325 eyelets, a few yards of garment lining and chiffon, one bruised thumb and a tired back later, I have finally finished my Quilt National 11 submission. I love, love, love it and am so glad that I pushed the pause button on my work, even though I’ll have to work a lot of nights to catch up. I learned a ton and it really rejuvenated me creatively. Accepted or rejected, I’m A-OK.

I’m delighted to report that donations from Craft Nectar readers for the Deep Breath quilt pattern to the Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago have reached $555! It’s so great on so many levels and I’m just humbled by your generosity to a cause so important to me.

Thank goodness I’m finally able to start showing you images from Quilts Made Modern, now that the publication is just two months away! Although I understand why I can’t show you my Quilt National submission or any of the quilts we’re working on now for the book after Quilts Made Modern, it is REALLY frustrating. I want to share it with you while I’m doing it, not a year later. Such is the life of publishing. So a year after we finished them, I can finally start showing you some of the 10 quilts that you’ll see in QMM. In a few days I’ll start posting about each quilt a week at a time up to the release at Market.

In the mean time, I have a Nibble Tray of interesting things I’ve come across that should inspire you.

For a trip down memory lane, watch The Wilderness Downtown. You’ll need Google Chrome or Safari (Mac only) to watch it. Fascinating concept.

The paper sculptures of Patty and Allen Eckman are incredible.

If you live outside of Chicago, you can feast your eyes on Nick Cave’s soundsuits (above) online. We Chicagoans are lucky enough to have a one-week popup store opening this Friday in the South Loop. It’s a can’t miss.

Ditto for our Eye sculpture by fellow Oak Parker Tony Tasset that leaves Chicago in Oct. It’s less than a mile from the Nick Cave popup. We’re lucky to have a lot of amazing public art in this town, which is part of why it’s My Kind of Town.

Have a great week.