Rainbow Notebook Cover

I watched the color craft-a-long last year, and hoped to participate this year. Then I saw the quilt challenge this month (both on craftster.) And had a thought. I always use tons of different notebooks to make tons of lists. It's a horrible habit of mine. I then almost always lose the particular notebook or list before I really need it. So I bought myself a 5 subject notebook, thinking that I would have one subject for different aspects of my life. Meal planning, crochet, quilting, gift doodles, other.... you know what I mean. Anyway, the cover was so ucky and looked just like any other notebook. I figured even though it's bigger, I'd still find a way of losing it. So I again remembered the challenge and craft-a-long, and came up with a quilted notebook cover in rainbow (which was January's color.) So here it is. I love it, and haven't lost it yet, but I don't think I will!

Here's the outside cover. You can see I used a wide piece of elastic to hold the cover closed.

Here's a shot of the inside cover. I can keep my pens and pencils in there. (At the bottom you can see that the elastic is tucked on the front of the cover because it is open.)

Here's a not very good closeup shot of the quilting.

We're having a rainbow heat~wave

Oh my, it's hot in here! Most people who don't live in Wisconsin seem to think that it's always cold here. Really that isn't true. I mean it's no tropical paradise, but still. Right now it is 103F on the thermometer across the street. That is before you consider the grotesque humidity that is here right now. We have heat warnings right now, so honestly the kids and I are locked up tight in our air conditioned downstairs. So I've been trying to get some sewing done, I got a bit further on my square quilt. I have given in to using same fabrics more than once, but I'm still only using swap fabrics, so I am further than I could have been. I still desperately need more squares, especially purple, red, yellow, and orange! (If interested please pm me on craftster.org my username is Ezri_B)
Also, I did find my camera, so yippee I have pictures!!! Well, ok, A picture, of my one nearly finished panel of quilt....

It's between 5.5 & 6 feet long right now. I have a little more to go on this one, then I can begin the next one.
I'm so excited about this. This is really the first thing I've made for me, that I didn't NEED. Plus it is so neat getting all these wonderful fabrics from all these amazing crafters all over the world! It's this awesome friendship quilt from people I've never even met. What an amazing concept! I am going to love having this bright, beautiful quilt on my bed (my bed has never seen a quilt, I've never made a quilt that has stayed in my house, they've always been for gifts!)

Postage Stamp Quilt Beginnings

Well, I've begun piecing my squares together as I receive them from the craftster swap. I thought I'd show you what I've been doing. I'm going for a rainbow type pattern. My sons have been helping me, so I know there's one for sure I will have to repiece, it's seams are too narrow, but the rest they've been doing pretty well. I do need to trim them a bit though.

A group shot of my pieced pieces.

A little closer

And the others closer.
Now this isn't how I'm going to really place the, I just wanted them together for the shot. I need LOTS more to even get the pieces set up right. But I love the look so far!