It sounded better than "have you seen all these cool new things I found in the warehouse?"

The 4" x 5" Quilt Block Anthology - 182 Blocks for Reproduction Fabrics by Carol Hopkins and Linda M. Koenig.  Though really, these blocks would be gorgeous in any style of fabric from Jen Kingwell to Bonnie & Camille, Brenda Riddle to Fig Tree & Co.  The authors are both well-known in Reproduction circles, Carol Hopkins has published hundreds of patterns for her Civil War Legacies company and authored several terrific books.  Linda M, Koenig is a former quilt-shop owner and designer who has published books with Quiltmania, most recently Ratsburg Road Quilts.

I love this book... I've been obsessing over it.

These too.

I love a cute pincushion and this Color Wheel Pin Cushion pattern and kit is really cute.  I am more of a magnetic pin bowl kind of girl but for some odd reason, I love making pin cushions.  One of these will be a post-Market just-for-fun project.

Polly Minick and Laurie Simpson - we've been waiting for this Blue & White book to be published for ages!  Years.  Okay, maybe less than one but it did seem like it was taking forever.

It was worth the wait - it's that beautiful.  This is not a pattern book, it's a coffee-table style book about defining your personal style, and living with the collections and things you love.  Both Polly and Laurie live with Polly's hooked rugs and Laurie's quilts, and you will see that while they work in different mediums, their styles are compatible, complimentary and they freely borrow ideas from each other.  Blue & White - Polly & Laurie.  With this book, it will be hard to think of one without the other.

These aren't available yet but we received a shipment of samples.  They're so adorably cute, there is now a security guard watching over the box... or maybe he only shows up when I do.  Bonnie & Camille's The Good Life set of 4 Tea Towels.

Lights!  Have you noticed that it's getting harder to see?  Maybe it's just me but I find myself paying more attention to lights - what other quilters use, new lights I see in shops and at shows, and what works best for me.  I've been using the Slimline Table Lamp from the Daylight Company for over a year now and I love it, so when I saw that they had other lamps, I investigated.

I first bought the Smart Light, a portable, foldable, adjustable light that has two light settings.  I've been using it on my cutting table, and when I'm doing a lot of trimming and cutting - Cake Mixes! - I will move it to a table so I can sit while I cut.

I've liked it so much that when I saw the Halo, a table magnifying light, I decided to get one for those times when I need good light and a magnifier. (An increasingly frequent occurrence.)

I'll let you know how this works as I'm sure I'll be using it a lot in the coming weeks.  (That Market thing...)

Another project I'm hoping to get to after Market is a big clamshell quilt.  When Latifah Saafir used to blog and create as The Quilt Engineer, she made a gorgeous clamshell quilt that she pieced entirely by machine - The Glam Clam Quilt.  Now she has templates - the Clammy.

This is the 8" size - it also comes in a 12" size and 6" size.  This time, I think Mama Bear is just the right size.  Of course, when I decide on fabric, that could change.  As the ruler says, it's more than just a clamshell, it's also perfect for Orange Peels, Drunkard's Path and Circles.  For me, the first objective is making a clamshell quilt.

Finally, a new book kind of came across my desk this week... okay, across my computer.  We were treated to a sneak-peek of Bee In My Bonnet Lori Holt's upcoming book with It's Sew Emma, Spelling Bee.  It's wonderful, it's adorable... why isn't it July yet?

While we've seen - and done - letter quilts before, Lori's take on them is fresh and different.  The blocks she's mixed with them are perfect and as always, Lori has all sorts of terrific ideas on displaying the quilts and projects made from the book.  (Even though it's not going to be published for a few months, the book is already a best-seller.)

One last thing - have you seen the 12 Contests contest that Joanna of Fig Tree & Co. is doing this month?  There's still time to make a block and be entered to win a wonderful prize.  The contest ends May 1st - winners announced on May 5th.

For more information - Fig Tree & Co. It's Contest Time!

I'm off to get some sewing done - new Cake Mixes are scheduled to arrive in another week or so, and then there is that whole Market adventure next month.

I think it's all part of a plot to keep me out of the warehouse.

Happy Tuesday!