PATCHWORK TEA ROSES

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ON VACATION

Oh my goodness! Being on the road more weeks than being home makes being home like being on vacation! I loved everywhere I went but it sure is good to be home even it is for only a couple more days before I have to leave again. So, where have I been?

July:
Our second annual Statler retreat in Sisters. We started with a day touring the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show for inspiration checking out the quilting on lots and lots of quilts. We had some great sessions working with the Creative Studio software, fun with our clam digger challenge to practice our Auto Sketch skills, and some fast and furious badminton games in the evenings.

Then I was home for just a short week repacking for a quick weekend trip to San Diego to see the grand babies and hear Toby in a summer concert with the San Diego Symphony.

Back home ... just enough time to do a quick load of wash, repack, and then it was off to Long Beach for the first West Coast International Quilt Festival. As with any project, getting started with the "first" is always a little rough. There are some bugs to be worked out but I'm sure the festival will be even bigger and better next year with even more vendors, another awesome quilt show, great classes to be taken by super teachers, and lots and lots of eager and happy shoppers.
August: Back home ... do another quick load of wash ... and then off to Alabama to help my daughter learn how to can and have a little bit of vacation. We did go to one quilt store while I was there. I got to meet Becky of Sew What! in Oxford. Becky was so nice to invite us to visit her guild meeting the next day. Eryn and I thought we might make it but the call of vacationing activities was just too strong. Thanks for thinking of us, Becky.

Eryn and I did have a good time canning beans and tomatoes. I'd never heard of Rattlesnake Beans before but they canned up just like regular beans and the stripes disappeared when the beans were cooked just like the man said. We ended up with 35 quarts of tomatoes and 14 quarts of beans. Eryn makes a mean pot of bean soup to get her through the week once the school year starts up for her at JSU again. All of that canning helped me remember some of the more simple things I enjoyed before quilting took over my life!

Eryn and Frankie: "Oh Dear! What are we going to do with all of these tomatoes?"

After getting home from Alabama, we had our annual Scrappy Sister Retreat here at my house. We've been retreating every summer now since 2000. We have an organized strip exchange and then work on the challenge project ... piecing a quilt top using the 2 1/2" and 4 1/2" strips we've exchanged. We've had some pretty amazing quilts come from our exchanges over the years.

We had the additional challenge this year of working all weekend in a record setting heat wave for our usually mild Pacific Northwest. But not to worry, on Monday we were back to our usual rain and mid-60's weather. Sometimes, I think we're going to go crazy with this wild 40 degree swings on the thermometer!

I do need some help from all of you deciding just what to do for borders on my Retreat Challenge quilt. Post your vote in the poll at the top of the page as to your preference for Design 1 with the square in a square border or Design 2 with the half crystal block border. This is a new pattern I'm developing for release at Fall Market in Houston this year. It also needs a name - any and all suggestions are welcomed!

And, now where am I off to next? In just a couple of days we leave for San Diego ... another concert, and then we're driving our son's/daughter-in-law's car to Boston for them. They're flying and getting settled with babies, meeting movers, and getting set for rehearsals and various recording sessions to start with the Boston Symphony Orchestra for Toby.

It's been a busy busy summer ... and I've loved every minute of it! Good times with family and friends are just the best and never to be taken for granted.

WHOLECLOTH FUN

What a fun day playing with one of my new wholecloth designs. I love this shiny red fabric. I've got to go back to the store and read where it comes from and more detail about what the fiber content is. I know it is mostly cotton with some shiny threads woven in for the glitz.

I first heard about this fabric from my friend Dani. She quilted a Sun Compass quilt using a creamy yellow metalic color of the same fabric. I had to beat feet down to Fabric Depot to find some for me. I found both the creamy yellow and this yummy red that is perfect for a holiday wholecloth. I even found the perfect backing fabric on the 50% off rack.

Now, that was fun ... trying to get good pictures of shiny fabric! Enjoy!

Quilting detail at the bottom of the wallhanging.

Closeup of 1237 Ornamental Feather

Closeup of 1236 Circle of Angels

Closeup of 1229 WB Medallion

1075 Bead Strings was used in the border and 1077 Touching Beads was used for the sashing. I couldn't get a good picture of the 4th block used ... 1233 Pine Cones & Berries. Sorry. This sample is just a 4 block sampler with the blocks being set in at about 17" and the wallhanging finishing about 38" square. It could easily be enlarged to bed size. Wouldn't this be yummy on the bed during the holiday season after Thanksgiving all the way through New Years!

ROCKY RAILROAD BED

And, now ... for the rest of the story ... Plots of Rocks.

Walter is a longarm customer of mine and always brings me interesting quilt tops with interesting ideas and suggestions for quilting designs. This last winter he brought me a Railroad quilt. I couldn't believe the care he took in piecing the fussy-cut rails and the actual pattern he picked to go with all of these railroad fabrics was perfect. And, now to the quilting.

We talked about a lot of different possibilities included the use of the traditional railroad crossing signs and signals. But it true what they say about quilts talking to you. As Walter's quilt hung on the design wall waiting patiently for it's turn to loaded onto the machine, it kept saying,

"Keep it simple. Let my fabrics shine through on this one."

"Remember the young man who will be sleeping or napping under me. He doesn't want something all fancied up. He wants a peaceful rest and to stay warm."

"He just wants to appreciate Walter for knowing how much he likes trains."

And, so, after much careful listening to the quilt top, a plot of rocks was born. The collection consists of a Rock Block, a Rock Triangle, and a design called Rocks Fill P2P. I stitched straight lines in following the path of the rails, did a quarter inch echo in the blue triangle blocks, and a simple crosshatch block in the railway company logo blocks. The borders were filled with rocks with the set-up made easy using the point-to-point rock design.

And Walter sent me the nicest note of appreciation for the design choices I worked out for his quilt telling me how much the young man liked his new quilt. Thank you Walter, for sending me the challenges that help me to grow in new directions and to see the design possibilities with new eyes.

PATTERNS & PLOTS OF ROCKS

Today was a day of cutting, piecing, and computers.

First, the cutting ... my red and white sample of TWISTING RIBBONS is hanging in my trunk show at Fabric Depot and this means I need to have another sample on hand for booth hangings in the area and regional retail shows.

I like the swirling twirly motion in the blue and white mock-up. So, today I started the blue and white sample ... a day of cutting and piecing blocks. I need a total of 48 blocks for a twin size quilt. Sometimes I don't like knowing I need 96 two inch squares with lines drawn on the diagonal ready to complete sew-n-fold corners. I sorted the patches and blocks in sets of twelve blocks so the numbers wouldn't be quite so overwhelming. I have 20 blocks more than half finished so there is hope, but I still have a lot of triangles to prep before I can sew!

The second thing I did to help manage the "numbers I don't want to know, was to break up the cutting/piecing tasks by working on other projects. The other project of the day was to update my online web store with all the new Statler patterns I've been digitizing over the last 2 months.

NOTE TO SELF: Never, ever wait this long to add the new patterns to the catalog! Oh my, I think I would rather be drawing diagonal lines on squares in preparation for piecing face-to-face half square triangles!

But, enough of the whining. Statler users, you'll want to be sure and get yourself over to the Mountaintop "store" and check out the new designs. I have half of them loaded and ready for your shopping. I will be getting the rest of them uploaded tomorrow. Click on the "What's New" bar under each category to see the new patterns. Overall you will find 14 new blocks, 3 new border/sashing patterns (Grab a martini and check out the Olive Eye Sashing!), 8 new edge-to-edge designs including a great Sock Monkey design for Eryn's Monkey Business quilt and all of you Northwest quilters won't want to miss Cloudy Cascades (both to be added tomorrow), and 4 new triangle designs.

The sale for this month features a design called Ripples and Stars. The Ripples edge-to-edge we've all loved to use so far has morphed into a new pattern with the addition of stars scattered randomly through the ripples. The new Ripples and Star pattern is on sale for the next week until June 15th for half price to celebrate Flag Day.

I used this pattern on an American Hero quilt I finished back in March. American Hero quilts are presented to the parents of soldiers who have lost their lives in combat. A very worthy cause to support those who serve and sacrifice with honor and courage.

But, what about the "plots of rocks" you ask? You'll have to come back tomorrow to read about their story.

MONKEY BUSINESS

Now is this a fun quilt or what! When I look at my "to-do" list for today I see nothing about making a sock monkey quilt, but I guess this is a clear example of what they call "going with the flow" or "striking when the iron is hot." So, as Paul Harvey would say, "... and now, for the rest of the story ..."

My daughter has a friend who is expecting and due in October. Eryn has been after me to design a quilt for her to make for her friend. First was the picking of the fabric. Sock Monkey fabric was the selection of the day. And now for the pattern.

At first I thought I would use the same pattern as the one (Bebe Bears) I pieced for the twins and released at Spring Market. But, when I got up this morning, something just didn't feel right about that pattern with the monkey fabric.

Back to the drawing board and in just a quick 15 or 20 minutes I had the pattern done! Well, the drawings were finished; the pattern still has to be written. Some quick calculations as to how many strip sets were needed for the sashing blocks and how many squares would be needed for the half square triangles, and I was on my way to the cutting board rotary cutter in hand.

Piecing began at about 11:00 this morning and the borders were on with the top being finished by 6:00 this evening. I think I just set a new PR for the fastest time on record I've ever had a quilt come together. I took lots of construction/technique photos along the way to help in the pattern write-up. Tomorrow I will finish cutting the kit for Eryn, get the first steps of construction written out for her, and ship it off to her in a priority envelope so she can get started piecing the blocks.

If you're reading this post, Eryn, you need to call me and let me know if you have a 1/4" foot with your "Hello Kitty" sewing machine!

CATCHING UP

Oh my! New grandbabies, getting very sick with a repspiratory infection, and then playing catch-up really does put one behind. But, we should be back on schedule now. So let's get to the fun stuff .. what have I been working on?

Digitizing and Designing seem to be the task of the day. I have several new digitized designs for you Statler Users that will be posted soon into the online catalog. And, of course, International Spring Market is here in Portland, OR starting this afternoon with setup and the show floor opening to buyers on Friday. I have 3 new patterns to present to shop owners and then the public this spring.

MQS 117 TWISTING RIBBONS: What a great pattern with a traditional look and using only four fabrics. Piecing techniques include strip piecing and sew-n-fold corners making this pattern quick and easy to piece, and you will be able to make a "free" small throw quiltlet from the left-overs after trimming away "waste" triangles.

MQS 118 PEEK-A-BOO: Another quick and easy pattern to piece! I can always tell which patterns are favorites for me and are quick to piece because I will have multiple samples of that pattern. This pattern is one of those quilts. Only three fabrics needed - work for contrast in value and scale to create the light dark affect as the blocks form strong diagonal lines. To help stay within the designs lines of the pattern, I've included mitered borders as a part of the quilt pattern. (More about piecing mitered borders later.)

And finally, MQS 120 BEBE BEARS! Remember the baby quilts I made for our new expanded family ... I decided to include the multiple sizes into a complete pattern. We have a queen size quilt for the Moma and PaPa Bear, the baby size quilt for the baby bears, and we mustn't leave out the Grandma and Grandpa Bear. There is a throw size, as well, for snuggling, cuddling and loving at Grandma and Grandpa's house, too.

As promised two long months ago, the free pattern for the baby quilt can be found in the "FREE IS GOOD" folder on my yahoo newsletter site.

It's good to be back! Have a wonderful day and come back soon to see pictures and read all about Spring Market here in beautiful Portland Oregon.