All Stacked Up

Hello Everyone,

Thank you all so much for your kind thoughts and condolences on for our sweet little Beanie. She is missed very much.

Back in April, Quilt Magazine contacted me and asked if I would design a traditional coin quilt for their specialty publication Simple Quilts and Sewing. Of course, I said yes. The fabrics I was to use are fall like colors from Wilmington Prints.

Do you remember this blog post? Those strips were the ones for this quilt.

Here is a peek at the quilt. I chose to do fall like quilting too! Leaves all over the entire surface.

I really love the look of the quilting on this one. The thread used was to match the background fabric.

Then from the leftover strips, a pieced binding was made and applied. I think it really frames up the quilt.

Here is the quilt out on my lawn. Great little lap size.

Here it is in the magazine!! Great photo!

Yup... there I am too! This was a quick and easy project to make and would make a great gift. You can make it too!

Simple Quilts hit the newsstands on 9/27! So they are available. I don't have it yet in the shop, but as soon as they come in, I will let you know.

By the way, what a wonderful showing of 1st month's blocks for the Blogger BOM!! Go take a look at the Flickr group to see the combos of fabrics that everyone is choosing. Fantastic!

Also, I made a link list on my right sidebar which will be a permanent list for you to the specific tutorials for the BOM. This way you don't have to search if you forget on the 25th of the month! Thank you, Krista for the idea!

All Stacked Up

Beanie

Hello Everyone,

1997-2011

She was so sweet and so loved. We will miss her very much.

Until Next Time...

Beanie

Today Is The Day... The First BOM Block Is Available!!

Hello Everyone,

Today the first block and tutorial is available for the BOM!! I am very excited about it and can't wait to see what you will all come up with.

All you need to do is click on over to see my friend Sherri at A Quilting Life and you will find all the instructions that you need for Block #1. Just click here.

Don't forget to post photos of your finished block to the Flickr group once it is complete. Just click here to join the group.

Also, if you have a blog, you can link below to your blog post about your BOM!

Don't forget, you can always click on the BOM button on anyone's blog to go back to the original post with all the instructions and links at any time to find the blogger posting the block for that month.

Scroll down to link up!

Enjoy!

Until Next Time...

Today Is The Day... The First BOM Block Is Available!!

Retreat Progress

Hello Everyone,

Most of you know that I have flown the coop for the week to go on a retreat that my friend Pam and I had been anticipating for a whole year!

We are in Montana at Judy Niemeyer's retreat center and we are having a blast! We got here a few days early to do some sight seeing and I will share that with you all on a later post. I thought you might be slightly more interested in what I am working on... project wise.

I started with these...

I made quite a bit of them and then put them on the design wall...

Hmmm... it must have been way too early in the morning when I did this?

There, now that is much better! This is the center of the quilt. All from Kaffe Fassett fabrics.

I look pretty pleased with myself at this point, but the day was still young and I had a lot more sewing to be done.

I completed a few more units and added them to the Lone Star. Definitely changing the shape of things to come. I continued to press on and was able to complete this...

Now I am really loving the way it looks. You know me, I am definitely not afraid of color. Just a little more to do and hopefully by late tomorrow I will have a quilt top! Just maybe.

For inquiring minds, all the fabrics are Kaffe Fassett and the Pattern is Summer Solstice by Judy Niemeyer. All of which can be found in my online shop.

While I am away... Don't forget...

1. To enter the giveaway for the Kona Cotton Bundle, just click here.

2. To join in on the FREE BOM quilt along, just click here.

I'll be back soon!

Until Next Time...

Retreat Progress

Kona Giveaway!

Hello Everyone,

I thought that while I am away on my quilting retreat, I would do a little giveaway for all you!!

How would you like to win this nice little stack of Kona Cotton Solids??

If you would like a chance, please visit one of the newest blogs that I sponsor. My friend Char, at Crap I've Made, is hosting this giveaway for me! Yes, that is the name of her blog! She is funny and creative, I know you will love her!

Just...

Click Here to Enter the Giveaway

and tell Char that I said hello!

If you just can't wait for the giveaway and you need that little stack right now...

you can get yours by clicking here.

Don't forget to join in on the fun with the Blogger's BOM Quilt Along! It is FREE, and you can read all about it by clicking here.

Until Next Time...

Kona Giveaway!

Blogger's BOM Quilt Along

Hello Everyone,

Several months ago, I was thinking about doing a BOM for FREE for all my readers and more... on my blog. But I really wanted to make it interesting. So I thought about it for a little while and decided to invite some of my very talented quilty blogging friends to be part of this program. They are all designing the blocks and doing the tutorials for you to follow in making the blocks each month.

Blogger's BOM was born. (You don't need to have a blog to join in on the fun!) About a month or so ago I sent the following fabrics to the designers...

From top to bottom: Guinea Flower - Gold, Paperweight - Purple, Aboriginal Dot - Grey, Clover Dots - Green, Spot - Magenta, Shirt Stripes - Green.

I wanted the final quilt that we created to have a cohesive look. These fabrics are all from the Kaffe Fassett Collective and available in my shop.

But you do not have to use these, you can use your own fabrics to create this BOM.

This is meant to be a scrap quilt, so we don't have yardages for the total quilt yet as we don't know exactly how it will finish. Each designer will tell you what you need to complete their block.

Here is how it will work...

1. On the 25th of every month (except December, it will be either a day or two earlier or later), you will come to my blog and see which blogger's month it is for the block.

2. I will link you to their blog for the tutorial. Then you can go ahead and make the block for that month. The blocks are all 8.5 inches square.

But wait, that is not all...

3. Each month, on my blog, I will have a Mr. Linky and you can link back to your blog showing off your block from the previous month. In fact, you can link up this month to show us that you are participating!! Just scroll down to Mr. Linky, we would love to see you there.

4. I also have a Flicker group set up so that anyone participating can post their blocks there as well.

5. We all would like you to spread the word about this wonderful FREE Blogger's BOM, so grab the button below and link back to this post. That way, more people can find out about it and join in on the fun! The more the merrier, right??

The BOM will run from September 2011 - October 2012. The last month will be the setting or finishing layout of the quilt.

It is meant for ALL levels of quilters. It is ALL pieced.

<div align="center"><a href="http://cvquiltworks.blogspot.com/2011/09/bloggers-bom-quilt-along.html" title="Canton Village Quilt Works"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6070/6149318355_8ab1bb94b1_o.jpg" alt="Canton Village Quilt Works" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

The reason for the Mariner's Compass block in the button is that... we will be your guides for the BOM.

I bet you all want to know who the talented designers for this BOM are...

September - Sherri McConnell - A Quilting Life

October - Vicki Welsh - Field Trips in Fiber

November - Stephanie Dunphy - Loft Creations

December - Pat Sloan - The Voice Of Quilting

January - John Adams - Quilt Dad

February - Amy Smart - Diary of a Quilter

March - Allison Harris - Cluck, Cluck, Sew

April - Amy Lobsiger - Mrs. Schmenkmen Quilts

May - Cathy Underhill - Cabbage Quilts

June - Pam Vieira-McGinnis - Pam Kitty Morning

July - Victoria Findlay Wolfe - Bumble Beans Inc.

August - Amy Ellis - Amy's Creative Side

September - Sarah Fielke - The Last Piece

October - Jackie Kunkel - Canton Village Quilt Works (me)

This is a wonderful and talented group of individuals. We all hope that you will join us in the fun!!

Come on and link up below!

Linking doesn't mean you are committed.

Until Next Time...

Blogger's BOM Quilt Along

Studio Tour

Hello Everyone,

It has been a while since I have taken you all on a tour of my studio. It has gone major transitions since I opened my online shop. I had to add tons of shelving to hold all that gorgeous fabric.

So come on along and take a peek...

This is what you see when you enter the doorway. Straight ahead is my sewing machine station and to the left of it is my AccuQuilt Studio Cutter. Stephanie... do you see the quilt you made for me? It makes me smile every day!

Directly to your right is shelving that houses some batiks. Directly to the left there are batiks lined up on the floor. (Hmmm... do I need more shelves??)

Here is a better photo of the batiks.

Step into the room a bit and turn to the left and you see my long arm. My favorite wall is just behind the long arm, it holds all the Kona Cotton Solids and my thread used on all customer quilts. I like to call it the Great Wall of Color.

Step in just a little further and turn and look on the other side of my long arm and you will see the wall of Kaffe Fassett, 1930s, batiks, and clearance. By far, this wall has mostly Kaffe Fassett Fabrics.

What is that you say, you can't quite see the wall? Here is a better peek.

A better look at all those glorious threads.

The Kona Cotton Solids, Art Gallery, and Australian Fabrics.

This is the where all the work gets done. Answering e-mails, printing orders, and cutting all the orders. The nerve center of my business.

The only thing that I can't show you is my design wall. Something is on it which you will find out about soon, I promise.

I love my space and spend quite a good portion of my day there. The commute is short and the day is always wonderful. I love my job!

My husband heard this quote from someone and I so believe it fits me...

"If you love what you do, you will never work another day in your life!"

Enough said!

Hope you enjoyed the tour!

Until Next Time...

Studio Tour

Kona Quilt

Hello Everyone,

When my long time customer, very talented quilter, and friend Sara came over the other day to drop off another quilt for quilting, she also brought along a surprise!!

Last time she was over, she did some shopping in my shop and purchased a ton of Kona Solids. She wanted to replicate a painting. She showed me a photo of it and we set out picking the right colors.

Here is the final result. Don't you just love it?

This was a lot of hard work and planning too, because she couldn't just strip piece it, she had to cut individual squares and then arrange them in the correct order before sewing them together.

She stitched in the ditch with a variegated thread and chose this square dot fabric for the backing. Both choices were perfect!!

Here she is, Sara and her quilt! She says she has it hanging in the perfect place in her home too. I am sure it looks fantastic and I can see her smiling every time she walks by it. I know that I would be!

If you are so inclined to make a quilt similar to Sara's quilt, just click here to see all the Kona Cotton Solids that I have in stock! New ones are being added this week!!

Also, please remember today all those who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks.

Until Next Time...

Kona Quilt

A Pile and A Prayer

Hello Everyone,

When I found out my blogging friend Amy's husband had passed, I was so saddened. I immediately sent her a card and began to send my best thoughts and prayers for her and her daughter, Anabel.

Then my other blogging friend, Sarah, put out a call to help in making a quilt for Amy and Anabel by sending a block or two.

Because Amy just adores Kaffe Fassett fabrics, like myself, we were asked to use them along with white. This is the pile of scraps I began with for the block.

Then cut them into various size 2 inch strips....

and pieced them into a block like this one and also...

this one.

Here they are together. Right now they are winging their way to Sarah so they can be pieced together into one or two quilts for Amy and Anabel.

If you know Amy and Anabel and would like to help out, just click here read about it and then send Sarah an e-mail.

All my love and BIG hugs went into these blocks and will be part of quilts that will wrap them in love for a long time to come.

Until Next Time...

A Pile and A Prayer

Washed and Pressed

Hello Everyone,

First, my apologies for the poor photo quality, it was a gloomy, rainy day here so the lighting was pretty bad. I digress, I did entitle this post washed and pressed, because that is what my fabric for my next two projects are...

Remember this project that I talked about here...

The fabric is now all washed and pressed. Some of you might ask, why I wash and press my fabrics. That is a great question! There are several reasons why I do, especially when I have the time..

1. The colors that will bleed will do it before they get into the quilt. I throw a Shout Color Catcher (get a free sample here) in the wash with them and they work fabulously to remove any excess dye.

2. To remove any of the sizing that is in the fabrics. This I like to do for a couple of reasons, if it is for a baby quilt or a pillow case especially, I like all the chemicals to be gone. The other reason is that I think that the quilting looks nicer on fabric that has been washed. I am not sure why, maybe the fibers in the fabric are now more fluffy causing the quilt stitches to look nicer... I am not sure, but it sounds good right??

Sometimes, if I am working on a deadline it is just not possible to wash and iron so it has to wait. But my preference is to wash and press.

Do you wash your fabric or not and why??

All pressed on the right, the stack on the left still has to be pressed. And then...

All these batiks that I chose for a second project are in need of a good pressing! Any takers??? LOL!

Until Next Time...

Washed and Pressed