And Then There Were Three....

Hello Everyone,As you know, last week I was on a quilting retreat. Besides working on the Hunter's Star quilt, I worked on my Whirlygig blocks!! Very much fun and gratifying too.I made three more centers and chose red, purple, and orange for the segments.I do like how they turned out and because the color is so saturated it really looks great against the black and white fabric. I took tons of photos, but am saving those for the last part of the tutorial.Many of you have said these would be great scrap blocks, and that is exactly what I have...

Big Giveaway!!

Hello Everyone,As promised, I am doing a big giveaway today!! So if you would like to make one of these...A Hunter's Star block. With one of these...A Rapid Fire Hunter's Star Ruler. You may want to listen to this...My Podcast Episode 19 with Deb Tucker!! She is the inventor of this wonderful ruler (and many others too!). We discuss how she became a quilter, and I pick her brain about her fabulous and extremely easy to use rulers and patterns. This is a must listen for your podcast list.You can listen from you computer by clicking here, or you can...

Rapid Fire Hunter's Star

Hello Everyone,First, I must apologize for my silence in replying to comments. I have been away on a wonderful quilting retreat for a week and tried hard to stay away from the computer. So please accept my apologies. This is not like me...But I did have a wonderful time and was able to get tons accomplished!! I was pleased. This week is going to be a fun one on my blog because there will be a giveaway in relation to this post and Wednesday's post. So be sure to check back on Wednesday for the giveaway!!Onto one of my big...

Rapid Fire Hunter's Star

Hello Everyone,First, I must apologize for my silence in replying to comments. I have been away on a wonderful quilting retreat for a week and tried hard to stay away from the computer. So please accept my apologies. This is not like me...But I did have a wonderful time and was able to get tons accomplished!! I was pleased. This week is going to be a fun one on my blog because there will be a giveaway in relation to this post and Wednesday's post. So be sure to check back on Wednesday for the giveaway!!Onto one of my big...

Looking Back

Hello Everyone,With winter fast approaching and having had our first snowfall on Monday, I have been thinking of the summer. So I wanted to share a great day that we had in August.My hubs and I had taken a trip to see Victoria and her family in August. They took us on a wonderful outing to Montauk Point Lighthouse.A beautiful day was had by all. This lighthouse is at the very eastern tip of Long Island. What a gorgeous place.Here is Victoria with me. I look like I was telling my hubs how to use the camera. He didn't do...

Whirlygig Tutorial... Part 2

Hello Everyone,Welcome to Part 2 of the Whirlygig Tutorial. Sources for the tools used will be at the end of the post. This part is all about paper piecing, one of my favorite ways to quilt! This is mostly because of it's accuracy and precision. So, let's begin...First you must have your arcs all printed and trimmed to about 1/4" from the edges. Each whirlygig circle requires 4 arcs. Also have ready either a piece of template plastic or postcard, (something rigid) and a glue stick. Locate #1 on the paper foundation, then flip the foundation over......and swipe the #1...

Whirlygig Tutorial... Part 1

Hello Everyone,By popular demand, here is the first part of the Whirlygig tutorial. Today I will show you how to construct the center whirly part. Sources for the tools I used will be at the end of the post.First choose your two fabrics. As you may recall, I am using black and white and one bright color. Then lay your template on the fabric and cut 12 "whirly" pieces, 6 of each color.I stack my fabric and cut through at least two layers at one time. But if you do this make sure that your fabrics are ALL right side...

The Same or Different?? That is the Question...

Hello Everyone,One of the best things that I picked up at Quilt Market was this book... the one on the right. Yes, the one on the left I already had. You might wonder why I would get the same book twice?It is after all about the same creative man. It has wonderful photos, inspiration, and projects.Although the one that I picked up at quilt market is different. It has some new projects that weren't in the old edition. New pictures and some new content as well. However, I would say the new edition is equally as attractive and inspiring. I...

Quilt Market Post #3 - Celebrity Sightings

Hello Everyone,I promise not much talking in this post, but lots of photos! So let us begin. Still in Schoolhouse, I took the following photos...Three wonderful Aussie ladies Sarah Fielke, Rosalie Quinlan, and Lynette Anderson. Sarah sat with me for a Podcast interview. I'll let you know when it is ready to listen too. She was fantastic!Tammy from Outside the Lines Designs showing off their quilts in Quick Quilts and Quilt Magazine. I am kitting both of them for the magazine. They can be found in my shop.Gorgeous aren't they?Then I had the pleasure of meeting with Quilt Dad John....

Quilt Market Post #2 - Playing With Solids!! The Silk Winner Too!

Hello Everyone,Yay, I am now home!! I got home yesterday and have tons to do to get ready for all the fabric and patterns that are coming into the shop!! I am officially pooped, but it is a good pooped, if you know what I mean.Anyway, onto Quilt Market... I really wanted to share two more schoolhouses with you. I had been looking forward to seeing Bill Kerr and Weeks Ringle's Schoolhouse. If you are unfamiliar with them, they are a husband and wife team and owners of Fun Quilts. They have some fabulous books on the market and are...

Quilt Market Post #1... A Kaffe Lover's Delight

Hello Everyone,I arrived in Houston on Thursday with my friend Pam and we have been going non-stop upon arrival!Yesterday, was spent podcasting (new episodes with special quilty guests available soon) and going to schoolhouse and sample spree.One of my most favorite schoolhouses was spent with Kaffe Fassett, Brandon Mably, and Liza Lucy. So rather that talk more about it, I thought I would share a ton of photos that I took...Yellow floral quilt, seen above, just gorgeous. Wanda, this one is for you! Many of the quilts that you will see here can be found in his latest book Quilts...

Blogger Quilt Festival Fall 2010 Edition

Hello Everyone,Welcome to my blog and my picks for this fall festival!! Thank you, Amy for sponsoring this fabulous event once again.So here we go...This is probably my most favorite quilt that I completed this year for several reasons. I was able to use up lots of my stash.The pattern that I based this on is from Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr of Fun Quilts. It is definitely a little more modern than traditional.The quilting I did was very generic and modern. The fabric used included lots of Kaffes, which you know I love! And it also has Kona Cotton...

A Silk Giveaway.... Times 2!!

Hello Everyone,Over the past few weeks you have been reading about my love affair with silks. My friend Victoria, of Bumble Beans, Inc. and I are just beside ourselves and can't wait to play with them.But we thought that maybe some of our faithful readers would like to play with them too!!So, do you like these? Aren't the dupioni's beautiful?A beautiful yellow, orange, pink, aqua, and gray.Tons of loveliness! I would like to share these colors with you. But first, a break for station identification...Episode 18 of my podcast is out and ready for your listening pleasure by clicking here...

And Then There Were Four....

Hello Everyone,On Saturday, I had another wonderful sew-in with my friend Karen! However, I did all the sewing and she tried to get the hang of a serger for almost the entire day... yikes!! I told her to give it up multiple times, but she is quite a persistent lady. Funny thing is that we all tried to help (even her hubby) and to no avail, the serging just kept getting worse.Any way, I was quite productive. First, I worked on a top secret project, the information on this will be shared at a later date. So for now you...

Patterns, Patterns, Who Has the Patterns?

Hello Everyone,I have another special going on in the shop!! Today through October 29, you may take 20% off ALL in stock patterns!! Just use the code pattern20 at checkout to receive the discount.Here is a sneak peek at just a few of what is in store. Click here to begin shopping....Until Next Time...

Silks, Glorious Silks

Hello Everyone,Many of you who have been reading my blog for a while now know that I have a fascination with silk. I had recently posted here about my trip to NYC and the silk dupioni that I had acquired.Well, last week, my friend Victoria phoned me and asked if she would like me to pick me up some more silks!! Would I ever... YES!! So off she went, and after numerous text messages and phone calls, here is what she purchased for me and for her...Thank you so much, Victoria! Now we have to arrange a time to play...

Wiltwyck Quilt Guild

Hello Everyone,This past Saturday, I had been invited to do a lecture and trunk show at the Wiltwyck Quilt Guild in Kingston, NY. My talk was about how to decide on what quilting designs you will use when your quilt top is complete. Which threads and which battings to choose too. I had a blast and what a talented group it was. The first few pictures, I would like to share are of their show and tell.This quilt is an example of their next month's friendship block Sunny Lanes. Great design for scraps, isn't it?In the above photo, you will...

Fork In The Road...

Hello Everyone,Have you ever felt like you have come to a fork in the road?? Well I literally did on Sunday after my lecture at the Wiltwyck Quilt Guild. A post on this meeting will be forthcoming. But let's just say, I had a blast!!Driving home through Red Hook, NY here is what I saw...Yep, that is right a really big fork in the road, literally!Yes, the road does divide here too, so all is not a facade.Pretty cool isn't it?Anyway, here is another little diversion that you can take... head over to Julie's Blog, Jaybird Quilts and enter my...

Kona Cotton Solids

Hello Everyone,Just a quick not to let you know that all Kona Cotton Solids are on sale for $4.25 per yard through October 22, 2010.Just click here to see all the fabric!!Until Next Time...

From Indonesia...

Hello Everyone,Just the other day I received a wonderful little package in the mail all the way from Indonesia!! It was from my sweet blogging friend Henny of Seashell.Recently, Henny celebrated her birthday and was doing a giveaway and I won one of the prizes!I was thrilled to receive this quilted pillow cover, made especially by Henny, from Indonesian brown fabric. It is truly beautiful! I love it! Thank you, Henny!!I just love this gorgeous fabric, it reminds me of my African fabrics.Henny surrounded it by an off white linen type fabric and quilted lines in the border. Fabulous job!...