Hurricane Sandy reduced the leaf selection around here. This design uses a triangular sample from an oak leaf.

Hurricane Sandy? This is the first time I've gotten a fire in the woodstove for a hurricane.

Hurricane leaf pattern.

A pattern from chairs.

Still more autumn leaves.

Again with the autumn leaves.

Fall leaf pattern. This pattern shows the variation in leaf color across three maple trees.

 Leaf pattern. I took a rectangular section from the leaf below to make the pattern above.

Another leaf quilt, new colors.

Autumn leaves quilt.

Bicycle pattern.

Metallic peony.

Here is the second Quilt of Valor using the diamond log cabin pattern.  However, the backing is more impressive...

The backing is composed of four star panels from Vicki W.'s patriot tie-dye collection (which you can special order from here).

Exploding dots.

Layered N.

N.

 As the old saying goes, there are many ways to skin a mouse. In today's tutorial, I, as your guest blogger, will explain my personal methodology.

1. Establish a comfortable position in front of a warm woodstove. (And please, I am tired of excuses like we can't have a fire because it's sunny and 70 degrees out. That's outside and I'm inside. And complaining about it getting too hot upstairs is nonsense. Just turn on the air conditioning. That's what thermostats are for, people!)

2. Chew on mouse until skin comes off. Leave a felt ear for a bit of design flair.

3. My staff removes the eyes from the mouse before I get them citing safety reasons. I, however, suspect deep-seated, darker unresolved issues.

4. You're welcome. Tommy.

Star clusters.

Tommy pattern.

 Box turtle pattern.

   

Box turtle enjoying warm asphalt.

Tommy Cat supervising the fire in the woodstove (first of the season).

Woven scraps.

Pink scraps.

Green loopy.

Pink loopy.

Loopy.

More strings.

String art.

Slash.

Dotty.

Cat eye marbles.

 Double martini.