Well, the apron strap was too long and I’m working on fixing it (and the straps of the rest of the toddler aprons already in the classroom), but I don’t want to talk about that today.

I want to talk about inspiration.

I’ve been following a bunch of quilting blogs all summer (using NewBlur as my RSS aggregator because it’s awesome–I’m glad Google Reader closed down), adding new ones as I find them through links on those blogs or link parties or what-have-you.

I’m especially drawn to rainbow and scrap projects, especially scrappy rainbows, so I’ve thoroughly enjoyed So Scrappy’s Rainbow Scrap Challenge (which I plan to participate in next year).  But what stopped me in my tracks and made me seriously consider really learning how to quilt is Quilt Diva Julie’s “Happy Happy Joy Joy”.  [Note: I’ve since edited the link to a post of hers that shows a newer photo which makes her squares that much more breathtaking.]  It will be a scrappy quilt based on Fabric Therapy’s X-Marks-the-Block block which, as far as I can tell, is based on all manner of string block patterns with a defined or contrasting middle strip.

I looked all around Julie’s blog and she has an amazing eye for color and value and design.  I ALMOST have enough skills to make a candy-centered string block like hers (I have to work on a real, consistent 1/4″ seam), but she’s also making quilts that I can only dream about.  She’s amazing and seems to sew so fast!

Anyhow, I’ll stop gushing about her and just say that a project like that is now on my list, as are a bunch of other quilt projects (including a couple I started last year and put away), which I’ll need to do before I tackle that one.

I also need a lot more fabric scraps, since I have barely any.  Those are steps one and two.

I’m excited already.