BLOG HOP DAY 7 -- LAST DAY

Greetings Everyone!

Today is the last day of Quilting Gallery's Blog Hop.  How many blogs did you hop too?  Me, not very many considering that there were around 200 participants.

Anyway, you have until midnight tonight to leave a comment on the daily blog in order to be registered to win a copy of my book, ORPHAN BLOCK QUILTS.  As the number of comments has reached over 100 now, I am also going to give away two magazines featuring my quilts.  Fun!  Good luck everyone!  Also, I'd love love love it if you'd become a follower.  When my new book comes out in July, I'm planning to do some giveaways and such -- you don't want to miss that, do you?

Now let's talk about quilting style.  Recently it's been on my mind.  A friend of mine, Gaynel (who is one of the finest long arm machine quilters by the way) told me about a week ago that she opened up a magazine and saw a quilt that she immediately recognized as one of my designs before she'd even read the designer's name.  This really got me thinking.  What exactly IS my style as a quilt designer?

A day or two ago, my favorite magazine editor mentioned that she really liked my style so I emailed her back and asked her what she saw my style as.  I've always thought of myself as "eclectic" although I'm not really into applique veru much (I do admire it, but I don't really have the patience for it).  Carolyn emailed me back and this is what she wrote,  "I think of your style as tradition with an eye for simple lines...I think you make every effort to display the beauty of the fabrics and
create designs that quilters are confident they can tackle."  She definitely nailed how I approach designing, but now I have to come up with a name for it. 

Until tomorrow, when I announce two lucky winners -- one for the book and one for the magazines!  Now I'm off to hop a little bit more!  Maybe I'll see you!

Getting in the Groove

I know a lot of quilters slow down in the summer due to the heat, but I don't. I even manage to sew on binding on big heavy quilts. My secret -- shhh! -- is propping the quilt on a TV table instead of on me as I hand sew the binding down. I also have a fan blowing directly at my legs which helps keep me cool. Add a cool beverege and a favorite DVD and I'm good for a couple hours of binding as long as the air conditioning is working hard, of course. Right now, I'm getting two quilts ready to go to Quilter's World for another upcoming book on precuts which will be out sometime next year. Instructions are written and the quilts are finished, I just need to get everything packages, printed, and mailed. I'm also wrapping up a quilt for FOns and Porter Easy Quilts magazine for Spring 2013. I just have to test the instructions to make sure they are accurate and then it too will get packaged, printed, and shipped. I'm also trying to complete the binding for my niece, Meghan's graduation quilt before her party on July 28th. I plan to make a matching pillow case as the gift bag too. I'm pleased that the quilt won't be travelling too far....she is attending my alma mater, Allegheny College, in the fall. In fact she will be living in the same hall I did when I was both a freshman and a junior, only just down the hall. I am incredibly proud of this young lady. Stay tuned for pics of her quilt and pillowcase in an upcoming blog. In the meantime I'm trying to get down and dirty with my new book project. I've contacted the publisher but do not have an assigned editor yet so right now I'm on my own. There are about 15 quilt projects in the book. I have two quilts quilted and in the binding phase, two tops ready for quilting, and I'm starting the fifth top. The majority of the story part is done. Photos are being translated as we speak. And I'm working on the book layout, or flat plan, too. I do need to start writing the instructions for the projects I've been working on, although I do jot down notes as I make the quilts. But I do need an editor ASAP and a deadline, of course!

HOT OFF THE PRESS....LITERALLY

Let me tell you about an exciting thing that happened the other day. I received a box of quilts back from DRG, the parent company of both Quilter's World magazine and House of White Birches. At first I couldn't remember which quilts that I should be getting back then I wondered if they were perhaps the quilts from the White Birches ninepatch book that comes out in August. I ripped into the package to find that I was correct -- it was the two quilts from the ninepatch book and nestled in the between the quilts was an advance copy of the book, officially called NINE PATCH PANACHE. I pulled that book out and started yelling and hollering BECAUSE ONE OF MY QUILTS WAS ON THE FRONT COVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What an awesome surprise! The book retails for $19.95 and is available for preorder through Amazon, etc. right now and should be available September 1st. I hope everyone will order this one -- and not just because my quilt is on the cover (although it does look really lovely there). The book features about 45 ninepatch quilts from traditional to contemporary. It's a nice addition to any quilter's library. I actually have two designs in this book -- Floating Stars and Optica. Optica is the cover quilt, of course! OH, BEFORE I FORGET -- HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

Catching Up

So sorry -- it's been almost two weeks since I last blogged. I have a good excuse, though -- I've been working very hard to get completely caught up on projects. I finally completed my two projects for the Dec 2011 Quilter's World magazine issue AND the instructions. Sent them earlier this week and they arrived safely at the office today. Whew -- I always get a little nervous when shipping quilts.

The two quilts really took quite a bit of time to finish -- particularly the miniature quilt. I put as much time into the mini quilt as I do several larger quilts -- the piecing alone took over nine hours (not all at once, thank goodness!).

Of course, writing project instructions is nothing to sneeze at either -- it's exacting and time consuming.

Then of course after the projects are done and the instructions are written, then it's time to prepare for shipping the quilts. This process takes some time too -- printing ALL instructions/patterns, emailing ALL instructions/patterns, completing submittal forms, packing slips, addresses, inspirations......Are you as tired as I am yet???

I just wanted to show a little bit that goes into the planning and execution of quilt designing for those of you who might not know the process. It's a lot of hard and challenging work, but of course it's fun and rewarding too. Hopefully the next time you look at a quilt project, you might take a second to think about all of the work put into it. Perhpas it's something you'd like to try for yourself....

To change subjects, I'm still diligently working on fabric designs. My design director has been travelling all over going to all the big shows and hasn't had a chance to get back to me with feedback yet, but I still keep plugging away, hoping that I'm on the right track.

I think I see a distinctive style evolving -- my designs are grounded in actual antique, vintage, retro fabric designs, but with a little extra something....Can't wait to post images of my first collection for Northcott, Louetta's Garden, as soon as they are available.