Month: April 2010

Twister- the ruler, not the game

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Marsha from Country Schoolhouse in Superior, Wisc is located at the tip of Lake Superior in Northern Wisconsin. This is where she created a MUST HAVE ruler to use with Moda Layer Cakes TM and Charm Packs.  The ruler is called the Twister. I have tested the ruler using Park Avenue by 3 sisters in stores May/June 2010.
These are the easy steps to why this is the MUST HAVE ruler.
Step 1
step 1
Arrange your layer cakes in a pleasing order. Sew them together. Add a border. For future reference I am going to call this piece a quilt top. You will cut this apart and sew it back together.
Step 2
step2
This is where it gets fun! Lay the ruler on your quilt top lining up the lines as shown on the ruler instructions. Continue cutting across the quilt top.
step3
This is the left overs after I cut the squares. There is a tiny amount left when you cut each of the squares so be careful as you cut.
step4
Step 3
“Twist” the blocks one turn and sew them together into rows. The only word of  caution is that the blocks are on the bias so be careful sewing them together. The border from your quilt top automatically makes a border around the pinwheels when sewn into rows. Pretty Cool!
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Sorry about the brown carpet and the brown fabric but I think you can get the jist from the picture.
laying out the rows

Keep the squares in order and sew the rows together.
Step 4
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Add additional borders as needed.
Ask for this ruler at your favorite quilt store. It is available in 2 sizes.
Order Lil’ Twister to use with charm packs.Stock # LTW5
Twister ruler works with Moda Layer Cakes.  Stock# TW10
Quilt and bind as desired.
Enjoy!

Chicago Quilt Show 2010

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Big Smiles were certainly abundant at the Chicago Quilt Show.
gerri and beth and Jean
If you are looking for a fantastic project, this would have been just one of the booths to have visited. My friend, Gerri Robinson and her sister, Jean from Planted Seeds Designs were filled to the brim with kits and patterns. They were joined by Beth Hayes, editor of McCall’s Quilting. Once again, great people make a great industry.

postcard quilt
This quilt was one of those times when I thought, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Brilliant and charming!
I  saw the back of the quilt first. Walked around the corner and was blown away by the front of the postcard quilt.
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 Close-ups
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Can you just imagine a mail man walking up to the house to deliver this? Love it!

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It was a beautiful day to walk in the sunshine and take in the sites in and around Millennium Park. Cloud Gate is British artist Anish Kapoor’s first public outdoor work installed in the United States. The 110-ton elliptical sculpture is forged of a seamless series of highly polished stainless steel plates, which reflect the city’s famous skyline and the clouds above. A 12-foot-high arch provides a “gate” to the concave chamber beneath the sculpture, inviting visitors to touch its mirror-like surface and see their image reflected back from a variety of perspectives.
 Every time I look back at pictures of quilts from each of the shows, I wonder what attracts me to the quilts I photograph. I realize they are either art quilts or antique applique quilts. These are the 2 styles of quilts I will probably never own. I do not see how the art quilters create the incredible art. It is in my head, but I do not have the talent or skills to transfer the vision to cloth.I know the reason why I take pictures of applique quilts is because I just do not sit still long enough to make one of those.
Here are the pics from this show.
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Over and Out! 1 month until Market. Yowser!

Moda Retreat 2010

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Moda hosted it’s annual retreat this past weekend. Joining us were stores from all over the country for 3 days of classes, demos, shopping, food and fun. I realize as I post these pictures that it is kind of like having a dinner party and only taking pictures of your home. I didn’t do that. I took pictures of the people that came to the party! If you want to see more pictures of behind the scenes, check out some of our guests’ blogs.
Kaari from French General, Roseann from Rosebud’s Cottage, Heather from the Quilt Barn, 
Julie from Keepsake Cottage, Susan Fuquay from American Quilt Retailer and more. Let me know if you have blogged about the event and I will add a link.
So now I will show off the quests of the party!
Several of the shops participated in our Pillowcase sew-a-thon. The pillowcases were made and will be logged in the grand total over at the Million Pillowcase Challenge.
Which by the way is half way to million mark!
pillowcase-challenge
The first night we had a Cupcake Carnival, so we cold all let our hair down and have some fun before dinner. One of the most popular carnival booths was our BUTT SKETCH artist. Yes that is what i said!
 Butt Sketch. It was great fun!
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Melba from the Old Craft Store,  I know that is you! I would recognize that Butt anywhere.
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Deb From The Quilter’s General Store in Rockford, Illinois , proudly displaying her Butt Sketch.
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Quilter’s Garden in Princeton, IL and The Stitchery in Delavan, WI  hamming it up.
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Kaari Meng from French General with  Rachel from The Old Country Store, Intercourse, PA.
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Janeese and Patt from Calico House in Lincoln, NE
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Mandy from Over the Rainbow sported the perfect balloon hat.(get it? Over the rainbow!)
Several of the moda staff quickly followed. ( they will remain nameless) Twyla-Pease-Sewin-Heaven
Twyla from Sew in Heaven in Holiday Island, AR was sitting quietly. She was probably hoping that I would not hunt her down and add her to the Balloon Head group.
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Roseann Kermes from Rosebuds Cottage and TJ from Old Craft Store, Carrollton, Tx
Roseanne’s booth was a ton of fun. It was a Yo-yo competition. Not the toy kind, the sewing kind.
How fast can you sew a yo yo while the clock is ticking?
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Since Project Runway is all the rage, we set up a FIG TREE RUNWAY. 2 teams of 2 competed to create there own  original fashion design using precuts, ric rac, trims, buttons in 5 minutes or less. We even had a men’s round, after all most of the best designers are men. We knew our own Mark Dunn was very fashion savvy but who would of thought John Atkins our color blind IT Director would have added so much to the team. Hilariously fun!
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This picture just makes me smile! 2 of our long time sales reps on hand to help us out.
Gene Stewart and Melody Busch
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Brian Dunn  & Mark  Dunn
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Just a few of the people that make it all happen EVERY DAY!!
Thank you for coming to the retreat and choosing moda!
  

Martinque quilt and McCalls Magazine

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I am honored .
One of  my quilts was chosen for a McCalls magazine. On shelves now.
The flat picture of it does not do it justice. You have to click on the link and see the styled shot.  Maggi Honeyman worked her magic once again on the quilting! No matter how beautiful the fabrics or how intricate the piecing, it is the quilting that adds such texture and dimesion. McCalls Quilting May June 2010 Cover
Yummy! The quilt kind of looks like schools of fish swimming through the tropics.

Dreaming of Diamonds

Martinque quilt in McCalls May June 2010
The moda retreat for shop owners is next week. I think I will hang this quilt on my office wall so I can show it off. Thanks McCalls for featuring little ol’ me.