Hello Quilt Dashers!

Welcome to anyone here from the Quilt Dash! So happy to have you visit!

It has been forever since I posted but that is because so much is going on. The big news is that my husband and I are moving! From our home town in Connecticut, where we have both lived pretty much all our lives, to Colorado.

Wow!

My husband was laid off last year from a job he was at for 25 years. And he finally found a new job but it requires a move. So we are in a staging, showing the house, planning frenzy!

The good news is, that maybe I might have some more time for quilting in my new life.

More later... off to meet with the realtor.

Have a great dash!

Happy quilting

Kate

Winner and Stuff

Hi everyone!

Hope you all had a great week!

Yesterday I taught a class at Quadrille Quilting. We are working on one of my patterns, Simply Sunflowers.

(And no, the picture to the right is not the quilt! I am just channeling spring today!)

It is so much fun to see what everyone is doing. We have two quilts that are being done in greens and with great great flower prints. Both flower prints are yellow, one with pansies and one with sunflowers.

One quilt is in browns and tans using a tea dyed muslin and a great leaf print and one is being done in pastels! My new one has a green background and a sunflower print- but with a white background.

After next class I will post pictures. I love it when the students make my pattern look even better than the original!

My new Simply Sunflower quilt is finally quilted and I plan to have it all completed before the next class! It would be bad if the students finished before the instructor!

Yesterday, they did not get much sewing done, but that was my fault. We ended up talking a lot about how to machine quilt the top. This quilt is great one for doing some simple straight line machine quilting and if you have never machine quilted a larger quilt before, it is great to start with this one! You don't ever have to mark a line!

In doing more research for the class, I wanted to give them some materials about thread and needles. I found this great site with information on sewing machine needles. Actually, I found lots of stuff, but I liked this one and they encourage posting their information- what's not to like about that?

The site is called Generation Quilt Patterns and this page has an excellent article on sewing machine needle sizes and what they mean. If you read the short article, it has a sad but true story. And what is sad, but true, is that I have had a similar experience! I have a quilt that you can see sunlight thru! A too big needle was used for that one.

Some other good information that they have is about needles sizes and how to pick the right size for your project. I know that I don't always think about that. I just put in a needle,or still use the one that I had in there for the last three projects, and wonder why things aren't going well!

So this page and this page both have some great information.

Oh, were you looking for the winner of Lucky Seven pattern?

Well..... I decided to use the Random Number Generator for this giveaway. It would have been easy to put names in a hat (my preferred method) but I decided change is good for the creative soul.

So I used the random number generator. And I was shocked! It picked Number 1!

Really! I always thought if you were the first post the likelihood of getting picked was almost zip, zero, nada. Non existent!

Now I know, in my head, that random means just that- all numbers have the same possibility. The conclusion is that the number 1 means that

Patty from NC

is the winner! Email me your snail mail address and I will get the pattern and a little extra goodie out to you.

Thanks to everyone who entered and don't forget to sign up for the Quilt Dash! You will get a chance to visit some new places on the web!

Happy quilting!

Kate

p.s the quilt block at the top- it is from Tulip Trio. A fun, fusible pattern with directions for a banner, a block that looks great on those Ackfeld hangers and an adorable mini trio of blocks that can go on one of their little Tri-Stands!

Sorry for the commercial- but this is one of my favorites; maybe because it is just so happy! Love it!

I can't wait for spring!

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day to all!

Hope you have a nice, relaxing night!

And don't forget to add a comment to the post below

for a chance to win our St Patty's Day pattern!

Happy Quilting!

Kate

Get Together and Give Away

I am down in Annapolis this weekend playing with Elizabeth. Well, right now she and Jim are working on the business books- so, not so much fun! I stay a little out of that- I claim it hurts my brain!

We just signed up to do the April Quilt Dash.

If you have never participated in the Quilt Dash, it is a fun online shop hop. All the participating shops donate prizes to be won by the participants.

So pop over to their site to check it out.

Originally, I was hoping they would have a Quilt Dash in February- we wanted to give away one of our Lucky Seven patterns. This pattern is for a banner; you can make three sections individually and then use grommets and ribbon to string them together.

Or you can just sew the blocks together and make one long banner. Banner is about 16" x 48".

It also makes a great table runner!

So...let's do a give away. We'll see if anyone is listening!

Leave me a comment on how you celebrate the holiday. Need a hint what holiday?

Green beer?

Corned beef?

Dancing a jig?

Years ago my daughter was an Irish dancer and would spend the a few days close to the holiday dancing at various Irish suppers with her school. Now she goes to listen to her boyfriend's Irish band and will still occasionally break out into a jig!

Comments will close next Saturday and I will draw a winner Sunday February 19th.

in the meantime...

Happy quilting

Kate

We have great Customers!

We just have the greatest customers! We have always received such nice feedback from our customers- that's why we love doing what we do!

Recently, as a Thank You for helping a her with something, a customer sent Elizabeth this cute towel and washcloth set that she crocheted herself! Was that sweet or what?

Aren't they lovely? Thank You Joy!

So many projects... so little time! Don't we all fell that way sometimes? usually I can post what I am working on, but right now I can't!

However I can post a picture of an upcoming banner to be added to our series, It's the BOMB! It will be the "January" banner. I put it in " " because with this banner series, we are not making them holiday related. Well, most aren't.

Our "February" banner, Little Bits of Love, has hearts. So we did not keep entirely to that plan.

But the rest of them while they have a nod to the month and the season, they are not "holiday" themed.

Like our March banner- Lighter than Air. No shamrocks (though we have a great shamrock pattern!) but a nod to March and the idea of flying kites. Fun!

But back to the Jan banner. Here is the prototype.

Cute, right?

But.... what do we call it?

And the fabrics I played with are really great.

Three of the fabrics are from the Northcott line,

Snow Queen by Ro Gregg.

And the dark blue is from the line Bear Essentials by P&B Textiles.

The pattern is going to have a runner and a quilt with two different blocks. I have enough of this fabric to make the runner. Elizabeth is trying out the quilt. Can't wait to see what she uses!

So in the meantime, any ideas on the name?

Happy quilting

Kate

Projects and the New Year

What a new year! I have been so busy since November- getting ready for the holidays etc...

How were your holidays?

This is how the kittens spent New Years Day

Here's Daisy...

And here is Lily...

And Huey...

Weren't they ambitious!

2012 has been busy so far. Alyssa and I started the wedding quilt- can't show you pictures till it's done and the bride and groom have seen it!

I had a little minor knee surgery a few days ago but that didn't stop us from starting some destruction in the house. Hopefully it will be put all back together soon!

At least before the wedding shower!

And nothing like a little kick in the pants to get some projects done! In 2005, Elizabeth and I published a quilt we called Simply Sunflowers. I have made two or three of this cute quilt and there is one that my daughter has taken on trips when she was a student.

My original quilt was sold at a quilt show a few years ago but I had already started a new version, so it was OK. Only that quilt has been sitting around, half done, for years. Years.

The entire top is pieced.

The applique shapes are cut out.

The backing is pieced.

The binding is cut and pressed.

What was I waiting for??

I know what happened- I was seduced by new projects and I left poor old Sunflower behind.

But, luckily, Marianne at Quadrille Quilting asked me to teach Simply Sunflowers as a class! So, out of the unfinished pile it came.

Class #1 is this Saturday and we are going to put the pedal to the medal and piece some blocks! I can't wait to see what fabrics everyone picked for their sunflower quilt.

So I am off to baste the top and get it quilted. Can't show up at class not prepared!

On another note, we have posted a few new things to the Etsy shop. I have made a bunch of these cute bags- I call them Stuffies.

They are meant to be stuffed with stuff. I have one that I use for my knitting- it has the cutest sheep fabric! Then I have another that I use to corral my phone cords- I have two cell phones- one personal and one for work. Crazy world we live in!

This new stuffie that I put in the shop is the perfect size for an iPad! Who knew? I didn't when I made it- just a fortunate coincidence. Of course, I just love it- hard to let it go. But it just gives me an excuse to make another one! Making them is the fun part.

happy quilting!

Kate

Weddings and Etsy

What happenings around here! We have a wedding coming up and I couldn't be more excited! My oldest son, Sean is getting married! Next May! Wow!

His fiance, Rea, is the loveliest girl- we just adore her!

My daughter Alyssa and I are thinking we better get started on a wedding quilt! We don't have much time. We have been talking about maybe doing one of Judy Niemeyer's patterns- one of the Wedding Ring patterns. Of course, that is ambitious.

or I could design something. So many choices.

Any suggestions?

And Alyssa and I just started an Etsy shop. Right now there is just one quilt that is posted.

Isn't it pretty? This quilt was made from our pattern, Mosaic Medley.

I just love the colors.

I hope to post more items soon. There will be items from my personal stash and maybe some items from Seams Like a Dream. Over the years we have created a few extra quilts, bags and stuff as we test patterns.

This quilt, Newpaper, we just donated to Quilts to Basics. We saw a post about it on Pat Sloan's blog. It seemed like such a worthy cause and we thought Newspaper deserved a good home.

It has been so much fun creating quilts to donate- I love using up my stash; I love designing and creating quilts and I love to know that someone else can also enjoy them!

Thursday I am off to Annapolis to visit Elizabeth and do a local shop hop called Quilter's Quest with her and her friend Sharon. I should say, our friend Sharon! We will get to visit 10 shops including Jinny Beyer Studio which we have been talking about going to for a while. Should be fun!

When I get back, I think it will be time for a pre-holiday giveaway. I am debating what it will be so you will have to check back to see what happens!

in the meantime...

Happy quilting!

Kate