Sunday, March 13, 2011

Workin' on the Weekend

I worked on the shop hop pattern this weekend. Can't show you the blocks, or the quilt but I can show you some of the fabrics I have pulled for the quilt.




Yesterday I got to do a little shopping at Quilting by the Yard in Vernon, CT. Spent time with Caroline Berman who will be testing and making her own version of the shop hop quilt and Laura, one of the shop owners who is a sweetie! Played with fabric- how fun is that!

Today I tried to get caught back up with the Civil War blocks. I never made Block 6 (this week is the week for Block 11 so I am behind!). So this is it:



Blocks 7 and 8 are already done- so now I just need to make 9, 10 and 11!


And I made a block for the Block-a -Palooza Quilt Along- haven't made may yet but I finally decided on a color palette- I will use up some of my red, white and blue fabrics.



Ryan Walsh who has a blog called: I'm Just a Guy who Quilts designed this block and called it "Follow the Leader". I really like it. You can check it out here.

Off to plan where all that lovely fabric is going in my shop hop quilt and then to make a few blocks. Fun, fun fun!

Happy quilting
Kate

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Contest Winner

Well, that was easy! Deb is the winner as she was the only one who posted!

I am so glad it is Saturday. Lots to do today. I have Civil War blocks to make, the directions to finish for last block of the shop hop quilt and a lecture to get ready for!

I am speaking on Monday night at the Shoreline Quilters Guild in Branford, CT. I am doing a trunk show so I guess I better get all the quilts out and sort thru them!

The other night I was trying to decide which quilts to bring. Someone had asked me recently how many patterns we had and I said around 20. I was wrong! We have published 39 patterns! And have in progress/design/in limbo at least another 10!
(Not to mention the ideas floating around inside our heads!) So, I guess I can't bring them all to the lecture.

One of our earlier patterns is called Rosebud Star. I love this pattern. It never sold well- the cover picture was not very good, but I loved it. And when we would display the quilts in person, everyone loved it! One version was a soft green and pink quilt.



The other version I made was different- I used batiks and stronger colors.



That quilt was designed when I was having fun with blocks and secondary patterns- the small star does not show up until the blocks are put together.

Another one of our earlier patterns was called Seams Like a Star. This quilt is another one with a secondary design that shows up when the blocks are put together.Marianne at Quadrille Quilting in North Haven.CT actually named this quilt. She thought it was a fun name- a play on our business name.




I used this quilt to talk about color in a couple of color classes I did. I would use the 3-in-1 Color Tool by Joen Wolfrom and show how it worked picking the fabrics for the quilt. Love that tool! You can check out the updated version of the tool at C&T Publishing here.

I think these quilts will come with me to the lecture- I really loved them and even though we don't actively promote them anymore, they have a place in my heart and they are a piece of our pattern business story.

Have a great Saturday!
Happy quilting
Kate