Bumble Beans Inc.

Happy Sunday!

2012-02-26T11:23:00.001-05:00

Mini quilt finish... Finally added the binding!

(it's been sitting here a very long time!)

Thank you for all your "Healing Thoughts" for my Mother

over her four heart surgeries!

She's home now, playing Canasta with her sister! ;-)

******

EEK! I'm so behind... Because of my delay last week getting home...
I never posted the winner of the Sonoma Rose book!
here it is!

How often does number ONE get picked? ;-)
Congrats to Janet!

Jackie's BLOGGER BOM

2012-02-25T16:30:00.000-05:00

Amy of Diary of a quilter has her FEB BOM for Jackie's BLOGGER'S Block of the MONTH.

This lady finger block is one of my all time favorite blocks... I made two again this month. And I am missing last months.

This is what I have done so far, I keep moving them around on my wall... It's looking COZY!

Here for all the block links so far...

JACKIE'S BLOGGER BOM

Are you staying up to date?

;-)

BUMBLE BEANS BASICS EVENT

2012-02-24T15:09:00.000-05:00

How sweet is this guy? We all tried so hard, to get a smile out of him... ;-)

Pictures from Today's BumbleBeansBasics Distribution Event are up at my flickr site!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bumblebeans/sets/72157627446525874/

Today's Event was Special, as it was for Women and their families in the Acacia Network's

( Also known as BASICS/Promesa,m they made a new name & Logo! )

Newest program, La Casita.

They received QUILTS and COATS for their children!

This special program within the network, Helps women get their entire lives back on track,

through Recovery.

They enter the program for drug/alcohol Rehabilitation,

and they are allowed to bring their children with

them to provide a safe home for themselves and their family for 1-2 years!

Mama's and kids.

A safe place for getting their lives back on track.

It gets them out of shelters, teaching them: How to stay clean, how to keep a home,

parenting classes, get skills to work, write resumes etc etc... It's such a fantastic

program! When I heard they ( Acacia Network) were taking over this facility,

I said I wanted "IN" to help them in anyway I can.

Why is this so special to me?

I've been in recovery for 22 years. It's a full circle moment for me.

Now, the Acacia Network, is building a brand new building in the South Bronx, (one of the five poorest Congressional Districts in the United States.) to expand and house more women and their families.

I have joined in and will be organizing a "Women's Room" in the new facility, this will be a sewing/craft room/library room, where the woman can learn basic sewing skills. Skills that may provide them work, and also will be teaching them to make quilts for themselves and others in the program.

It will be a place to work on Bonding & Friendships, Community, and a way for each of them, to give back to the people who have helped them.

Your Beautiful Quilts have provided many, many smiles. Thank you for your Generous Donations!

We had a FULL HOUSE today... The children were Squealing with Delight!

My self, and Raul Russi (Head of Acacia Network), with two mother's who received quilts today.

Please keep the quilts coming!

CLICK here for all the info to donate QUILT.

We're planning our next event ... Will keep you posted!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUILTS!!!

From myself and The Acacia Network ( AKA BASICS)

Welcome home to squishies!

2012-02-24T00:01:00.016-05:00

The fun part of being away is having lot's of squishy packages when you get home!

Mark Cesarik has a new line out with Free Spirit.

Cosmic Burst comes out in April... Thanks MARK! I have some favorites already...

BEAUTIFUL!!!

I am LOVING the hot PINK with GOLDY color print...(lower left hand corner)

and also in the green and the Straight up gold! The colors are very saturated, I like that!

I find I have been searching for a good BLUE tonal, and then I flip through the packet and there it is!

I didn't waste anytime when I got home yesterday...

I cut into Mark's fabrics straight away!!

I missed my JUKI desperately...

Then I opened another package from friend Carolyn Forster

and inside was her new book!

Utility Quilting

Many great ideas for Hand Quilting! I see some great ideas I need to try!

Go check it out!

by the way,

She also has Quilting-on-the-go

Thanks Carolyn! Such a nice surprise!

I'm off to the next Bumble Beans BASICS Distribution Event!...

Stay tuned for PICS! Thank you for all the beautiful quilts!!! Keep them coming!

It's so nice to be home...

Colorful Interviews - Pat Sloan

2012-02-23T00:01:00.005-05:00

Today's thoughts on color are with my friend Pat Sloan. Pat has a fun way with color, not only doe she have a flare for colors in her quilts, but you can see her favorites in what she wears. ;-)

Name 5 you think are "ODD" together.... or weird combos?

Most color combos work for me with the right fabrics... but a few that I don't feel the love for...
-Black with Navy
- all pastels together.. too bland

- mauve .. that rose mauve 70s color... I can not get used to the idea of ever using that color with anything... so ANY color with mauve is just wrong.. ha!

I know that whole mauve thing... but I must say, I kind of LOVE your palette of ODD colors... Why is that? I'm finding I really like people's ODD colors!

Is there a color you find you always use?
Yellow...i have a hard time NOT using yellow somewhere in a project.

Name Three colors you use most together.

this is HARD .. it varies wildly depending on what I'm making. Yellow with Navy and Green would be nice as I'm craving a Navy Green combo right now. I really can't say I have that I have a standard combo. I do use a lot of green.... olive greens...

What color makes you feel happy?
Yellow! It has been my 'first' favorite color of all time. It's the color of sunshine, and sunflowers, and happy smiley faces... it's the best! A close second is Aqua/Red and Aqua/Orange combos.. right now. But at a point in my life I craved browns and reds and creams... so it changes!

Is there a color you avoid?

Up until January I avoided grey! Now I have some grey/gray/grey happening (with ... drum roll.. YELLOW!) See my blog post here.

Make a palette that you think is very YOU?
Since I'm craving a blue and green..which by the way I'm NOT making but really want to...that is what I think of as 'me' at this moment in time. A few months ago.. aqua orange....

And Please Show us a favorite quilt you've made that represents these colors you use often?
This pattern is one of my all time favorites. I'm going to make it up in my next fabric line to show what you can do with it.

Thanks Pat for sharing with us your STASH! It's so neat and visible!

Be sure to stop by Pat's BLOG and tune in on Mondays for

Next week Thursday, Michele from the Quilting Gallery!

Home Thursday

2012-02-21T23:14:00.002-05:00

I brought a quilt to sleep under in my hotel room... I'm thinking I will

always do this from here on out...All it takes to make this room feel

like home, is to wrap up in a homemade quilt.

During hospital time, I finally gave in and downloaded some new apps....

Instagrams... how fun are they?

Some of my goodies from Roseann's shop, and Millie P's ,

and a few from Quilted Treasures . Ideas are developing!

A few more goodies from the antique shop...

did you comment for the book giveaway?
click here.

Guess who busted out today?

Cardio rehab underway!

MPLS

2012-02-19T22:01:00.000-05:00

Mother is starting to feel better, but it's not a smooth road yet...I won't be back on Tuesday as planned... Hoping for Thursday. Last week I got out a tiny bit, but the last few days I've not left the hospital for very long. I hope she's back on her tippy toes soon. ;-) She was up walking a bunch today, just have to get the numbers to match her behavior.

Here's a bit of what I did do last week...

Met up with Roseann! You may remember her from the Aurifil designer of the month for January.... Have you been keeping up on your stitchery? Sherri Falls has February, and I have March! So stay tuned!

Roseann and I grabbed lunch AND she let me raid her store ( while it was closed!) ... wahoo! She's such a doll, and Look Pat! Your panels hang behind us! ;-)

Also had dinner wit Carol, I've been reading her blog since I started blogging... It's so nice to finally meet her after all these years!

Lucky! I picked up this Hand appliqued/quilted baby quilt... $17...Can you believe it?? It's so stinking cute!!!

I also popped over to Sewtropolis and sat in at the MPLS modern quilt guild. Love the enthusiasm! Great shop too!

Next BASICS Distribution EVENT, February 24th 11:30-1pm. So I hope to be back in time!
It's all about BABIES!!! The wee babies and kids in the BASICS/PROMESA childcare programs,

will be getting COATS and QUILTS!

JOY!

GIVEAWAY: Jennifer Chiaverini

2012-02-17T00:01:00.005-05:00

Last year, Jennifer Chiaverini’s The Wedding Quilt became a huge success and New York Times bestseller, thanks in part to quilt-lovers like you! I was hoping you would consider reviewing or hosting a giveaway on your website of her newest novel in the Elm Creek Quilts series, SONOMA ROSE (on-sale 2/21).

Jennifer has always been praised for her ability to write historical and present-day fiction with equal skill. While her last novel was set in modern times, Sonoma Rose tells the story of a young mother's heroic journey in Prohibition-era America.

Rosa Diaz Barclay is touched by the criminality surrounding Prohibition when she discovers that her husband, John, has given over the duties of their Southern California rye farm in favor of bootlegging. Fearing the safety of her four children, Rosa flees, carrying only a case of John’s ill-begotten cash and her mother’s two quilts. Lars Jorgensen, her true love and the father of two of her children, aids in her escape, and together the six travel north to San Francisco. Under assumed names, they are hired to work at a Sonoma vineyard, where Rosa creates a personal and professional identity that she would never have dared imagine at the opening of her tale, and one that brings great honor-and beauty-to all who surround her.

So, to win a copy of Jennifer's New Book,

Check out these great quilt blocks above, that are in the inside of the book.

leave me a comment about:

Have you made a quilt from any of these blocks?

Which one?

and if you haven't one... Which one might you try?

Please make sure you leave your email address so I can reach you!

I will draw a winner Wednesday Feb 22nd. 9a.m. EST.

Good luck!

Colorful Interviews: Tallgrass Prairie Studio

2012-02-16T00:01:00.019-05:00

Jacquie has a great sense for minimal color, and pack it with a punch in small

doses to tip you right over into the wow factor!

Name a color you think are odd...
For me purple is odd with any color. While I really don't dislike this color scheme, in
fact, I think it's pretty, but it would be hard for me to use. It's funny because I adore
purple in nature, but take it out of its natural setting and I have trouble with it.

I have to say Jacquie, the thing I have found interesting when people have done the ODD palette,
I am always competly drawn too! I love this palette!

Is there a color you find you always use?
Orange is my favorite color and the brighter the better. It's always been my favorite.
I do like to tone it down with neutrals, but I love a splash of orange! I think it's
beautiful with gray and cream and put it with a deep chocolate brown and some
taupe and I'm in heaven. I was so happy to see tangerine tango as the pantone color
of the year for 2012!

What three colors do you use together the most?
Orange can get tiring, even I can admit that…a little goes a long way and sometimes
I gravitate toward what my children call Easter egg colors, especially light greens,
blues and aqua. I think those colors are so calm and soothing. I especially love them
paired with a deep, rich brown. This first color palette is my bedroom.

Can you relate your favorite color

to something in your childhood?
Not really, but my childhood definitely exposed me to color schemes and my mom
allowed me to experiment with color. My mom was "in" to color and decorating and
I grew up immersed in the colors of the 70's, avocado green and harvest gold. Then
my mother discovered colonial Williamsburg and I was introduced to the classic
colors of blues, burgundy and gold, and who could forget that dusty rose of the 80's!
My mom was an obsessive room painter, just like I am now. I have to thank her for
encouraging me to play with color.

What colors makes you feel happy and why?
It would have to be orange, fuchsia and lime green! I know that's three. They're all
bold and definitely make a statement! They're like little color energy shots!

Is there a color you avoid?

I hate to admit it, but I've avoided purple for a long time. It took some convincing
for me to buy my first purple fabric and then to make a quilt with purple. I adore
that quilt and I'm so glad I put aside my purple prejudice! It's not good to avoid a
color, so I try not to limit myself. I think yellow is tricky too.

I do have a secret obsession with pink. I hardly ever use it, but I always seem to buy
it. I live in a testosterone heavy household and pink is not appreciated.

I'm not a color risk taker, though I would like to be. I tend to love a limited color
palette. I like to work with tints and shades of the same color and I really love
neutrals with just a bit of color. I would love to be more adventurous with color
because it seems when I push myself out of my comfort zone, I'm almost always
happy with the result.

Thanks Jacquie for sharing your thoughts on Color. I'm with you on orange being a favorite...

Your stash looks so inviting and Organized! LOVELY!

be sure to stop by Jacquie's blog to say hi!

Next week: PAT SLOAN.

quick update

2012-02-15T22:01:00.002-05:00

My Mother and I, taken just before surgery Tuesday...

Thank you all for your lovely words for my mother.

She's been a real trooper and was on her feet today!

Amazing!

All your thoughts and prayers helped!

Thank you!

Special HEART day

2012-02-14T00:01:00.006-05:00

A SPECIAL HEART DAY.

Today is my Mother's heart surgery.

Please send out

"Healing Heart Thoughts"

into the universe...

Thank you.

inspiration

2012-02-13T00:01:00.003-05:00

Have you picked up your copy of Quilt Almanac?

I had a bunch of emails from people who

were playing with the pattern, and It's been so fun to see starts and finishes

of my quilt, and variations of it!

Kathy, way back when, came across my pattern and using Kaffe Fabrics made this very beautiful Daisy quilt.

"Daisies in Kaffe's Garden." You can see more pictures of it at Her blog, click here.

Helen made this cute small piece, you can see at her blog here.

If you make any variation of it, I would LOVE to see it!

Have a great day!

MN or bust

2012-02-11T19:17:00.000-05:00

Hand work all prepped and ready to go.... Two king size quilts, this above and the Hawaiian quilt...

Two small projects, this name tag swap for the modern guild... blurred out the name! Sneaky! Most of this is done already...just needs binding...

And a Valentine for BOO.... Since I will be away for Valentine's day... I figure it's work for the airport time, and mail it off Monday just in time for HEARTS day.

WOW!

My new large suitcase holds THREE quilts,

10 days worth of clothes,

all the above projects,

AND TWO DOGS!

Who knew!

BASICS UPDATE

2012-02-10T00:01:00.006-05:00

I was up at BASICS yesterday and brought a couple quilts that I had here

from some friends. This quilt above is from Debby, her front of the quilt is

as fabulous as the back of it! Thanks Debby!

Here are two quilt from sisters, Ruthmary & Paula! Thank you ladies!

And this striped quilt was a quilt I did way back in 2008 when I was still new

to free motion quilting! This was a practice quilt, and still very cute...(see old post here)

The next distribution event will be FEBRUARY 24th!

Please know that every effort is made to send out Thank you cards and emails.

I do not take the quilts in personally, all quilts go to BASICS,

and are checked in by staff, who are also working with the families,

Sometimes checking in the quilts, is a slow process.

So that they can be sure to get you a Thank You card sent:

PLEASE include INSIDE the box a

clearly written or typed note with:

your name,

and snail mail address & email

and of each of the people names who have made a quilt in that box.

request for a tax donation form request,

if you need it, with the value of your materials used to make the quilt

And send with delivery confirmation.

This helps everyone very much in checking in and recording your beautiful quilts.

Your quilts are so appreciated, loved and respected.

I try to personally take pictures of EVERY single quilt and add them to the Website and

flickr group so you see exactly who is snuggling up in your quilt. As long as the person

who is receiving it allows me to photograph them.

Believe me, Hugs, tears, smiles, are always attached to your beautiful quilts.

It really is a priceless gift you've shared.

I look forward to sharing with you more pictures of more beautiful

quilts going to good homes!

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE SENT QUILTS!

You are angels!

Colorful Interviews: Cabbage Quilts

2012-02-09T03:01:00.001-05:00

Today I am happy to share with you Cathy from Cabbage quilts. She constantly knocks me out with her fabulous colorful creations.. The girl just knows what works for her! I've been a big fan of her quilts and excited to hear more about her Color choices... Love her palette!

Have you played with the Colorlovers palettes yet?

So Cathy, Name 5 colors you think are "ODD" together.... or weird combos?
I would find it difficult to use these colours together...dark brown, deep purple, mustard, muddy blue and murky green! Perhaps it is not so much that they are odd together, but that my taste lies more in the clearer, brighter colours.

Is there a color you find you always use?
Pink. It is funny, as a child the one colour I hated was pink! Now I'm a quilter, I can't get enough of it, especially in candy pink and raspberry. One of my favourite pink fabrics is Kaffe Fassetts Roman Glass in pink, I use it in so many quilts!

three colors you use most together
green, orange, pink

Can you relate your favorite color to something in your childhood?
When I was a child I lived in a hot climate where we swam for many months of the year. There was nothing better after a day of swimming under the hot Brisbane sun than a large, iced drink of cordial, particularly the lime or raspberry flavours! I still love those colours, perhaps because they remind me of happy times.

What color makes you feel happy?

Yellow

Can you tell me why?

Yellow is such a sunny, cheery colour, I always smile when I see a pretty, bright yellow fabric.

Is there a color you avoid?
No. I used to dislike brown, but now I've found that if I find the right brown it can really lift some of the brighter colours. I love the brown in my Star Quilt wip...

can you go to colorlovers and make a palette that you think is very YOU?

My colours...though they do change a little with time. I am attracted to a lot of red (particularly red and white) now, as well as playing with black and white and grey.

Show us your stash, please! Whoa! LOVE!!! Your palette is clearly evident in your snap of you stash!

I adore colour and am at my happiest when I can go and play in my stash!!!

And can you share a favorite quilt you've made that represents these colors you use often?

The colours in my Fassetted Mosaic quilt are colours I love to use a lot, especially the pink, orange, red, blue, green and some browns...

What comes first? Color inspiration or Idea inspiration?

Ooh that's an interesting question, and I would have to say I work both ways! Sometimes I find a pattern that is just asking to be made up, so I start with the pattern, decide what colours/fabrics I wish to use, then often change both the colours and even the pattern as I go. Then other times, I find a beautiful fabric and build a quilt around that special fabric.
Sometimes I know the exact colours I am going to use, I start with those colours and don't make any changes. In other quilts I just start with a fabric I like, then choose different colours as I go.

I have to say though, one of the best tools I have found to help when putting together colours in any of my quilts is my design wall. I am able to throw blocks of different colour up on the design wall as I'm making my quilt, then stand back and really see which colours are working and which colours aren't.

Love what you have going on the design wall Cathy! Thanks for sharing your colorful eye candy!

The mix of solids and prints makes for a very great mix of design and color. What I enjoy here is that your DARKEST is not a black. In this quilt, your darks are reading as RED and NAVY BLUE, and whites and yellows are your brights/lights... dark doesn't always have to be BLACK, nor does your LIGHT always have to be white...

Pop over and say hi to CATHY!

Have you tried using a different color besides, black for your dark, what color would that be?
And what color for your light besides white?

Next week is Jacquie from Tallgrass Prairie Studios!

An Oldie gets finsihed

2012-02-08T07:45:00.000-05:00

Here's a quilt I started in 2009, finally it's done! This quilt, "Circles and Stripes" (see old posts here) Has been sitting here, quilted, and without binding, for nearly three years! Last week I finally got around to hand sewing the biding... It actually HAD the binding attached, I just never finished sewing it down... How silly is that?

I think I will put this in my guest bedroom. Better late then never!

Have you any quilts, that just need binding? Or is it just me?

hearts...

2012-02-07T08:45:00.000-05:00

It's MAMO Day!

Have you made your appointment?

Sending out Love and Support to my many friends who

have battled with Breast Cancer.

options

2012-02-06T00:01:00.007-05:00

Try all the options... Take a lot of pictures as you go... Find things that spark your curiosity...

Everything looks good on point!

I really like how the ONE block with a GREEN surround glows among the other.

Playing with your layout on these blocks when your piecing, can change the pattern so easily!

It's Exciting!

I can see many of the green surround blocks filling in between the others "on point". One block, but anew LOOK to it, just in color placement... I was hoping for a GREEN quilt, and I think this will give me the look I want. (I'm totally addicted to these blocks)

Are you stuck on a project today?
Have you tried all your options today?

PDF for paper piecing the Triangles Galore block is now up: Click here

Weekend round up!

2012-02-05T09:49:00.001-05:00

Our NYC METRO MOD (BLOG) Meeting was yesterday, and I was very impressed by many new members and our art quilter's in the group! We have such a nice mix of talent that there is something for everybody! Main guild website is here. More pics will be up at the BLOG shortly.

This is her first attempt at making a quilt without using a pattern. Looks great!

Christa learned paper piecing, and even broke out of the box in her layout... Beautiful!

Using new color palette and piecing stars for the first time! Gorgeous!

Jackie's Amazing Paper piecing!!

Susan's African art quilt for a show at the Brooklyn library... Beautiful!

Michele's lovely landscape! Inspiring!

Debby's thread painting, Knock your socks off!

We also did a Q.S.O.S. interview, I interviewed Kim, and enjoyed learning the

process of interviewing, and learning more about my friend.

You can learn to do these also. Thank You MEG for coming to teach!

http://www.allianceforamericanquilts.org/about/

Jackie and I also played with my Triangles Galore block and Made a Paper pieced pattern for the block which works LOVELY!!!

PDF IS HERE. Or under tutorials above.

What are Jenny Egg and KIA looking at?

They are admiring the CHERRYWOOD fabrics of course!!

Busy busy week ahead... One week before I head to MN for 10 days...

(and I maybe computer free during that time...) Let's see how organized I can get.. LOL!

Are you good under last minute pressure?

this, that and dustbunnies

2012-02-03T00:01:00.006-05:00

A couple goodies to show you today! I've been cleaning..and when that happens, you know how easy it is to get sidetracked when you find things, and INSPIRATION HITS you like a MAC truck... (always when you should be doing something else!)

Kathie had sent me this block months back, and I worked very quickly on it, adding bits and pieces here and there,and then I got stuck. So I put it away for a bit and would pull it out every now and then to see if anything light bulb would go off.

Today it all came together. I dug out my reds, and a bit of BLUE and wee scrap of pink, the yellows and it all came together lickety split! Love that!

I also dug out some vintage orphans that I may add on here... Not sure I'm 100% done but I like where it's at right now. I may still do a bit more playing....

Then Thomas Knauer sent down some of his new line to play with, called FLOCK for Andover... You can see more of his lines here. I jumped in to play...

I took off running on the theme FLOCK, and decided to try the birds in the air block.

I grabbed some minty GINGHAM shirting fabric to set the blocks....

Gingham, I love gingham and think it's very under used these days.... so sweet!

I used up every bit of the gingham that I had, I even had to piece every last square scrap together to finish it. The gingham is very sheer, and you can see all the threads on my design wall right through it...

It's not pressed yet in this picture, because I was, at the time I took this making a new IRONING BOARD,from an old falling apart IKEA cabinet I had....

Take the door, wrap it in Batting, staple it down and wrap in Fabric of your choice!

walla!

It was the perfect size to lay across my file cabinets that are always in the way! So I can sew, turn to the right, and press.... easy peasy!

Now, I gotta get this place clean...Jackie is coming down in a few hours!

Happy Friday!

Colorful Interviews : Canton Village Quilt Works

2012-02-02T03:01:00.037-05:00

I had to ask Jackie from Canton Village Quilt Works about COLOR! When we go shopping she is one person that I love to pick out BRIGHTS for! Well, and Silk, and African Fabrics... LOL! Her Happy Quilts match her lovely personality.

So Jackie,

Name 5 you think are "ODD" together.... or weird combos?

That is a tough question, because I think that most colors go with one another, but it depends on the shade of the color. That said, I think that Amber and Blue might be my top pick for strange combo. Also, I would l say Chartreuse and Eggplant. But then again I still think that they can work well together. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Show us a palette that you think is very YOU...

Yes Jackie, I would agree with your color choices! It's fresh spring!

Is there a color you find you always use?

For sure... Magenta or Fuchsia. Love, love, love the pink family! The hotter the better. When I am working on something I really try to break free and use other colors that I might not normally use.

What three colors do you use most often?

Of course those wonderful hot pinks go great with greens and yellows or purples. In short, hot pink/green/yellow or hot pink/green/purple.

Can you relate your favorite color to something in your childhood?

Flowers, in particular we had a flowering Japanese Cherry tree in the front of our house that was gorgeous! We always used to take photos in front of it and I just adored those pink blooms.

What color makes you feel happy?

Really anything bright! Bright colors against a neutral or a color that makes the brighter colors pop just makes me smile. I think sometimes it is the contrast from the bright colors to the neutral that is just fabulous.

Can you tell me why?

For instance, high contrast in value really can set off a design or a color and that makes it sing. My Total Eclipse Quilt is a perfect example. The values of the fabrics are really the same but the high contrast between the neutral (black) and the brights really makes this quilt work.

Is there a color you avoid? I don't have a lot of blue, so I try to push myself to use this color. But it just isn't something that I have in my stash.

I find that interesting Jackie, as I know about your BLUE SILK COLLECTION FIRST HAND! wink!

Show me your Stash Jackie!

These are definitely neat photos. It doesn't quite look like this now.

Please show us a favorite quilt you've made that represents these colors you use often?

This quilt is one of my latest Judy Niemeyer quilts using pinks, greens, yellow and a splash of purple! This pattern is called Golden Harvest and is made from all Kaffe Fassett fabrics except for one green batik. It makes my heart sing!!

WOW! Yes, Jackie, i can Sing along with you! Your Brights Dance around on your quilts! Thank you for Sharing with us today your thoughts on color!

Be sure to stop By Jackie's Blog and say hi!

Next week Cathy From Cabbage Quilts!

FEB AURIfil BOM

2012-02-01T07:41:00.000-05:00

How cute are these guys?

The next AURIfil designer embroidery block is up!

CLICK HERE to read more about Sherri Falls!

(Little bits of this and that blog)

Be sure to add your stitchery to the FLICKR group a random winner

is selected each month!

Who Won January?

CLICK HERE!

Packaged Monthly Threads
Aurifil is also offering prepacakged thread kits for each month's stitcheries.

There is store list HERE and Roseann ( JANUARY BOM Designer)

is selling kits for all the designer months. Email or call her from her website HERE

Pondering my wall

2012-01-31T08:02:00.000-05:00

I was digging through my scrap bags the other day, and decided to play with a new block...

All these little seams were a nightmare, but each section got a bit easier, It's far from perfect, but I am happy that I gave it a go, and know that, now that I conquered ONE block, the others may be easier...

I sewn off two points in the middle... Maybe the next one I can get them right... We'll see!

It's quite fun don't you think?

I tried very hard to NOT think about what fabrics were going where... Sometimes I look at old quilts, and wonder why on earth they picked the colors they did... How is it that they seam to have not thought about color placement or subconsciously put like colors with like colors... Those are the quirky quilts I am always drawn too. So, this was my experiment focusing on not focusing! ;-)

This is my design wall this week...We have our MOD guild meeting Saturday, the lower right hand corner are blocks from this meetings challenge. We're using Cherrywood fabrics, and a layout of light to dark on the diagonal.. I can't wait to see the rest of the blocks and play with them to see what they will do with each other...

Mmmmm.

I'm liking that star block on point... maybe I can make something fun out of that one block less than perfect block after all!

Ready to sew another bobbin of HST's... pieces are cut and laying here ready to go.. this quilt is growing faster then I thought it would... my little ENOUGH quilt, (a modern8create challenge) seems out of place here... Can never have ENOUGH HST's. ;-)

What is on your wall today?

What do you do with a block that is less then perfect? Use it anyway?

Throw it into the scrap bin? Orphan block pile?

new project.

2012-01-29T13:03:00.000-05:00

Happy Sunday all!

I'm quite excited to share bits of a project with you.

This week I am starting a new project with Jr/Sr high KIDS in the NYC area, including Queens, Brooklyn, Westchester, and NJ... It will be a surprise QUILT for a very interesting person, and all the great work this person has done in our area.

Since it's a surprise, I can't say much more about it. But I will be posting a few pictures as I go along. The finished quilt will be given in the fall. I will be helping kids make squares using 5-6 different techniques, that I will incorporate, later, into the quilt..

Kids minds go to such a special creative place, I am excited to have the opportunity to work with them and to see what they create.

I have no idea what this quilt will look like, but the possibilities will be endless, and I look forward to their work, inspiring me, to create something special.

Enjoy your day!

A journey

2012-01-27T23:16:00.001-05:00

How this quilt grew. (Then fell apart, then grew!)

A quilt journey.

Gathered blocks from the New'Bee Quilt bee....

Added new STARS Galore blocks,

took out new star blocks

(I really want them to be there own quilt!)

Played (wrestled) around with options... played (wrestled) around with more options

Had a whole top together and hated it... wrestle wrestle....

got out my 12.5 template and armed with a rotary cutter

(ah ha! Down you beast!)

I cut it back to bits...

Daughter put in her two cents...

thank you darling! ( I'll save that for something else)

I wrestled it to the ground...

Finished cutting up all the navy/green from it's carcus....


TINY DANCER 61" X 74"

Salvaged various size navy green triangles....

I snuck up behind it,

and blasted it with my FAVORITE

Tomato Red with little gold crosses Terrie Mangat crosses fabric

for the border....

Smooshed the blocks back together,

has just enough navy green here and there to make it sparkle.

twinkle twinkle.

Going for navy and green with pink on the back...

Now I'm doing the Happy Dance...