Friday, August 29, 2014

Upcoming Classes!

Fantabulous Feathers and Motifs 
So, I have been preparing for classes the last couple of weeks.  I have some really fun classes coming up in San Diego next week and I hope to see you there.  I guess all summer it went unnoticed that there was an error on the sign-up page (just for my classes) that said the classes were sold out. Not many were able to sign up, I wish I would have known this so more people could have planned on coming.  It is what it is, but there is still room available if you happen to live in the San Diego area or somewhere close.  I still plan on having a great time and I have a lot to share to those who have now signed up.
This first picture is my Fantabulous Feathers/Fabulously Detailed Feathers and Motifs class. I am working out all of my descriptions for my classes, so the two titles of this class go together. I will share all I know about how to make awesome, beautiful feathers! This class will also be taught in Australia in October!  I hope to see all my Australian friends there! 
 
Secondary Designs 
This next class is my Background Quilting/Secondary Designs class.  Available in San Diego as well as Australia.  I am so excited for the chance to share quilting with all of you! 

I have also been working out my 2015 teaching schedule and as soon as I finalize everything, I will be sure to add the events to my Teaching/Events tab. I will say that I will be heading to the East Coast next April - so stay tuned for that! 

One more thing I am happy to say that we have all new pre-cuts in the shop like Horizon by Kate Spain and Lol by Me and My Sister Designs.  Check out all the new designs here.  

Have a fabulous weekend!

Monday, August 25, 2014

Sew Kind of Wonderful Bloghop and Giveaway.

Me and Jenny 
So, it is my turn for the Sew Kind of Wonderful Bloghop.  I have to say I love Jenny and her sisters so much!  I have had the best time getting to know Jenny over the years. We met through my blog and have been able to meet up at Market a couple of times.  She is the best!  Super talented too. I have to admit, I want to make every pattern she has come up with - if only there were more hours in the day.  

MM1 
Since the first time I laid my eyes on Metro Medallion - I wanted to make it.  Seriously.  I love this pattern so much. Because of time, or lack of time I might say - I made a four block wall-hanging sized quilt. I wanted to have a quilt I could put on the wall and show off my quilting along with showcasing the Medallion block.  This quilt was really fast to put together.  The pattern is easy to follow and I whipped this up in two days, it would have been one day if I didn't have so many distractions ;-) Speaking of distractions - don't you think my little helper is cute?  Love this boy.  He was so excited to help me with my "yiddo kilt" as he calls it.  
 
MM2 
This was the first time I really just grabbed random fabric from my shelves and put together very different colors than my usual bright color palette. I really love the light teal, grey, yellow and navy. I think the colors really work well together. 

MM3 
Jenny loves curves and I love the designs she comes up with, but I have to admit that I love quilting straight lines.  I thought it was totally appropriate to mix our styles together.

MM4 
One thing to remember is to not be scared if you are trying out curved piecing for the first time. I remember being totally intimidated by curves, but with Jenny's ruler and instructions - it's so much easier than I expected. 

MM5 
Two different designs within the yellow fabric, I love how it turned out. 

MM6 
I used two layers of cotton/wool batting and Glide thread for this small quilt.  I love this quilt so much!  The texture is just amazing.

MM7 
This was a really fun project.  I really enjoyed it and I am so excited to that I get to keep it! Isn't the back lovely?  My favorite backing yet.

Pattern and kit 
Here's comes the best part of this giveaway - Jenny is giving away this pattern with kit to make Urban Birthday. These fabrics will be so beautiful! 

QCR 
She is also giving away a Quick Curve Ruler to a lucky reader. Here's all you have to do - go here and look at all of Sew Kind of Wonderful's patterns and book, then tell me which one is your favorite.  Just one entry please.  I'll announce the winner in a couple days - or so..

Check out the rest of the Bloghop this week at the following blogs:


Wednesday August 27th - http://www.pleasant-home.com/

Thursday August 28th - http://lucymade.wordpress.com/
 Friday August 29th - http://www.dontcallmebetsy.com/

And for one last thing - join the Sew Kind of Wonderful QAL!

It will be all sorts of fun!

Saturday, August 23, 2014

6 years.

It is crazy to think that we have now been down in St. George for six years.  It is always fun to reminisce because I want to remember how this journey all started.  Six years ago I had a 3 day old baby and a 15 month old in our car packed with all things "moving."  Lili was 3 years old and was sitting in the UHaul truck with Clint.  We were young with 3 super young kiddos with a dream of working for ourselves. We moved from Salt Lake to St. George - about four hours away.  We were away from family and we had one goal - to make this Green Fairy Quilts thing work.  

6 years have passed and we have moved two more times within the city to our final destination.  It feels like only yesterday, but really - it has been six years.  Clint and I have both worked our tails off to make this work and now we have a pretty good system going.  We started selling a little bit of fabric on two shelves in our family room and now we have a huge room filled ceiling high with shelving and fabric.  I used to quilt in our master bedroom, but now I have a studio.

I am sitting here with my heart full of gratitude for all of you.  THANK YOU!  Thank you for ordering fabric (and now notions) from us.  Thank you for your continued support with our charity. We are planning our 7th charity trip coming in November, hard to believe. Thank you for following me on my quilting journey.  I couldn't ever dream up all the opportunities that I have been given because of my quilting. I never knew it was even possible that people would want me to come to shows and teach, that was never in my radar. I had simple goals of writing patterns and a book, but I had no idea I could be a teacher as well. It has been a gift and I am so thankful to be able to share my love of quilting with all of you.

It is fun to wonder what the next six years will bring.  I know that I won't ever stop creating and sharing quilts and quilting designs.  It makes me happy to create.  I feel very blessed in my life and I will always be thankful to God for giving me a desire to quilt.  I wanted to strictly be a quilt designer, but God had a better plan and helped me to become the quilter I am today.  I owe everything I have to Him. I hope that I will always be worthy of the blessings He has given me.  

So, in honor of our six years of business - we have created a discount code - 6YEARS - enter it in during checkout and receive a discount on your orders through Monday, on top of our sale prices! 

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Almost drowning....

In a nutshell I am frantically trying to get ready for my next couple of shows.  It is amazing how fast the summer flew by and being the procrastinator that I usually am, I am trying really hard to be finished with all my samples and handouts for my classes in Australia before I leave for San Diego in a week and a half.  I am happy to say that my samples are finished - isn't the one above just lovely!?!  I can't wait to share the whole sample with my students soon.  All I have left to finish are the handouts and my PowerPoint presentations, uggh - as much as I love to quilt and share - I really have a hard time with all the computer work involved - nobody warned me about that part ;-) 

So, I have all manner of plans to be a frequent blogger, but I never get to this blog as much as I would like. I won't give up though and I will keep trying to keep you updated on all the "local news and the gossip" going on in the Madsen household. We are keeping busy and life is a crazy, chaotic, beautiful thing and I am happy for every moment! 

We'll chat soon!    

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Summer recap...

Summer1
This summer was full of fun. I drove up to Salt Lake (4 hours north) five times since May.  It has been so incredible sharing time with family.  I have been feeling a little sentimental this morning and I just wanted to share a little of how our summer went. Lately I have been trying to decide what to share on this blog and what not to share.  I know a lot of you follow me for my quilting pictures, but the truth is - I am much more than just a quilter.  I am a daughter of God, a wife, mother to four beautiful kids and I am a sister and friend.  I feel so blessed in my life and I feel like it's time I got over the fear of not letting you see the best parts of my life.

You can see my monkey of a daughter in the above photo with her cousin Mitch. She has such a zest for life and is full of adventure - even though half the time I am yelling,"be careful!" because I am such a worry wart.
 
Summer2
Thanks to our wonderful neighbor letting us use his pool, Micah can finally jump in the deep end of the pool and swim to the other side.  I can't believe he's so big!  This was a huge accomplishment for him since he has been a little afraid of the water.


Summer3
The 4th of July was amazing.  The temperature down here in the desert was incredible.  We were able to enjoy a barbeque and family fireworks.  You can ask Clint how I handled having the kids right next to him as he lit off the fireworks.  I was a total champ ;-) or at least this picture makes it seem like I am totally chill about it.

Summer4
At the beginning of the summer I took the kids up for a week to spend with my family and we made it to Temple Square in Salt Lake.  It is such a beautiful place and I love walking around there and sharing it with our kids.

Summer5
Clint and I took the older kids to hike Mount Timpanogos and had a fabulous time.  Even when I fainted in the cave and had to lie down for a minute and get totally dirty.  It was worth it.  A couple of doctor visits later and I was treated for vertigo and I am doing better.  Crazy times.

Summer6
We also took a ski lift up to the mountains and had the chance to be in the most beautiful setting.

Summer7
Back at home I braved my own fears and took Jonah, Lili, and Micah to Dixie Rock.  It's a rock that has no fence and is a total drop off.  I have a hard time going there because I worry so much, but I faced my fears this year and we had a wonderful time.  The view is spectacular and it makes me feel so blessed to live where I do.

Summer8
As many of you know, I love clouds and sunsets.  This particular picture is one that I had to capture.  It's never as good in the picture as it is in real life, but the picture helps me keep the memory of these moments.  Lili looked at the sky and said, "Mom, it looks like heaven."  She was right.  I know that God wants us to have heaven here on earth and that is why He blesses us with His beautiful creations.

Summer9
We also put in half the yard this year.  The kids have a place to play and we have plants that bloom.  I love the color of this beautiful Crepe Myrtle.  We have lots of them in our yard and I think they are gorgeous.

Summer10
The hardest part of this summer was saying goodbye to Jessie.  She decided to move back to Salt Lake, she got a job really fast and before we knew it - she was gone.  She has been with us for two years, so it has been a tough change for us.
Summer11
So, I discovered that I can watch the sunset from my roof.  I have an easy access out of one of my studio windows and I spent a lot of nights out on the roof pondering about a lot of things.  The view is always amazing and you never see the same show twice. 

Summer12
Our last trip to Salt Lake included a Trax trip to the city and the kids enjoyed it.  I spent my time keeping the kids in line and they spent the time discovering.  Micah is catching rain drops in the above picture.  Oh, to be a kid again and have no care in the world!
Summer13
We also made it to the Zoo.  These three...I am in for it, nothing but trouble ;-) but they have a way of keeping me smile.

Summer14
We had a camp out in my parents back yard. It was the first time the boys can remember sleeping in a tent, so we had a wonderful time.

Summer15
To finish off the summer we had a surprise party for my sister Amy who turned 40.  Best part of the party was when the Hippity Hops were pulled out and we played soccer, duck duck goose and chase.  It was hilarious.  All the adults got in on the action and it will be a party I won't forget.

Summer16
On Monday the kids went to school.  It was a sad day for me.  They make me crazy in so many ways, but I love when they are home.  I know I will be able to get a little more work done now that they are in school, but I have a 3 year old who's pretty lonely without these three.

I spend a lot of my time worrying about things that I can not control, but I am so happy to have my family around me who love me despite my craziness.  My sister reminded me last week that I need to live in the present and not worry about what "could" happen in the future.  I pray I can heed that advice and remember to cherish each moment.

This was a summer to remember! 

Thursday, August 7, 2014

San Diego anyone??


  If any of you live near San Diego, or are looking for a great excuse to get away for a couple days, I'll be teaching two classes at the San Diego Convention Center located right off the San Diego Bay.  The first class will be Thursday September 4th from 9:00am - 12:00pm, called Fabulously Detailed Feather & Motifs.
 The second class is Friday September 5th also from 9:00am - 12:00pm called Background Quilting For Borders & Sampler Blocks.

 The 2014 San Diego Quilt Show’s theme is “It’s a Zoo Out There.” Come September 4th-6th to gorgeous, San Diego, CA for a weekend of classes, beautiful quilts, and fun shopping at the vendor mall.  Click on the above links if you'd like to sign up for one of my classes, or to find out more information.  I'd love to see you there! 

And if any of you are in need of any Jelly Rolls, we have them all on sale right now for $29.88 with FREE SHIPPING in the U.S.!!!

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Flower Patch QAL Tutorial



As promised here is my tutorial for my Flower Patch quilt.  I had a lot of fun with this and I hope you enjoy the tutorial.  It's just me in my studio in a non-professional set up, so please take that into consideration as you are watching.  I did the video editing by myself, but I have to thank my niece Kaija for holding the camera for me.  So, watch this and then make your own quilt ;-)  I would love to see your finished project on my Flickr group.  Happy Quilting! 

Don't forget to check out the newest fabric collections on our website here.

Have a great weekend!