Fall is in the Air

It's that time of year in Arizona where the temperatures are beginning to drop a bit and leaves are changing up north. I just love fall here, it's not as flashy as the changes back east, but it is always welcome after the long summers we have.

I went through the house and found some of my finished Halloween and Fall projects to sprinkle around the house

I had so much fun quilting the little skeletons on this border--aren't they cute?

OMG it's finally here!! Tapestry by Fig Tree has arrived and it is so lovely in person. I have been waiting so impatiently patiently for so, so long. I have already picked out the perfect pattern to use with it, and it just so happens to be by the lovely Carrie Nelson of Miss Rosie's Quilts. You'll just have to stop by to see what I have in mind for this beautiful line.

Whether the word Tapestry conjures up images of flying carpets or intricately woven textiles, this collection is a medley of exotic influences, colors and flavors. Inspired by a mix of Greek and Moroccan influences, the prints in this group transport you to far away places and take you on a colorful journey in your dreams. Rich, saturated colors such as tangerine, garnet and coral in a variety of autumnal palettes will surely appeal to both the adventurer in you as well as the traditionalist.

I also have some great Bella Solids, Masterpiece thread and some other sweet things to salivate over choose from. If you have a moment, stop by on Thursday afternoon (9/27) for a sneak peek from 2-3:30. 

Hope to see you then;)

Phoenix Girls Chorus Competes in Vienna and wins 1st in their division

Phoenix Girls Chorus 2012 Europe Tour: We found a video of "Cantabile" in Vienna online: Enjoy! <!-- Version SVN: $Id: _playerVideo.php 2 2011-06-28 20:23:44Z sven $ -->&...


This is a video of my daughter and her choir competing in a singing competition in Vienna. Choirs from over 30 countries participated and my daughters choir (Phoenix Girls Chorus) Placed 1st in the Youth Division. It was an amazing experience for the girls and they worked very hard. BTW, Hannah is 3rd from the left in the front row with the long blond hair

Antique quilts

I recently quilted an antique quilt for a friend. It had languished for so long she decided it was time to finally have it completed. I marveled at all the work that had gone into it. Each piece cut by hand, & then completely hand pieced with curves!! I wonder how many of us would be quilting today if we didn't have the tools and techniques we have today

It's hard to believe school is almost out.... I can hardly wait. It will be nice not to have any deadlines or projects that have to get done---no more late night trips to Walmart for supplies....for awhile anyway:)

Recently, I was out rollerblading and saw this goose and her little chicks. They were so cute, but I

was careful to use my zoom---not a good idea to mess with geese.

More photos of geese and ducks. They are really quite tame as the locals here bring 

their kids and feed them scraps of bread.

And aren't these little jelly rolls from Moda sweet? I just had to put them on a little cake plate and put them

on center stage. More on Moda coming up soon in a future post, so check 

back soon !

I am so proud of myself--I just finished my first laminated fabric project. Honestly, I have been lusting after laminated fabric for some time, but hadn't bought any yet. I saw this "Going Coastal" fabric recently and it just had to come home with me (it matches my summery outdoor pillows oh so nicely:)

Anyway, mosey on over to Lila Tuellers blog at : http://lilatuellerdesigns.blogspot.com/2012/05/free-trash-stashers-pattern.html

She has generously offered this "Trash Stasher" pattern for free!!

so, I just had to jump right in. I needed a new trash container for my car and this 

would also work awesome beside the sewing machine. I think I may have to make a couple more.

Also, be sure to check out Lila Tuellers line of laminated fabrics coming out--absolutely beautiful. You can find very helpful instructions on working with laminated fabrics on Lila's blog.

I have to say that I don't think there is one thing that Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill designs that I don't just love....I saw this fabric at Olde World Quilt Shoppe and just had to have it. I don't even have anyone I know expecting a little girl

I am looking for just the right pattern to quilt it with and will post it when done...but not sure when that will be as I am in the midst of a couple of custom quilts:) I do plan to bind it with the cute little dot you see as the inner border. As you may have noticed, I mitered the borders on this quilt. Although, that takes a little extra effort, it is worth it at times. I may have to post a tutorial sometime on mitering borders, for those of you who would like to try it.

I made this cute little burp cuddle cloth out of waffle fabric in brown. I used the Bunny Hill pattern, " Cuddle Cloths" and even put some decorative stitching to hold the focal fabric down. I have to admit, my sweet ol' bernina doesn't get to do that much.

Just think what a cute diaper bag you could make with this fabric!!!

Today, my friend Amber and I decided to head to the cool pines of Prescott, Arizona for some fresh air, fabulous shopping and culinary adventures. The weather today was wonderful with a nice breeze--so welcome since the heat has returned to Phoenix. We hit some of our favorite haunts...Fancy That, Edelweiss, and a few antique shops as well....Amber was on the hunt, and she was able to find one thing on her list right away, so we were off to a promising start.

The photo below is of a quilt shop called "Seams Sew Right", and if you haven't been to it, you need to hop in your car and check it out. It has a funky/contemporary vibe to it, and those of you who enjoy modern quilts will feel at home. You can check them out at www.seamsewrightquiltstudio.com

After the quilt shop, we went over to Firehouse Kitchen Restaurant where we sampled a delicious salad, and these wonderful little "pop-overs".  Let's just say we cleaned our plates and will return again soon.

Pop-over, and my little cup of dressing for my salad....yummmm

Finishing is oh so sweet

I just love this quilt. It is a Jo Morton pattern. It enjoys a spot in my sewing room where I can see it while I work on projects. Finishing and displaying projects really can help motivate you through a project. You know the saying, "to quilt is heavenly, to finish is divine.....so true

 

 I can hardly believe it--my oldest child is going to graduate from high school soon.

 What a journey it has been, and it's not over yet. He will be off to college next fall, so I have much to do to prepare him for the next chapter in his life. Meanwhile, I hope to finish a quilt to send off to college with him...one of my UFO's.  So I have a bit of time to get it done for him. I am hoping he will feel all a little closer to home when he's wrapped up in his quilt

A Book Signing with Carrie Nelson of Miss Rosie's Quilt Co at the Olde World Quilt Shoppe

Amazon.com: Another Bite of Schnibbles: 24 Quilts from 5" or 10" Squares (That Patchwork Place) (9781604680584): Carrie Nelson: Books

One of my absolute favorite shops, Olde Worlde Quilt Shoppe had one of my very favorite pattern designers last Saturday for a book signing! It was so nice to have the opportunity to meet Carrie Nelson of Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. and visit with her. She is so charming and talented. She also has a wonderful blog you can check out http://www.laveenrosie.typepad.com/ for inspiration, laughs etc. If you haven't bought one of her books or patterns, you really must. They are well written, easy to follow and are absolutely exquisite--destined to be family heirlooms. She even has a line of patterns called Schnibbles that are made with precuts--most go together quite quickly, and the small ones make such nice gifts. Also if you are ever in the Phoenix area, be sure to check out Olde Worlde Quilt Shoppe--it is such a warm and inviting shop, everyone there is so helpful and their fabrics are to die for!!

Take a look at a recent quilt I completed. It is made from Japanese fabrics and is really quite beautiful. While is has flowers and softer colors it isn't too feminine. I think it would work nice in a master bedroom 

I recently finished this quilt for a customer--isn't it a striking pattern? I think the use of strongly contrasted fabrics really pops and gives it movement. And what a nice border treatment--nothing like a bunch of saw tooth triangles to give a quilt a graphic punch.

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Scrapbook Papercraft Pre-Designed Project Kits: ScrapScription - Scrapbooking Kit Club and Papercrafting Project Kits

I'm back.....I have found the cutest little album, and it's shaped like a sewing machine. How cute is that?? As some of you know, I love playing with fabric, paper, thread, scissors, glue, etc.. This would be a great way to record some of your wonderful quilting or sewing projects.. Be sure to click on the link below to see images of the completed project!

Scrapbook Papercraft Pre-Designed Project Kits: ScrapScription - Scrapbooking Kit Club and Papercrafting Project Kits:

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 I am doing a happy dance--the kids are back in school &  fall weather is coming (slowly here in AZ) I have uploaded some photos of an incredible quilt I have the opportunity to work on. My friend Vicki is a prolific and accomplished award winning quilter and she has sent me some fabulous quilts to work on. The colors in the batiks are to die for and the piecing is incredible. What an amazing work of art. I hope you enjoy the pictures and that you are inspired to challenge yourself in your quilting. Take a class or try something that intimidates you. Maybe try making an art quilt. Another great way to grow as a quilter is to make small " art" quilts--say one a week. They can be as small as a postcard or up to 11x14. Try applique, raw edge applique, beading, quilting, couching and then quilt it on your domestic machine. You will learn a heck of a lot. The Arizona Quilters Guild has a small quilt auction every year, and I try to donate at least one quilt each year. A really good resource for learning about different techniques that you can experiment with is the magazine "Quilting Arts". Their website is www.quiltingdaily.com and there is an incredible amount of information available there to help you grow as a quilt artist.

Okay- I have a confession to make....I have been dabbling in scrapbooking lately.  I already have tons of supplies as I used to do a lot more when my children were little. Anyway, I decided to make these cute little 5 x 7 albums for my sisters with some of the photographs from our "Sister Trip" to France last year. I will be giving them their albums tomorrow--I hope they like them. I really had a great time making them. There are many parallels between scrapbooking and quilting these days, with scrapbook paper designers making quilt fabric, etc. There are some great stores in the Phoenix area, with classes to get  you started if you have never made one of these. You make the album first in the class and then you can add your pictures later--these make a thoughtful and personal gift that is sure to be treasured.

 Here are some photos of a wholecloth European Pillow Sham that I custom made for a friend of mine. She has a beautiful heirloom applique/pieced quilt that she made and she wants 2 of these shams to go with it. The pictures really don't do it justice--it is really gorgeous--I just may have to make myself a couple. Some of the crosshatch border will be sewn into the seams to make a flange. I can't wait to see them once she completes them!

I recently finished this quilt for my friend Marge. She worked on this project at quilt camp and it was fun to see it come together on the design board. It is interesting because all the fabrics are essentially solid. There is a trend out there called Modern Quilts and there are Modern Quilt Guilds, and they really do look different than the quilts Grandma used to make. When you're working with solids and graphic quilts like these, it takes some time to come up with a quilting pattern that compliments the design. In the close up, you can see that Marge and I found a pattern that I think really works well-it's called Geometric Path by Kristin Hoftyzer--I think it looks like a circuit board and really adds another element to the quilt. The quilts in the book would be great for men & boys and anyone who prefers a more contemporary design in their homes. Be sure to check the book out sometime, there are quite a few interesting designs inside. That's all for now....Happy 4th of July!!

Here is a couple shots of my latest quilt. This was supposed to be a pink and brown quilt, but then I found this fabulous border print... and it was on sale!! So, I ended up adding green and yellow as well. I really like how it came out. Hope you are managing to keep cool:)

I am working on several patriotic projects right now, and I just had to upload some photos. I am nearly done with this quilt, just need to finish the binding. I am really happy with how it came out and am looking forward to hanging it in my entry for the month of July. This project is from Moda and is called "Flag of Valor" by Minick and Simpson. It is packaged as a kit in a cute little patriotic bag. I've included a link for the bunting. You can find the kit at www.quiltersparadiseonline.com for $79 which is the lowest price among several online