Thursday, December 17, 2015

Merry Christmas!


Merry Christmas! 

I spent the month of October and some of November working on a new flower pattern, a Poinsettia. During the process, I was lucky to get to visit a warm, sunny beach in Hawaii over Thanksgiving, which I highly recommend. Unfortunately, my tan is quickly fading.



So, when I got home, it was back to my new flower. I was asked by RJR Fabrics to use some of their beautiful batik fabrics, which I did. The pattern and fabric kits will be available through Keepsake Quilting around the first of the year, in plenty of time for you to get it done for next Christmas.

I documented the building of this quilt with a video and set it to some Christmas music to show how I developed this quilt. I even show how you I quilted it so you can see how easy it really is (but don’t tell anyone)!  I want you to have the thrill of your friends and family saying  I can’t believe you made this!  That’s why I make patterns.


I made this flower 3 times in different combinations of fabrics and also in my hand-dyes. I love to see how my patterns can be translated into a variety of fabrics and still look great.

As I said, around the first of the year, Keepsake Quilting will have this pattern and fabric kits available for you to make for next Christmas.  Hey, Christmas isn't just for December!
In fact, I'm thinking that if I keep the tree up all year I will be so ahead of the game.

Oh, no!  Now I'm sounding like my mother, who did keep the tree up all year long back in the 80s.  She would redecorate it for each month’s holiday.  Her thought was that the tree represents Jesus so why not celebrate Jesus by keeping the tree up all year, not just at Christmas time.



We had a Valentine’s Day tree, 4th of July tree, Easter tree, and Thanksgiving tree. The Martin Luther King Day tree was a little tricky but she pulled it off.  Did I tell you she was an interior designer?  I guess that proves that the nut, in fact, doesn’t fall far from the tree!

On second thought,  I'll just enjoy my Poinsettia quilt and take down the tree until next year - it's easier to explain.


Friday, December 4, 2015

My iQuilt Class


Turn your favorite flower photo into a master piece art quilt.

For the next few days iQuilt will be offering a great deal on my online classes. Check it out by clicking on the word iQuilt above!

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Gulf Coast Quilters Here I Come!

In January I will be traveling through the Gulf Coast reign of the United States teaching and lecturing for a large group of quilt guilds spread out along the Gulf Coast.  Then I will end my trip in Venice Florida for the last of my classes.  

 This is going to be an adventure because it will be almost 3 weeks on the road.  But I have never been to these great places and I get the thrill of checking these states off my “how many states have you visited” map.  Looks like I have been to almost all of them after this trip.  Still haven’t been to North or South Carolina or Maine? That will be something to look forward to.






Some of the quilt guilds are doing my hibiscus pattern. So I thought I would show the student’s and you the hibiscus in varying stages of completions to give the kids an idea about all the colors they can make this flower in.  

 Hibiscus come in a wide verity of colors. So pick your favorite color and use the color chart as your guild when choosing your fabrics. Here is how you do this.
The body of the flower is made up of fabric A, B, C. They are arranged from the lightest to darkest. All other pieces are laid on top of these base petals.  D, E, F make up the center and they need to be darkest of color with D being black. Then notice on the color chart how color G H I J K L M N O P run from dark to light also? These are the showdowns and highlights.  In class I help you make a color chart with the fabric you being.  So pick your favorite color and bring lots of fabrics to choose from.

The more fabrics the better.  You can also order a fabric kit made from my hand dyed fabrics.  $65. Order through your guilds program chair.  Hope this helps. This is a stunning quilt. And bring a verity of backgrounds to choose from and greens.  I have a trick on how to pick the right background for your beautiful flower quilt. 

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

My iQuilt Class is Here!

I will remember November 3rd for a long time. It felt like Christmas this morning when I woke up and knew that today is the big launch day of the new online classes brought to you by iQuilt and BERNINA.

American Quilters Society is the developer of this exciting format that will fill your creative minds with great quilting classes that cover every technique the quilting world has to offer. Many of your 
favorite teachers and authors are on the list.  Oh, and I am one of them. Yippee!

Now you can take my “Fabulous Flower Photo Quilts” class that I developed to help my students learn how to make their own flower masterpiece art quilt from their own flower photo.  And yes, you can do it!
  
You can follow along once you download the class into your computer and it’s yours.  It’s like I’m there with you only you don’t have to feed me or pick up after me.

You can ask me questions, take notes and view the class as many times as you want. 
So check it out.  More classes are coming from me - I just got done filming Renegade Thread Play!

There will be a link to a shop where you can buy your supplies for class. this is going to be so fun.

Monday, October 19, 2015

American Patchwork & Quilting Podcast


Like my day isn’t busy enough with getting ready for IQA Houston. today I’m going to be interviewed by Host Pat Sloan who has a cool Podcast on American Patchwork & Quilting Radio.  http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/radio/index.html

You can listen from your computer, subscribe by iTunes (search American Patchwork& Quilting) or download to a player …  

Monday, July 13, 2015

Summer Rose at AQS QuiltWeek® August the 12-15 2015


Summer Rose Movie


Grand Rapids, Michigan -August the 12-15 2015
AQS QuiltWeek in Grand Rapids is coming up quickly and it will be here before you know it.

One of my classes still has a few openings. Its the Summer Rose class on Wednesday Aug 12th. I have hand dyed 4 rose colorways for this class and i make extra so you can have your favorite rose color.

I am also doing a lecture on "The Power and Secret of Color" on Aug 15. This lecture is designed to build more confident in choosing colors.

I am very excited to be doing a Wearable Fashion Show which is a evening event on Thursday 13 at 7 pm. I haven't showed my wearable art at a big show ever. I will be bring them all for  this fashion show! I cant wait.


So pack your bags and join me in Michigan.  Its a beautiful, very artsy city with great restaurants right on the river.   What could be better?

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Today's Tip


I’m working on a new sample quilt that was inspired by a student.  She had incorporated three of my patterns in one awesome quilt which I am in the process of making. I’ll show you the finished quilt later in my next blog.

Three patterns is a lot of cutting and my cutting arm/hand got tweaked by all the 50 pound bags I cart around the country.  I was cutting out 45 small green leaves and I ran out of straight pins, which always happens. I don’t know where they all go, I just bought a new pack. I think they are friends of that odd sock that keeps disappearing in the dryer.


I don’t really like that the pins also keep bending as I push them through the pattern paper and the fusible web.  I hate bent pins. Plus, when the pieces get really small and they do get really small, the pin are in the way when I cut.  I need the pattern pieces to stay with the cut pieces until I lay it in its proper place on the pattern background fabric or layout guide so I know what number it is. 
Light bulb moment! I jump up and grab my Wonder Clips!  So much easier.  Here is a short movie on how I use them. Give it a try.   If you can’t find the Wonder Clips I am expecting a shipment next week for my web shop.  $19.00 for 50 clips. Click on the Shop  link above.