A Perfect Sew-In

the prepped fabrics awaiting stitching at the beginning of the day

What happens when you bring fabric, friends and food together?

Well, if they are quilters it is likely to turn into a SEW-IN.

This past weekend a group of my friends volunteered to help me get some of the quilt projects for my upcoming book stitched together. So I prepped fabrics and patterns, laid in a supply of yummy food and got ready for the fun. Sam, Natalie, Jake, young Sam & Vicki!! & fun it was to have everyone here in the studio. A big heartfelt thanks to the stitchers you see here, and the one behind the camera(Nat), too!  Hope you can get a bit of an idea of all the fun projects that are coming in the next book.....

our youngest quilter help set the table - while everyone else lined up for sustanience

tops done --- now the fun of the quilting & the shine-up begins!

Let's Talk

Deadlines of my own choosing have been keeping me quite busy..and this week I'm gearing up for a Sew-In at my house on Saturday (omg-that's tomorrow). So as much as I might like to head to the beach with my chair and book in hand for a quiet afternoon it isn't going to happen. BUT, I had heard such great things about Jeanette Kelly's solo exhibit that opened last week in Anaheim, I just had to head on over.

Jeanette is a member of my Tuesday design group and we have been aware of how much work she has been doing to get this together... it should not be missed.

She is presenting the works as a conversation about art quilts and fiber works, I would say it is a conversation with these works. If you have an opportunity to see the show, you will not be disappointed... and don't forget to become part of the exhibit yourself by adding your own words to the conversation about Why Art?

Jeanette Kelly: Let's Talk
at Soft Expressions Upstairs Gallery

1230 N Jefferson St #M
Anaheim, CA 92807
Mon - Fri 10am - 4pm

Teaching & Sharing with the Ladies of the NC

Had an incredible time last week visiting North Carolina and the quilters of the Charlotte Quilt Guild. They have a wonderful group. Just to give you an idea - 65 woman stood up as a group, each holding a charity quilt turned in just for THIS month. The quilts were great, then they did a count down and it was a bit emotional as they hit 40, 50... then 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65!

Needless to say this is a strong, energenic group -- and when it was my time to call for volunteers to become part of the human color wheel -- so important to my color it bold lecture, that there was no holding them back. It was a fun, learning opp for us all.

I followed this up with three days of workshops, and the pictures here were taken at the end of the 2-Day Dream Landscape.

Personalize a free digital slideshow

And the Winner IS!

Thanks to each and every one of you who jumped in, left great comments. Wish I had enough fabric to give you each a bundle. When it came time for picking I turned it all over to my husband. No one could accuse him of playing favorites. Thank you Dave!

and the winner is...

Mary Murphy!

Wishing everyone a great week... I'm off tonight to North Carolina and a visit with the Charlotte Quilt Guild!
Fun, Fun, Fun

Celebratory Fabric Give-Away

I have been working (hee-hee) on book three.... and happily have gotten my first chapter off to my editor

--time to celebrate a bit!

and, what better way to share this gleeful feeling than to give-away some fabric.

If you've been checking in at all this week you'll see that I got to visit and tour Robert Kaufman fabrics and it just so happens that they were is a sharing mode, too!

Here it is! Loverly -- Loverly -- Luscious and BIG stack of fat quarters.

I'll be drawing for the winner of this pack on this coming Tuesday morning, and to get your name to win you must:

Follow me here on the blog & leave a comment for this posting.

and/or
Click like on my FaceBook Like page and leave a comment for the fabric give-away there.

Want your name in twice?  Just join in on both blog & facebook.

A Walk in the Wilderness - Field Trip!

This past Tuesday I headed off for a new LA adventure. This time it was taking a walk through the wild and wonderful world of Robert Kaufman Fabrics. I'm sure your scratching your head going wilderness? fabric? Well, there really are a couple of reasons to call it a walk in the wilderness. The first, was that it was a vast, new place I had never even imagined, and secondly at times walking amongst the fabric warehouse felt like I was walking through the forest. This forest made of cardboard rolls. See for yourself.

A big thank you goes out to the folks there that gave me and Natalie a private walk through. It starts in the showrooms where your surrounded by samples, and boy RK has tons (literally) of fabric being sent out into the world. Nat and I learned a bit about the printing processes used... from Batiks right through wonderfully printed designs.

The first pic here shows the before and after the use of a copper chop block to wax up the dyed fabric before the addition of design all by hand.

The second, (which is amazing) of the complexity of how a joint must be carefully designed and used when screen printing. You can see it on the back --- but never, never on the front.

Then it was off into the warehouse...ok, warehouses. The first was just a cavernous space filled, seemingly from floor to ceiling with fabric coming in. Coming in, wrapped in a variety of ways, organized so that everything can be found and pulled as needed and sent over to the other warehouse where all that fabric is prepped to go out into the quilt world.

In between the two warehouses is a huge space where there are folks that just make the boxes and bolt boards like these for the Kona Fabrics. This picture was taken of just one small little spot within the mountain of these boards awaiting fabric.

After walking through the wilds of the warehouse we went through the art rooms - yes, rooms... and sorry no pictures here. You'll just have to take my word for it when I tell you that there is creative fun happening in those rooms and they've got plans for lots more!

Hope you enjoyed a bit of the walk on the wild side... and believe me when I tell you that you can just not even begin to imagine what it takes to get you, me and all the other fabric fiends amazingly wonderful fabric!