at how they are packaged:

each plastic tube has 40 7" by 7" squares of Bali watercolor batiks! I couldn't resist and intend to make a version of a circle quilt I just love. Don't hold your breath waiting for photos, but I hope to get to it soon (like sometime in 2008!). I still have some reproduction blocks to finish first- they are long overdue! And then there is the group that is currently making blocks from The Civil War Diary Quilt and Civil War Love Letters. I am trying very hard to resist....but I've had the books for some time and have been itching to make some. Focus! I need to focus!!

I guess snowy, blustery days are good for something! Now back to playing with fabrics for a baby quilt. We don't have anything currently at the shop and Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill Designs has a sweet free pattern on her site. I'm trying to adapt it! We did get one color of the adorable lamb fabric into the shop. We'll see where I end up with it. Maybe another photo to look forward to.