A new hobby begins...

So now that I have finished my first quilt, I think I'm hooked! I also finished the top of another quilt (I know, I know) using Tina Givens fabric (her Zazu line). I'm partial to her stuff, not only because it's awesome but because she's from Southern Africa, a place that holds a special spot in my own heart. (To see more about my time in South Africa last year, please visit my other blog!) Anyway, my Mom bought this pattern from another Etsian and it has GREAT instructions. I finished the top (pictures to come) but think that I'll pay someone to do long-arm quilting on it. The craziness of the prints just scream for something other than quilting around the edges (which is all I'm up to doing).

Anyway, I have 2 more quilts in the works! One is a kit from

Hancocks-Paducah by Timeless Treasures that's called "Central Park" so I'm going to make it for our apartment in anticipation of the big move to NYC. Here's what it's going to look like:

The pattern is free and you can download it at Hancocks-Paducah (which if you're a fabric lover and haven't been to you MUST go to!)

The other quilt will be made using a free pattern by Valori Wells but with Kaffe Fassett/Westminster fabrics. It's mostly blues and greens and is going to be a small lap quilt (about 50" x 50"). That fabric was purchased from Glorious Color and I can't wait for it to get here. All the Westminster artists are just that - amazing fabric that looks like painted art!

My Etsy store desperately needs attention and I plan

on adding the new pics today or tomorrow. I need to also advertise it more - any suggestions?

In other crafty news, fall knitting patterns are starting to emerge and I'm getting so excited! I'm a serious knitter (have been knitting for about 10 years) and it's my true textile love. I'm repacking all my boxes from my move, many of which contain my wool not very carefully packed (they're packed tightly and with cedar blocks but it's SO disorganized!). Time to sort through and get ready for knitting season to begin! (I'm not really a cotton/lightweight yarn knitter so I pretty much knit from September to April and am always itching to get back to it by the end of August). Interweave Knits has the cutest fall patterns. I think I'll make this one first:

Technology update: after reading about it on Etsy, I joined Soopsee AND bought my own domain. You can now visit my store and blog at http://littleolivebranch.com! Woohoo!