olive and ollie

a little inspiration

2012-01-27T04:00:00.000-08:00

It's been a crazy week for me, so I thought it might be nice to end it with a little inspiration. These are photos that I took a few weeks ago at one of my favorite places in Cincinnati, Krohn Conservatory. Krohn is a huge greenhouse that is architecturally gorgeous and full of breathtakingly lush scenery. I've been going there since I was a child, and I've been trying to take my children there every couple of months, and they enjoy it just as much as I do.

So gorgeous, right? Mother nature is pretty spectacular. One of these days I'm going to break out my paints and create some paintings based on these photos. Wouldn't that be fun?

If you are ever in the area, you need to schedule a visit to Krohn Conservatory. You won't be sorry!

Aunt Edna by Denyse Schmidt

2012-01-26T07:56:00.000-08:00

I stopped in my big box fabric store on Tuesday and was so excited to see that they had all of Denyse Schmidt's new line of fabrics called Aunt Edna in stock. So, even though I need more fabric like I need a hole in the head, I couldn't resist getting some of every print. They are gorgeous.

I love this floral print!!

And this leaf print with tiny dots is really nice in both colorways.

And the polka dots are some of my favorites! I especially love the grey print.

The plaids are gorgeous.

And I really love the houndstooth prints. I should have bought more of them! The tiny dot prints are cute, too.

The quality of the Aunt Edna line is very nice. The cotton is soft, seems to drape well and has a nice hand. Some of the earlier lines by DS Quitls for Fabric Traditions were kind of rough, but this one isn't. However, the price has increased on this line too. At my local store it was $12.99 yard, on sale for 30% off. But it is really gorgeous, and one of my favorite lines that Denyse has created. Now I just need to find the time to make something with it!

a quilt designer in the making?

2012-01-25T06:42:00.000-08:00

This is Olivia, my little girl. She's turning four next week--where does the time go??? She loves to help me when I'm working in my studio, and yesterday while her older brother was in school, she set out to design a pink castle quilt with some of my scraps.

As you can see, she took her design challenge very seriously.

She rearranged some squares, making sure every piece of fabric was in the right place.

And in the end, she was pretty happy with her own work. And I couldn't be more proud.

Crazy in love with Crazy Love

2012-01-24T07:25:00.000-08:00

Seriously! How gorgeous is this fabric?? It's Crazy Love, the upcoming line by Jennifer Paganelli of Sis Boom. Jennifer was kind enough to send me some to play with before it hits stores in March and I finally had the chance to cut into it last night. This just might be my favorite line of Jennifer's yet.

This is one of my favorite prints and I think Jennifer's use of color is spectacular. I can't wait to finish my project and share it with you, so you can see just how amazingly gorgeous Crazy Love is.

vintage quilt monday :: wool suiting patchwork

2012-01-23T04:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to another Vintage Quilt Monday post. This quilt is a far cry from the beauty that I shared with you last week, right? But I think it has it's own unique beauty as well, if you just take a closer look. This is a simple patchwork quilt, that is actually unfinished, and it's from the group of quilts that was given to me by my step-mother. Either her grandma or great-grandma made this one.

This quilt is a lap sized blanket that has been made out of squares of wool suiting. There are solids, plaids, and a little bit of everything in this quilt. The wool squares have been sewn together to make a top and it looks like the maker was going to finish it with the pillow case turn method, where you sew the top to the bottom, right sides together, and leave an opening to turn the quilt right side out before quilting. But, for some reason, this quilt was never finished.

I love how most of the seams are pressed open.

And if you peek on the inside of the quilt, you'll see that the backing was to be this strawberry printed flannel.

Quite an interesting choice for a back, right?

Here's a better shot of the strawberry flannel.

And while this quilt might not be as classically beautiful as some of the other quilts that I've shared with you in this series, I kind of like it's utilitarian feel, and the fact that it was probably made with scraps of old suits. I also love that, since it is unfinished, it gives a peek into how the quiltmaker worked.

do what you love, live your dream and share your passion

2012-01-19T10:27:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share a little inspiration with you today. Please take a moment and watch this video, which I think is totally amazing.

The Holstee Manifesto Lifecycle Video from Holstee on Vimeo.

Life is short. Do what you love. Live your dream and share your passion. That's what it's all about.

happy mail, via craftsy

2012-01-18T04:00:00.000-08:00

Ah, Pezzy Print by American Jane. How cute is this fabric? I ordered a couple of charm packs a few weeks ago when it was a featured item on Craftsy Deals. Are you familiar with Craftsy Deals? Each day, a new deal is featured, and items are usually 20-30% off retail prices. You can sign up to be notified of sales on their website, and then you'll get a daily email with all of the Craftsy Deals that are available. This was my first purchase of a Crafty Deal and it was very easy to complete and shipment was quick too.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them, but I just couldn't resist getting a couple of packs. And if you'd like some Pezzy Prints, there's a deal on Craftsy now for a Pezzy Print Jelly Roll. I'm almost tempted to get one of those too, but I need more fabric like I need a hole in the head. But, there's nothing like some good, fabric happy mail, right?!

scraps galore!

2012-01-17T12:08:00.000-08:00

Update! As of today, 1/18/12, these bags are all that are left. I have a few more emails to answer to people who have contacted me about scraps, so if you haven't heard back from me, I'll be in touch ASAP. Thank you for all of your interest!

I have way too many scraps. I've used a lot, but I'm at the point where I'm ready for other people to use them. As I've been working on redecorating and decluttering my studio, I've found even more! So, I thought I'd offer them up for sale to you. Each bag is $5 plus $5 shipping, for US buyers. If you live outside of the US, please email me first so I can estimate shipping for you.

All of the scraps are in 1-gallon zip lock bags, and they are stuffed to the brim! All of the fabric is designer prints, and a bit of solids, all woven cottons with some home dec weight as well. There is a lot of Amy Butler, Heather Bailey, Joel Dewberry, Sandi Henderson, Michael Miller, Riley Blake, and more! I've taken photos of the fronts and backs all of the bags that I have available, and I've numbered them as well. So, if you see a bag that you'd like to have, send me an email at olive_and_ollie at yahoo dot com and it's yours!

These scraps would be perfect for any type of patchwork projects. Happy shopping!

a little something to share

2012-01-16T21:04:00.000-08:00

Actually, it's more of a big something to share, I suppose! I was recently invited to be a member of Riley Blake's Project Design Team! And I'm in pretty good company, if I do say so myself. Here's the list of the entire Design Team.

Becky Vandenberg- www.ucreatewithkids.com/

Liz and Elizabeth- www.simplesimonandco.com/

Maureen Cracknell- www.maureencracknellhandmade.blogspot.com/

Melissa Mortenson- www.polkadotchair.com/

Heather Jones- www.oliveandollie.com/

Lindsay Wilkes- www.thecottagehome.blogspot.com/

Jennifer Hadfield- www.tatertosandjello.com/

Madame Samm- www.sewiquiltnow.com/

Char Coester- www.crapivemade.com/

Tam Bennett- www.sewdangcutecrafts.com/

I'm beyond honored to be invited to be part of such a fantastic team of creative women and I'm so excited about all of the projects that we've got in store for you. You'll find a new tutorial from one of us every Wednesday on the Riley Blake blog, and the first project will be posted on February 1. We'll share all types of sewing and crafting projects, from quilting to garments to home decor. I'm already working on my first project for the Design Team, and I cannot wait to share it with you.

And if that weren't enough, we'll also be holding lots of giveaways of Riley Blake's amazing fabrics and notions, so you won't want to miss a thing!

vintage quilt monday :: dresden plate

2012-01-16T04:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to another addition of Vintage Quilt Monday. Today I'm sharing one of my absolute favorite vintage quilts that I own. This Dresden Plate quilt was another one from the group that my step-mom gave to me, and it was made either by her grandmother or great-grandmother.

Isn't it amazing? And it's in fantastic shape. No holes, no tears, no fading. I'm assuming that it didn't get used much, if any, at all. It's so gorgeous, and looks to be completely pieced and quilted by hand. Amazing, right?

The colorful pieces of the design are made out of all sorts of scraps, from what I'm assuming are feed sacks. There are so many fun prints! And the edges of the quilt are scalloped, repeating the scalloped shape of the Dresden Plates, with binding in a dark pink cotton.

No words that I could write would compare with this beauty, so I just took lots and lots of photos to share with you.

I love the little pink appliqued flowers!

And I love how the stitching looks from the back of the quilt!

Stunning, right? And how great would it be to reproduce some of those feed sack prints into fabric? Maybe someday!

a little inspiration

2012-01-14T08:41:00.000-08:00

Do you like inspirational quotes? I recently found a website (thank you, twitter) called The Daily Love that has some great, inspirational quotes. I've signed up to receive their quotes daily and I thought I'd share one that landed in my inbox this morning with you. Mark Twain said:

"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. When you are seeking to bring big plans to fruition, it is important with whom you regularly associate. Hang out with friends who are like-minded and who are also designing purpose-filled lives. Similarly, be that kind of a friend for your friends."

I love that! And I love having a little bit of love and inspiration land in my box everyday. I think it's a great way to start each day.

Ty Pennington likes my Anni quilt!

2012-01-13T09:23:00.000-08:00

Who knew?! My friend Rosanne tweeted the link to me, and I'm so glad she did because I had no idea about it. Ty wrote a bit about the Modern Quilt Guild and pulled a couple of his favorites from the MQG's flickr pool, including my Anni quilt. How fun is that?! Here's a link to Ty's website with his thoughts and more of his favorites.

connections

2012-01-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

Isn't it funny how they work? How the things you've done in the past can affect what happens to you in the future? I'm kind of amazed by them, and it's so fun to see connections made, strengthened, and evolve over time. I was thinking about that after a chat on skype yesterday. And with that being said, I have some big news to share with you next week, and I can't wait to spill the beans. But, unfortunately, I must, but just for a bit longer.

In the meantime, the photo above is an example of another connection. It's an Ohio Star barn quilt that sits outside of the city hall building in Xenia, Ohio. We drove past it yesterday morning, so I grabbed my phone and took a quick shot from the car. I've had Ohio Stars on my mind since I made this quilt.

That is my modern twist on the Ohio Star pattern. It was made as part of a challenge with my modern quilt guild for an upcoming exhibition that's taking place this spring. And I loved that I saw the Ohio Star barn quilt while driving, just another little connection that ties things all together.

vintage quilt mondays :: irish chain in blue and white

2012-01-08T20:14:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to another installment of Vintage Quilt Mondays! I'm so excited to share this quilt with you today. It is another one from the group of quilts that my step-mother gave to me, made by either her grandmother or great-grandmother. The pattern is the traditional Irish Chain design, and it's made entirely out only three different fabrics: a white solid (perhaps muslin), a navy blue and white floral print, and a navy blue and white pin dot. I think it's simplicity is stunning.

The quilt is in pristine shape. Which leads me to believe that it was probably never used, or at the very least, not used much as all.

The quilt appears to be entirely pieced and quilted by hand.

There must be thousands of tiny stitches that make up the quilting, which was done in a grid-like pattern., echoing the small squares that make up the Irish Chain design.

Here's a shot with my thumb in the photo to give you a sense of the scale of the squares. They're pretty tiny and measure about an inch or so on each side.

Isn't it amazing how modern this quilt feels, even though it's probably at least 70-80 years old? The simplicity of the design, the grid-like quilting pattern, and the vast amounts of negative space are all aspects that we see commonly in modern quilting. Yet this is just another example of how vintage quilts inspire many modern quilters, including me, today.

this is the year that I...

2012-01-06T08:05:00.000-08:00

Cut into all of this fabric that I have. I'm in the middle of cleaning out, decluttering, and rearranging my studio and I'm finding lots of things that I had forgotten about. I had been keeping a lot of things in plastic storage bins, but I'm taking them out and rearranging things and putting all of my fabric out where I can see it, and use it. First up is this big stack of Denyse Schmidt's County Fair.

And some Katie Jump Rope.

This is the year that I finally use my stack of Heather Ross's Far Far Away to make Olivia a princess quilt.

And I think I'll even cut into some of this rare stuff.

So while my studio currently looks pretty much like this....

I am making progress, slowly but surely.

This is the year I cut into my stash of Sugar Snap by Melissa Averinos.

My Tufted Tweets by Lauris Wisbrun.

My gorgeous stack of West Indies by Sis Boom. But only after another project that I'm working on for Jennifer--more to come on that one.

And my beautiful little bundle of solids by Art Gallery Fabrics.

I'm also working on some scrap bundles that I'll have available for sale soon. I have so many scraps that I know there is no way I can use them all, so I'd like to offer some of them to you. In the mean time, please wish me luck getting this studio put back together!

a little Lark inspiration

2012-01-05T07:12:00.000-08:00

I'm working on a project with some of Amy Butler's new line of gorgeous fabric called Lark. Have you seen it yet? It's stunning. Seriously.The are so many beautiful designs and the color is just fantastic...lots of blues, with pops of yellows, pinks, greens, corals, and more. Here's a little shot, via instagram, of my work in progress.

And yesterday Amy posted this inspiration video of Lark on her Facebook page. Take a look at it for more stunning visuals!

I purchased my fat quarter bundle and additional yardage of Lark from my friend Sarah's shop, Swell Cloth. You can find the bundle here!

the most amazing quilting by Angela Walters

2012-01-03T04:00:00.000-08:00

I recently asked my friend Angela Walters of Quilting Is My Therapy if she could quilt something of mine fairly quickly. I had a particular quilt in mind that I had designed for a project with a fast approaching deadline that the Cincinnati Modern Quilt Guild is working on, and I really wanted her to quilt it for me. I've been a huge fan of her work since the first time I saw it, but I've never had her quilt anything of mine before, and I thought this project would be perfect. The quilt has a lot of "blank space" due to it's simple construction and large scale, so I gave Angela free reign to do whatever she wanted. And this is the amazingness that arrived on my doorstep last week.

I took the quilt up to the gallery at the University of Dayton (where my husband teaches) last week to photograph it there. It was so fun to see it hanging on the wall. But I need to work on getting my colors correct--perhaps I should read that camera manual after all. The colors of the quilt--Kona Snow, Kona Coral, and Kona Ice Frappe-- are much more vibrant in person.

Amazing.

And here is the back. I love how the design of the front shows through to the back.

I'm beyond blown away with Angela's quilting. Seriously. These photos do not do the it justice, and I wish you could all see this quilt in person. I know it would take your breath away! If you're looking for someone to professionally quilt something of yours, I cannot recommend Angela enough. Her work is by far the most amazing quilting that I have ever seen.

vintage quilt mondays : tumbling blocks

2012-01-02T04:00:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Welcome to my first post of 2012, and I'm glad to be back in the swing of things, sharing another one of my vintage quilts with you. This tumbling blocks quilt is another one from the group that my step-mother gave me.

The blocks are made up of tiny scraps of all different types of fabrics, including silk, velvet, and wool.

The blocks appear to be hand pieced, and as you can see, there are all sorts of colors and patterns of scraps in this quilt.

There are a few places where the quilt has a bit of damage, but overall it's in really good shape.

The quilt is backed with a paisley print, which looks like some type of woven fabric.

Thanks again for joining me for my first Vintage Quilt Monday post of 2012. I'm excited about the new year and I can't wait to share lots of inspiration, projects and tutorials, and more with you!

Here's to 2011

2011-12-31T11:35:00.000-08:00

It's been quite a year for me, and here's a little recap of some of the things I've made in 2011. This year has flown by, and there have been ups and downs. But I honestly feel like I'm really growing as a designer. It has certainly been a whirlwind and I've been working incredibly hard, on lots of things.

Some of these projects are so recent that I haven't had a chance to share them with you yet. But I will, soon! All in all 2011 has been a wonderful year, and I have a feeling that 2012 is going to be pretty darn good, too.

Happy New Year!

my segment on Cincinnati's Fox 19

2011-12-29T04:00:00.000-08:00

Eeek! I'm just now getting the chance to tell you about my experience on the live, local news on Tuesday morning. I was really nervous, but I feel like I did ok. I still haven't watched this yet, and I honestly don't know when I will, but my husband assured me that I did a good job and that I didn't mess up. For now, I'll take his word. ;)

I took a bunch of things with me and set them all up on the table in the studio. Lots of patterns, some books, cutting tools, fabric, batting, my machine and a few of my quilts. It was a really fun experience, and I'm so glad that I got the chance to share with the viewers my love of quilting, and the fact that it is a craft that anyone can do. It was also great to tell the city about the Cincinnati Modern Quilt Guild and it will be interesting to see if we have any new guests as a result of my interview at our next meeting! I'll keep you posted.

Thank you to all of you who left kind words, good wishes, and much luck for me when I asked for it the other day. I really appreciate it!

Crazy day today!

2011-12-27T04:40:00.000-08:00

It's going to be a crazy day today, hence the quietness on the blog the past few days. I'm headed down to our local Fox station for an interview at 9:45. Yikes! It should be fun, but honestly, I'm kind of nervous, so please wish me luck. I'll fill you all in on how it went later today!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T06:53:00.000-08:00

Things have been hustling and bustling around here the past few days as I've tried to get everything done--all of my projects, deadlines met, cookies and candies made, holiday traditions with my family. We've managed to get a lot finished, but we'll be celebrating Christmas for a few days after the 25th for sure! We took the kids to see Santa this week and they had a great time. I wasn't sure we'd have a successful meeting with him honestly, because while we were waiting in line, a little girl in front of us was crying and Aidan got really upset (he hates to see anyone cry). But, our chat with Santa went off without a hitch.

Now, I'm off to make my grandma's peanut butter fudge and some cookies today! Merry Christmas to you and your family.

vintage quilt mondays: silk rail fence quilt

2011-12-20T07:22:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to be sharing another one of my vintage quilts with you! It's nice to be back to our Vintage Quilt Mondays (even though it's Tuesday!) series after a couple of busy weeks. This quilt was given to me by my step-mother. When she was cleaning out her mother's house, she came across a box of quilts that were made by her grandmother and great-grandmother. She asked if anyone in their family wanted them, and (unbelievably) nobody did. So, she gave them to me because she knew that I'd appreciate them and give them a good home. I graciously accepted them, but I'm more than willing to give them back to her family if anyone changes their minds.

This gorgeous quilt is a rail fence design made out of bits and pieces of silk and velvet. I believe it was never finished because it looks more like a quilt top to me.

Along all of the edges of the quilt is this black tatted lace fringe.

Some of the fabrics look like they might have come from ties, like this blue and white golf club print.

There are all sorts of gorgeous colors in the quilt, and the luxurious fabrics really make them look like shimmering jewels in the sunlight.

The back of the quilt, on the other hand, looks completely utilitarian. I'm not sure if the quiltmaker finished it this way, or if she intended to put another type of backing on it. It looks to me that she used some base cloths as a type of stabilizer for the more delicate fabrics on the front of the quilt.

It looks like each square of three strips on the front is backed with a square of cotton or muslin.

I really like the random look of the squares on the back. And look how fabulous that green and black print above is.

Here's another view of the fringed edge of the quilt and some of the hand stitching.

I'm not exactly sure when this quilt was made. I need to ask my step-mom if she knows, but I have a feeling that she's not too sure about the dates of any of them. There are six more from her that I'll be sharing over the coming weeks, and unfortunately none of them are labeled. So, this serves as a good reminder to us that it's so important to label our work! I needed that reminder myself because I've got a few quilts that I've made recently that I need to label, too!

Quilting Gallery giveaway winner!

2011-12-18T09:04:00.000-08:00

Again, I was blown away by the number of people who entered my giveaway for the Quilting Gallery's Blog Hop Party! Wasn't that so much fun? Thank you to Michele from the Quilting Gallery for organizing such a great event. So, let's get down to business! The winner of the big bundle of sewing goodies was...

lucky number 323

(which, again, due to the crazy number system reads as number 123 on the page of comments numbered 201-400)

Congratulations, Jo! I'll email you now to get your address so I can mail your goodies out ASAP. Thank you again to all who entered!

Sew, Mama, Sew giveaway winner!

2011-12-18T08:46:00.000-08:00

I'm blown away by the number of entries I received for my Sew, Mama, Sew giveaway day! Thank you so much to all who entered! I had a lot of fun reading about your experiences with virtual sewing bees. And without further adieu, the winner of the fabric bundle and Block Party book is...

lucky number 228

(which again, reads as number 28 on the page of comments 201-400, due to this wacky numbering system)

Congratulations, Kim!! I'll email you to get your mailing address so I can ship your goodies out to you tomorrow! Thank you again to the ladies at Sew, Mama, Sew for organizing such a fun event!

12 Days of Ruby Red: my patchwork scarf tutorial

2011-12-17T11:06:00.000-08:00

Hi all! My patchwork scarf tutorial, part of the 12 Days of Ruby Star, is up on Fat Quarterly's blog today. Head on over there to check it out!

Thank you again to Fat Quarterly for inviting me to be a part of this Designer's Challenge, and thank you to Melody Miller for sending me some of her gorgeous fabrics to play with!

sneak peek of a Ruby Star project

2011-12-15T17:32:00.001-08:00

Aren't these gorgeous? The incredibly talented Melody Miller sent me a bundle of gorgeous fabrics from her Ruby Star Spring and Ruby Star Shining lines for Kokka as part of the 12 Days of Ruby Star Designer's Challenge for Fat Quarterly. My project is coming up soon and I can't wait to show you what I made with Melody's fabrics and some velveteen that I had. Keep your eyes open for another tutorial!

And the AccuQuilt Go! Baby goes to...

2011-12-14T20:01:00.001-08:00

Lucky number...

362!! And due to the crazy numbering system of the comments on the blog, that is listed as number 162 (on the page of comments numbered 201-400):

Congratulations, fieryone!! I've sent you an email and I can't wait to hear back from you so we can get your AccuQuilt GO! Baby and your choice of three dies to you!

Thank you all for entering, and thank you very much to the great people at AccuQuilt for such a fun giveaway!

How about another giveaway for Sew, Mama, Sew's Giveaway Day!

2011-12-12T04:00:00.000-08:00

Are you ready for another giveaway? In honor of Sew, Mama, Sew's Giveaway Day, I'm giving away a copy of Block Party--The Modern Quilting Bee: The Journey of 12 Women, 1 Blog, & 12 Improvisational Projects by Alissa Haight Carlton and Kristen Lejnieks and some yummy fat quarters of fabric by Lizzy House and Jennifer Paganelli. Sounds good, right? Block Party is one of my favorite quilting books and I'm thrilled to be sharing a copy with one of my readers. And I put together this little stash of fabric so you can get started on some projects right away if you're the lucky winner.

I'm also giving away lots of other goodies this month, including:

An AccuQuilt GO! Baby! fabric cutting system and your choice of three dies!

A huge bundle of goodies to get you sewing, quilting, and crafting!

A FQ Bundle of Kona Cotton and a copy of Modern Log Cabin Quilting!

Be sure to enter to win those giveaways as well! If I do say so myself, a few of my readers will be having a very happy December! ;)

Are you ready to enter today's giveaway? Here's how to do it. You'll have up to two chances:

**Leave a comment telling me about any virtual bees you've participated in. If you haven't participated in one, no worries! You can still enter.

** Followers of my blog will receive an additional entry. If you're a follower of my blog, please leave a second comment telling me that you are. New followers are welcome, as well!

That's it! The giveaway runs until December 16th, at 5 pm, PST. I'll use the Random Number Generator to pick one winner, and please make sure your email address is either in your comment or a part of your blogger profile. I'll announce the winner here and then notify you by email. International entries are welcome!

Be sure to check out all of the great giveaways that are happening as part of Sew, Mama, Sew's Giveaway Day. And thank you to all the great SMS folks who put this together twice a year! I'll be back on schedule next Monday with another installment of Vintage Quilt Mondays, as well as some more fun posts this week. Happy Giveaway Day!

Are you ready for another giveaway??

2011-12-09T07:02:00.000-08:00

I hope so, because I've got another good one for you as part of the Quilting Gallery's Quilter's Blog Hop Party! And while you're here, don't forget to check out my other two giveaways that are going on right now: enter to win an AccuQuilt Go! Baby fabric cutting system and your choice of three dies and then enter to win a FQ stack of Robert Kaufman's Kona Cotton in the Grounded Color Story and a copy of Modern Log Cabin Quiting by Susan Beal. Fun!

Todays' giveaway if a big goodie bag, stuffed to the brim with fabrics and notions, to get you crafting, sewing, quilting, and inspired!

First up is a set of four fabrics from my personal stash that I've put together. Each is a one-yard cut, and I created this combination of reds, pinks, and greens for a holiday feeling, but it is also versatile enough to use year round as well. Included in this bundle are two prints by Maxfield & Pillow for Michael Miller and two prints by Tina Givens for Free Spirit.

Next up are tons of these cute little sample sets of Moda fabrics. Aren't they adorable? I think these could make some really cute patchwork projects! There are a lot of good ones here, so take a look at some of them that are included in the set of fourteen.

And next up are three sets of beautiful fabrics by Bernartex. There are some fat quarters and some charm squares. I especially love that typeface print!

And a cute little ceramic thimble. Isn't that sweet yellow bird adorable? There's also a retractable tape measure in there too!

And for even more inspiration, I'm including a dvd sampler of qnntv.com shows, with episodes of Quilty, Quilt Out Loud, Quilt It!, and Quilting Celebrations with Patrick Lose.

All of the goodies are stuffed in this bag from the Alliance of American Quilts. Are you ready to enter? Here's how to do it. You'll have up to two chances:

**Leave a comment telling me what you'd like to make with some of the things in the goodie bag.

** Followers of my blog will receive an additional entry. If you're a follower of my blog, please leave a second comment telling me that you are. New followers are welcome, as well!

That's it! The giveaway runs until December 17th, at midnight, EST. I'll use the Random Number Generator to pick one winner. International entries are welcome! And be sure to check out all of the great giveaways that are part of The Quilting Gallery's Quilter's Blog Hop Party!

sneak peek of Crazy Love by Sis Boom

2011-12-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

Gorgeous, right? Just look at these colors. And honestly, the photos do not do them justice because the prints are even more brilliant in person.

My sweet friend Jennifer Paganelli sent me some very happy mail yesterday: a fat quarter bundle of her new line Crazy Love for Free Spirit Fabric, which will hit the stores in the spring.

I'm going to be using them in a new design of mine, and I'll share more as the project progresses, but I couldn't wait to show you these colorful fabrics.

There are some really stunning color combinations in Crazy Love. I adore that print below in the top right section of the photograph, with the orange background and red and aqua flowers. It's gorgeous. And another one of my favorites is the one in the top left section, with the purple, pink, yellow, orange, and green.

Seriously stunning. Thank you so much for your generosity, Jennifer! I can't wait to get started on this one.

the final class of my intro to modern quilting class

2011-12-08T06:15:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to share these photos with you for about a month now, but to say that November was hectic would be an understatement. Better late than never, though, right? Also, don't forget to enter my giveaway of an AccuQuilt Go! Baby! Fabric Cutting System and your choice of three dies and my giveaway on Where Women Create of a yummy FQ stack of Kona Cotton and a copy of Modern Log Cabin Quilting!

Here are some photos of the last night of my Fall 2011 Intro to Modern Quilting Class at Sewn Studio here in Cincinnati. To say that I'm incredibly proud of the work that my students did would be an understatement. These are their first quilts! Can you believe it?

The quilt above was made by Michelle as a Christmas gift for one of her daughters. I love her use of color!

And look how she pieced the middle of the back of her quilting using scraps from the front. Beautiful!

The next quilt was made by Teresa. Gorgeous! I think her palette is really nice with all the creams and grays with pops of coral.

For the quilting, Teresa stippled her quilt. Amazing, right? These aren't small quilts, either, and kudos to Teresa for picking something so challenging for her first quilt.

And here's the back. I love those prints from Violet Craft's Peacock Lane!

Ellen's quilt is so striking! She used some very small, bright tonal prints that almost read as solids, and chose black for the sashing and borders. Her quilt reminds me of some Amish quilts that I have seen, but with a really modern twist.

And here's the back. So fun!

Once again we used the Fenced In pattern by Elizabeth Hartman that is found in her book The Practical Guide to Patchwork: New Basics for the Modern Quiltmaker. I just love how different all of the quilts look, even though all the students are following the same pattern. It's so fun for me to watch them create and grow as quilters over the course of the six-week class. And I couldn't be more proud of them!

Where Women Create's 12 Days of Christmas giveaway!

2011-12-05T03:33:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to be a part of the Where Women Create's 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway again. This year I'm giving away some yummy goodies to get you inspired and sewing and crafting. Sound good? I thought so!

Head on over to the Where Women Create to enter to win this great prize package from me. I'm including a copy of Susan Beal's Modern Log Cabin Quilting, which is one of my favorite quilting books of all time. Seriously, you will love the patterns in this one.

Plus I'm giving away a fat quarter stack of Robert Kaufman's Kona Cotton in the Grounded Color Story. This contains 23 fat quarters of fabric, which is equal to 5.75 yards of fabric!

And I'm also including a pdf copy of my Yield Quilt pattern, which was chosen as one of the winners of the Modern Quilt Guild's Project Modern by judge Valori Wells.

To enter the giveaway, head on over to the Where Women Create blog and leave a comment to win my prize package. Plus, be sure to enter to win some other great prizes donated by all of the fabulous women who are featured in this holiday giveaway!

And don't forget to also enter to win my AccuQuilt Go! Baby giveaway! See, I told you it was going to be a very happy December!

Thanks so much to Jo and Paige for inviting me to be a part of Where Women Create's 12 Days of Christmas giveaway again this year. You two are the best!

Accuquilt GO! Baby Fabric Cutter Giveaway!!!

2011-12-04T06:04:00.000-08:00

Do you remember when I said that December was going to be a happy month? Well, here's one reason why: a chance for you to win your very own Accuquilt Go! Baby! Fabric Cutter! Sounds good, right?! And it's just in time for the holidays, so wouldn't it make a nice early gift for yourself?

The great folks at Accuquilt have generously agreed to give one of my readers a GO! Baby Fabric Cutter, plus his or her choice of three dies. There are so many dies to choose from for the system, and I honestly had a hard time picking just three! One of the ones I did pick out was the 3 1/2" tumblers which I recently used to make a scrappy sewing machine cover. Be sure to check out my tutorial with step by step instructions if you'd like to make your own. But whatever dies you choose, you can't go wrong because the Go! Baby! makes cutting a breeze. So, let's get on with the giveaway, shall we?

Here's how to enter! You'll have up to two chances:

**Head on over to Accuquilt's site and check out all of the different dies that are available for the GO! Baby Fabric Cutter. Then, come back here to this post and leave a comment telling me what three dies you would choose.

**Followers of my blog will receive an additional entry. If you're a follower of my blog, please leave a second comment telling me that you are. New followers are welcome, as well!

The giveaway will be open until Wednesday, December 14th at 5:00 pm ET. I'll use the random number generator to choose one winner. The giveaway is open to US residents only, and please make sure your email address is either in your comment or a part of your blogger profile. I'll announce the winner here and then notify you by email.

And don't forget that you can also get 22 free patterns from Accuquilt just by signing up for Accuquilt emails. For your free patterns, click on the photo below which will take you to Accuquilt's site; enter your information, and that's it!

Good luck, and happy December!

blog tour of quilts

2011-12-02T03:53:00.000-08:00

Sally from Sally's Quilting Corner invited me to join her today for her Blog Tour of Quilts and I'm glad to be here. Thanks so much, Sally!

For my stop on the tour I wanted to share my latest finished quilt with you again. This quilt was my entry for Project Modern: Challenge 4: find your own voice. It was inspired by a large metal silo at a farm that is about ten miles from my house. I’m sure I've seen that silo hundreds of times before, but one day a couple of months ago I saw something new in it as we drove by.

Luckily my husband was at the wheel, so I grabbed my sketchbook and drew out a quick plan. There was just something about the linear repetition of the grooves of steel and the grid that each tier of metal makes that caught my eye. This quilt is my interpretation of it.

I really love the photos that I took of the quilt outside, but it was such a windy day that I was only able to get a couple good ones. The rest of the shots are a little dark, but since they were taken in a studio at the university where my husband works, I was able to control the environment a bit better so you can get see more details of the quilt.

I used three solid colors of woven cotton for my quilt: cream, pale blue, and a warm gray. I really liked how the colors worked together, and the combination reminded me of how the silo looks at dusk, when the entire structure seems to glow in the setting sun.

The large and small pieced rectangles are made up of bands of cream and blue, and the thin gray strips represent the grid work.

I used cream for the binding so that it would not interfere with the design of the quilt top. While the design of front of the quilt is very regular and structured, the back was designed entirely improvisationally. I used some leftover sections of the blocks from the front and added some scraps and bits of fabrics, and I pieced them all together with more cream fabric.

The quilt measures 64” x 67”. It is heavily quilted with horizontal straight lines to repeat the design of the front, as well as the grooves of metal on the silo.

I feel like this quilt is truly a reflection of my voice as a modern quilter. I’m often inspired by everyday places and things that most of us wouldn't even notice, and I’m always excited by the challenge to translate that inspiration into my work.

And guess what? My Silo quilt was chosen a winner in the Modern Quilt Guild's Project Modern: Challenge 4. I was amazed, humbled, and honored beyond belief.

I'm seriously beside myself. Because with this win, I have now won three out of the four challenges: Challenge 1, Challenge 2, and Challenge 4. Seriously. Seriously!! I so dislike talking about myself and my work, and it's totally awkward to me, but I have to share what the judge, none other than my quilting idol, Denyse Schmidt, had to say about my quilt

This quilt is beautiful and striking in it’s clear simplicity and strong execution. The translation of the idea/inspiration into a quilted medium feels spot on, and every choice the quilter has made – from palette, to structure, and quilting – supports this clear vision and intention. I’d love to see the back!

I think I'm going to print that out and hang it by my sewing table where I can see it every day. And I'm not even kidding. So for Denyse, and you all, here is the back.

The prizes that accompanied the win are great (lots of yards of Denyse's fabric, some yummy solids from Robert Kaufman, Aurifil thread, a copy of Block Party: The Modern Quilting Bee from Stash Books, and a gift certificate to Spoonflower) but what I am most excited about is Denyse's critique of my work. That, by far, is the best prize to me.

Thank you again to The Modern Quilt Guild and to Denyse Schmidt. It is because of you all that I am a quilter.

And thank you for joining me today as part of Sally's Blog Tour of Quilts! Please go visit Sandra at Stitches and Etc. for the next stop of the tour.

It's going to be a very happy December!

2011-12-01T04:00:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it's already December??? I'm amazed at how quickly this year has flown by. And as we're gearing up for the holiday season, I wanted to let you know that it's going to be a very happy December around here. I've got all sorts of giveaways scheduled for you this month, so check back often because, believe me, you won't want to miss out. I'm putting together four (yes, four!) big giveaways for you in December. There will be fabric, there will be notions, there will be books, there will be patterns and more. And, oh yeah, an Accuquilt GO! Baby Fabric Cutting System and your choice of three dies!

I'm absolutely thrilled to do this for you. It's been a whirlwind of a year for me and I'm so thankful to have you all along on the ride with me.

So, here's to a very happy December!! Are you excited? We are!!!

Be Bold

2011-11-30T04:02:00.000-08:00

I was working in my sketchbook last night on some new designs, and I came across something I had written in it a few months ago. On the very first page of my sketchbook, I wrote the following:

Be Bold

Be Thankful

Be Quiet

Be Original

Be Spontaneous

Be Punctual

Be a Star

Be Young

Be Loving

Be Crazy

Be Loud

Be Random

Be Adorable

Be Unique

Be Daring

Be Obnoxious

Be Yourself

I don't know who the author is. I even did some googling last night to see if I could find who the quote is attributed to, but no such luck. I happened to come across the quote in (of all places) one of those airline catalogs while I was on my way to NYC for the Quilters Take Manhattan event back in August. It was on some sort of plaque as I recall, and as soon as I read it, I grabbed my brand-new-at-the-time sketchbook and scribbled all of it down. Jeff thought I was crazy, but I'm glad I did it.

I've looked at those words a few times since then, but when I saw them again last night, they just struck me for some reason.

They are definitely, for me, words to live by.

tutorial: how to make a sewing machine cover using an Accuquilt GO! Baby

2011-11-29T04:02:00.000-08:00

Remember my review of the Accuquilt GO! Baby cutting system that I did a few weeks ago? This is what I made with all of those tumblers that I cut out with scraps of Jennifer Paganelli's beautiful fabrics. It's a sewing machine cover and I really love how it turned out. This is an easy project that is great for scrap busting, and it would be a fun little project for yourself or someone on your gift-giving list this year. Here's how you can make your own.

Using the 3 1/2" tumbler die and the GO! Baby fabric cutter, cut out a total of 56 tumblers. If you're making a scrappy version, you may want to cut a few more out to play with the arrangement and design of the tumblers, so you don't end up with two fabrics side by side. Once you've got all of the tumblers cut out, arrange them into four rows of six tumblers for the front and four rows of six tumblers for the back of the cover.

When you're ready to start sewing the rows together, place two tumblers, right side together. The notched corners made by the GO! Baby make it really easy to line them up correctly.

Sew the tumblers together. Be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end of each seam.

Press seams open, and repeat to finish the row of six tumblers.

Repeat to construct the other three rows of tumblers for the front of the cover, and

then repeat to construct the four rows for the back of the cover.

Since the tumblers are not squared on the sides, you'll need to cut at least 8 tumblers in half to finish off each row.

Just line up a straight edge along the center of the tumbler,

and cut in half with a rotary cutter.

Sew the half tumblers to the ends of each of the eight rows.

Then, sew the first four rows of tumblers together to create the front panel, and the other four rows together to create the back panel of the cover. Be sure to line up the seams when you lay one row of tumblers, right side together, to another row.

And be sure to pin well so your seams all match up! Sew and press seams open.

Here's what the panels will look like when the four rows are sewn together. Each panel of four rows will measure approximately 16" wide x 12 1/2" long.

And here is the back. I love all those nice, flat seams!

Cut two pieces of solid fabric that are each 17" x 13 1/2". If you're using yardage to do this, you can cut a strip that is 13 1/2" x the width of the fabric. Then, subcut that piece to 17" (to create two 17" x 13 1/2" rectangles).

Cut a total of two pieces of batting that each measure 13 1/2" x 17". Make a quilt sandwich by layering the solid fabric first on the surface of your work area, then one piece of batting next, and finally the pieced tumbler panel on top, right side up. Reserve the other piece of batting for the other tumbler panel.

Pin baste the layers together,

and quilt as desired. For this project I stitched along the seam of each tumbler, starting from the top and working towards the bottom. I then stitched along the seam that was created between each pieced row. Repeat with the other tumbler panel.

Here's how the quilted panel looks from the front.

And the back gives a better idea of the quilting. I love the grid that the lines create!

Cut two pieces of solid fabric that each measure 6" x 17 1/2". Cut a piece of batting the same size, and then make a quilt sandwich by placing the batting in between the two rectangles and quilt as desired. I stitched in straight lines approximately 1/4" apart. This piece will become the top section of the sewing machine cover.

Pin the quilted rectangle to the top of one of the panels, right sides together. Sew and then press the seam towards the tumbler panel. Then place the other panel along the edge of the quilted rectangle, right sides together and sew. Press the seam toward the tumbler panel.

*note* I coverstitched these two seams with my serger to finish them nicely. If you don't have a serger, you could run a row of zig zag stitches over them to keep the loose threads in check.

To construct the ties and the binding, cut (five) 2 1/2" strips x the width of the fabric. Sew three of the strips together to create your binding. Cut each of the remaining two strips into (two) 20" strips, for a total of (four) 20" strips. These will become the ties for the sewing machine cover.

Fold each of the four tie strips in half along the length, lining up the raw edges, and press.

Sew along the short edge of the strip, using a 1/4" seam.

When you get about 1/4" away from the edge of the strip, stop your machine with your needle down, and pivot your fabric so that the long length of the strip is running towards you. Continue to sew along the entire length of the strip, stopping at the short end. Be sure to leave that end open! Repeat with the other three strips.

Here's what the strips will look like when they're sewn.

Trim off the seam allowance near the corner, being careful not to snip any of your stitches.

Use a chopstick (or your tool of choice) to turn the sewn strip right side out.

Repeat with the other three strips.

They are really wrinkled after doing this, so press the strips once they are all turned out.

And tie a knot in the sewn end of the strip.

Repeat with the other three ties.

Determine where you'd like to attach your four ties. I used the front of my panel as a guide and placed each strip along the middle of the second tier of tumblers.

Pin the tie to the corresponding place on the back side of the panel, lining up the raw edges of the open end of the tie with the raw edges of the panel.

And stitch in place. Repeat with the other three ties.

With the binding you made from the other three strips, bind the edges of the cover as you would a quilt. Check out my tutorial on machine binding for tips and to see how I do it.

Be sure to pin each tie to the body of the cover so that they don't get tangled or caught while you attach the binding along the edge.

Stitch along the entire perimeter of the cover.

Finish the binding either by hand or machine. Make sure to keep the ties tucked out of the way,

by pulling each of the them up and away from the edge as you pin the binding around the raw edge of the sewing machine cover.

And finish binding as desired. You'll see that I did it by machine; again, just be careful not to catch the ends of the ties as you sew.

And that's it! You're done!

I love the scrappy look of this project. It's so much better than the plastic sewing machine cover that I had been using.

One of the great things about this cover is that it fits a variety of machines. It's also completely adjustable with the four ties. Here it is on my serger, and it fits perfectly there or on my sewing machine.

I've been using it on my server and it covers the entire machine completely, even those four bulky spools of thread! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and I'd love to see your versions of my sewing machine cover pattern.

And be sure to keep your eyes open on my blog because I'll be giving away a GO! Baby cutter very, very soon! Wouldn't that make a perfect holiday gift?

vintage quilt mondays : a well loved grandmother's garden

2011-11-28T04:02:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to another installment of Vintage Quilt Mondays. It's so nice to get back into the swing of things, especially in light of everything that has gone on the past couple of weeks. And I thought it was fitting to share this quilt with you today, since it's a version of a grandmother's garden quilt. It is hand pieced and hand quilted.

And from the looks of it, it's a quilt that has been well loved, and used for a long time. That's how quilts should be, in my opinion. This one has a lot of faded areas, especially in the green solid fabric that creates the border around each flower. You can see that the original color was almost a kelly green.

But if you look to the left of the purple, green, and yellow flower you can see how light some parts of this fabric has become.

I think I must have picked this quilt up at a garage sale or maybe an estate sale. I honestly don't remember where it came from, but you can see (again, like so many of my others!) that it still has the price tag attached. In this case it's a piece of masking tape with the price of $25 written on in. I'm kind of glad that I've kept the price tags on these quilts, just to remind me how much I've paid for them over the years.

You can also see in this photo above the amount of discoloration that has happened in parts of the quilt.

The green fabric has turned to an almost pale blue color in this section of the quilt.

There are also some holes in the quilt.

And some stains. But like I said above, to me that means the quilt was probably used for years and years. And I love that.

how to roast fresh pumpkins, just in time for the holidays!

2011-11-22T04:02:00.000-08:00

Seriously, it is so easy, and it tastes so, so much better than the canned stuff. Sure, it takes a little time, but it's well worth it. Here's how to do it.

Start with a fresh pie pumpkin. Most groceries carry them, and it's even better if you can find one at a local farmer's market or farm. This variety is usually called pie pumpkins and they are much small than the type used for jack-o-lanterns. Wash and dry the pumpkin and then cut it in half, from the top to the bottom.

It may be easier to cut a bit of the pumpkin and then turn it on it's side to cut the rest since the skin and flesh are both pretty tough. Did you ever wonder what that little place on the bottom of a pumpkin is that looks kind of like a belly button? The pumpkin farmer told me that it's where the pumpkin grew from the blossom on the vine. I love little scientific facts like that!

Once the pumpkin is cut in half, you'll see that it's filled with lots of gooey membranes and seeds.

Take a spoon and scoop all that stuff out. I used a pasta spoon and it worked great.

If you'd like, you can separate the seeds from the membranes and roast them. Or save a few seeds, dry them out, and plant in your garden next year.

Here's what the pumpkin looks like when it's all cleaned out. Clean out the other pumpkin half,

and place them, cut side down, on a baking tray. Bake them at 350 degrees until they are tender when pierced with a fork, about 45-60 minutes, depending on the size of your pumpkin.

This is what they look like when they're done. You'll notice that the skin is darker

and both it and the pumpkin flesh have become very soft.

Turn the pumpkin halves over and let them cool.

Once the pumpkin is cooled, scoop out all of the flesh and put it into the bowl of your food processor.

Look at that gorgeous color. I think that is the perfect shade of orange.

Put the lid of your machine on and process just until the pumpkin is smooth.

And that's it! You can store your fresh pureed pumpkin in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. You'll use the same amount of fresh pumpkin as you would canned pumpkin in your recipes. You can also freeze the pumpkin--just measure out either 1- or 2-cup portions and place them in a freezer bag. Mark the bag with the date and allow to thaw before using it in all of your favorite pumpkin goodies. Frozen fresh pumpkin will last up to six months in the freezer.

See, so easy. And honestly, if you like pumpkin, you will thank yourself if you do this. And you'll never buy canned pumpkin again!

Oh Thank Cuteness! -- my little family

2011-11-21T04:02:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that it is Thanksgiving week? I swear, this year has flown by! In all honesty, since I've become a mother every year has flown by and there are no signs of it slowing down anytime soon. It seams like only yesterday that I had Aidan, and then Olivia, and yet they are now five and three and a half. Crazy! And they're pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself, even if they didn't want to pose for a photo at my opening the other night.

And speaking of cute, the great folks over at Generation Q have declared this to be Oh Thank Cuteness week. Every day this week, they'll be posting fun photos of their family and little glimpses of their personal lives, and I wanted to join in too.

It sounds cheesy, I know, but I really wouldn't be doing what I do today if it weren't for my family. It wasn't until I became pregnant with Aidan that I began to design and make baby and children's items, and it wasn't until our surprise baby Olivia came along that I really decided to step it up with my etsy shop. I didn't want to go back to my day job, but I still needed to bring in some sort of an income. I had no idea that this little venture could become a business; I just wanted to make a little money, enough so that I could stay home with my children. Aidan was only 18 months old when Olivia was born, and looking back, I don't know how I did it with two babies, but all the late nights and long hours were totally worth it.

Today, I still have long hours and late nights, but the focus of my business has changed. I'm releasing a line of patterns, and I've got a lot of amazing things on the horizon that I can't share with you just yet. But believe me, there are some big things around the corner. And I'm so excited that my children are witnesses to my wild ride of being a work at home momma/

designer/crafter/entrepreneur.

I want them both to know that they can do whatever they want to do in life, if they're willing to work hard. And I'll be here to support them as they follow their dreams, because they gave me the courage to follow mine.

I also couldn't do this without my husband Jeff. He is my biggest supporter and my number one fan. He's there to lend a sympathetic ear when I've had a rough day, and he's there to celebrate all of my achievements with me. It doesn't hurt that he's a painter, so I have someone creative to bounce ideas off of. Plus, he's my graphic designer and, as we jokingly say, my unpaid assistant, so I owe him big time. He works so hard for our family as a professor of art at the University of Dayton, and he is also becoming quite the accomplished painter. He's represented by Kathryn Markel Gallery in New York and has had work in over 20 exhibitions this year alone!

I'm incredibly thankful for them all and I'm lucky to call these awesome people my family. And from my family to yours, I hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving! Don't forget to head on over to Generation Q all this week to check out more Oh Thank Cuteness posts!

opening night of my exhibition, Directions

2011-11-18T04:00:00.000-08:00

Last night was the opening of the exhibition, Directions, that features three of my quilts and photographs of the places that inspired their designs. We had a great turnout! I tried to get Aidan and Olivia to pose in front of my Yield quilt for a photo.

But, that is apparently too much to ask a three and five year old to do, especially after 5 pm.

Although I did manage to coerce Olivia into posing for a photo by herself in front of it.

In addition to my Yield quilt, I also had two others on display, including this small one above. This quilt was inspired by a painted crosswalk sign on a street near our house.

And my Cross Ties quilt. I think it looks really striking on the wall, epsecially next to the work by painter Mareen Holub.

Here's a detail of one of her pieces. They are gorgeous, large scale mixed medias on panel.

Also included in the exhibition is Jennifer Grote, who makes these really stunning assemblages.

As well as the work of John Humphries, who creates these complex works on paper.

And last, but not least, photographs by David Rosenthal. Gorgeous.

It was honestly kind of surreal to have my work included in an exhibition. My husband is a painter and so I'm used to going to his openings, but I never really thought I'd have things of my own in a show. It's very exciting though! I felt a little weird talking about my work (like I always do) but it was really well received. A few people even asked why my quilts weren't listed for sale! All in all, it was a great night, and I'm grateful to Steven Clark, the curator of the show, for asking me to be included in the exhibition.

kona color

2011-11-17T04:02:00.000-08:00

Gorgeous, right? These big piles of beautiful color are Kona Cottons: Coral, Snow, and Ice Frappe. I came up with this combination for a project I'm working on and I think it's a fresh, modern spin on the popular color combination of red and aqua. The Coral is a bit more orange than red and the Ice Frappe is more of a pale seafoam color. Together, these colors are really quite striking.

These fabrics are for a fun project that the Cincinnati Modern Quilt Guild is working on. I'll share more information on this quilt in the next couple of months. I can tell you though, that my dear friend Angela Walters is going to quilt this one for me.

I absolutely cannot wait to see what Angela comes up with. I'm going to let her do whatever she wants to it, and I know it will be amazing! Check out Angela's blog Quilting Is My Therapy to see some of her incredible work.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank you all again for your kind words and condolences about the loss of my grandma this week. I appreciate it so, so much, and I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of things soon. Even though we knew the end was near for her, it's been tough--a lot tougher than I had thought it would be. But, I truly believe that my children and I now have a new guardian angel looking over us for the rest of our days. And we were lucky to have her in our lives.

Daisy Mae by Denyse Schmidt

2011-11-15T04:02:00.000-08:00

The past few days have been pretty rough, so I did a little retail therapy to help lift my spirits this weekend. I picked up some of Denyse Schmidt's Daisy Mae, her newest line of fabric under the moniker DS Quilts Collection for Fabric Traditions that is available at Jo-Ann's. I think some of these may be my favorite prints yet.

I especially love this floral print with triangles. It's so cute! I'm going to make a valence for my living room with this one and I think it will look great with our red couch.

And this cream and green one will soon be window treatments for our kitchen. I think the vintage feel of this design will work well in there, especially with my collection vintage Jadeite.

And this blue print is another of my favorites.

And look how gorgeous it is in orange! The hand of the Daisy Mae fabrics feels a bit more coarse and rough than the Picnics and Fairgrounds line did. They may soften up a bit in the wash, but it wasn't enough to deter me from buying them at all.

81 years, 9 months

2011-11-14T07:02:00.000-08:00

81 years, 9 months to the day. And in that time you helped make me who I am. And for that, I will be forever grateful.

Life Happens

2011-11-11T07:54:00.000-08:00

And it's really hard sometimes. Give your loved ones a hug, tell them that you love them as often as you can, and don't ever forget that life is short. Way too short.

I'll be back next week with the rest of my tumbler project, but things are tough right now. I'm hoping to do a little designing today as a distraction as I prepare to say goodbye to my grandma.

Happy Mail, with a special delivery from Swell Cloth

2011-11-10T04:02:00.000-08:00

Ah, I so love good Happy Mail. And this stack of gorgeousness that came to me yesterday by way of Swell Cloth sure doesn't disappoint. My dear friend Sarah runs Swell Cloth, and I'm lucky enough to get to see her monthly at the Cincinnati Modern Quilt Guild. She was kind enough to deliver my recent purchase of this beautiful fat quarter stack of Amy Butler's Lark to our meeting last night.

Thank you, Sarah! If you're looking for some beautiful fabrics at a great price and with impecable customer service, please visit Sarah's shop at Swell Cloth and her blog In Stitches.

accuquilt GO! baby fabric cutter review

2011-11-09T04:07:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago the wonderful folks at Accuquilt sent me one of their GO! baby fabric cutting systems and my choice of three dies to test out. Before I tell you about the machine, I need to tell you how wonderful their customer service has been. In today's world, good customer service isn't always easy to come by, and I have seriously been impressed with the service I've received from Accuquilt: quick response to my emails, lighting fast shipping of my cutter and dies, and even questions asked online through their site's online message system were answered very quickly. Ok, on to the Accuquilt GO! baby fabric cutter!

The three dies I chose were the 2", 3" and 5" hexagons, equilateral triangles (which coordinate with the hexagons), and the 3 1/2" tumbler. Today I'm going to show you how easy it is to use the Accuquilt GO! baby fabric cutter to make tumblers.

The GO! baby is small! It weighs about 8 pounds and, unopened, it measures roughly 4 1/2" x 9" so it's the perfect size to take with you to classes or retreats, and it won't take up much room in your sewing space, either. This baby runs on elbow grease, but it doesn't take much of it at all to get things moving. The handle that you see above moves everything through the machine and is very easy to turn.

For my project, I'm using some scraps of gorgeous fabric by my sweet friend Jennifer Paganelli of Sis Boom. These are leftover from the box she gave me this summer. And they've been sitting in that box in my studio so I ironed the wrinkled pieces before running them through the machine.

To use the cutter, place the die foam side up on the base of the machine and lay the fabric on top. If you look closely at the foam, you'll see an outline of the shape of the die. Be sure to place your fabric directly over those areas, because that's where the blades will make the cuts for your design.

Next, place the cutting mat on top of the fabric. Then turn the handle, which runs the mat and die through the machine, and...

voila! You've got tumblers! There may be a couple areas where the shape is still attached to the rest of the fabric by a few threads, so it's a good idea to keep a pair of sharp scissors nearby while you're working with the GO! baby fabric cutter.

And here's a closer look at how the tumbler looks after it's been cut.

I especially love that the corners are already sniped for you. This will make sewing them together a breeze and reduce the bulk in the seams. Pretty clever, right??

My little helper loved playing with the tumblers and laying them out on my design wall.

And you see that it didn't take any time at all for the tumblers to be cut with the GO! baby fabric cutter. I cut over 50 tumblers in less than 20 minutes. And that was with the help of a three year old, so I imagine it can be done in even less time, without a little one's assistance. ;)

You can also fussy cut with the Go! baby fabric cutter. Just be sure to line up your piece of fabric with the area that you want included in your final shape over the correct space on the foam die.

And each die comes with a free project idea, which I think is a great bonus. You can also get 22 free quilt patterns from Accuquilt's site just by clicking on the image below.

Check back here tomorrow to see what I make with my tumblers and be sure to stay tuned for your chance to win your very own Accuquilt GO! baby fabric cutter and your choice of three dies. That's right, I'll be giving away one here on my blog very soon!

have you heard about Stitch Social?

2011-11-08T07:46:00.000-08:00

I hadn't, until yesterday. Stitch Social is a brand new flash sale site that showcases a new sewing or needlearts item everyday at a deeply discounted price. It's kind of like Groupon for sewists! Stitch Social is developed by F+W Media in partnership with the Martha Pullen Company.

No membership is necessary to view or purchase the daily deal on Stitch Social. All of the showcased items have a limited quantity and may include things like sewing and quilting patterns, fabric, notions, kits, and books. Guests to the site can also sign up to receive email notifications of the day's new deal and well as a daily sewing tip from a group of experts.

Fore more information, and to start shopping, check out Stitch Social at www.stitchsocial.com.

vintage quilt mondays : pink + green

2011-11-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to another addition of Vintage Quilt Mondays. I'm having a lot of fun with this little weekly feature, and it's been great for me to get out my old quilts and really take a look at them. I hope you all are enjoying it, too.

This quilt is another thrift store find that I purchased probably seven or eight years ago. I'm not sure what the pattern is, or how old it is, but I love this quilt. And I especially love that square that has the blue flying geese in it. How fabulous is that, mixed in with all the pink and green?

This quilt is not in the best shape: there are lots of areas where the appliqued designs have worn off, there are holes, there are areas where the fabric has faded, but I think it's absolutely stunning just how it is. And it means it probably was used for years and years, which I love.

The quilt is looks like it was entirely hand pieced and hand quilted. And even though it is most likely at least 70-80 years old, there are a lot of things about it that feel very modern to me: the solid pink and green fabrics combined with the plaid fabric in the photo above, and the circular areas of quilting, like in the photograph below, and that unexpected square with the blue geese, as mentioned above.

And I just adore these sweet little appliqued birds and stylized flowers

They aren't in the best shape (and some are more threadbare than others), but you can see that they all were appliqued by hand with turned edges.

And I found the price tag while I was taking these pictures yesterday. Guess what I paid for it?

I paid a whopping $18 for this at a thrift store. Can you imagine? It's really kind of sad to me to think that someone's gorgeous handiwork ended up at a thrift store at such a cheap price. But, the quilt now has a good home, and I'm lucky to have the quilt.

sneak peek of my Pear Tree quilt

2011-11-04T07:43:00.000-07:00

Do you remember the happy mail that my friend Thomas sent me a while back? I finally finished my project with his beautiful line of fabrics called Pear Tree, which will be available soon, and here's a sneak peek.

I used the Blush colorway of Pear Tree and the pinks and creams are really beautiful. And I love the pops of chocolate brown and sage green.

I'm finishing up writing the pattern this weekend, and it should be available as a pdf to purchase next week. It's a simple quilt that goes together really quickly, and I think it would make a great gift for a baby or child. But it's also large enough to be used as a throw quilt.

And can I just tell you that this little guy made my little photo shoot very difficult? Good thing he's pretty cute, because he's sure a trouble maker.

Pear Tree by Thomas Knauer for Andover should be hitting your local fabric store this month!

my modern quilting class fall 2011

2011-11-02T07:56:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that tonight is my last class of the second session of Intro to Modern Quilting I've taught at Sewn Studio. This class has flown by for me. We have a full class of six students this time and they are creating some beautiful work! I'm always amazed at all of the different combinations of fabrics that the students come up with, and how completely different their finished quilts turn out, even though they are all using the same pattern. Noel, pictured above, used Kate Spain's Flurry for her Christmas themed quilt. Here are some other photos from last week's class.

Michelle is making a really fun, bright quilt for one of her daughter's. It's going to be a Christmas present for her and I can't wait to see what it looks like when it's done.

Ellen's quilt reminds me of a modern take on an Amish quilt with the black fabrics and bright mix of colors. So fun, right?

Theresa's quilt is a really fun mix of lots of different lines of fabrics, including a few from Peacock Lane. It's really beautiful.

And I love the soft palette of Karen's quilt. It's got all of these beautiful greens, pinks, creams, and browns in it. Just gorgeous.

They all are really gorgeous, and I can't wait to see how they turn out. I'm so proud of my students for the incredible work they're doing. Can you believe these are their very first quilts?!

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T20:10:00.000-07:00

I hope you and your family had a very happy Halloween! Jeff is out of town on business, so I took the kids to my dad's house for trick or treating. They had a blast!

Aidan was Captain Jack Sparrow. Even though we've never seen any of the Pirates of the Carribean movies, Aidan is obsessed with him. I made his costume using clothing that I found at the thrift store plus some things we had on hand. The shirt and vest are both Irish linen (score!) and the pants were actually a pair of Junior sized capris that I took in. I loved the weave of the fabric and the vintage looking brass buttons and I thought they made excellent pirate pants.

His lovely hair is actually two wigs, with a few strands of beads that I sewed in. Check out the view from behind.

Olivia wanted to be Dorothy Gale from the Wizard of Oz. I originally purchased a McCall's pattern to make a traditional version of Dorothy's dress.

But I ended up making one with my own pattern that I designed myself. That way I didn't have to deal with a new pattern (and zippers!). Plus, with the longer sleeve length she would stay a bit more warm if it was chilly out.

Olivia is tall and skinny! I made her a size 5 dress, which is the size that I've been buying her clothes in lately, but my dress was really big on her. So, I made a little sash and tied it around her dress. Problem solved and she'll have plenty of room to grow into the dress, which means lots of dress up time for her in the future.

Of course Dorothy wouldn't be complete without Toto, right?

And those sparkly ruby red slippers....

Last year I was at Quilt Market during Halloween, so I missed trick or treating with them. They were both so excited about going this year...

but Aidan can be a bit reserved sometimes. He skipped all of the houses that had any kind of spooky decorations.

Olivia, on the other hand, is pretty fearless and had no qualms about any of the houses. Not even this spooky fun house that she and my dad walked through.

Aidan skipped that to play with a neighborhood cat.

Both of them have loads and loads of candy, so I have a feeling that they'll be riding a sugar high for the next few days. Wish me luck. ;)

Bloggers' Quilt Festival Fall 2011

2011-10-31T06:49:00.000-07:00

Hello, everyone! Thanks for stopping by today to checkout my submission for the Bloggers' Quilt Festival Fall 2011. Thank you very much to Amy of Amy's Creative Side for organizing this fun event, and thank you to all of her sponsors for donating such generous prizes.

My entry for the Bloggers' Quilt Festival is my Silo quilt, which is one of the latest quilts I've finished. And most exciting to me, it was also chosen as a winner in the Modern Quilt Guild's Project Modern: Challenge 4. The judge was none other than Denyse Schmidt, my personal quilting idol and the mother of Modern Quilting, in my eyes. The challenge for this project was to find your own voice and create a quilt that speaks to who you are as a quiltmaker.

My quilt is an original design of mine and it was inspired by a large metal silo that sits on a farm about 10 miles from my home. I’m sure I've seen that silo hundreds of times before, but one day I saw something new in it as we drove by, so I grabbed my sketchbook and drew out a plan.

I tweaked the original sketch a bit and then grabbed some fabrics and went to work.

For this quilt I used three solid colors of woven cotton: cream, pale blue, and a warm gray. I really liked how the colors worked together, and the combination reminded me of how the silo looks at dusk, when the entire structure seems to glow in the setting sun.

The quilt measures 64” x 67”. It is heavily quilted with horizontal straight lines to repeat the design of the front, as well as the grooves of metal on the silo.

It was fantastic to be a winner of the Project Modern Challenge, and even more amazing since I also was a winner in the first and second challenges, too. But the most meaningful prize of them all to me is Denyse's words about my quilt. She said

This quilt is beautiful and striking in it’s clear simplicity and strong execution. The translation of the idea/inspiration into a quilted medium feels spot on, and every choice the quilter has made – from palette, to structure, and quilting – supports this clear vision and intention. I’d love to see the back!

Amazing, right? And completely humbling to me. So for Denyse (and you!), here is the back.

While the design of front of the quilt is very regular and structured, the back was designed entirely improvisationally. I used some leftover sections of the blocks from the front and added some scraps and bits of fabrics, and I pieced them all together with more cream fabric.

Thanks again for stopping by from the Bloggers' Quilt Festival Fall 2011 and for letting me tell you a little about my work. Be sure to check out all of the amazing entries in the festival to be inspired by tons of gorgeous quilts.

Directions

2011-10-27T20:26:00.001-07:00

I was recently asked to be a part of "Directions," an exhibition at Gallery Salveo in Cincinnati next month. What an honor! I will have three of my quilts on display, including my Yield quilt, pictured above, and two others, in addition to photographs of the places and things that inspired them. If you're in the Cincinnati area, the opening is Thursday, November 17 from 5:00-7:00 pm. Gallery Salveo is located at 3805 Edwards Road, Rookwood Tower, 5th Floor, Cincinnati, Ohio 45209. I'd love to see you there!

Directions also includes works by Maureen Holub, David Rosenthal, John Humphries, and Jenny Grote. The exhibition runs through February 2010.

Celebrate Christmas Quilt Along : All a Flurry

2011-10-26T19:22:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I'm so excited to share this block with you as part of the Celebrate Christmas Quilt Along. Thank you for joining me here today, and thank you to Michele of The Quilting Gallery for inviting me to be a part of this great project!

I love the holidays. I always have, but even more so since having children. My kids are now three and five, so they are acutely aware of all the fun festivities that go on at Christmas time.

We visit Santa (although without tears these days), we make candy and other sweets from scratch, we make handmade gifts, we decorate the house, we go to the zoo for the festival of lights, we go to live nativities...In a nutshell, we're all a flurry. It's a fast pace, but it's such a fun time of the year, especially with young children.

All a Flurry is also the name of my block for the Celebrate Christmas Quilt Along. It is an ideal pattern to showcase some of your favorite charm squares, although any fabrics will work. I've used some charm squares of Kate Spain's Flurry line of fabric and white Kona cotton for my block, but I think it would look beautiful in any combination of fabrics. All a Flurry is a simple block to construct and the bold graphic design and clean lines give it a modern feeling.

Please be sure to read all of the instructions before getting started. All seam allowances are ¼”. If you'd like to make a block of your own, the free pattern is available to download as a pdf here.

Cutting Instructions:

* Cut (4) 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares (A) from your choice of fabric (note: I used a charm square here, cut in half lengthwise and then again width-wise to yield (4) 2 1/2" squares)

* Cut (2) 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" rectangles (B) from a solid fabric

* Cut (1) 1 1/2" x 5 1/2" rectangle (C) from a solid fabric

* Cut (4) 2 1/2" x 5 1/2" rectangles (D) from a solid fabric

* Cut (4) 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares (E) from your choice of fabric (note: I also used a charm square here, cut in half lengthwise and then again width-wise to yield (4) 2 1/2" squares)

* Cut (2) 2" x 9 1/2" rectangles (F) from a solid fabric

* Cut (2) 2" x 12 1/2" rectangles (G) from a solid fabric

Construct the block:

Sew one square A to one rectangle B, right sides together.

Press seam open. Sew another square A to rectangle B.

Press seams open. Repeat with the other squares A and rectangle B.

Sew rectangle C to the pieced A-B-A. Press seams open.

Sew the other pieced A-B-A to rectangle C. Press seams open.

Sew one rectangle D to the top and one rectangle D to the bottom of the pieced square. Press seams open.

Sew a square E to both short ends of rectangle D. Press seams open.

Repeat with the remaining squares E and rectangle D, and press seams open.

Sew the constructed E-D-E rectangle to the left side of the pieced square. Press seams open.

Sew the other constructed E-D-E rectangle to the right side of the pieced square and press seams open.

Sew one rectangle F to the top and press open.

Sew the other rectangle F to the bottom of the pieced square and press seams open.

Sew one rectangle G to the left side and one rectangle G to the right side of the pieced square. Press seams open.

Square up block with a 12 1/2” ruler if necessary.

If you're following along, please be sure to add your block images to the Celebrate Christmas Quilt Along Flickr group!

Thanks again to Michele of The Quilting Gallery. Be sure to stay tuned for more great blocks in the Celebrate Christmas Quilt Along!

Celebrity Round-up: Pre-Cuts on Generation Q today

2011-10-26T10:36:00.000-07:00

There is a great little discussion on GenerationQ today all about pre-cut fabrics. What is your favorite? I don't buy many, but I do love a stack of fat quarters. Go read why and see what six other designers picked for their top choice too!

And I think I might add this gorgeous bundle from Purl to my Christmas list...

Stockings for Kids

2011-10-26T04:18:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I received an email from Lyanna, telling me about a project that she's working on. She works for the Bair Foundation, an agency that helps foster children in Central Virginia and they would like to give each child a stocking for Christmas that they can call their own. In years past the children were given paper stockings that were thrown out after the holidays. But this year Lyanna and the staff have made it a goal to give each child a handmade stocking, one that they can keep and use year after year. So she is organizing a stocking drive through her blog, Purple Panda Quilts, and her goal is to collect 50 stockings by December 1.

Can you help and make a stocking or two? Lyanna is posting weekly tutorials on various ways to make a stocking and there was a brand new one yesterday for a cute appliqued version. As an added incentive, everyone who donates a stocking is eligible for some great prizes.

I'm in! Are you? I'm hoping to make at least one stocking to send to Lyanna. For more information on Stockings for Kids, please visit her blog or the Flickr group.

double wedding ring, simpli-ez style

2011-10-25T04:25:00.000-07:00

I mentioned last week that I'll be working on some traditional blocks with the help of some templates that were very generously given to me by my friends at Simplicity. I finally got the chance to play with some the other day, and first up is the Simpli-EZ Double Wedding Ring Template, designed by Darlene Zimmerman.

The Double Wedding Ring is one of those traditional patterns that I love, but I've always been too intimidated to try. Here's why: lots of cutting, curved piecing, and y-seams, oh my! Seriously, there is a lot of irregular cutting and curved sections, and I couldn't even imagine doing all that with just a pair of scissors.

So, you can guess how excited I was when I learned about this template, which allows you to cut everything with a rotary cutter. Pretty cool, right?

For my fabrics, I used a solid white cotton and some charm pieces of Kate Spain's Flurry. I don't have the time to make a whole quilt right now, so I thought it would be fun to make a Double Wedding Ring pillow for Christmas out of one or two blocks.

The set consists of three templates: the large one that is used for the curved sections and the four-patch squares, and two smaller wedge-shaped templates that make up the rings. The manufacturer recommends that you use a 45mm or smaller rotary cutter, but I used my 60mm one without any problems. Just go slow!

Using the large template, you cut curves along each side of a square...

and you end up with this. In a matter of seconds!

The same template is used to cut the smaller curved sections in the block.

So in just a couple of minutes, you're well on your way to making your block.

This template also creates the squares that make up the four patch parts of the pattern.

And then there are two smaller templates for creating the parts that make up the rings. For this section, I layered a few charm squares on top of each other, so I could cut them out even more quickly.

It literally took me less than five minutes to cut all of these out.

Once the pieces are cut out, you can arrange them in the order that you like, and then begin to stitch them together.

Much easier than I had expected!

After the wedges are sewn together to form an arc, the arc is pinned and sewn to one of the smaller curved pieces.

But, you'll notice that it doesn't look like they'll line up, right? The arc looks a lot smaller than the white curved piece. At first I was afraid that I had made a mistake...

but if you line up and match both pieces in the center and continue to pin along the entire length

it works! The curve pieces ease together and it's a perfect fit.

That's as far as I got on my Double Wedding Ring block, because I'm working on some big projects whose deadlines are fast approaching. But I'm really pleased (and surprised!) with how easy it was to make with the templates. I can't wait to finish this one, and one of these days, I'm going to find the time to make a full size Double Wedding Ring Quilt.

vintage quilt mondays : thrift store patchwork

2011-10-24T11:33:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to another installment of Vintage Quilt Mondays! Today's quilt is another one that I found at a local thrift store a few years ago. It's a simple patchwork design and the top is made entirely out of wool. It looks like the quilter used different wool suits to make her blocks. There are solid colored blocks and some fun plaid blocks, too.

I especially love this pink and orange plaid! The quilt does not have any batting and it's tied with pink yarn at the corners of each block.

The quilt is in need of a bit of repair. There are a couple of blocks where the seams have come undone.

The quilt is backed and bound with the same fabric, a grey background with a navy blue grid.

Here's a better shot of the backing fabric.

I love the orange and yellow plaid, too!

And check out how much I paid for this quilt...

Ten bucks! Isn't it sad that quilts like this end up in thrift stores? But, I'm glad that I have it now and I will cherish it forever.

I'm a winner of Project Modern: Challenge 4!

2011-10-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

Totally amazing and completely surprising to me. My Silo quilt was chosen a winner in the Modern Quilt Guild's Project Modern: Challenge 4.

This quilt is beautiful and striking in it’s clear simplicity and strong execution. The translation of the idea/inspiration into a quilted medium feels spot on, and every choice the quilter has made – from palette, to structure, and quilting – supports this clear vision and intention. I’d love to see the back!

I think I'm going to print that out and hang it by my sewing table where I can see it every day. And I'm not even kidding.

The prizes that accompany the win are great (lots of yards of Denyse's fabric, some yummy solids from Robert Kaufman, Aurifil thread, a copy of Block Party: The Modern Quilting Bee from Stash Books, and a gift certificate to Spoonflower) but what I am most excited about is Denyse's critique of my work. That, by far, is the best prize to me.

Thank you to The Modern Quilt Guild and to Denyse Schmidt. It is because of you all that I am a quilter.

Happy mail, Simplicity style

2011-10-19T06:18:00.000-07:00

Ah, Happy Mail, how I love you. A couple of months ago, the wonderful folks at Simplicity sent me some of their quilting tools to try out. Since this summer was a bit of a madhouse, I haven't had the time to use them as much as I have wanted to, but I'm going to set time aside each week to try them all and give you a full report on each one.

I have already used my 6.5" x 12.5" Simpli-EZ Ruler, and it has quickly become one of my favorite tools. I especially love that it includes measurements in eights. It's also marked in such a way that both right handed and left handed people can use it with ease. You can see that I've already written my name on it, so at sew-ins and classes everyone knows it's mine. ;)

I'm most excited to try out the Simpli-EZ Double Wedding Ring template. I saw it demonstrated by Darlene Zimmerman, who designed the tool (and many others in the Simplicity line) at Quilt Market in the spring, and it was seriously amazing. She is a genius! I've always wanted to tackle a double wedding ring quilt, but I've honestly been a little scared too. So, that's what I'm starting with. Stay tuned for my report!

I'm also working with Simplicity on another project and I can't wait to tell you about it. They have been so great to work with, and I'm really excited about what we have in the works.

P.S. Please forgive my dark photos. It's a rainy day here in Ohio today!

Sleeping Beauty & Kaffe Fasset winner!

2011-10-18T04:07:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry for the delay in posting the winner of Sleeping Beauty and Kaffe Fasset scraps giveaway, but it's been a crazy couple of days around here! I had a lot of fun reading all of your guesses to my question about how I came up with the title of my Spinning on That Dizzy Edge block. And I see a lot of you came up with the correct answer, which is that it's a line from the song "Just Like Heaven" by the Cure. If you haven't listened to it yet, I highly recommend that you do. Here, I'll make it easy for you. ;)

What did you think? I was never a fan of Robert Smith's teased black hair and red lipstick, but he certainly has a way with words.

And without further adieu, the winner of the scrap bundle is lucky number 10!

Kathy, who said:

Congratulations, Kathy! Mr. Random chose you! Please send me your mailing address and I'll get the fabrics right out to you. Thank you!

vintage quilt mondays : my grandmother's garden

2011-10-17T04:02:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to another installment of Vintage Quilt Mondays! I'm so excited to share this quilt with you. It is my absolute favorite vintage quilt that I own. I bought this quilt from my great-aunt, who had an antique shop, when I was about 15 years old or so.

My aunt Ruth's antique shop was attached to her home in St. Mary's, Ohio, a tiny little town in the northwest part of the state. Her shop was great; you never knew what you were going to find, and I tried to buy something from her every time my family and I visited. One day while we were there I was lucky enough to stumble upon this beauty.

The pattern is a traditional grandmother's garden and this quilt is in amazing shape. It measures about 92" x 72" and is entirely hand pieced and quilted. The outer rings of all the flowers are made from various patterned floral fabrics, all with shades of lavender or purple; the inner rings are made out of a solid violet cotton; and the centers of all the flowers are a solid yellow cotton.

The hexagons that make up the pattern are tiny, and measure just about one inch on each side. I can't even imagine how many little hexies are in this quilt!

I believe my aunt Ruth told me that she thought this quilt dated to the 1930s, and knowing what little I know about vintage fabrics, that sounds right to me. It's in perfect shape; there are no holes or worn areas, so I'm guessing it wasn't used much, if at all.

Unfortunately the quilt is not signed, so I have no idea who made it, and I don't even know where my aunt got it. Even though she's gone now, I'll always think of Aunt Ruth when I look at this quilt, and I will cherish it forever.