New Hand Work patterns



So the hard part about being a designer is not being able to share immediately!!  There can be months between creating and editing and publishing.  Those are months I keep things in the vault so that when you see them, it is a WOW moment vs. "oh yeah, she showed that 4 months ago and 2 months ago, etc.".

 

The patterns below are perfect examples.  I worked on these feverishly during Jan and Feb for a March show.  Then Market preps started and I didn't get around to sharing with you.

You can find these on the What's New page of my website and don't forget my new shipping policy for your guild.



CELTIC MUSIC # 511

I have a newly found appreciation and love for doing hand embroidery.  There are so many lovely threads out there and I don't limit myself to what is right or wrong.  If the color is right, I use it.  Many times I have been asked if something was done on the machine due to its delicate look....NOPE, I just used machine quilting thread 40 weight because the variegated color was too luscious to pass up! 
For so long I have wanted to do a Harp piece and Celtic Music is just that with a vine of shamrocks added for whimsy.  It was stitched with YLI machine quilting thread.

HARLEQUIN HEARTS #510

Harlequin Hearts is a reboot of my Hearts in Bloom design with a new layout.  That is the absolute fun of applique.  If you like the design, buy it because you can applique, hand embroidery, or do wool work with the templates.

SWEET SWIRLS #509

Sweet Swirls is a revamp of my Benign Fusion.  Again I am donating 10% of MY sales of this pattern to Colon Cancer education just like with Benign Fusion.

The Swimming Sea: SEAHORSE #429

The Seahorse was so so so fun to make and I already have an octopus and some fish designs waiting for me to find time to play.
This is the first in the series so check back occasionally to see how far I have gotten:)

Next week I will be posting the run down of the Market booth designs....Stay tuned!

Portland, Oregon: Spring Quilt Market 2013

I am not much of a flyer....the views are gorgeous but that nagging, "we could drop out of the sky at any moment" thought is never far away.  The circle crops were mesmerizing and came in so many formats: green, brown, circles with pie wedges, circles with fun lines drawn in them.  I had to figure out my phone for airplane mode so I could take pictures.  Of course, I am such a rule follower that I didn't get a pic of the double rainbow out our window during landing....SO beautiful!

So after 2 stops (KC and Albuquerque) and 9 hours on a plane, Welcome to sunny Portland.  I had to have the pic to prove to my husband that the sun really does come out.  We lived in Oregon for 2 years once and according to him, the sun came out once in 2 years and it never got above 70 degrees.

To be honest, this pic looked completely different in 20 minutes:) 

One spire of the Convention Center

My booth: NESTLINGS for Autumn

Jillily Studio Booth: Can I have this in my Living Room?

Do you see my mug on the Generation Q magazine wall??

The IQF traveling quilt show was on exhibit too.  There were some breathtaking quilts there....Lots of hand work too!!

Eileen is a friend of mine and this may be one of my favorite quilts of hers!

 Old Friends and New Friends made up my Booth Mates!!

Me and Susan Marth

Susan Marth of Suzn Quilts and her daughter Chloe

Chloe was essential in making sure we were all fed and caffeinated!  Thank you!

My dear friend, Pepper Cory, stopped by to let me hug her!  Very Important business!

Susan Knapp of The Quilt Branch and her staff, Karen Bailey.  Loved meeting Karen!

Always fun to see Celine Perkins of Perkins Dry Goods again!

Our corner had the most fun I am sure!  Then we headed out on the town for dinner.  A friend had recommended The Portland Grill on the 30th floor of one of the skyscrapers.  The food was so good and went well with the view and the company!  So good we went back a second time...Look the weather changed:)

After Market was done, Susan kept the rental car for another day so some sight-seeing could be done.  A very quick drive into Washington State, some antique shopping in Astoria, and a jaunt out to Cannon Beach. 

We had lived south of here for 2 years and never made it up to see this iconic rock (Haystack Rock)/ beach in Oregon. So beautiful!

New Signs!

The flowers in Oregon were just beautiful!  I don't really remember seeing Cala Lilies when I lived there.....

Of course I had to stop into Golden Whale Jewelry after Karen went on and on about this rare and cool stone cut.  It is called a Lighthouse Lens cut and it was very expensive.  When I asked my husband about it, he wanted to know if they give a Lighthouse Keeper discount since he is CG.  No to that but they do offer a Military Discount.  So if you are looking for something unique and you are in Oregon.....check them out.  I was hooked once I saw the orange stone named Indian Flame Sapphire:)

 

The trip was a lot of work as usual, but the friends, food, and memories will be cherished for a lifetime!

HIDDEN STITCHES challenge and TO MARKET:)

After long months of crazy creativity, frustration, excitement, and pure joy at finishing in time; the Hidden Stitches 2013 Paint Chip Challenge is revealed. OH, and I am going to Spring Market:)

 

Funny how the feelings are the same. I have been working feverishly to get my Market samples completed, written, tested, photographed, printed, folded and packaged.  The time is now as I fly out on Wednesday for Portland, Oregon where I will meet new shop owners and see old friends!  When I get home, you will get your own private show here so check back after June 1st.

 

In the meantime I leave you with the amazing creativity of my sweet guild friends!

 

As to our challenge, I believe we had 6 months to decide what to do with the paint chips we were blindly given.  The size was no more than 100" (all four sides added together) and you had to use the chip colors as your primary focus.

I brought my racks and drapes so we could hang them all for voting.  They are all so different!

 

Laura Raczek

Mary Lou Wechter, Winner of Best Design.

There was a lot of discussion about Mary Lou's because the left side is all 3D woven and the flowers are 3D as well.

Marva Gurley, winner of Most Whimsical

This is my Mango Mambo.  Not only do I love the color of Mangoes but since moving to FL. I actually like the flavor too.  The little orange ones are delicious!! The pic below is it hanging in my home and you can see the quilting a bit better too.

Brenda Grampass

Lynn Tinley

Mary Ann Braithwaite, winner of Best Use of Color

We were all very impressed with how she used colors that all of us would have cried over!

Diane Dormer

Carol Flomp

Liz Mann

                                                

Lynn Woods

Pat Osinga

Bernice Frederick

Karen Barrie

Barbara Leonard

I am so impressed with how creative they all were with what colors they had.  There were some color selections that would have driven me over the edge:) but they were able to make something wonderful!
Until June....