Thursday, March 31, 2011

Connee's Quilt

Facts about this quilt.

Pattern - Full Bloom by Miss Rosie

Fabric - Breath of Avignon by American Jane

Thread - (Top) 728 Highlights by Superior Threads
(Bobbin) - 421 So Fine - Superior Threads

Pieced by Connee

This top took me over 15 hours to quilt - I used hobbs 80/20 batting.

Okay, now that I think I covered all the facts about this quilt - I think I can say - yay! - it's finished and thank Connee for being so patient with me. I have had this quilt for a little while - aggh - sorry!

Hope you like it.









Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Quilting in the Dark................



Kids are in bed.

Listening to this guy - can't stop laughing.

Working on this quilt.

It's a great night.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Winner and a Teaser!

First off - we have a winner! Thanks so to everyone who entered my giveaway. I had over 700 comments! That's a record for me. Yay! So - Julie won! She doesn't have a blog, so I emailed her. Here's what she said -

I follow your blog and have to tell you your quilting is absolutely beautiful. You make it look so easy which I know it is not.
Julie

So nice! Thanks so much! For the rest of you - we still have some Punctuation Jelly Rolls in stock for $19.95 - awesome deal if you ask me!

Also - we are starting to get more Bella Solids yardage - so check that out as well. We are continually adding to our inventory, so just keep checking back!

Here's the teaser! I am working on a quilt pattern - so excited - I think it is my new favorite pattern, but I just can't show it yet, I have to get the instructions all finished. This is the first time I have quilted one of my sample quilts the way I wanted to quilt it - no allover quilting here. I love it!

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Encore..............

First off - thanks so much for all the love about the Dear Jane I quilted! Wow - you are all so kind! Thank you!!

I decided to share more pictures of the DJ, but of some of my favorite blocks. So - here you go!










Not a block, but my current weakness! I love peanut butter M&M's, but they just killed my self control by coming out with eggs for Easter! They are so much better!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Dear Jane................

So glad you are done! 70 hours later and a ton of thread later you are finished! Hooray!

Here's the quilt in Gwen's (owner of the DJ) own words:

"Hello to Judi's fans! Judi asked for my "story" about this quilt. Truth
is, I can't remember why I decided to do a Dear Jane. Crazy, right? I had
never undertaken such a large project in my quilting history prior to making
this commitment, nor had I ever enjoyed applique up to that point. However,
the single greatest factor in motivating me to work on and complete this
quilt is that Anina provided fabulous block tutorials two days per week so I just followed along. Top that with Kaffe Fassett's colorful fabrics and I had all the stimulation I needed to keep going week after week, from December 2008 to March 2010. 225 blocks and 4,948 little pieces of fabric later, we add Judi's amazing talent and magic to the fray and, well, here we are. I couldn't be happier with the overall result. If you are inclined to do a DJ, just start with one block --- an easy one, maybe the nine-patch --- then move on to the next easiest one. Just keep going. You'll be surprised at how much fun it is. Click here for more inspiration.

And the best part about doing the DJ is that I'm now a huge fan of applique.
Have you seen Kim McLean's appliqued quilt designs? I'm almost done with
Flower Pots. Next???!!!"



Isn't this quilt incredible? I love it. However - after spending 70 hours doing stitch in the ditch - I don't think I will be piecing this quilt any time soon - sorry - maybe when the kids are grown and out of the house. It will have to be on my "bucket" list for now.


At first I wasn't sure what I was going to do on this quilt, but it hit me "like a ton of bricks" when I started quilting and I decided that each block needed to be individualized because of how much work went into each block. That is why I just did a straight stitch in the sash, it sets off each block perfectly I think.


The bottoms of the large triangles were 5 inches - so 4 equal straight lines to set these off. I used a gold metallic thread for these.


Quilting around the curves were fun - just a little bit of marking with a purple marker - and some figuring around the corners and there you go - I love it!



Probably my most favorite quilting picture I have ever taken! Do you see how the curved border has curved diamonds? I absolutely love it!

I enjoyed quilting this DJ, but I am so glad to have it finished! Yay!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

4 months....and 5 days


Hard to believe it has been 4 months! I love this little man, he is such a good baby. I kiss him way too much and he doesn't seem to mind. I find myself gritting my teeth 'cause I just want to kiss and squeeze him all day!

Note to self - cut the kid's nails - hence, the scratch on his face. So sad when it happened!



Thanks for letting me share this little guy - he's the best addition to our family.

And - check back soon because the Dear Jane is done! YAY!!

Saturday, March 12, 2011

All Dolled Up in Salt Lake City............

Since Quilt Market is in Salt Lake City this year, Amanda came up with a great way for retailers to get to know Utah designers - All Dolled Up in Salt Lake City - go and check it out - after you have read my post! :)

All of us Utah designers were asked to put together a doll block using a doll template they sent to us. All of the blocks are going to be put together into one or two quilts and will hang in the Riley Blake booth during Market. While you are at Market you will go and find all of the designer's booths and get a stamp or something - then you will be entered into several drawings for great prizes. Even though I won't have a booth - I was still invited to make a block because I live in Utah and I am a designer.

Anyway - it's been fun and I can't wait to see the quilt and everyone's block. The block was supposed to be like us in a way, so do you want to see my block? Here it is.............



I have to admit that I did procrastinate making my block - but I am happy with the results - except the fact that I just drew on a stick figure smiley face on my doll. But it wouldn't be my block if I didn't go for fast and easy! So - the outfit is a typical outfit I would wear. The long vest conceals the "child bearing hips" - except it doesn't conceal it, it just enhances it! :)
The red hair - I would totally have red hair - I did once and I loved it, but it's not that easy to keep up and my sister Abby lives in Salt Lake and she is the one that does my hair.
The skirt was strip pieced - which is another staple in my quilting diet - I love how fast and easy strip piecing is and so of course I had to have that in my block. The shoes are green - I love green if you haven't guessed and so my favorite color was represented in my shoes.
Everything was machine appliqued using a satin stitch - again, the only way I applique - fast and easy is my motto because I don't have a whole lot of time.

Well - I hope you enjoyed my block - be sure to look for it at Market in the Riley Blake booth. If you are going - look for me because this will be the first year I am going - my first Market experience if you can believe it. I am going to abandon Clint and the three oldest and come and hang out with the quilting world! I am so excited. I am also going to be going to this - can't wait!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Oh - and anyone wanting to make the doll quilt - the instructions for each designer's block will be added to the blog so go follow the blog and you will get all the updates from Amanda.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Half Way.............


The DJ is half way done - it has been very time consuming because HOLY COW there are a lot of blocks! I am liking it so far - I hope you do to Gwen!

Anyway - thanks so much Everyone who left a comment or emailed me with advice on my little dilemma. It is so nice to hear that a lot of you know how I feel and know how crazy it can be to juggle everything.

I have a plan, I know what I am going to do - don't worry, I will not quit long arm quilting, but I will allow more time in my schedule for designing my own things.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Jelly Rolls and Layer Cakes from $19.95!!!!!!

We have 3 things we want you to know about -

#1 - Our Clearance Page is loaded with new amazing deals like -

Jelly Rolls from $19.95
Layer Cakes from $19.95
40% off Fat Quarter Bundles plus more!!!

#2 - Our April precuts are here and are all on sale including Sherbet Pips, Hullabaloo, Modern Workshop, Full Circle, Just Wing It and Sweet Sixteen!!

#3 - We now carry Bella Solids in a handful of colors and great prices!!
Those Clearance items will go fast, so get them while you can at those amazing prices!!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Overwhelmed.............

When Clint and I moved to Saint George 2 1/2 years ago we had a dream - it all started with me and my quilt patterns. After I had gone to a couple quilt shows and figured out that this little hobby of mine could be more than a hobby - we sold our house, packed our bags and moved, just like that. It was a split second decision and looking back - it was totally crazy - but with a lot of hard work and a whole lot of prayers we have been blessed so much to have a fully functioning work at home business. We owe a lot of that to all of our wonderful customers.

When we moved we bought my A-1 long arm - big ticket item as you all know - and we hoped for some business. I took my business cards to all the quilts stores around here and it wasn't until I was in one store that I met Linda who overheard that I was new to the area and that I was a quilter (at that point I was only doing my free hand allover patterns) so Linda asked for a card and had me quilt a quilt for her right away. I then started getting a few more quilts, then I met Emily and she had me do this quilt - I had a 2 week turnaround and this point - (Crazy, I know) but she requested to have bikini's in the quilt and it really required that I be creative. I remember praying that I could improve my quilting really fast so that I could continue to get customers. In the mean time I was still designing my quilts and Clint got some of my patterns into Moda. One of those goals that I just couldn't believe happened.
But as time went on, I got more and more quilts - they didn't seem to stop coming and then I realized I had to "schedule" quilts - what? Anyway, long story short, I am booked a year in advance. Really??

Now - add to the mix a baby and you have gotten behind on your quilting and continue to get behind with each quilt because things come up and you have four little kids that seem to need you more than ever. (sorry - I moved to 3rd person? is it 3rd? I never paid attention in English class).

But all this time I can't help but just think about the goals I made a long time ago and that I want to design, - quilts, stencils, fabric - I have booklets of graph paper full of new quilt ideas and tons of fabric ideas - but now I am looked at more as a long arm quilter. (I am not complaining - just trying to figure things out).

So - what do I do? Do I embrace my quilting because I do love it, realizing that one day I will be able to design like I want because the kids will be in school and I will have more time - or do I just keep trying to do it all and never getting to everything.

I find myself thinking about the designing all the time - it consumes my brain to the point where I don't even hear when Clint or the kids call my name the first few times - it has gotten to the point where I need to make a choice, or hire a million people to do the work that I can't get to.

Quilting? Patterns? Fabric? Where do I go? I know I am not considered a serious designer if I am not coming out with new patterns all the time - it's tough because I have a ton of things designed, but no way to get to them all because my kids take up most of my time and the rest of my free time is now quilting.

Anyway - just rambling on - I felt like I needed to get it all out and get your opinions about which direction I should head.

Maybe I should just shut up and realize that "I have it all" with a husband who loves me and four amazing kids.


PS - Don't get me wrong - I love to quilt and I will continue to finish my customer quilts, I just ask that you be a little bit patient with me as I try to get them done asap.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Bella Solids


Just a quick note to tell you that we have Bella Solid Precuts in the shop. These are so fun and can be used with all your quilting projects. I am loving them so much - I have a few projects planned with solid fabrics and can't wait to show them off!

Apparently solids are all the rage right now - and I am just finding out - I need to get in the loop, or just pay attention. :)