I went a little crazy!

So, you know how when some people are depressed, they do a little retail therapy? Well, that is what I did this weekend! Fabric retail therapy!

I still don't have much of a voice and it's really driving me a little bonkers. So I went and played at a few quilt shops this weekend and I now have mutiple projects going!

Don't these look like fun?

I could not resist this cute group of fabrics. They have the greatest aniaml images- fun and funky. Now I just have to figure out what kind of quilt I am going to make with them.


And these... fun! fun! fun! My friend Charmion and I made ourselves feel better about our shopping by splitting up the stack and each taking half. Too cute!



I just love those little elephants!

Now this one I bought with a project in mind but... I made need more. So I better figure out what goes where and I how much I need soon! This red and turquoise combo is a hot one lately.



I bought a few more things but I will save them for another time.

Oh- and I recently bought a new cutting mat- mine old one had the wobbles. (You know, when someone accidentally puts a hot cup of tea on a mat and it never lays flat again!) So, after a few years, I had a coupon and finally treated myself to a new one.

New cutting mat, new rotary blade in the cutter... I'm in heaven!

Happy quilting!
Kate

May

Happy Mother's Day to all mom's out there!



How are you all? It has been a while since I posted; I have had no voice for weeks now. All this winter and spring I have been fighting allergies and when that happens I lose my voice. It's been gone, on and off, for weeks. The last 2 1/2 weeks straight.

What does this have to do with posting? When I lose my actual voice, I sometimes feel like I've lost my voice- meaning my ability to communicate at all. Silly I know! But it is very hard to constantly be without your ability to speak; I can talk, just no one can hear me!

So today, voice or no voice, I am letting my voice be heard!

On a fun side,I am finally catching up with my Civil War blocks. I made 6 yesterday! Aren't they great?
This is block #9- Birds in the Air:



This is block #12- Louisiana:



This is block #14- Fox and Geese:



This is block 10- Lincoln's Platform:


This is Block 11- London Square:


Well, almost all of London Square- the bottom got shopped off- only in the picture! The block is fine!

There are two more but the camera has decided to stop working. Oh well. You get the idea. I have been so behind because of the shop hop quilt- which I can not wait to get back from Laura at Quilting by the Yard. She offered to quilt it for me and I am so excited to see it quilted!

I have been thinking about getting a quilting machine. Not a huge long arm- nowhere in the house for that! But maybe a Sweet Sixteen or something else... any thoughts out there? Something that fits in a small space. Not sure what space in my home that will be, but I will figure something out!

Spent some time shopping... fabric, clothes, shoes... with my daughter- what a great way to spend Mother's Day! Who needs to talk?

Happy quilting
Kate

Giveaway

I was cruising blogland and saw this great giveaway over on p.s. i quilt. Check out this lovely stack of fabrics Rachel of p.s. i quilt and Judi of Green Fairy Quilts are giving away! Yummy!




Go sign up!
happy quilting
Kate

A-Z about me

Over on Wendy's blog Why Knot?, she posted this A-Z about me!It looked like fun so I thought I would share!

Age: 52
Bed Size: Queen
Chore You Dislike: Emptying the dishwasher
Dogs: None right now- have had 4. Just 3 kitties right now.
Essential Start of Your Day: waking up!- oh, a cup of 'candy' coffee (more french vanilla and suger than coffee)
Favorite Color: Pink and periwinkle blue
Gold or Silver: Silver
Height: 5'4"
Instruments You Play: Now- nothing! Piano and flute in a past life.
Job Title: Wife, Mother, Nurse, Quilt Pattern Designer
Kids: 2 boys, 1girl- all grown up!
Live: Southern Connecticut
Mom's Name: Kathy- actually her name was Mary but everyone called her Kathy or Bitsy!
Nicknames: Kate
Overnight Hospital Stays: Four -- 3 babies and 1 removal of baby-maker
Pet Peeve(s): Lying.Being lazy. Driving so close to my car I can see the color of your eyeshadow!
Quote From a Movie: "I'm not dead yet!"
Right- or Left-Handed: Right, but a little ambidextrous
Siblings: 2 - 1 Sister, 1 Brother
Time You Wake Up:Wake up? 5-6 am. Get up..... now that is another story!
Underwear: yes!
Veggie You Dislike: Brussel sprouts
What Makes You Run Late: Trying to squeeze in one more thing before I get out the door- can't blame the kids anymore!
X-Rays You Have Had: Too many to count!
Yummy Food You Make: I am not the cook here anymore, but I still make cookies! Actually making some chocolate chip right now! yumm!
Zoo Animal You Like Best: Penguins.

Want to play along?

Happy quilting
Kate

Would you like a glass to go with that W(h)ine?

OK- I have been whining a little lately! All work and no play make Kate a cranky girl! So a couple of weekends ago, when I should have been working, I went to NYC on Sunday with my hubbie and daughter. What fun we had!

First we went to the Empire Quilt Guild quilt show- they have it every other year in March and what a great show it always is. Very inspirational. And they have some amazing workshops - today they have Mary Mashuta and Roberta Horton!I wish I was there taking one of those classes! Of course I don't know how I would have chosen which workshop to take!

Then we went to the Red and White quilt exhibit at the American Folk Art Museum. Actually it was at the armory, but sponsored by the Folk Museum.
Did you hear about it? It was amazing.It was a display of 651 red and white quilts that are owned by one woman, Joanna Rose. Her present to herself and the city of NYC was to have them displayed all together. She sounds like a remarkable lady.

Here is a shot I took-

There a lots of posts about it online- Carrie Nelson of Miss Rosie's Quilt Company has a great post and Pat Sloan has listed a lot of links on her bloc. Check them out!


I love this quilt- actually how could you not love them all? This one looks like peppermint candies!




So why have I been whining? Well, I am really excited to see the shop hop quilt coming together. But I had one block that had been kicking my butt- could not get the drawing right in the computer. As it turned out, that was a good thing. Once I had all the other blocks done and up on the design wall, I realized my original design would not work. So I re-worked the block, the drawing went pretty well and viola! Block is done!

Of course, I did have a little help. My older son and his girlfriend were down visiting from the Boston area, and Rea was a great help. I would draw a little, she would make a suggestion... Wish I could post a picture but, oh well.

So off to do a little stitching today. I have lots of things I "have" to do, but I think I will start with something fun! I was following the Mug Rug Madness posts the other week and I think I will play with some little 1 1/2" squares of fabric I got in NYC. Don't they look like fun?



and so not my usual choice of fabrics! It's good to try something new!

And I got Scott's quilt back from Connie at Golden Bells Quilting- it looks great! We went with a leaf motif- fits the colors and the fabrics. She did a really nice job. Now on to the binding. I have a great stripe that I will cut on the diagonal.



Love the close up!



I'll leave you with a shot of my helper today: here's Huey!




Happy quilting
Kate

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

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