Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Um, I'm in a Book!


Not much blogging these days. I wish I had a great excuse: on safari, building schools for underprivileged children, working on my novel.  Alas, I just run out of time.

“Ah” they say, “if it was important to you, you’d make time for it.” So, here’s me, making time for it!

And I actually have something very exciting to share! Way back in the spring, I was invited to participate in a new venture by the Kansas City Star people. It’s their new modern quilt offshoot, My Stars. I’m one of ten quilters who will have projects featured in their first book, Classic Modern Quilts! I’m so excited about this, and in such awesome company. Just look at the other quilters (oh, and look, my name is right there with them!)





The whole process was a bit surreal: designing a quilt, actually turning a sketch into a real life quilt, writing a pattern ~ all with the requisite deadlines.  My editor, Jenifer Dick, is great to work with and an awesome guide for a newbie like me. (I giggle every time I say “my editor”!) She kept me on track and provided endless encouragement.

The book is due out in time for Quilt Market.  Oh, yeah, and I’m going to quilt market! I can’t believe it. Another thing to cross off the Quilting Bucket List (which is so long, it needs its own bucket list!) Going to room with my friend Tammie, who got me involved in the project to start with.

So, here’s the My Stars Blog. Here’s my interview on theblog. And here’s a picture from the photo shoot from the book. See that quilt on top? That’s mine!


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Thursday, July 18, 2013

A Tale of Two Cabins

Log Cabins, that is.

Our next challenge in the Baltimore Modern Quilt Guild is Modern Log Cabins. The challenge is to make one, or a few, that will ultimately be donated to the South East Early Head Start Program (SEEHS.) We've done a few projects for the center, and always like to supply them with quilts (each child in the program gets a quilt and a book, so they can create their own cozy reading corner at home.) 

So, for Cabins #1, I asked my gals in Bee Vintage to make me wonky log cabins (out of vintage sheets, natch.)


I'm not so sure yet. I think they're kind of looking a little washed out. Although on my monitor, they look better. But I also perked them up in Photoshop, which I can't do in real life. I threw the grey in there to see if I like it better with a little sashing. Again, not so sure. And, I don't really love sewing sashing.

Anyway, for Cabin #2, I pulled out my solids scrap bin, and took out the reds, blues, whites, creams and greys. Oh, and black, too.


Here's what I have so far. And I really like it. But, is it too, I don't know, too mature maybe for infant to three year olds?

I think I need to keep working on both.


Sunday, July 14, 2013

Fabric Dying with Malka



Yesterday my guild (Baltimore Modern) hosted world renowned quilter, fabric designer, author and all around super fun gal, Malka Dubrawsky. Despite the heat, we all (25 of us!) had a great time patterning and dying fabric to make our own unique batiks. Malka is funny, warm and generous, and you immediately feel like you've made a good friend when you talk to her. We chatted about our kids, our cities and Instagram (which I don't know a whole lot about because I have a Barbie Doll cell phone, but I think I totally need to get on this I Phone bandwagon and start Insta graming my life.) Here is Malka's link on Instagram. She made some videos, including me doing our super cool secret handshake (which, I'm a little miffed at myself, because I screwed up the snail part ~ it's supposed to be your first and second fingers ~ well, you'll figure it out.)

Here are a bunch of photos from our day:
























show and tell

A pillow top using some of her upcoming fabrics




Pretties in the garden and The Painting workshop


Okay, here are some shots of Malka and me. I had to post them both, because in the first one, she looks totally bored and not at all excited to be standing next to me, which is not true, because she told me so (well, she didn't exactly tell me so, but I could tell she was excited and not bored.)


In this one we were supposed to do silly faces, but she looks cute and I just look stupid, so please try to morph the two photos in your mind (and if I were better at Photoshop I'd do it for you) and have one pleasing image.



Thanks, Malka, for a great day!


Thursday, July 11, 2013

Penguins are the new owls

That's what a gal in my guild said when I showed her this guy:



I love his little yo yo eyes...


and textured tummy...

I made him while pattern testing/tweaking this pattern for BasicGrey. The fabric is from the Little Black Dress collection. I'm not great at making softies and dolls, so this was a stretch. I think he came out well though. And when this penguin trend really takes off, I'm so in the lead!

Friday, June 28, 2013

Vintage Round Up


I finished up my last few blocks for Bee Vintage! (July is my month, so happy mail in my future!)
Jodee wanted an antique tile block:



And Tammie asked for a super scrap-buster!


I made a cute butterfly block for Stephanie, but must have mailed it off before I took a pic. Pink vintage sheets butterfly on a gray background. Really nice combo that I'll try again some time.

I'm keeping my round super simple, asking for a wonky log cabin. The Baltimore MQG is doing a log cabin challenge in September, with all the quilts going to the South East Early Head Start program. I think some vintage sheets blocks will look great in a log cabin (and I get the easy job of just piecing the top ~ always thinking of short cuts here!)

I picked these vintage thread spools up at the GW for $.99 last week! I often see them at antique/flea markets, but they want a fortune. 


Another thrifty vintage pyrex find. But I can't identify the pattern. Hard to tell, but the design is gold. Any ideas?


Ughh, off to haul more stuff into the garage for a garage sale tomorrow. Really, I'll just pay people to take the stuff away. If you're in Baltimore County tomorrow....stop by!


Thursday, May 30, 2013

Festival of Strings


Rachel over at Stitched in Color  is sponsoring a Festival of Strings to "celebrate the beauty and joy of scrap quilting." I do love a good scrap quilt. The blocks for this one have come from a few different virtual quilting bees (Lovely Linen mostly). I've had them for a year or so now. And while I've been knee deep in projects that I really needed to get done (as in some one was paying me to do them) I went ahead and procrastinated and finished this one up. And, lucky girl that I am, 2 weeks after finishing it, an invitation for a baby shower arrived in the mail. Cousins Scott and  Heather are having a girl!
Gift? Done. (If I were the kind of gal that said "boom", I'd say it now.)

Finished Size Approximately 36 x 48

Close up of Vintage Sheets

Pieced Backing

Gingham Binding


P B & J Sneak Peek

I have a little sneak for you. I did a pillow tutorial for BasicGrey using the super fun line P B & J.



As soon as it's up, I'll let you know!