Two rows done and my special friend!

I just finished the second row of my WTMRQ in my two chosen colorways. 

 For the first, I shuffled up the small squares of the focus fabric.

 

 

For the second, I kept the focus squares together in each block.  I almost didn't do this because I really liked the shuffled look of the red, black, and white colorway.  But golly gosh wow I am glad I did.  I really like the looks of this row too. 

I was very ambivalent about this block for the quilt and I held off deciding if I was going to include it until I got one block done.  Now I am really sold on it though.  Quite pleased am I!

 

Check out who I saw last weekend.  Jay McCarroll!  I love this guy. He came to speak to the Baltimore Modern Quilt Guild and it was fantastic.  Jay told his story from going to school in rural Pennsylvania to fabric designing with many stops in between.  Jay is incredibly entertaining, funny, and humble. 

I've been a fan of Jay's since the first ever episode of Project Runway aired and I was thrilled when he won the first season.  He told us all about it and we got to hear lots of insider tales.  More than ever, I admire the first group of designers that went on that show.  They really went into the unknown with nothing to compare to.  Check out Jay's website here.  He designs more than fabric so go get started on some holiday shopping.   Last year I bought some of his t-shirts before the holidays.  Check out my shirt below, it has one of the crazy big-eyed deer from his first fabric line.  That's why he wrote what he did on the postcard above. 

We got to see Jay's new fabric line AND a sneaky peak of the next.  No pictures allowed of that though.  I will tell you that I love love love it and can't wait until January to get some. 

The fabric design world is very interesting and I really enjoyed hearing Jay talk about his hits and misses.  Thank goodness Free Spirit is working with him.  Our gain for sure.

Last year Jay was interviewed at Quilters take Manhattan and I met him at Victoria's loft.  I couldn't wait to see him again.   Does this make me a stalker?  I think he's really just my special friend.

Tomorrow I am getting together to sew all day with the Wild Threads (who else, lol).  I can't wait to see some of their rows for the WTMRQ.  I will try to remember to take my camera.  Now I have to go clean and oil my machine and pack up some projects.  Have a lovely weekend!