What does Rita craft outside of sewing plushies? These first few weeks of 2010, I’ve been making some custom plushies but also taking a bit of a break and indulged in some leisure patchwork and quilting! I’ve been bit with the Quilting bug for nearly two years ever since I made a baby quilt for my cousin’s baby boy Jayden and I haven’t stopped since! I’m so enamored with beautiful fabrics, startling color combinations, and the many stunning ways that fabric can be sewn and manipulated into so many patterns and functional works of art! Through my interest in quilting, I’ve met many awesome quilters in the online community! Here are some friends who have really inspired me!

• Amy from Park City Girl
• John from Quilt Dad
• Natalia from Piece N Quilt
• Jacquie from Tallgrass Prairie Studio
• Amy from Amy Lou Who
• Candy from Candied Fabrics
• Claudia from Armchair Quilter
• Karissa from Kitty Kitty Crafts
• Vicki from Sew Inspired
• Amanda Jean from Crazy Mom Quilts
• Aneela from Comfort Stitching
• Sonja from Artisania
• Susie from Susie Can Stitch

Do check them out! They’re all so talented! I tend to start a lot of quilting projects and then jump to another new and exciting project so I have a lot of unfinished quilts! Here are some quilts that I started last year and I hope to have time to finish this year!

1. Medallion Quilt
2. Cathedral Window
3. SewConnected Quilt
4. “Gingham Dice” nine patch quilt
5. Dresden Plates
6. Six Kaffe Fassett blocks
7. Half hex quilt
8. Spiderweb block quilt
9. Lap Quilt Swap 5 blocks

Some quilts were made from blocks made by others in my quilting groups like SewConnected on Flickr and Lap Quilt Swap on Craftster which I really enjoy being a part of because everyone is so amazingly talented! I’ve been playing catchup on some of my quilting groups so I’ve made a bunch of quilt blocks for other people the last two weeks. And I finished a baby quilt for a coworker’s daughter too!

1. Tinkberbell Quilt for Baby Natasha, 2. SewConnected2 block for Sudi-Laura, 3. SewConnected2 block for Beth, 4. SewConnected block for Bubbachic, 5. SewConnected block for Luckyduckday, 6. LQS5 block for John, 7. SewConnected2 block for Sonja, 8. LQS5 block for chinarockfishakm, 9. LQS5 block for sloth003, 10. LQS5 block for Marmish, 11. LQS5 block for gingerquilts, 12. LQS5 block for SimplySandy, 13. SewConnected block for Audrey

I love everything about sewing! Who knows what I will be obsessed with next! I do have my eye on a bunch of new fabrics like Heather Bailey’s Nicey Jane and Anna Maria Horner’s Little Folks. So many ideas for their beautiful fabrics! I’ll be sewing more Ninja Beans with new Spring fabrics soon too and working on some new plush creations!