Dreaming of Summer

We (finally!) got a little snow here last night. Just a dusting really. But it looks pretty.

So, did you buy some of Tula Pink's line Salt Water? Really fun fabric! What are you doing with it?

Elizabeth and I got a little stack and we are making some new banners using our pattern, Summertime Blues.

We only recently realized that our pattern, Summertime Blues,  never made it onto our website!

Yikes! How did that happen?

So before it goes on our new site- OH! Did we tell you were are getting a new website??? Soon! So exciting! And we will have a great giveaway to celebrate.... but I digress!

Back to Summertime Blues. So we thinking about updating our cover photo and are trying out Salt Water. We were supposed to do some embellishment on the original banner, ran out of time and never updated it!

I love the little quilt and the runner on the pattern front- that fabric with the seahorse is adorable!

I'll keep you posted on how it turns out with the Salt Water... looking good so far!







happy quilting,
Kate

Visit Your local Quilt Shop Day!

Today is the day-

Row House Runner- I am loving this pattern!
So much fun to make
Coming soon!!

The day to show your love and support and visit your local quilt shop!

OK- I am in- how about you?














As many of you know, I moved here to Colorado about 6 months ago. And working from home does not give one as many opportunities to meet new people. Last week, I went to the quilt shop that is only about 2 miles from my house- isn't this great!- AND I made a new quilting friend! Even with laryngitis!

She is a recent transplant from North Carolina and has been here for about 5 months. So today, I am taking her on a little mini quilt shop hop.

There are quite a few great shops not too far away and she hasn't gotten to them yet.

Well, we must correct that!

So, first we are going to Harriet Hargrave's store, Harriet's Treadle Arts in Wheat Ridge. Then on to the Golden Quilt Company in Golden- they have wonderful fiber arts store in the back called Golden Fiber Arts. Lots of thread, paint, ribbons and just really fun stuff!

I just love to wander Golden's Main street which is not, Main Street. It's Washington Ave. Remind me to tell you someday where Main Street was in the town I grew up in!

Then on to downtown Denver to Fabric Bliss and Fancy Tiger Crafts. Love both of these places! And they both carry yarns- to feed my other addiction!

(And yes, Elizabeth and hubby, if you are reading this, I am driving into downtown Denver. Me. wish me luck!)

The back south a little to Snappy Quilts (isn't that a great name!)  and Holly's Quilt Cabin. What a great adventure!

I have lots of projects going- who doesn't? and I need a fabric infusion to the piles I grabbed from my stash.

This is the pile of fabrics for the Star Paper Piecing BOM over on Don't Call me Betsy. I got a bunch of them last year in New York on a quilt retreat with friends at O'Susannah's Quilts &Gifts in Watkins Glen.

Another great store with a wonderful set up on the second floor that you can rent out for retreats.

And these are FQs of California Girl that I picked up in CT at Yankee Quilter shortly before I left. Two great ladies, Barb and Cheryl- sisters- run that store.

(Don't tell hubby I bought fabric right when I was supposed to be purging for the move! But who could resist?) These will be for the Aurifil BOM.

I was pretty determined to use my stash for both of these projects and just add some extras.



Have a great day- and get out there and support your local quilt shop!


OK Wendy- let's go shopping!






happy quilting,
kate

Banner of the Month!

Happy Monday to you!

How are you all?

I have been spending a little more time online lately. Feeling under the weather means more computer time!

So, look what came in the mail today!

I won this stack of lovely solids recently from the Quilting Secrets blog hop organized over at MrsPickles.

It looks like I will have to come up with a project for them- they sure are bright!

Nice and cheery for spring!





Over the holidays, I sent my son and daughter in law a lovely Christmas tree wall hanging and a hanger from Ackfeld.  Recently I realized that they would need new banners to hang on their hanger- you can't hang a Christmas tree all year!

So, in honor of Rea's birthday, I included 2 more wall hanging in her birthday box.

This one is the January wall hanging. It is a pattern I designed a couple of years ago but we never published. Maybe I will revive it someday soon! It is called Winter Sunset. The banner is adorable and the quilt is in the pattern is really great. Hmmm...

The other one I sent is for February. It is from our pattern, Little Bits of Love. Perfect for February!






I picked up these fabrics recently and am thinking about making myself a new Little Bits with them- what do you think? Aren't they great?



But first, I have a few other projects to work on...










This is fabric for a bag that I am making for the monthly project over on Hopeful Threads. I plan to fill it with some goodies and send it to her for the outreach program called Water Angles. You can read about it over on Hopeful Threads.

Next I am making a few more table runners from our new pattern Row House. I love the runner and it is a great way for me to get a few samples done, test the pattern and have fun!

And then it is time to plan this weeks Project Quilting challenge project!

So many projects... so little time!

happy quilting!
kate

Wordless Wednesday

happy quilting,
Kate

Manic Monday

How does that song go? Just another manic Monday.... wish it were Sunday...

When I was working, Monday mornings were among the worst days of the week as they are for many people. But in my business, Fridays could  be even worse. Most people think TGIF!

But not in homecare. That is when all the patients that have not been feeling well all week call, when the weekend schedule must get done, when the weekend schedule gets revised a million times as more patients get discharged from the hospital and or need help over the weekend, when...  you get the picture.

Now, I work from home. Monday mornings aren't as bad. But still, I can freak myself out with a huge list of to dos for the week and get stuck in "which way should I go George?" syndrome.  So I try to schedule my day so I can focus on one thing at a time and not get as distracted.

As distracted. Not not distracted at all. That is not possible!

So today, to keep the mania down, I have a list. First, I am going to work on my Project Quilting project. Have you heard about Project Quilting? It is named after my favorite television show.

Basically, every other Sunday, they post a challenge. A theme. An idea.
And then you have a week to make a quilt. Totally make a quilt. Start to finish. Concept to binding. Sound like fun? The good news is, any size will do.

They posted the first challenge yesterday so get moving! Pop over here and you can see the idea for the week.

So that is the first item on my agenda. I have my idea so I am going to pull some fabrics for it. I am going to try to use my new stash of hand dyed fabrics. Since I have been hand dyeing, I have developed a two bin stash. They are all small pieces- less than a fat eighth.

We even labeled all the fabric so if we really like a piece,
we know what dye mix we used!


Time to start playing with some of it!



This was my first group, but I am not sure if there is enough contrast with the two blues.

This is group two- a different yellow and a lighter light blue. hmmm.....

You will just have to wait to see what I am doing with this... no peeking yet!

Then I will cut out the rest of the fabric for the Row House quilt I am designing. These blocks were made yesterday. Cute, huh? 

I have a whole list of other stuff, but I won't bore you with the details. Just saying I am trying to focus on one thing at a time. 

As I learned in my business group: Scattered focus = Scattered results!

Keep focused!

Happy quilting,

Kate

Meet Huey Louie and Daisy Mae!

Yippee!



They are finally done and shipping!






What am I talking about?


Sorry- I am just so excited! Our two newest patterns, Daisy Mae and Huey Louie are done. Quilts made, patterns tested, retested,  printed and oh so cute!


They are part of our new series called Cat Nap Quilts.


Cute name, huh? They are called that because they are named after our cats.


Miss Daisy Mae Duke is one of my daughter's kittens. She is cute, a little chubby and a snuggler.

She has the sweetest little face!













And here is her quilt.

Daisy Mae

Her brother is Huey Louis and the News. He is quite needy, a little whiney, looks like a panther and loves to snuggle.

He is harder to get a picture of because he is almost all black- except for a spot on his chest and his little white belly and armpits. He really is very sweet.

And here is his quilt.

Huey Louie

Love them!

The quilting on them is amazing- they were quilted by Laura McCarrick of Always Keep Quilting and she is a master.

Quilting on Daisy Mae

Quilting on Huey Louie

Huey Louie is kind of a little wonky log cabin block. I made him in all solids, which I love!, but you don't have to. He almost has an Amish quilt feel in the solids.

Daisy Mae I made using some bright fun batiks. Did you see the turtles? Of course, you don't have to use batiks for her.

The fun part about both of these quilts is that you can change the look just by changing the setting of the blocks and/or the style of fabrics. Each quilt is made of one block that you can turn and change and really make the quilt the way you want!

Each pattern has two different size quilts-
both are perfect for snuggling under- especially with a kitty!

That is Miss Lily- you will meet her and her quilt soon. For now, she is snuggling up with Daisy's quilt!


In some future posts, I will try to show you different versions that others have made. It is so fun to see what you can do with them.

I hope you like our two new kitty quilts. We love them! We like to say they are Fast, fun and done!

happy quilting,
Kate

p.s. If you are interested in purchasing either of these patterns, just email us. They are so new they are not at a distributor yet!