Monday, August 29, 2011

Poseidon

Hello Everyone,

Some of you might have noticed that I have been scarce the last few days. Well, the hubs and I took a little trip and guess what? Our flights were cancelled to return home because of Hurricane Irene. So, yes I will be coming home, but not as scheduled.

For those of you waiting for orders to ship, they will ship on Wednesday the 30th. I am so sorry for the inconvenience.

But in the meantime, while you are all waiting for me to return to my regularly scheduled program, I thought I would do a little giveaway!!


I know you all LOVE Kona Cotton Solids, right? If you would like to win the Poseidon bundle, please visit my friend Vanessa as she is hosting the giveaway! Please tell her I said hello! If you would like one now you can purchase it here on my website.


Wish me luck in getting home on Tuesday and I will also have the winner of Quilt Album then too!

Until Next Time...

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Friday, August 26, 2011

BASICally...Let's Come Together

Hello Everyone,

Last year, I had the pleasure of helping my friend Victoria of Bumble Beans quilt a boat load of quilt tops for Basics, Inc. What is Basics you ask?

BASICS/Promesa, is a community based organization in the South Bronx, New York City.
Our goal is to assist disadvantaged families and individuals,
as well as to enhance their ability to thrive in the community.
The organization offers housing services, primary care, substance abuse,
mental health and harm reduction services—
everything an individual needs in order to recover
and actively participate in the betterment of our community.
We are writing to ask for your participation in the Organization’s Quilt Drive,
an ongoing initiative to supply the homeless families that we serve with quilts.
Victoria Findlay Wolfe and Pat Sloan are now helping in soliciting from quilters from all over the country
.


Here is Victoria presenting a donated quilt.


Another happy recipient.


And another. So would you like to get involved?

This year Victoria is teaming up with another friend of mine Pat Sloan...


Great photo of the two of them, cute, huh? I digress... if you would like to help, I am going to be offering my quilting services again FREE of charge for any donated top. However, currently I can only take 5 tops.

So if you have a top you would like to donate, please send me an e-mail. All you need to do is send the top and the backing, I am also donating the batting. I will give you all the info you need to get the top to me.


If you have a completed top or are willing to do all the work yourself just click on this link to find out how to get your top directly to Basics!

We need 400 more tops!! We can do this to help this very worthy cause!! Quilters are some of the best people!!

Until Next Time...

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Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Quilted and Bound

Hello Everyone,

I am so pleased, my little quilt "Night Flight" is now quilted and bound! I did it, I made the September 2 deadline. Yippee!

So I wanted to show you before I send it off. It was all because I had this one block that I had made years ago and decided to finish...


The star... I just thought that that needed some simple quilting.


The large flying geese, I felt needed something a little more special. Also, I used variegated thread.


Here is the entire quilt. I used Kona Black for the binding.


I used Terrie Mangat's Knot Dot for the backing. Added the sleeve and the labels.


Finished at 15" X 20". So that is how this unfinished block turned into a quilt. Now on its way to the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo in Chantilly, VA and then will make the rounds to the other locations. It will be part of the NY Metro Mod Guild Exhibit.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway by clicking here.


Until Next Time...

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Monday, August 22, 2011

Document Your Quilts With This Giveaway!

Hello Everyone,

Recently I was asked by my friend, Pat Sloan to review a fantastic product for quilters. I said sure! The product is called Quilt Album. It is a documentation tool and more for quilters.


You can read about this product and enter for a chance to win a FREE download so that you too can preserve all those quilts that you work so hard to make.

To read about it and enter the giveaway, you must


The giveaway will remain open through 10:00 EST on August 26th.

Also, if you can't wait to win, you can receive $5 off your order of Quilt Album by using the code in my side bar. Copy the code and click on the image to order yours!


Until Next Time...

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Saturday, August 20, 2011

Selecting Fabrics for A New Project... My Process

Hello Everyone,

Over the past few days I have been selecting fabrics for a new project. In less than a month, I will be attending a Judy Niemeyer Retreat in Montana and I will be starting one of her newer patterns, Summer Solstice. (Pssst... there are only 2 still in stock)

Of course, I needed to do this one bright and with Kaffe Fassett Fabrics. But I really wasn't sure what or how I wanted it to look. So, I called on my friend Pam to come over.

We pulled many fabrics off my shop's shelves and played. This is the stack that we narrowed it down to in the end.


However, these weren't the first choices. So I thought I might tell you about what went on in my head. I hope you don't get too bored.

For the Lone Star portion of the quilt I decided that I wanted the rainbow effect or ROYGBIV. The Lone Star had to have that wonderful color burst. We were able to gather all the fabrics that I thought would do the trick. But then we had to do the NY Beauty blocks. Not too difficult, we chose reds and greens.

But then the road block, the first, second, and third border. Initially we had picked a bright sunny yellow for the first border, repeated the deepest darkest purple for the skinny second border, and then repeated the reds in the pieced border. I, at first liked the idea. But after stepping away from it all, it kept bothering me. I thought "this is just going to be way too much in your face BRIGHT"

What say you... too bright for me? Yep, that is right! So out came the colored pencils. Do you do this too?


In Judy's patterns she gives you a black and white rendition of the pattern. I made four copies and started penciling in what was in my head. The Lone Star has the rainbow effect that I wanted. I also like the NY Beauties.

But I felt that the Lone Star needed to be set against black to really make it the centerpiece of the whole quilt. I felt that if I had used the bright yellow, it just would have been too much.

Then I decided to repeat the green in the skinny border and have the red in the pieced outer border. I am happy with the penciled in result, but feel that Kaffe's fabrics will make this one really shine. What do you think of this rendition?


Here is the original sheet from Judy's pattern. She has spaces where you can place snippets of your fabrics to keep track. Out came the glue pen and tape and I affixed them all. It really is a great system.


Here you see the cover quilt, totally different colors, my penciled mock up, and my fabric cheat sheet.


This photo show you the fabrics for the pieced border, the skinny inner border and the black border. I do find it appealing to my eye. Although the order and amount of the red fabric may change slightly. What do you think?


On the left is the Lone Star line up of fabrics, on the right the NY Beauty line up and the black batik is what they will all rest against. This batik was one that I had purchased years ago and just pulled from my stash. But all the others came straight from my shop!

What do you think of the colors? Do they make you smile like they are making me smile? How do you go about choosing fabrics for a new project? Is it random, or planned? Does it change along the way?

Speaking of color... please stop by Rachel's fabulous blog, Stitched in Color. I am one of her newest sponsors and she did a fabulous post about me... I am blushing, honored, and humbled. While you are there, browse around a little, such a fun place and tons of inspiration!!

Until Next Time...

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Thursday, August 18, 2011

Night Flight

Hello Everyone,

Remember back in April when I blogged about this here, and then again last week here. Well I did finish this block and made it into a mini quilt for the NY Metro Mod Guild traveling show.


I added large geese and...


really teeny tiny flying geese. Pure insanity! Not sure that I will do those ever again.


Here it is Night Flight. It finishes at 15" X 20" and still needs to be quilted and bound. I have to get it all done and sent off by September 2. Do you think I can do it??? If you want to see it in person and the others from the NY Metro Mod Guild you can see them traveling the country at the Original Sewing and Quilting Expo beginning in Chantilly, VA on September 29. Be sure to check the other locations and dates!

Don't forget... all batiks are on sale for $8.00 per yard through the 19th. Just click here to get started.

Until Next Time...

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Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Love That Dirty Water...

Hello Everyone,

Yep, that is Boston! If you are curious where the reference to dirty water comes from, it is a song from the 1960s you can click here to read more.

We visited one of our favorite cities on Saturday and I selected a few photos for a tour of Boston.

Our day started here...


The Samuel Adams Brewery. Yes, bright and early at 11:00 they give you beer samples. However, I am not a drinker, so I did not partake but found the tour interesting. The hubs enjoyed his samples.


This is a photo of hops and a dark barley that goes into the beer. We got to taste the various types of barley, they tasted strangely similar to Grape Nuts. The hops however, is not edible, but was aromatic.


On the way to and from the brewery, we passed this art studio that made sculptures from iron and metal. This guy was quite pensive.


Then there was this gang on the side of the building. I found these sculptures quite clever and amusing.


It was a warm day and we passed this area where children were running through this wonderful area were water was synchronized and came through holes in the walkway. Fun to hear the screams of glee when the water popped up out of the ground!


A little quilty inspiration on the wharf. A Mariner's Compass to guide you in your travels.


My eldest and I on the wharf.


A duck doing some preening.


In the North End of Boston, an Italian festival. This is my heritage and I always feel quite at home around food and fun.


At the Copp's Hill Burying ground. I always find it interesting to walk through here and learn something new about the history every time. It was founded in 1659 and the two oldest stones are 1661 and 1678.


Then onto the Bunker Hill Monument. We did not climb up to the top this top this time, too hot!


But we were treated to a real musket firing. These were the weapons that were used in the battle of Bunker Hill. Very interesting, but also very ineffective. The soldiers really had to be close enough that they could see the whites of each other's eyes. Yup, that's right, that close!

Hope you enjoyed my tour of Boston. It was a fun day and quite exhausting too.

Shop Notes: All Batiks are on sale this week for $8.00 per yard! Just click here to see what is in stock!

Until Next Time...

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Sunday, August 14, 2011

Do You Know This Quilter?

Hello Everyone,

You may have seen this beautiful quilt...


it was improvisational and beautiful!


The Kitchen Sink Quilt. But did you know that my good friend Victoria Findlay Wolfe made those and plenty more. She is quite the talented lady. So I thought it was high time that I formally introduced you to her.


Here she is, no this isn't a mug shot, she was interviewed for Quilter's SOS last weekend at the Quilter's Take Manhattan Event. The interview will be cataloged in the Library of Congress. Plus the fact that she takes no prisoners... with her free style form of quilting, amazing projects come out of her studio!


Just thought I would throw this photo in of the two of us. But I really want you all to get to know her better, so last Sunday we sat down together and I interviewed her for my podcast!!


Yes, now you too can listen to both of us discussing tons of quilty things. How she began quilting, what inspires her, and what makes her tick!

To listen to this riveting interview you can either download it for free from iTunes by searching Jackie's Quilting Chronicles or you can click here and listen to it directly from your computer, also for free!

Enjoy our little chat! And if you wouldn't mind also going over to say hello to Victoria and tell her I sent you, I know that would make her day!! Just click here to be whisked away!


Until Next Time...

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Friday, August 12, 2011

Wonky

Hello Everyone,

It is now month two of the Two's Company Bee. This month was Amanda Jean of Crazy Mom Quilts month.

She sent me a square of aqua and a strip of white fabric. I needed to add some red and to use this Tutorial for the block.


I must say this is the first time I mad a WONKY star and really enjoyed the process. It was quite easy to do as well.


The block is made and on its way back home. I hope you enjoy it Amanda Jean. Thanks for the chance to make this fun block.

Housekeeping: Today is the LAST day of the Australian fabric sale!! They are all marked down to $7.95 per yard. Just click here to get started.


Until Next Time...

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Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Sew In With NYC Metro Mod

Hello Everyone,

After all the excitement of the Quilter's Take Manhattan event in NYC, we did manage to get some sewing in with friends.

Everyone is a member of the NYC Metro Mod quilt guild and all extremely talented. I wanted to share some of the wonderful things that everyone was working on that day.


First up, this was Earamicha's Alzheimer's Quilt. I just love it, it really says a lot don't you think? Well done.


This one is by Victoria... Hmmm... I wonder if she had me in mind? They are totally my colors!


A quilt part of the Jay McCarroll challenge. This has his new line of fabric Habitat.


A string quilt... Love it!


David looking pensive, but in front of a very beautiful round robin quilt.


Teri Lucas gave a wonderful machine quilting demo. Hope to see you soon Teri!


Earamicha in front of her wonderfully graphic quilt.


Kim's quilt in progress. I love the color mix.


More works in progress.


Here is my block. Yes, the block was already made. What I did manage to make that day was the very teeny tiny flying geese you see on the side of this block. One word for geese this small... Insane!


Nicole with her beautiful Jay McCarroll challenge. Pomegranate was definitely the right choice, Nicole.

What a fun day and lots of inspiring projects!

One last thing... don't forget that all Australian fabrics are marked to $7.95 per yard through Friday in my shop! Find yours by clicking here.

Until Next Time....

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