Washed, Pressed, and Ready!

Hello Everyone,

I may have mentioned that my daughter will be heading to college in August... so being the good quilting mom that I am,  I can't possibly send her without a college quilt.

The school colors are cherry red and white.

So I picked a nice selection of reds from my stash.  Funny when I was looking for cherry red, I kept finding more orangey reds and fuchsia.  Weird, I thought I had mostly cherry reds and I have A LOT of red in my stash.  This is what I came up with and I think they are pretty good.  

Yes, there is one orangey red there, but for what I have planned it should work fine.

Of course I couldn't go with just plain old white, I thought that would be too boring for her.  So, I did some more stash diving and came up breathing with the above black and white fabrics.  I might add more to give it more interest.

They are all washed, mostly because red is just notorious for bleeding.  Since I am pairing them with predominantly white fabrics this is definitely a concern.  I threw 2 Shout Color Catchers into the wash with the reds and they really took TONS of the red out.

Now I am ready to cut!  This one is going to be fun.  My own design and lots and lots of little squares.  But I only have about a 1.5 months to do it... eek!  

I need to run and put the pedal to the metal.... see you soon!

Until Next Time...

Washed, Pressed, and Ready!

Finally... A Winner!!

Hello Everyone,

So sorry this took me so long, but I finally chose two winners... and a new name for my Desert Sky quilt!!

Let me introduce you to Berries Jubilee!

Wendy is the winner for naming the quilt!  She said:

When I look at this quilt it reminds me of a celebration of color! How about "Berries Jubilees"

The runner up is Christina Gilman!  She said:

For some reason, I'm thinking about Salt Water Taffy after seeing this quilt. I'm sure everyone else has already suggested every possible permutation of "berry", so I won't. Fruit Loops?

Thank you both for such great names!!  

Until Next Time...

Finally... A Winner!!

Blogger's BOM Month 10

Hello Everyone,

I can't believe that it has been 10 wonderful months!!  Wow!  I am so enjoying everyone's blocks and all the variations on the Flickr group.  Please go and take a look by clicking here.

To sum up what we have now, the first 7 months...

Month 8...

Month 9...

If you need to catch up on your blocks you can find them by going to my right side bar and clicking on the links for whichever month you are missing.  When you click on the link, it will take right to the corresponding tutorial.

This month is month 10 and we have a brand new block for you!!  I am so excited for you to see this one.  This block is presented to you by the infamous...

Pam Kitty Morning... PKM!!  If you don't know Pam, well she is just the sweetest and very, very talented.  She has her own fabric lines too!!   If you would like to hear from PKM, I did a podcast interview with her and you can listen to it by clicking here or going to iTunes here.

But for the moment you have all been waiting for, just click here to go to the tutorial for Block 10!!

Then don't forget to post it to the Flickr group, we love to see your versions!!

Enjoy!

Until Next Time...

Blogger's BOM Month 10

Sharing the Love

Hello Everyone,

Today is my birthday and I want to share the love with ALL my readers!  First, if I could have any cake for my birthday, it would be one just like this...

All chocolate and layered, and I would share it with all of you.  This one is called Died and Gone to Heaven Chocolate Layer Cake... the calories are being absorbed just looking at it.  You can find the recipe here.

Now sharing more love... I am having for ONE DAY ONLY a BIG SALE in my shop!!

Take 23% off EVERYTHING*!!  

Yes, patterns, kits, bundles, pre-cuts, yardage, notions, ribbons, yes, yes, yes!!  All you need to do is use the code:

birthday23 

at checkout to receive the discount!

Start shopping now by clicking here.

Also, don't forget to enter the giveaway here.

*excludes clearance items.

Until Next Time...

Sharing the Love

Let's Celebrate With A Giveaway!!

Hello Everyone,

Today is my parent's 55th wedding anniversary and tomorrow is my birthday!  I won't disclose how many years though...

So, I thought I would kick off the celebratory weekend with a giveaway!

How would you like some of Kaffe Fassett's Aboriginal Dots??  These are the perfect fabrics to be in any project!

There are 8 fat quarters in this giveaway!

But if you would like these now you can get them at my shop by clicking here, and there are many more colors available too!

But if you would like to enter the giveaway, you will need to go visit my friend Maureen, at Maureen Cracknell Handmade.  Read her blog post and follow the instructions.  While you are there poke around a bit and tell her I said hello!

Don't forget to come back here tomorrow for another surprise!

Click here to enter the giveaway!

Until Next Time...

Let's Celebrate With A Giveaway!!

In Just 2.5 Weeks...

Hello Everyone,

As many of you know, I will be heading out to Montana in just 2.5 weeks to become one of Judy Niemeyer's National Certified Teachers!  I am very excited about this and have many scheduled workshops and classes on my calendar already.  You can see where I will be by clicking here.  

While I am out there, we will be learning her new Technique of the Month (TOM).  Isn't it just gorgeous?  

The TOM can only be taught by Certified Teachers and shops.  The pattern is only available through them as well.  Yes, I WILL BE ONE... insert happy dance here!!  The pattern will not be out until December and I will begin teaching this in January, 2013.  I am already booking!!  If you would like to have me come to your guild or shop to teach this TOM, please send me an e-mail.

It will be offered in an Octagon (like above), a Wall Hanging, and a Queen Size.  I will be working on my beginning in July and will show you my progress here on the blog as it begins to form.  So stay tuned.

If you would like to see what other Judy Niemeyer quilt patterns are available, just click here.  These are a must if you are a paper piecing fanatic, like I am.

Until Next Time...

In Just 2.5 Weeks...

Proud

Hello Everyone,

As many of you know this weekend was a fantastic weekend for our family.  

Our daughter graduated HS and will be heading off to college.  We couldn't be more proud of her!

Congratulations, sweetie!  We love you!

Until Next Time...

Proud

Scenes From a Photo Shoot

Hello Everyone,

Thank you to all who entered the giveaway for naming the quilt pictured below.  I still haven't decided on the name yet, but it will be soon and then I will announce the winners!

Yesterday was a picture perfect day and I needed to do a photo shoot of all my Judy Niemeyer quilts.  I wanted to get good photos for the guilds, groups and shops that would like me to come to lecture, do a trunk show or a workshop.  

Taking the quilts outside in the daylight really gives them better lighting to show the true colors and I get much better photos.  But there were a few little things from the photo shoot that I wanted to share...

A crooked photo that was an accident.

I had a critic watching me... see in the lower right corner.  He was making sure that everything was okay. 

How could I resist that face??

I think towards the end of the photo shoot, he was getting just a whee bit bored. It looks like he might have found the bugs and critters more fun to watch.

For those of you who are wondering, I use these drapery clips to hold the quilts up on the quilt stand.  They work like a charm.  Then once I had all the photos done, I edit them and crop all the extraneous things out of the photos.  

So now I have a photo like this.  Not too bad. But just remember, I took close to 80 photos.  Multiples of each quilt and then edited each photo and chose only one of each quilt.  It is a process, but worth it.

Today is the day that our oldest graduates High School!! We are going to have a very festive weekend! Stay tuned.

Until Next Time...

Scenes From a Photo Shoot

It Has Been A Long Time...

Hello Everyone,

It has been way too long since I posted my last podcast!  I can't believe it almost 2 months.  Please accept my sincerest apologies to all my listeners.  But I think you will be happy with my newest episode.

Episode 37 gets you caught up on all the latest happenings with me and some inside details of upcoming events.  I also talk about some of my favorite people too!  It is chock full of new info, it should not disappoint.

You can now listen to it from your computer by clicking here.  And later on today you should be able to grab it off of iTunes.  Remember, they are ALWAYS free!!

Enjoy!

Until Next Time...

It Has Been A Long Time...

What Makes a Day a Good Day?

Hello Everyone,

Taking the time to notice the little things sometimes makes a day good and possibly great!

Over the last three days here are some of the things that made my day.

A Luna moth on my driveway.  Just perfection!

Feathers I quilted on a quilt.

Best buds taking a snooze together.

Major cuteness watching me outside.

Date night dinner with my hubs on Friday...  super yummy!

And a picture perfect end to the day on Saturday.

To make your day better, don't forget to enter my giveaway here.

So... what makes your day a good day?

Until Next time...

What Makes a Day a Good Day?

The Last Round

Hello Everyone,

This month wrapped up the Improvi-Robin!  I had to put the last round onto Miki's quilt which was sent to me from Stephanie.

This is how I received the quilt.  Stephanie had added the larger borders and the appliqué  leaves.  It was gorgeous!

As soon as I opened it up, I had just the perfect colors of fabrics to go with it on my ironing board!!  Do you believe it?  I couldn't, but was thrilled.  So what to do?  

I decided to add four patches and triangles to the right side and the top.  I didn't feel that it needed four more borders.

Here is a peek at the right side.  Aren't the colors just right? I couldn't be happier!

I even mitered the corner, it really called for this to be done.

Here is the finished piece.  I sure hope Miki is happy with it, even though I was a little late in getting it off to her.  I sent it back yesterday via priority mail so she should have it in no time flat.

If you want to see the progression of this top, check out our Flickr group.  You will also see the other quilts in progress.

It was fun being in this round robin, it helps you to stretch your creativity a bit. The next blog post, I will share with you my block that I received back from Stephanie.

PS.  Don't forget to enter my fabric and pattern giveaway going on... here.

Until Next Time...

The Last Round

A Berry Good Giveaway

Hello Everyone,

As many of you know I was on a retreat last week.  During that week I finished my Desert Sky Quilt. I am really in love with the way that it turned out too!

But as with all my quilts, I rename them because they don't necessarily look like what the original pattern was named.

I thought I would have a little contest to name this quilt.  What better way than to ask my readers? 

So what do you think I should name this quilt?  

There will be two winners!!

One winner will receive Judy Niemeyer's pattern. 

One winner will receive 6 batik fat quarters.... 2 blue, 2 hot pink, and 2 green from the fabrics that I used in the quilt.

Here is how to enter:

1.  You MUST leave a comment here on THIS blog post giving me your suggestion for a name for the quilt and you must leave a way for me to get a hold of you (preferably e-mail)

That is it!! 

The winners will be chosen... one will be the person who named my quilt and the other will be randomly chosen.

The giveaway will remain open through June 11.

If you like to purchase either the pattern or batik fabrics they can be found by clicking here and here.

Best of luck to all!

***This giveaway is now closed.  Thank you to all who entered***

Until Next Time...

A Berry Good Giveaway

Do You Know My Friend Victoria?

Hello Everyone,

Well I am getting back into the groove, I think, from being on the retreat.  I worked a full day yesterday and then went to an Honors celebration last night for my daughter.  Did I mention, she is graduating this year?  Woohoo!!  Over the past few weeks it has been a whirlwind, she has has received 2 scholarships in addition to the one she received from the college she will be attending... very proud Mama here!

Now onto my friend, Victoria...

  I would like to share with you two fabulous accomplishments that a dear friend of mine has made!

First up her newest quilt design, Picadilly Circus can be found in the newest issue of Quilt Magazine!  Bright and cheerful for the summer, or for a lovely baby quilt.  Victoria also did all the glorious feather quilting too!

You can find her quilt in the newest issue of Quilt Magazine August/September 2012.  You can find your copy in my shop by clicking here.

But Victoria has some fantastic news, she has also written a book!!  I have known about this for a while, as I quilted many of the quilts that you will find in this book.  Take a look at the cover...

Gorgeous isn't it?  It is available for pre-order on Amazon too!  You can find out more about her book by clicking here and you can pre-order the book from Amazon by clicking here.

So please jump on over to Victoria's blog and give her a BIG congratulations!! She has worked hard and long and I have watched it all!!

Congratulations, my friend!! Smiling from ear to ear!!

Until Next Time...

Do You Know My Friend Victoria?