Artquiltmaker.com has a store, as I have mentioned. I updated the store recently with new products, especially products related to technology, such as iPad cases, and phone covers as well as tote bags, jackets, etc. I have used Flowering Snowball images and I hope you like them.**
Yes, shameless self promotion. Now we are done with that for the time being.
Patterns and Techniques
Have you seen Camille Roskelley’s new patterns? She gives us an overview of her 5 new patterns and a sneak peek at her new fabric line. I really like the Fireworks and Round & Round patterns. Fireworks reminds me of Swoon. It is very Swoon-like. She has moved away from the aqua/turquoise I adore into more of a dark blue. I probably won’t buy it, but I am sure it will be a great seller for Moda. She also introduces us to a new Pre-cut called Honeycomb, which is a hexagon charm pack. I will not be buying them. Don’t tempt me, don’t talk to me about them. I have enough hexagon projects. Thank you.
I have mentioned the Star Sampler that was still germinating. TFQ and I spent some time over the weekend of our birthdays (we have birthdays 2 days apart) hashing out the details. I have more fabrics to find, but we know the blocks we are working on first and we both should be well underway by now. One of the things we did over the day we spent together was flying geese. I am a big fan of the ‘squares method” of making Flying Geese. Very Lazy Daisy, who is actually quite the prolific quiltmaker, put up a tutorial for the Flying Geese part of Easy Street that explains this squares method. I am a big fan of Deb Tucker’s Wing Clipper ruler. In the directions that come with the ruler, she gives the measurements for different sizes of Flying Geese, which is helpful. The Wing Clipper is one specialty ruler that actually works works without too many machinations, headstands or special dances. 😉 You can use the squares method to make the Flying Geese without the Deb Tucker ruler. Any ruler will do. I sometimes use my 4.5″x8.5″ Creative Grids ruler (also a fave), if I am in a rush and my Wing Clipper is buried. There are also four methods of making flying geese that you can try out on the Martingale blog.
If you are scared of zippers or just want to learn a new way to put zippers into a small pouch, check out Lovebug Studios’ Fearless Zippered Pouch tutorial. These make great gifts and Pam, of Hip to Be a Square podcast fame mentioned that her guild is making them for the Wellspring House in her town. Her comment made me think they would be nice gifts for a domestic violence shelter.
Around and About the Web
I noticed a Skills builder Block of the Month and it is free. Do you need to build some skills? check out the list of block techniques that will be covered. Have fun, if nothing else.
If you haven’t banished the voice in your head that tells you are not good enough, smart enough, etc. It is time to do so. Read Robin’s take on the subject. Remember: you are good enough, you can make hard quilts, you are smart enough.
I get the City Quilter’s newsletter. I have no idea why as I have no intention of going to NYC anytime soon. Cathy, the author/owner, sent along a notice about a Wall Street Journal article on quiltmaking. “QUILT COLLECTOR FEATURED IN THE WALL ST JOURNAL In case you missed this recent Wall Street Journal article, you will enjoy reading about art quilt collector Jack Walsh, and his collection (almost 100!), many of which were commissions. We got to know Jack last September when he was honored at the European Patchwork event in Alsace. Here is a photo gallery drawn from his holdings”
I probably have blocks of the month on my mind, because Ruth was talking with me about the BAMQG BOM program she is designing. While perusing the City Quilter newsletter, I saw this new Amish BOM as well and love it. I can’t do it, because I have enough on my plate AND I don’t like the term/acronym BOM.
Completely switching gears, I just had to tell you that I LOVE the fabric the Pile of Fabric blog shows in her new sampler post. If you didn’t get me a birthday gift, yards of these would be fine. 😉
Jennifer Pagnatelli has a new line of fabric coming out in May. It is called Circa (looks nothing like Circa 1934 from Cosmo Cricket) and has a similar feel to the Flower Sugar line I am using for the hexagon quilt with a little of my Grama’s living room curtains thrown in.
I used to make ornaments every year for family gifts, but everyone has enough ornaments now and I am lazy. Lori has some wonderful photos of felt ornaments on her blog, which make me want to make some ornaments again. I really like the way she used the buttons, rick rack and ribbon to embellish. It might be a fun project to do with friends and then donate to a women’s shelter or some other worthy cause.
Jane Davila has a relatively new blog post up with some ideas for starting the year off right with your art AND a free printable calendar.
Doing Good
Quilter’s Corner asked for 600 pillowcases to provide pillowcases for the children at Sandy Hook. I wrote about it in a previous post. The shop received over 7,000 pillowcases! Isn’t that great? I am so pleased that the drive was successful.
Design Series
My most recent segment with Sandy was about Negative Space, which isn’t, if you listened to the episode, really a principle or element. I found a great quilt by a friend, Maureen that has some interesting negative space.
Fabric. Tools and Materials
Robert Kaufman has an interesting blog post about their Kona Cotton line.
Kaffe Fassett – A Life in Colour will be an exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum and will run from 22 March to 29 June, 2013. You can find more information out on The Quilt Show Blog.
Publicity
Yes, I am getting some publicity, which is nice as long papparazzi don’t start following me around. I am not sure I would be very patient with them, which would lead to stories in Star Magazine and Gawker saying how mean I was. Somehow The Carolina Cotton Company found the Food Quilt on my blog and Lisa Ann Toney of Carolina Cotton Company left this comment: “You just made Carolina Cotton Company’s FAVORITE QUILT OF THE DAY! DElicious! Creative! Love the black/white/red accents! Perfect for movies/games/picnic! AND… “Supper” cool! We liked you on facebook as well, of course!
http://www.facebook.com/CarolinaCottonCompany”
I was shocked and thrilled to be notified that the Renewed Jelly Roll Race was one of the most loved projects of 2012 on Threadbias! I was so shocked, because I have put up about 3 projects there and almost no information. I just haven’t invested the time, especially after SeamedUp and Tomspoolery both imploded. If you are not a member, I guess I should say “sign up!” Thanks, Threadbias!
NQR
This article about ideas completely blows my mind. Two quotes to keep you up at night:
“…your use of the alphabet does not inhibit mine.”
“If I give you the tie off my shirt, now you have it and I don’t; but when I give you an idea, now we both have it, can expand upon it, test it, and make it more valuable. Ideas and knowledge are subject to increasing, rather than diminishing, returns.”
Go forth and make stuff!
**If you buy stuff, it helps get the word out that AQ is a cool place to be and adds to the Young Man’s college fund. Truly. I don’t use the money to buy more fabric. JL