Diamond Traditions Blog Hop Day 5

Welcome!  It's my day for the Diamond Traditions blog tour. 

I have been busy working on my project for the tour and thinking about the quilt that best represents me.  I've decided that the quilt that best represents me/favorite is Courtyard.  I have made this quilt twice.  It is my 5th pattern that I published and re-did many years later it in my first fabric line, Olde World Style.  I think the reason I love it so much is that it has lots of piecing (no kidding, you say?), and has my favorite colors in it red and black.  Here is the original Courtyard and it even has a picture of my sweet Glory sitting proudly next to the quilt.  I miss her so much and love to see her next to one of my favorite quilts!  Isn't she precious?  She really was a great dog!

Here is Courtyard using Olde World Style.  I changed it up a bit using the greens and reds as the blocks with a black chain running through it.  For the original, I had red blocks with a black chain and black blocks with a red chain. 

I had asked the other bloggers to answer some questions to get to know them a bit better.  It's only fair that I do the same so here goes:

1.  When did you start quilting?  I started quilting in 1988.  I had just moved to the US with Bill, my husband and I was going to college.  I took a quilting class and fell in love with it.  I didn't do a whole lot for the first 4 years because I was in school so needed to concentrate on school but I was definitely hooked.

 

2.  What was your first project?  My first project was a 4 block sampler quilt.  I never quilted it and when I went to my next class, I was so naive that I didn't even know you had to quilt it! 

 

3.  What is your favorite movie?  Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightley.  Awesome!!

 

4.  What is your favorite book?  Currently: Beautifully Damaged by LA Fiore.  I love to read so my favorite changes but this is one that I will re-read. 

 

5.  What is your favorite tv show?  How to choose?!  The Voice, Burn Notice, So You Think You Can Dance?, Just started watching America's Next Great Baker - love to see what they make and it inspires me to bake. 

 

6.  Where did you grow up?  Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada 

 

7.  Dog lover?  Cat lover?  Neither?  Both?  I like cats but am definitely more of a dog lover.  I don't know if you guessed that or not! 

Tillie and Maple

8.  If you didn't quilt, what hobby would you do?  Scrap booking, baking, reading - I do all of these too but my main love is quilting!

 

9.  Sports – participant, spectator or neither?  I used to play basketball, volleyball and did some track but now I just watch.  My favorites are basketball and tennis.

 

Even if you don't like the sport, the eye candy is amazing!

10.  Least favorite part of quilting?  Putting on borders

 

11.  Most favorite part of quilting?  Cutting

 

12.  Person who is your quilting inspiration and which designer/quilter would you most like to meet?  Just like Sherri, I have been fortunate enough to meet most of my quilting inspirations.  I took a class from Harriet Hargrave years ago and was so enamored with her and her methods.  A few Markets back, she bought one of my rulers and I was so excited that she actually bought my ruler! 

13.  Sweet or Salty?  Definitely sweet (see baking comments above)  but wouldn't say no if anyone offered me chips or popcorn! 

I want cake now!

Okay, enough about me.  The project that I chose to do for the blog hop is Diamonds and Pearls.  The reason that I chose this quilt is because in the original quilt, I had used a really busy background.  What this did was made the blocks a little harder to see.  While I love this quilt and the subtle look, I wanted to show you what a difference higher contrast makes.  Here is the original:  

Now, here is my version using only 3 fabrics and a border.  Looks really different but I love them both. 

To add your name to the drawing for your complimentary copy of Diamond Traditions, leave a comment answering this question:  What is your favorite movie?

Answer the question or just leave a comment until Monday night.  I will pick a winner and announce the winner on Tuesday morning.  If you could please let me know your email address in the comment or the author of the comment so I can get a hold of you.  When I get comments from Anonymous or no email address, I can't let you know that you have won!  

Thanks for joining us and see you on Tuesday!